Economy Nov 05 My conservative friends are convinced that this economic mess is the result of changes to Fannie and Freddie’s lending policies forced on them by the Democrats. Question/Comment: My conservative friends are convinced that this economic mess is the result of changes to Fannie and Freddie’s lending policies forced on them by the Democrats. My own theory identifies our chronic balance of payments as the chief culprit.
Economy Sep 26 Is the American dream of home ownership and subsequently loaning money to unqualified home buyers a major cause of this crisis? Question/Comment: Lack of transparency and regulation appear to be at the heart of the current financial crisis. Didn’t the Senate Banking Committee and the Republicans attempt to ward this off with a reform bill in 2005? Is the American dream…
Economy Sep 25 What regulations do you think would possibly fix this situation? Question/Comment: I’m concerned that your viewers are going to come away from this discussion thinking that the market is to blame. The risky investments you refer to at the root of this problem were ones that the government mandated, ones…
Economy Sep 22 Is it too much to ask that the top CEOs of a big corporation be paid no more than five to 10 times the wage of the lowest paid full-time employee? Question/Comment: Is it too much to ask that the top CEOs of a big corporation be paid no more than five to 10 times the wage of the lowest paid full-time employee? Radical, but…
Sep 17 Stocks Plunge Despite Fed’s $85B Bailout of AIG By Admin, PBS News Hour Even though the U.S. government threw an $85 billion lifeline to troubled insurer American International Group, Inc. Tuesday, U.S. stocks took another beating Wednesday led by plummeting shares of investment banks Morgan Stanley and Goldman Sachs. Continue reading
Sep 11 How will the taxpayers pay if Fannie and Freddie Mac fail? Question/Comment: Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, we are told, are so big, we can’t allow them to fail. We taxpayers could end up footing the bill for as much as $200 billion. Where will that money come from? How will… Continue reading
Sep 11 When running as intended, what cost difference does Fannie and Freddie make to the mortgage payment of the average house? By Business Desk Question/Comment: How do other nations subsidize housing (to the same end that Fannie and Freddie do in the U.S.)? When running as intended, what cost difference does Fannie and Freddie make to the mortgage payment of the average house? If… Continue reading