Here's a novel idea...take that $700 billion and spread it around evenly to every AMERICAN TAX-PAYING man and woman and let them take care of the economy...they will use that money to buy cars, homes, and necessities and take our economy out of the serious mess we're in.  Giving it to those bankers and brokers who have misused the money in the past will only reinforce their mistaken and disasterous habits of "blowing it", which will put us all back in an even worse situation; one that we and our children may never again recover from.

OK, everyone, don't panic, don't panic!! Here's what we do--stop spending!  If you have to spend, just spend only what you have to.  When the banks ask you why you're not getting a loan, tell them the rates are too high. Demand they lower the interest rate to your liking. When retailers ask why you're not spending, tell them their prices are too high, and demand a deep discount. Pay off all your bills and then start saving. Grow as much as you can. Join a credit union instead of a bank.Get a financial education. Do everything in your power to get money, but don't spend it.  Now if this doesn't work--panic, panic!!!

Here I go! Lets stop putting this country last. The Government needs to put us first. This will never happen because we have to have our fingers in all the cookie jars. When will we learn? Afghanistan was our own undoing. We supplied them with weapon to fight the Russians and see where it got us. We did NAFTA and see where that got us. We could probably keep on going with ways Congress has messed this country up but the only good thing I have heard come from anyone was this. A democracy fails when the government tries to bribe its own people with their own money. Anyone say "Stimulus Checks". Stop voting for the life long politicians and get someone new in. Get term limits for both Congress and the Senate. Tow terms should be enough. No retirement fund for them, no great medical for them. My thought on their pay is this. They are elected to represent the people in their district, so they should be paid according to their district. If the average pay is only $32,000 a year then that is what they should be paid. If it is less then they get paid less and if it is more then they will be paid more but by no means are they worth the money they are getting paid now. My brother had a good idea with them, it should be volunteer based with no pay or benefits. See how many would run then!

So lets see if I have the right--you buy a home you can't afford, carried by a greedy lender that knows you can't afford, hoping you can sell the home at a profit later on. The bailout bill states it will buy the homes, and THEN sell the loans at a profit later on!! Isn't this how we got into this mess in the first place? All the while the tax payers are bent over and stuck, and the CEO's skate free. If the CEO's were common criminals, they would be doing time!! BUT wait, the CEO's have friends in the government and won't do a damn stitch. Is this a great country or what?

I am a first time home buyer, actually I am going to build my home, but with the rates rising sooo fast, it is going to be very hard for the average middle class American to afford a home loan.  I agree that the goverment should lower the interest rates.  Reason being, you will get more people interested in buying new homes, re-financing current homes which will in turn give the baks money as well.  If the banks are bringing in money, then the economy will slowly begin to pull itself out of this whole.  Last but not least, we've all heard the old saying that history repeats itself.  I am starting to believe it more and more every day.  The goverment should be worried and warned that the last Great Depression, took the U.S. 20 years to fully recover from.  

Don't sweat the rate. The final issue is the monthly payment. With housing prices expected to settle up to 60% down from their highs, a few points is irrelevant. Besides, the real estate taxes are based on the purchase pric, not the mortgage. We should all celebrate lower housing costs.

If you young people think that America is not the best nation on earth to live it's time to shut off the nintendo and go to a third world country to see how eighty percent of the planet lives. I have seen it first hand and the truth is, even as messed up as things are here right now, we have got it prety good. This country was built on capitolism, not hand outs from a government that wants to take from those who are willing to earn what they get and give it to those who are not.

Why would anyone want to work sixteen hours a day to build a buisness just to have the government tax the meager proffit margin out of it so they can give it to somone else.  

There are viable plans out there to fix this problem as well as social security and healthcare. The problem is that they will take 20 to 30 years to have full effect in all areas. Anyone that will be alive at that time doesn't have the means (money) or political clout (power) to implement them today and those that do have the money and power to start the implimentation don't give a CRAP because they know they'll be long dead when these plans bear fruit and it won't put even more dollars in their pockets TODAY. So we'll continue to stumble along blindly hoping for a miracle.

There are still a LOT of homes all across this country that are very affordable.  The problem is they are not huge, brand new, and full of every bell and whistle.  People need to step back and look at the rediculous luxury our housing market tries to sell.  Don't worry about keeping up with the Jones and you'll be just fine....

Nice fairy tale working slob.  

For every story of someone making money buy working hard and developing something new and valuable there are stories of someone using someone else, stealing from someone else (how about the big one, the nation form the Indians?).  There are businessmen who were in cahoots with the government (big oil now, the military industrial complex...biggest waste in our govt. by far, the railroads, etc...)  Why do you think we don't grow industrial hemp, the fuel Henry Ford predicted?  Why do we grow corn?  This country is bought and sold and while there are millions of small stories of individual success and ingenuity unfortunately that isn't the rule.