Comments & Feedback

Mr. Schoen,

Your story on Ibonds has me confused.

I purchased several Ibonds in December 2005. According to your story, if I were to redeem them now then I wouldn't receive any interest payments. The way I interpret it is if I were to purchase an Ibond between May 1, 2009 and October 31, 2009, then I wouldn't receive any interest payments unless the rate changes in the positive direction.

I think the way someone who reads your story interprets it is that if you cash in ANY Ibonds purchased previous to May 1, 2009, you will receive no interest payments; I don't think that is correct. Am I mistaken?

Please advise, Eric

— ewa4sc

Dear John,
Why are you running cover for these criminals? It's a very simple matter that you could probably explain to your readers in just one sentence, maybe even two words: "Bankruptcy Reorganization". You're acting as if these banks are solvent, AND YOU KNOW THEY ARE　ＮＯＴ. Why continue to play a game that we will all lose. Quit lying to the public. Be a man. Just say it: The banks are all bankrupt & we don't have enough money to bail them all out.

Please John, just come out & say it. Please.

-Timothy-

— Timothy-985727

On the housing bailout:
The one thing, John, that reaches my thinking is that those of us who have not been able to even consider buying (and are renting). We have all been hoping that the ever escalating home prices would come down someday, so here they begin to come down and we instead start paying for the mortgages up the hill. Something makes less than sense.
Bill Isakson

— Bill Isakson

We know that all societies exist on the basis of "Exchange" - (something valuable for something valuable).

But there are 4 levels of exchange:
1. Criminal exchange (something taken for nothing in return)
2. Rip-off exchange (something taken for a small fraction of the value returned) 3. Fair exchange (something taken for something given of equal value)
4. Exchange in abundance (something taken and that plus a little extra returned) Number 3 is most common but #4 is most successful and the extra given does not have to be monetary but can be additional service, care, security etc, etc.

How do Wall Street executives get away with rip-off exchange and those Wall Street executives who fail get away with criminal exchange? Is it because this data on Exchange isn't generally known and understood by society?

— Barry Watson

I saw the segment tonight on the bailout---no one knows where the money went---makes my blood boil! Want to get the economy going???? GIVE THE MONEY TO THE PEOPLE!! SERIOUSLY!!! Someone tell me why that wouldn't get the economy going. People would spend the money, get things going again. If people had money to spend, that right there would put many people back to work. Too bad these politicians don't have any common sense and too bad they don't have to live like we common people!!

— Connie-872923

Mr. Schoen, I'm a principal in a Boston, MA based commercial real estate brokerage and auction firm as well as an instructor with the CCIM Institute in Chicago, IL. My concern with this mess is what it's going to mean for the real estate market. The commercial real estate market news is just starting to come online and I'll tell you that we're heading for some major problems and devaluations as rents decrease, CAP rates increase, and debt maturities have investors scrambling for new financing. I believe we're going to be working these problems out for several years and that we need to return to investment fundamentals so help us make sound business decisions.

— Jeremy Cyrier, CCIM

Have you discontinued updating the "Economy in Turmoil" graph?

— Mary Smith-852232

It is time that ALL Americans take blame for their part in this ecomony mess. It started when we let all stores go to 24-7. We need to slow down our pace. Sports, Movie stars, politicians as well as CEO of companies should not be getting such large pay scale. We Americans got greedy and it is our fault and no one else is to blame. We need to bring jobs back to this country and quit hiring out our skills to other countries. We need to work for a reasonable wage and this automobile workers need to get real they do not need 20 plus dollars and hour to turn a bolt. and when they get laid off get a large check to sit at home while others laid off has to draw a measely 275 a week. You can blame Clinton, Bush's, Congress, Oil Companies all alike but it is t he people themselves who allowed this to happen. It is the Greed of the almighty dollar. We just need to slow down and remember what really is important and get back our family life structure. It is a crying shame that the people want to blame everyone else for our troubles when really it should start looking at one self. WHat products do you buy, what do you demand in pay is it reasonable? I say most likely not, folks it is time to take a reality check and get back to the basics of life and quit paying such redicously paychecks for all those so call stars, and quit paying for those games, overprice beers and hotdogs at the stadiums and movies....at the theatre go to the redbox for a $1. It is time to wake up and get real.

— MJ-846245

Job loss due in my opinion is a direct cause of back when NAFTA was voted in.Many companies since that time have moved out of the USA to start up their company in a third rate Country to hire workers at a much lower pay then when in America,but a high pay for that country.This made it easy to fill the opened positions available.It also made it easy to continue selling their products for the same if not a higher price back to the U.S.A. keeping the company growing in profits from American people that purchased the products that was designed in America.What a viscus spider web we weave when first we try to deceive.I believe that "WE" as a country should impose some high taxes on the companies that left America but continue to sell their products here in America! In my opinion I believe if we made it harder to make the extremely high profits by moving out of America the high amount of unemployment would be much less and then more jobs less unemployment less foreclosures and it keeps turning into the America that it once was before the country lost all our jobs.Is it just me or is this just wrong!I hate seeing my Country ignoring the homeless unemployed Americans that built this country,back when it was possible to get a "HONEST DAYS PAY FOR A HONEST DAYS WORK" Let the "POLITICIANS" know that you want our country back! Larry 52 from Wisconsin

— Larry Lee Pieper

Out here in Wyoming we have 2.9% unemployment. Why don't some of the unemployed people check for jobs out here. We have more jobs than people to fill them out here. The only problem is Housing of those that move out here.

— Tony-680489

There are now hundreds of thousands homes forclosed on and sitting empty. Has anyone ever thought about attacking the sinking economy from the other end of the spectrum, meaning changing the laws governing credit reports? There are many of us that have had a credit issue in the past (I personally filed chaper 13 five years ago.) The fact that credit issues stay on your credit report for seven years seems a little bit excessive. In the last 5 years I have secured a good job, kept my credit clean, and lived in the same place. I would like to buy a home, but (because I have no debt) I am considered a risk.

— RC-763558

How do you think our deficit got so high in the first place? Since Bush started this war, he's been spending $10,000,000 a day on this stupid war. Now, do you think that had anything to do with it? And the people in this country let that ass do it and for what? This country deserves going down the toilet after all the crooked stuff that goes on. Good for you. You should have NEVER let Bush do all the wrong he has done, but you let him get away with it, so suffer. It's not hurting me any, because life goes on for me. Keep being greedy America and soon there won't be the United States.

— 4everamerica

I, being a fully qualified consultant, can see the source of all these financial crisis is the science of Economics. Many future business decisions are made on this platform, where the risk is very high. You are not certain if a economic forecast will give you the right result, yet the majority of future decisions are continually being on this basis, with unending economic catastrophes, and human sufferings.

— R.motah

"In some cases, the people who created these now-worthless investments sincerely believed they were smart enough to turn a risky, sub-prime mortgage into a perfectly safe investment." Having read this bit of ridiculous excuse in the article, I cannot believe the author was serious!! It is inconceivable that anyone who has ever made a mortgage loan would have be so naive as to think that a person who doesn't make enough money to make a payment would be a "perfectly safe investment." Please don't insult the intelligence of the American public in such a manner. These financiers are guilty of fraud if nothing else and should be held accountable.
Where is the equality we all are supposed to have? I just read in our local paper that a municipal employee misappropriated funds from his employer and will be charged for that infraction. Why don't CEOs and other high-ranking, rich, influential people have to answer to the same laws?

— Kolene Parkes

Boyle blames Obama/McCain not stopping foreclosures months ago

Thomas Boyle, moderate Democrat write-in candidate for
President, criticized Senators Obama and McCain for not stopping foreclosures sooner, eighteen months ago while members of the Senate.

Boyle said, " To allow two million people to lose their homes
and dump them on the real estate market is the cause of the financial meltdown..
These two Senators sat in the Senate, at the center of power,
on the seat of their pants, and did nothing."

"That is not leadership and forward thinking you expect from a President." " The mortgage paper the banks were holding was worthless because the homes, put up for collateral dropped in value
because so many foreclosed homes pushed down the price of all
homes."

Boyle also revealed that President George W. Bush would get a body message before his three debates to look relaxed and fit.

— Presidentboyle

Provide every Us taxpayer (estimated at 100 million) a check for $7,000 and there you have the 700 billion bail out. Talk about a stimulus package that would boost the economy for years. Everybody would not spend it all at once. This way people could pay back their loans, refinance, or increase the equity in their homes. Further, the diabolical, self-serving, greedy individuals that have gambled or lives away would be brought to justice.

— Jack-be-Nimble

Instead of throwing 700 Billion at this problem why not give the 305,236,573 US citizens $1,000,000 and require them to pay with there $1,000,000 there debt first then require a $250,000 or the remainder investment into the stock market I just don't like to keep paying for the rich to keep getting richer and for people that over spent to keep over spending I have done it myself in the past but I bailed myself out not roll over and cry help

— Dennis Young

Dear Sir,

My name is Steven Osweiler and I am a Barack Obama campaign volunteer and delegate in Spokane Washington.

I am writing you with a suggestion that I believe could end, once and for all, any doubts about whether Senator Obama can solve the economic challenges the United States finds itself in.

Senator Barack Obama spoke at Carnegie Mellon University on June 26, 2008. The full video is available at . (Hyperlink to a youtube video.) The video, entitled Obama Campaign Stop: Economic Competitiveness Summit, is one hour and 45 minutes long.

Those present were:

Eli Broad – Broad Foundation John Sermon – CEO / United Steel Corporation
General Jim Jones – Previous Supreme Allied Commander of NATO
Federico Pena – Former Secretary of Transportation Lael Brainard – The Brookings Institute
Vinod Khosla – Religious Believer and investor in technology and innovation.
Rick Wagner – CEO of General Motors
Susan Hockfield – President of MIT
Steve Case – Co-Founder of AOL
Jeff Canada – President of Harlem Childrens Zone
Andy Stearn – President of Service Employees Union
Susan Castillo – State Superintendent of Oregon
Harold Varmus – Former Director of the National Institute of Health

At the same time, NBC is now purchasing blocks of programs from outside sources. ()

The minimum time block for NBC is 2 hours.

()

The McCain campaign is relying on 30 second, inflammatory and misleading advertisements while refusing to specify exactly how he is going to solve the crises we find ourselves in. This video, already completed and requiring no editing, is the perfect "knock-out" punch for Obama versus McCain on the economy.

I believe that achieving that broadcasting this video would bring massive exposure to Senator Obama, clarify his general strategies and economic plans, and demonstrate the manner in which we can expect him to act as President of the United States.

I appreciate your work and realize that this is a rather strange request, however all my attempts at contacting a person in authority at the Obama campaign have failed. I am now attempting the "seven degrees of separation" approach and thought perhaps you may be able to assist me.

Keep up the good work!

Sincerely,

Steven M. Osweiler

'The only thing necessary for the triumph [of evil] is for good people to do nothing.' slightly modified quote of Edmund Burke

— Grommit

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