Quote of the Day: Fighting a fire with a garden hose

by: Jason Springer

Fri Nov 21, 2008 at 02:20:57 PM EST

Today, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac announced a plan to freeze some foreclosures until January of 2009. Reacting to estimates that the plan would prevent up to 16,000 foreclosures, when there were 279,561 foreclosures nationally in October alone, Senator Menendez had this to say:

Once again, the Bush administration is like a fire department showing up late with only a garden hose. Preventing up to 16,000 foreclosures is better than nothing, but at least half a million families will join those already facing foreclosure if stronger action isn't taken between now and the Obama administration. Last week, the Bush administration announced a plan to modify mortgages for only a small segment of struggling homeowners, and now we see a freeze on an extremely limited number of foreclosures. Clearly, if they don't understand by now that stabilizing the housing market helps stabilize the entire economy, they never will.

Ocean County has the blaze raging with 30 foreclosures per day, up from the normal 4-6. And in September, one in every 453 homes in the state received a filing -- either a default notice, a scheduled sheriff's auction or a bank repossession. We have been on pace to hit 50,000 foreclosures this year.

Along with the foreclosure problem, we need to stabilize the market because you have people that have lost so much value in their homes versus what they owe on the mortgage that they're walking away altogether.

There are many culprits who can share in the responsibility for this chaos in the housing market, but trying to apply a bandage to a wound that needs a tourniquet at this point is probably not going to do the job. That's why they have warning signs, which were ignored by virtually everyone with decision making power. So that you don't have to deal with the massive problems we face now

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Watch Barney Frank Crush Scott Garrett!!!

by: Nick Lento

Tue Jul 15, 2008 at 05:24:46 PM EDT

Normally, I don't laugh out loud while watching the news.

Last night's News Hour was an exception.

The discussion led by Ray Suarez came around to a mini debate with Barney Frank on one side and "our own" Scott Garrett on the other.

Putting aside, for the moment, any of the substance of the topic it was quite amusing to see Garrett get rhetorically/intellectually gutted by Frank.

I just loved seeing Scotty squirm and grimace and actually be reduced to nervously twiddling his thumbs as Barney's blarney blasted him away!!! I wish I could embed it on site but you'll have to click here and then hit "streaming video" to see for yourself.

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