Gotta love this guy!
http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com/newssun/business/berko/740687,5_3_WA15_BERKO_S1.article
-January 15, 2008-
Dear Mr. Berko: Two of my friends wrote to ask for help in their retirement plan selections. They wrote their letter to you in our native Spanish two times; you answered that you only answer letters that are written in English. I know you speak our language because when you had your radio show I remember two times you held conversations in Spanish with some listeners. When a caller asked why you speak Spanish, you told them that your grandfather lived in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Your refusal to answer those letters is an insult to your grandfather's heritage. You should be proud of your past heritage. I also want to tell you that your refusal to answer those letters is discrimination against my people who cannot speak English. You should apologize to all of us for your insensitivity. And because of your insult to my friends, I pledged never to read your column again. I know you won't have the courage to print my letter.
-- T.M., Boca Raton, Fla.
Dear T.M.: Here is your letter, but I omitted your terribly frosty comments, which are not suitable for family newspapers.
I receive four or five letters in Spanish each year and my response is always the same: "Write in English if you want an answer." And yes, my grandfather lived in Argentina (big deal), but I'm proud of my heritage, which is 100 percent American. However, my friend, the past is yesterday's box score and the future is where I intend to live the rest of my life.
You have a lot of cheek demanding an apology from me. Rather, your friends should apologize to several hundred million Americans for snubbing our language. Living under our flag, wrapped in your heritage, while thumbing your collective noses at assimilation, plainly demonstrates your contempt for us. If your country is so wonderful, if your culture is so comforting, why did you leave?
Your letter suggests that you are the insensitive person, not me. Your friends don't speak English and most Americans feel that it's presumptuous of them to work and live here and demand that we speak Spanish. As my daughter would say, "That really takes the cupcake!" But I doubt that you get my drift.
Millions of immigrants from Poland, Germany, Italy, Russia, Romania, Hungary came to the U.S. They didn't demand green cards or welfare assistance. They assimilated; they learned English and became U.S. citizens. But the last census suggests that 74 percent of South Florida's Hispanics are not U.S. citizens. What unmitigated gall! It takes a lot of chutzpah for aliens to live here and expect us to speak their tongue. I don't know of any other ethnic group that demands this from the citizens of the host country.
Now some of you folks are beginning to promote Hispanic ascendancy, which concerns all Americans. Several months ago professor Eduardo Gamarra from Florida International University in Miami told the Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel that the presidential debates must be held in Spanish so Hispanic voters can understand the issues. I suppose the next step is to "Spanishize" our legal system, then our Constitution. This is the epitome of hubris!
I exchanged some testy e-mails with professor Gamarra who plans to share them with his FIU class on (get this) "comparative genocide." How charming!
However, to demonstrate good will and good intentions, I'll answer the mutual fund selection questions asked by your friends who must make new choices for their 401(k) plans.
Each should invest 35 percent to their portfolio in Fidelity's Convertible Securities Fund, which, during the past 20 years has a 13 percent average annual total return. Then invest 35 percent in Fidelity's Balanced Fund, which has a 10.5 percent average annual return over the past 20 years. Lastly, invest the remaining 30 percent in the Fidelity International Discovery Fund that has a 9.6 percent average annual total return since 1987. The other fund choices aren't worth a bucket of night soil. But the three Fidelity Funds I recommended should outperform the market in most years and provide your friends with a good retirement nest egg 20 years hence when they hang up their work boots.
Most corporations with 401(k) plans employ advisers to help their employees with investment questions. Perhaps your friends should get a second opinion.
Address your financial questions to Malcolm Berko, P.O. Box 1416, Boca Raton, FL 33429 or e-mail him at malber@adelphia.net.
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