NationStates Jolt Archive


Alternative plan for economy

Spammers of Oz
01-10-2008, 03:04
The Common Sense Fix
Years of bad decisions and stupid mistakes have created an economic nightmare in this country,
but $700 billion in new debt is not the answer. As a tax-paying American citizen, I will not support
any congressperson who votes to implement such a policy. Instead, I submit the following threestep
Common Sense Plan.
I. INSURANCE
a. Insure the subprime bonds/mortgages with an underlying FHA-type insurance.
Government-insured and backed loans would have an instant market all over the
world, creating immediate and needed liquidity.
b. In order for a company to accept the government-backed insurance, they must do two
things:
1. Rewrite any mortgage that is more than three months delinquent to a
6% fixed-rate mortgage.
a. Roll all back payments with no late fees or legal costs into the
balance. This brings homeowners current and allows them a
chance to keep their homes.
b. Cancel all prepayment penalties to encourage refinancing or
the sale of the property to pay off the bad loan. In the event of
foreclosure or short sale, the borrower will not be held liable
for any deficit balance. FHA does this now, and that
encourages mortgage companies to go the extra mile while
working with the borrower—again limiting foreclosures and
ruined lives.
2. Cancel ALL golden parachutes of EXISTING and FUTURE CEOs and
executive team members as long as the company holds these
government-insured bonds/mortgages. This keeps underperforming
executives from being paid when they don’t do their jobs.
c. This backstop will cost less than $50 billion—a small fraction of the current proposal.
II. MARK TO MARKET
a. Remove mark to market accounting rules for two years on only subprime Tier III
bonds/mortgages. This keeps companies from being forced to artificially mark down
bonds/mortgages below the value of the underlying mortgages and real estate.
b. This move creates patience in the market and has an immediate stabilizing effect on
failing and ailing banks—and it costs the taxpayer nothing.
III. CAPITAL GAINS TAX
a. Remove the capital gains tax completely. Investors will flood the real estate and stock
market in search of tax-free profits, creating tremendous—and immediate—liquidity in
the markets. Again, this costs the taxpayer nothing.
b. This move will be seen as a lightning rod politically because many will say it is helping
the rich. The truth is the rich will benefit, but it will be their money that stimulates the
economy. This will enable all Americans to have more stable jobs and retirement
investments that go up instead of down.
This is not a time for envy, and it’s not a time for politics. It’s time for all of us, as Americans, to
stand up, speak out, and fix this mess.


found this from dave ramsey. opinions?
Spammers of Oz
01-10-2008, 20:12
uh...bump? surely someone has an opinion...
Tolvan
01-10-2008, 20:19
I'm not a huge fan of Dave Ramsey but this plan seems pretty smart. Orrin Hatch was on CNBC Tuesday morning voicing his support for removing the capital gains tax and allowing the accelerated depreciation schedule used for the GO Zone (post-Katrina legislation that has led to considerable economic growth along the Gulf Coast) for any investor who purchases these impaired assets. This will go a long way to stabilise the housing market. unfreeze credit markets, as well as help investors recover some of their losses.
Newer Burmecia
01-10-2008, 21:41
I'd like to comment, but I can't don't know economics enough in detail to do so TBH.
The Smiling Frogs
01-10-2008, 21:45
My plan would be to not allow the government to fuck with the economy in the first place. This whole "crisis" was induced by them in the first place and was seen coming a long time ago.

Here is my plan:

1. Let those who are failing fail.
2. Liquidate all Fannie/Freddie holdings.
3. Don't allow the government to create new, feel-good organizations that mess with the markets.
4. Don't fuck with the market again.
Myrmidonisia
01-10-2008, 22:30
found this from dave ramsey. opinions?

There are three things that stand out favorably.
First is to re-negotiate bad mortgages. Give the buyers a break, huh? Everyone will win in the end.

Second is to resume reporting the value of securities at PAR value. They should be valued at the purchase price, not the market price. There are a lot of good securities that are being drastically undervalued.

Third is to remove the capital gains tax on real-estate. Great idea.

One, in particular, stands out unfavorably -- government control of compensation. What the CEOs and their boards work out for compensation is their business alone. I have never seen an explanation of how this would affect the current situation, but I do know that wage and price controls are always bad.
Trotskylvania
01-10-2008, 22:33
My plan would be to not allow the government to fuck with the economy in the first place. This whole "crisis" was induced by them in the first place and was seen coming a long time ago.

Here is my plan:

1. Let those who are failing fail.
2. Liquidate all Fannie/Freddie holdings.
3. Don't allow the government to create new, feel-good organizations that mess with the markets.
4. Don't fuck with the market again.
5. ???
6. PROFIT!!!!

Because rule by property worked so well in 19th Century Europe. :rolleyes:
Lunatic Goofballs
01-10-2008, 23:25
I was thinking bake sales.
Tolvan
02-10-2008, 00:35
There are three things that stand out favorably.
First is to re-negotiate bad mortgages. Give the buyers a break, huh? Everyone will win in the end.

Second is to resume reporting the value of securities at PAR value. They should be valued at the purchase price, not the market price. There are a lot of good securities that are being drastically undervalued.

Third is to remove the capital gains tax on real-estate. Great idea.

One, in particular, stands out unfavorably -- government control of compensation. What the CEOs and their boards work out for compensation is their business alone. I have never seen an explanation of how this would affect the current situation, but I do know that wage and price controls are always bad.

I agree on those points completely, especially the capital gains tax waiver. Even if it's only on impaired assets (like those the government would buy under the bail out plan), that brings private investors into the markets to buy up real estate and make a profit. I've heard Warren Buffet state twice that he'd buy ALL $700 billion of impaired assets himself if he had the borrowing powers of the US government.

I think the backlash against executive compensation is a function of blame, people are more interested in assigning blame then fixing the problem. Such a course never solves anything. It doesn't help the situation (cutting a CEO's $20 million paycheck doesn't help a company with $20 billion in bad loans for example), but it makes some people feel good.