~ From It's A Wonderful Life, 1946

The classic 1946 film, It's A Wonderful Life, is the story of George Bailey, a good-hearted savings and loan manager who consistently puts the needs of others ahead of his own, and his struggles against Mr. Potter, a greedy banker who's only goal seems to be owning everything in town and taking advantage of anyone he can in the process.

When George finds himself in a moment of crisis, the depositors of the savings and loan and all of the friends, relatives, citizens of the town and others who were positively affected by George Bailey's presence come to his rescue, emptying out their piggy banks and donating enough money to save George Bailey's business and keep the Bailey Building and Loan out of the hands of the evil tycoon, Mr. Potter.

One can be certain that if it was the cheating, selfish, skinflint Mr. Potter who needed the bail-out, the townspeople would have let him go under.

In October of 2008, in response to the subprime mortgage crisis, Congress and President George W. Bush signed the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008 into law.  This act was what is commonly referred to as the "bank bailout" and was funded by taxpayer dollars.  The reason given for the bank bailout was that these large financial institutions, who had caused the crisis in the first place, were "too big to fail".

Three years later more banks are assessing checking account fees and increasing ATM fees.  Bank of America has just instituted a $5 per month fee to use your debit card and many other large banks are planning to follow their lead.  Too big to fail has become too big to care.

The people are angry because we bailed out Mr. Potter.  And, to make matters worse, instead of being grateful, he's still behaving like the same selfish skinflint he always was.

Last month the people took to the streets in protest.  The Occupy Wall Street movement has inspired the citizenry to get involved and has gone worldwide to include over 1500 protests in over 82 countries.  However, if marching is not for you, there are still many ways you can take action. 

If you are tired of being treated like a commodity rather than a customer, move your money!  The Move Your Money Project is a nonprofit campaign that encourages individuals and institutions to divest from the largest Wall Street banks and move their banking business to local financial institutions.  Simply go to the Move Your Money site (see link at right, under Elaborations, for details) and click on the link, "Find a Bank/Credit Union".  You can then enter your zipcode to find sound and local banks and/or credit unions in your area.  Take some time to explore each bank's policies, fees and practices and choose the financial institution that suits your needs best.

Use your power as a consumer and vote with your dollars.  Move your money!

~~~~~~~~~

Feed your inner protester with Quinoa Veggie Burgers.  These delicious patties are made with protein-packed quinoa, yams, carrot and zucchini.  They are easy to make and freeze really well.  La Yapa Organic Golden Royal Quinoa is Fair Trade Certified and famous for its buttery taste, high protein content and large grain size (see link at right, under "Elaborations").

1 cup quinoa, rinsed and drained.

2 cups water

1 tablespoon minced onion

1 clove of garlic, minced (about 1/2 teaspoon)

1/4 cup grated carrot

1/2 cup peeled and grated yam

1 cup peeled and grated zucchini (if zucchini are large, remove seeds first)

Zest of one lemon

1/4 cup all purpose flour

1 organic egg, beaten with a little salt and pepper

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1/8 teaspoon cumin

Oil for frying

Cook quinoa according to package directions.  Make sure all the water is cooked out.  Fluff quinoa with a fork and let cool.

In a large bowl, combine onion, garlic, carrot, yam and zucchini.  Using a clean towel or paper towels, squeeze out excess moisture as much as possible from veggies.

Combine vegetables and quinoa.  Add lemon zest, flour, egg, salt, pepper and cumin.  Mix together thoroughly.

Form mixture into eight approximately 3 inch patties (put a little olive oil on your hands to keep the mixture from sticking while you form the patties).  Place finished patties on a tray and chill in fridge for about 20 or 30 minutes to firm.

Heat about 2 tablespoons of oil in a non-stick frying pan over medium-high heat.

Fry patties, 2 or 3 at a time (do not crowd pan) until golden brown and crispy, about 5 minutes per side.  Press down with a spatula while patty cooks to flatten and firm.  

To reheat from frozen, simply follow the cooking instructions above until patties are heated through.

Serve these like a burger with all of your favorite fixings or on a bed of greens, with one of the tasty sauces below.  

Combine the following in a small bowl:

1/4 cup organic mayonnaise

Generous 1/2 teaspoon dried dill

1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

Salt and pepper to taste

Or 

1/4 cup organic mayonnaise

2 teaspoons organic ketchup

1 clove of garlic, minced

1/2 teaspoon paprika

Salt and pepper to taste

Makes 8 patties