Although the source of the problem came from Wall Street and poor mortgage decisions by unqualified home buyers, it now a American public problem. It has an adverse effect on EVERYONE.
The problem is that banks are unwilling to lend money to businesses because they need to keep liquid cash on their books to remain solvent due to the bad mortgages they are holding. When banks are reluctant to lend money, small businesses who often use short-term loans to make payroll, research & design, market, transport, etc. cannot get the funds they need to stay in business. As this occurs, jobs are eliminated and/or these businesses fail completely raising the unemployment rate and overall economic hardship for everyone. Anyone looking to punish Wall Street is misguided because only the behemoth corporations will be able to get the bridge loans needed to keep going. They will survive, it is the average small business owner (who creates the vast majority of US jobs) that will be hurt the worst.
Also, interest rates for new mortgages to qualified borrowers will go up, further pushing the housing market down and creating even more defaulted mortgages. A snowball effect occurs and credit markets get even tighter and more businesses fail.
Unemployment will be rising, while the number of new jobs for the unemployed to fill will be getting smaller. As unemployment continues to rise, households will be left without incomes and begin to default on other lines of credit such as car loans and credit cards. Again, the snowball continues.
Since disposable income will decrease because of the unemployment numbers, the economy will continue to suffer because people will start to hoard cash instead of fueling the economy with spending. More businesses will fail, and so on.
People not in the work force with retirement savings will find their portfolio values decimated, perhaps postponing retirement or making it impossible altogether. Again, creating an influx of people into the job market where there are no jobs available.
Anyone in Main Street USA who does not believe this will not affect them are naive. the Wall Street you are mad at has already failed and has been restructured. Get over it.
The bill includes: Periodic payments, not a 0 lump sum. Congressional oversight of the Treasuries’ actions. A bump of FDIC from 0,000 to 0,000. Elimination of golden parachutes. Taxpayer equity (ownership) in participating companies with preferential debt recovery/profit going the taxpayer vice shareholders. A tentative timeline for government removal from the market.
Myths: Its a blank check, there is no oversight/puts one man in charge, etc., credit is not important to the US economy and veryone should pay cash. Wall Street will be the only one to suffer. It will pay irresponsible homeowners’ mortgages. It doesn’t help the average American. Government involvement harms the free market (history has shown that government is sometimes necessary. ie the Great Depression).
Also included: An insurance option to back the questionable securities giving them marketability and more easily obtained market value.
Keep in mind, there is a consensus that tighter regulation must be passed, but due to time sensitivity it will be addressed at length after the bailout.