So Let's Not Reward the Dishonest

Or how to Make Form Follow Good Intentions in the Foreclosure Crisis

I have a bold new idea. Lets not give taxpayers money to the people who stole money from the banks in the first place. I know, we need people with a little sophistication to rewrite these bad loans. Let's just not use anyone who sold a bad loan to any of these people to fix the problem. That will not be easy. The government is already selling former Countrywide executives, under a deal called PennyMac, mortgages at 38 cents on the dollar. They then recycle them and take both consumers money and taxpayers money in the bargain.

I have less problem with homeowners who got in over their head than the more sophisticated people who set up the scam which emptied out the banks. Never mind the fact that never before have so few done so much to so many. Let's just not compound this tragedy by letting the thieves back into the bank vault. This time they have a direct pipeline to the U.S. Treasury. Would you call that mainlining?

The government is a big blunt instrument and taking advantage of its clumsiness is an age old strategy for gaining wealth. Of course the backside of the government's hand used to be the headman's ax or the hangman's noose. Hmmmm, maybe a President who doesn't pay too much attention to the Constitution could come in handy about now? Have to be a little more willing to shed blood than the current guy though.

Not that I am really screaming, “Off with their heads,” in a totally serious vein. But I do have this handy black hood that fits down over my face and an ax with a sharp edge. I could use a little work too come to think of it. Of course we could use the Guillotine. Damn French, they started this whole thing about automation didn't they?

There goes another perfectly good job prospect. Oh well, maybe I can polish up my degree in psych and counsel the poor lads that just have to take all of that money off of our hands. I am way too certain that the psychic burden will be far too much for them otherwise.

These guys are after all the sensitive souls that stole from the poor to make themselves rich. So they are the only ones properly prepared for this crisis. To take advantage of this opportunity appropriately is their civic duty, isn't it? Isn't that how government programs are supposed to work? The few, the proud, the prepared will eat the dough, the rest of us will get the chaff.