Monday, October 26, 2009

Could we do better?

There is still a lot of bad stuff going on with people. They are loosing their homes and jobs. We have heard a lot of talk about the government doing this and that but Could we do better?

I'm thinking of the national reaction that takes place when a flood or bad storm comes upon a community. The response is almost immediate. The red tape is cut through. People get help or at least there are officials on the spot to leave the indication of help.

Yet in this national crisis of foreclosures, the government has helped the banks but the banks have not passed on that charity to home owners. I admit that some of the people who lost their homes were speculators themselves and just got caught in the market. But there are many who have lived in a home for years and are part of the community who have just fallen on hard times and yet there is no help to keep them in their homes. I just think it could have been handled better with more action and less talk. I think banks could have made adjustments and given people more than the usual routine in helping them stay in their homes.

My thought is that foreclosures have become big business for banks or finance companies. You got people into the homes by collecting huge down payments and huge interest payments. Now interest has bottomed out and the quick cash has dried up so the most profitable thing to do is kick them out and start over with a new batch of buyers. I hope I'm wrong about that.

As for jobs, Businesses have to do what it takes to stay in business but I fear that many of the lay offs are so corporations can paint a pretty picture for investors. If they can show that they are streamlining their company, then the investors will read the story and perhaps sink some money there. It would be better if a quality product was how people made money.

Maybe I'm all confused. I'm reminded, though, of the old saying that 'one man's junk is another man's treasure'. Perhaps it can be said of these days that 'one person's loss is another person's gain'. I guess that is true but a little compassion wouldn't hurt, at least for a while, then they can go back to being sharks after the children get a roof over their heads.

No comments:

Post a Comment

Followers