$24,000 For Every Man, Woman & Child in America

When are the the american people going to get fed up with the smoke and mirror treatment from are government it is very obvious that none of the TARP money stimulated anyones pockets except the rich and powerful and none of the pockets of the so called backbone of american pockets the taxpayer. political candidates looking for office soon for get where they came from and give way to corporations and special interest. It seems that alot of people have forgotten where they come from and what real values are. Obviously are congress see's no real value in the american worker anymore for anything they manufacture or produce that why they hold their feet to fire and force them to prove their worth yet while asking nothing of the wall street CEO'S or their decadent lifestyles let alone the cronies that worked with them. Why doesn't members of congress and are government tell the american people stand up for once and tell the american why they seen there way clear to subsidize finance loan or whatever term you want to call it foreign auto manufacturers to set shop in this country with no questions on how they would repay the money given to them or a viable business plan. And lastly this housing foreclosure mess it boils down to a moral issue doesn't it some might say why does it, it's simple if they couldn't afford they didn't deserve the loan. Loan officers had the authority to deny the loan based on the criteria already in place but chose not to based on their greed. When does good financial planning and prudence come into play obviously between the home buyer and the lender in this case it didn't both are morally bankrupt. But this cancer starts further up stream namely government fannie mae freddie mac and so on run by elected individuals that are morally bankrupt and so on.

Aren't our Congress people supposed to be listening to us? What's going on up there on the Hill? Why is the people who are making the stupid mistakes are the ones getting bailed out? My husband and I pay our bills on time and don't have over $300 on our credit card. And the only reason for the $300 is because of Christmas presents. We would love to take trips and remodel our house, but we have sense enough to know that we can't afford it right now. Why is it we Americans have to live so "high on the hog"? It's as simple as elementary math people! You can't spend more than you take in. Why do people make excuses and blame everyone else for their poor choices? People commit murder and blame their mommy and daddy for looking at them cross-eyed when they were 10 years old. We then say they were emotionally abused and slap them on the hand. It's all about choices and a little common sense! The United States has become a country of people blaming everyone else for their problems! Let's grow up!!

I am 58 (soon to be 59) years old, my wife is 56. Bsed on what we're now reading, we fall into the lower middle class. Of all the discussions going around, based on our current household income, we won't have to worry about a tax increase or expect to enjoy a tax decrease. My wife and I bought our first house in 1976 with a 95% LTV. We've owned (the bank and us) 6 houses since. One at a time. Although it hasn't always been easy, we've never missed a mortgage payment. We haven't even been late on a mortgage payment. That's 372 +/- payments. Based on "front-loaded interest payments" that's a lot of interest and very little priciple. That's a lot of money the banks have enjoyed "earning". We've had a number of home equity credit loans. Same story, no missed or late payments. We have had credit cards galore. Everything from GAP to VISA. We haven't missed a payment. We have been late making my payments two or three times in over 37 years. When we were late, we knew and expected to pay a penalty. We did. We've had too many car loans to remember. No missed payments, no late payments. We've never missed paying a utility bill on time and in full. Why did we do this? What fools we've been. We've been honest, hard-working, and responsible to our obligations. Why do my wife and I have to pony up for all of those who aren't and weren't? We just don't get it. It's simply UNAMERICAN.

Chad, my Brother. You got it right. Lack of personal responsibility from the bottom to the top. How do you train that into 300 plus million people?

24,000 would get a piece of Land for our Double wide that is on a rental Lot that the owner will probaly go Bankrupt this year.......not real good news.....

What about families making less than 27,000 a year........And only have one out of the two capable to work....

I do view this as the same ole stuff.......Rich get Richer poor get poorer....gotta have money to make money.......

Give money to citi-corp,Bof A All of these companies are raising our interest rates on our credit cards and we are paying out our nose to them........Now we give them our tax money to bail them out......Whats wrong with this Picture?????????

I will say this Mr. Sullivan. I DO observe you clearly enjoy what you do there, that comes through. Also it IS good I find, especially in these times, to offer up as you do, sometimes yourself (the best in comedy can laugh at themselves, probably humility in humanity coming through, possibly a discreet component to comedy we all seek- the humility), but the humor you bring forward. The 'But you're wierd' comment, now, I think you're in with a group that has good standing with each other, and no one will run to HR going 'he called me wierd', I think there was a MILLISECOND there, of Dagan processing this going 'okay, I could run with this and exit the work force leaving with a big chunk', okay okay, anyway, I found the ESSENCE of what had you saying that - the be what makes the show. You're not with mal-intent so as I read, so the 'your wierd' comment I hope was received in context of you, heh, I will say -I think for a split second YOU were thinking - or biting your lip going 'crap, I may have gone overboard'. I'll say I don't think so. Wasn't insulting as I saw it. I'd say - your an asset to FBN. You MAY have simply realized that, and simply just work - and see what results. I don't write on this much, but I was surprised, I expected some drab - politically slanted, religious undertone message - ALL from a pic ! ? ? ? Instead, you are chasing GOOD stories, and bringing humor in where it's needed I think. My lifetime goal is to master never negative selling again ! people wise. Instead of saying "Oh, that Dagan, she looks like she just wants to kick the dog" I can now say "This is a person, who is not unbalanced, who IS someone who benefits their community", now, heh, whether I detect this emote or that ? hey, we're human, but I really don't believe she's kicking the dog, I don't think Bill O'reilly is kicking the dog, I hope not. I don't HAVE a dog btw, I don't see in you anger though, almost a CARE FREE element - yest. was ALMOST like early SNL if you were looking for the humor from ya. Anway, continue onward, it's a good time with the show you help produce. My favorite moments as of late have been Liz MacDonald going "But what about choo choo" on safe stocks etc. and I think Sunday she goes "come on, what's the hangup, let's remove GM and citi from the Dow, come on, hurry up" - heh - I agree, but was just funny I thought. Dagan's not weird, she's angry, JK JK... I really need to get out more !

Hey there Mr. Sullivan and his blog readers. First off, when due- I think it's proper to say so, so - hats off there Mr. Sullivan on the humor notes. I do say - I find your reach into 'just what the hey is goin' on' creative, effective and well - this housing issue you're bring up here has left me with an insight or two. Providing you read your blog comments, hey, win win, if not, no loss, I find it cathartic simply to write. I probably should just start writing and mailing letters out to people: "Look at this Darlene, some letter - hand written on the inquiry about how the gravitational pull of the galaxy is ultimately the source of all our energy, and how it's connected to citi" okay - REACHING far on that one. I will say this, one thing that comes to mind is - I see you with some creative insights and 'angles' to approach what major transitions/ings that have been happening with economies around the world. Right there is one, we probably should always stay global in mindset, to understand best. Often we can anticipate the trading day ahead I observe based on other markets, then again - we all remember last week when the rest of the world rebounded, and there is the US - negative. I do mean to say - I am finding there are PLENTY of valid avenues for exploration I think to help understand this mess, and then ? as you article I think hints at - there is the mess that's resulting FROM the prior mess. On this one, home values - indeed... If they fall, AND if people have/had been using them for giant credit cards via HELOCS (and they have, immunity and a locked room in international waters ? Yeah, I'll explain it all) ? Not only do they have no access to MORE HELOC's but - they now owe more than their assets are valued at, at least their home. I do say, I do my best thinking (which I'm never sure if it's just rambling, OR as I like to see it, a genuine desire to seek dialog or new conversations on subjects I find of interest) mid sentence and when I have no idea what I'm going to say next. To that, just hit me, what about Auto's ? I mean to say - auto DEVALUATION. I say that because above I comments about assets being devalued, then realizing, oh wait, these are homes Sullivan brought up in the article. Well- yikes, with the buy one get one for a BUCK car promo on FBN yesterday - iirc was FBN, but was showing how BAD it is for car dealers ? What about auto devaluation ? Now, no one takes out a CELOC - they don't exist. Car Equity Loan. Back to housing, my ONLY intent on writing this time was to ask about the possibility of a tailspin here. Only in part BECAUSE people have been using their homes as giant credit cards. Citi just said raising rates, and you can bet - less credit available. I know this to be true across the board for the big 9, Chase however has a strange promotion on credit access... Almost probationary (Give us a call before you buy it !) ? ?? If homes fall, then of course, the parasitic foreclosure hounds will wait, as they won't take a loss. What about the banks now then, with foreclosed properties on their hand, the more they have ? the less they are worth. Oh my. what an idea. We destroy food to rig the commodities right ? oh my. now, I never 'got' that when people need food ? but I 'get' it as to what happens to pricing on food commodities if we don't destroy it and the market is flooded ? I'm wondering if the Federal Gov. should just come in and destroy some homes. What a STRANGE place to end up. Point there is, that's what we do with food in the US. Why not with real estate. I mean, outside of the insurance circuit too. Fed comes in, if more than 12% of homes are foreclosed on a block the Fed rolls the dice, and BAM - bulldozed away. Hey, I KNOW it doesn't make any sense, I don't even like it - those ARE two requisites though of what the Treasury will seek next though !

It was nice to hear,today, that Obama is going to continue the tradition of governing thru fear. This _________________ (fill in the blank ) CRISES will cause YOU a lot of PAIN, but I am your salvation. MY PLAN will take care of all your troubles. TRUST ME, I know what's best for you ( and if I don't my advisers do ). I have no doubt he will trip over his ego in his first 100 days.

SO CITIBANK,AND ALL THESE OTHER COMPANYS ARE GETTING A BAIL OUT. I HEARD ON FOX NEWS TODAY, THAT ALL THE CREDIT CARD COMPANYS ARE NOW GOING TO RAISE THE INSTREST RATES ON EVERY ONE. EVEN IF YOU HAVE NEVER BEEN LATE,OR GONE OVER YOUR LIMIT. WILL SOMEONE PLEASE TELL ME WHY THOSE OF US WHO PAY OUR BILLS ON TIME!! AND ARE CAREFULL!!HOW WE SPEND OUR MONEY. HAVE TO PAY FOR THE MISTAKES OTHERS MAKE. IT SEEMS LIKE THE ONLY THING TO DO IS TO CLOSE OUT THE CARDS, PAYS THE BLANCE OFF, AND USE CASH. DONT THEY CARE THAT THIS WILL CAUSE MANY PEOPLE NOT TO BE ABLE TO MAKE THEIR MONTHLY PAYMENTS? OF COUSES NOT THEY WILL JUST HAVE THE GOVERMENT BAIL THEM OUT AGAIN WE ARE SEEING THE BIBLE FULFILLED RIGHT IN FRONT OF OUR EYES.

It's not enough. completely eliminate everyone's credit card debt accrued before November 1, 2008; cut 100k - 200k off everyone's mortgages; and then maybe we're talking about something close to a solution.

Must be nice to be able to hand out some one's money to another with out asking for the lenders approval. Strange times.

My economic bailout plan is as follows: Restructure the entire banking system by cancelling EVERYONE'S debts individually, nationally, and internationally. We cancel banking from College/University education; cancel banking from Health Care; cancel banking from housing; cancel banking from energy; we can keep capitalism alive for the rest. So long as the police state controls your education,health care, housing, and energy, you will never be free. To free the slaves we need to cancel capitalism from the four areas of life where they hold us hostage to communistic capitalism and grant EVERYONE the freedom they deserve. And THIS is a bailout plan that can work FAIRLY for everyone. So simple, yet these throne dwarves and stooges just don't get it.

Our politions really beleive they can buy votes, so giving money away has a direct correlation, in their minds, to getting re-elected. The more money they give away the better chance to be re-elected. I ask one question to anyone who will answer, did you or anyone you know, ever live next door, or did your kids ever go to school with a current state, federal senator or representative, in your lifetime? I know none of them came from my neighborhood. And maybe their are some people somwhere who can answer that question with a "yes I knew so&so back when", but the fact remains, most people voting on what we do and how we spend taxpayers money, did not grow up like most people voting for them. A far cry from a government by the people.

Out of control clueless government making bad decisions is the problem. We need to return to "sound money", something they can't manipulate at will. If we're going to spend money, we need to have it beforehand. No more deficit financing, which in my eyes leads to the devaluation of our "money". Let's legalize a competing currency and audit the Federal Reserve for starters!

When are we as a country going to wake up and turn on our brains? We are loaning money to ourselves hoping it will make everyone feel better. Let the markets take care of themselves and get our government out of it. We will have all the major companies owned by the government, do people understand what that means? I agree with most, this is not a quick fix, stop charging everything and start paying for our needs and wants by cash that is how it is done.We all contributed to this major scam and we all need to endure the pain for awhile. If GM falls so be it, another company will pick up the slack and create more jobs. Think of this, how can the most educated CEOs go to Washington ask for 25 billion and not have a plan, that totally blows my mind. It would be like my son asking me for 10,000 to start a business but not sure at this point what business.These are our great leaders, no wonder the auto industry is a mess, if they can't run the business find someone who can, be gone.

Everyone has to realize if they gave the money directly to the taxpayers.......all of their friends wouldn't get most of it...... This money will go to very few people....

"Government is not reason, it is not eloquence, it is force; like fire, a troublesome servant and a fearful master. Never for a moment should it be left to irresponsible action." ----George Washington, speech of January 7, 1790 in the Boston Independent Chronicle, January 14, 1790 For the Republic for which we stand one nation under God! We have lost our way. Pray for all.

Thanks for the humor notes though Mr. Sullivan. You're good at what you do. I get a 'go getter' sense from ya on trying to bring context to what's happening in the markets - that clearly is such an impact on peoples lives ? I don't think people have allowed themselves to sit back and realize their IRA's, 401k's etc are where they are at. Then again, only those retiring NOW or near now would be screwed for sure, anyone longer term, I suppose the proper approach is not to look. My wife won't allow herself to see our child's education fund - I'm not concerned whether it will grow back, I'm concerned whether it will be there at all. If it wasn't for Neil Bush and Savings and Loan act I I wouldn't be looking for how it fits together for savings and loan II. Short of Greenspan and Bernanke BOTH admitting "they were wrong" ? I really haven't seen ANY accountability for the failures. Just more handouts. This can't be good short, mid OR long term. Maybe tax rebates this year come in the form of dividends ? or flat out stock ! In fact ? If the US buys any more corporate entities or into them ? We might as well start trading stock instead of using the dollar. Because that's what the dollar will be riding on.

Why doesn't the Federal Government buy into NewsCorp and just use the 3,000 daisy chained mass media distribution outlets to promote a message that money still means anything after it's just been - tossed around like jelly beans at a candy store. Money had a purpose - for a society to move past barter. If Citi ? Bear Stearns ? Fannie & Freddie ? Bank of America ? list goes on, if they were in a BARTER system ? You would find people aren't willing to trade you much for them. Yet ? Paulson at the helm - issuing buy orders on preferred stock, gee, the markets are so corrupt as to actual VALUE right now ? Now that the Fed has jumped in ? you can't tell what's worth something because the Fed is propping it up ? or because it actually is a good company. Seems the kids have stopped asking for an allowance. And now just ask for loans they know will never be paid back. I wonder what parents would say if their children over-leveraged.

Who's to blame for the entire financial mess? Every adult man and woman, as well as corporation, in America. Why? Credit issuers who over-extended; the people who over-spent via credit. The Lenders who encouraged, and then, refinanced mortgages to pull cash out and "pay off the credit cards" or "take that vacation", negating any and all equity in homes. The people who then went out and re-charged on those same credit cards which they just paid off. The government who made it so easy to file for Bankruptcy and wipe out all the debt. The Unions who negotiated pensions and benefits for their members, not only for work performed, but for after retirement, to the point where the corporations who employed them had to promise "future" profits which they now can't deliver on. The Legislators who think the money flow never ends, and their constituents who don't care who pays for it as long as they get "theirs". The Legislators who believe that increasing fuel economy on new vehicles will offset the ever increasing numbers of vehicles on the road. The people who live a "green" life, yet use more energy and produce more waste than any generation in human history. The attorneys who win a case for their client, yet cause the product and company (and thus consumer) to pay more and more for that product, in order to protect against a "one in a million" accident which was more about the carelessness and lack of common sense of the plaintiff than about the product. I could go on and on. What goes around, eventually comes back to smack us in the rear. Welcome to our modern day Depression, folks. The average American is much less capable of dealing with a depression than the mostly rural living Americans from '29 through '39. I predict it will end up much worse, for more people, than the last depression. Good luck and God Speed to us all...

I think 40% of US citizens who don't pay their income taxes just went to 80%

If our government really wants to fix the enconomy, give the bailout money directly to the tax payers (not banks or insurance, and car companies). I am sure the tax payer can do a better job on getting the enconomy moving in the right direction.