Government Positions

Many people don’t consider the relationship between a rate cut that some say is needed to help a troubled mortgage market, and the price of oil. A rate cut stimulates the economy, thus people have more demand for oil, i.e., gasoline. “What’s been weighing down on the crude oil futures market is concern about the U.S. economy,” said Victor Shum, an energy analyst with Purvin & Gertz in Singapore. “If the expected cut indeed holds true or is actually larger, it will bolster the U.S. economic outlook, and that’s supportive of oil pricing.”

President George W. Bush today will announce a freeze on some subprime mortgage rates in an effort to stop a wave of foreclosures undoing the six-year expansion. Some say Bush’s six year expansion was a manufactured extension of the recession of 2001. As part of the deal the states are expected to help, but experts say it will cost the government if the states help out. Only two days ago a federal appeals court judge said states cannot investigate federally charted banks over shady or questionable mortgage lending.

While Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson was speaking, a federal appeals court shut the door to state enforcement of federally charted banks. Now Paulson wants help from the states. What in the world is going on? Didn’t the court render the states powerless to seek documents and enforce predatory lending laws, while Paulson is asking stes for help after the fact? First we blame poor people, then we take no action at the federal level, and now this? American’s are not that stupid and gullible!

State Division of Banking offices examine the soundness and lending practices of licensed mortgage companies and are designed to prevent unscrupulous lenders and brokers from taking advantage of consumers. Watchdog organization Household – HSBC Watch called for a national database that would enable all states to coordinate data and perform trend analysis. “If an examiner sends a problem to a state Attorney General the AG’s office should be able to immediately see if the problem exists in the other 50 states” said the group.

An article by Diane Francis appeared in the Financial Post on Saturday, November 17, 2007. Titled “Subprime mess is a crime story” the article outlined key issues. Diane said “At the top were mortgage lenders, then Wall Street and others who exported junk debts to lenders around the world after prettying them up. At the bottom was a corrupt system that handed out mortgage broker licences like driver’s licences, and then handed out mortgages like candy at Halloween. In between were crooked appraisers and organized crime.” (see her article) Why didn’t regulators and the Feds get involved? One answer may surprise you:

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