Solutions to the Financial Crisis

Date: Tuesday, September 30, 2008 1:01 AM

Category: Allgov Blogs

Watching the nation’s news commentators, you would think that the bailout proposal created by the Bush administration, adjusted by the Congressional leaders and then rejected by the House of Representatives was the only possible answer to the nation’s financial problems. Fortunately, many observers from the Left, Right and Middle have presented alternative solutions. Here are a few of these ideas. Some are comprehensive and some deal with individual issues, but they are all worth a look.

Where to Find $900 billion for Recovery (by Anderson, Collins, Muhammad and Pizzigati, Institute for Policy Studies

Tweak the Bailout Plan (by Stuart M. Butler and Edwin Meese, III, Heritage Foundation)

Fix the Bailout Plan (by Dominique Strauss-Kahn, International Monetary Fund)

Increase Transparency, Liquidity and Supervision (by Martin Neil Naily and Robert E. Litan, Brookings Institution)

Home Owners Loan Corp. and Federal Revenue Sharing (by James K. Galbraith, Washington Post)

Cut Defense Spending, now at $612 billion for 2009 (by Chalmers Johnson, TomDispatch.com)

Renegotiate Mortgages, Repeal Alternative Minimum tax and More (Change to Win, Coalition of Unions)

Homeowners Emergency Loan Program (National Community Reinvestment Coalition)

Keep Borrowers in Their Homes (by Andrew Jakabovics, Center for American Progress)

Super-Bonds (by John P. Hussman, Hussman Funds)

Can Biden Murder Trump and Get Away With it?

Rumors are spreading that the U.S. Supreme Court will vote 5-4 to rule that a U.S. president cannot be prosecuted for anything he does while he is president. Some Democrats are suggesting that Joe Biden bring a gun to his first debate with Donald Trump. If he shoots Trump, he would be immune, but if Trump shoots Biden he would be prosecuted because he is not a sitting president. read more

Electoral Advice for the Democratic and Republican Parties

The Republicans have a surefire secret weapon. It’s called the Democratic Party. Given the chance to be in charge, the Democrats, because of corruption and incompetence, will eventually screw up. Since there is only one other major party, if the Republicans can just shut up, disgusted swing voters will turn to them to get rid of the Democrats. read more

U.S. Ambassador to Greece: Who is George Tsunis?

The first time George Tsunis was nominated to be a U.S ambassador, it did not go well. But Tsunis had learned his lesson. He waited until another Democrat occupied the White House, and he tried again. Playing it safe, Tsunis, in addition to donating to Democratic candidates, chipped in to help Republicans as well, including Rand Paul, John Barrasso and Jim Risch, all of them members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. read more

Henry Kissinger: A Pre-Obituary

Henry Kissinger turned 100, I don’t wish death on anyone, but I know that all the major media have already written his obituary in advance. As soon as he dies, they will add a line about his death, push a button and these obituaries, gushing with praise from Hillary Clinton, George W. Bush, Ted Koppel, Xi Jinping and other famous people, will appear online. But Kissinger doesn’t deserve such praise. Here’s why. read more

U.S. Ambassador to Belize: Who is Michelle Kwan?

When George W. Bush was president of the United States, he chose his former college roommate, Robert Dieter, to be U.S. ambassador to Belize. When Barack Obama became president of the United States, he chose his former college roommate, Vinai Thummalapally, to be U.S. ambassador to Belize. When Donald Trump was president of the United States, he broke this tradition by failing to nominate anyone to be U.S. ambassador to Belize. read more