Reader comments
House is winning converts to bailout

22 comments   |   Read story

David S. Decker | 3:12 a.m. Oct. 3, 2008
Matheson just doesn't get it!! But, he's not my rep so I can't do anything but complain. I'm "safely" retired. But, my 6 chidren and 20 grandchildren are not. His approach doesn't protect them. It threatens them. I'm certainly glad that people with his mentality didn't have to make the decision that Harry Truman did. He saved more lives, perhaps including a Matheson forbearer, than any leader in history, by recognizing that sometimes we must take one step "back" in order to preserve the opportunity to take the proper "steps foreward". My message is from a 78 year old ultra-conservative almost life-time Republican "depression/WWII baby"
Recommend
Recommendations: 0
Bailout | 4:17 a.m. Oct. 3, 2008
Call it what you want it's fraud in Wall Street and taking congress with them, And Hatch and Bennett where watching the hen house? How did the Fox get in? Do the right thing and vote the Bailout down!
Recommend
Recommendations: 0
Bob G | 4:22 a.m. Oct. 3, 2008
The US economy will never recover as long as government keeps bailing out bad businesses and corruption in our economy. I'm looking forward to a no vote on this bailout, now called a recovery program, and the consumers are still left out in the cold. We need a responsible financial industry acting in responsible manner and fairly treating the consumers. This bailout is expecting the american people to keep living on debt and vicious corruption of the banking systems, but I think the consumers have realized how little they really have in the form of income and can't waste it on unnecessary items. There must be regulation and controls on the financial industry if we hope to make any gains in our economy. People are also starting to realize that investment retirements are not such a good deal and will start closing out these accounts for more secure retirement investing. They are the cash cow for irresponsible actions and investing. Even a savings account is more secure and interst earned on them is just as much as losing it all in the gamble with Wall Street. And it is a gamble with no guarantees and no security on investments.
Recommend
Recommendations: 0
Give 'em a call | 5:41 a.m. Oct. 3, 2008
I called Hatch's office. They said most of their calls were against but that Cannon's office was 50/50 split in favor/against.

I called Cannon's office and they said it was actually 5 to 1 against the bailout. (I have to wonder if there was even a 1 to balance the 5, but that's not for me to say.)

The guy at the Hatch office LIED TO ME to hide behind Cannon!
Recommend
Recommendations: 0
Why are they lying? | 5:43 a.m. Oct. 3, 2008
Why don't our congressmen support their constituents?

They tell us we don't understand it.

They tell us they had to do this or we'd be in a Hell Hole. (actual quote from Hatch's office guy)

They don't know anything about the economy and they're telling us to trust them again?

Where are the riots?
Recommend
Recommendations: 0
Repeal 17th | 5:46 a.m. Oct. 3, 2008
Repeal the 17th Amendment.

Senators should not be elected by the people. They should be elected by the state legislatures as originally stated in the Constitution. This is one of the only actual checks in there and its repeal is one of the biggest reasons we have runaway central government today.

Hatch and Bennett cannot be re-elected after this heist.

Thank you Matheson! Don't give in!

Cannon should abandon his office before the vote so that he doesn't do any more harm before the end of the year.
Recommend
Recommendations: 0
Anonymous | 6:03 a.m. Oct. 3, 2008
Don't pass it once more, then pass a clean bill, not with all these add ons.
Recommend
Recommendations: 0
IM | 6:03 a.m. Oct. 3, 2008
Thank goodness - cooler heads are prevailing.
Recommend
Recommendations: 0
Utah Republican | 6:40 a.m. Oct. 3, 2008
I commend Jim Matheson for having the guts to vote against this ill conceived, massive government boondoggle.

Let's see if Bishop has the foresight to see this for what it really is... bad legislation on an epic level which will have a negative effect on the free market system for generations to come!
Recommend
Recommendations: 0
Start the recession | 7:34 a.m. Oct. 3, 2008
If this bailout is consummated then go ahead and start the recession/depression.

Banks are failing because people are pulling their money out and don't trust them or the government.

The bailout will only cause the money drain to go faster, the dollar weaken and we will be worse off for 20 more years.

NO to the bailout. Congress needs to encourage deposits by raising the interest rate, insure deposits to higher levels and get out of competing with depositors. Banks love government money cause it is cheap. Raise the rates and secure the deposits and trillions will flow into this country and into our banks. Raise the rate on savings accounts to 7% and the value of the dollar may double as money trips over itself trying to get into our banks if they are FDIC insured to a million bucks per account.

No bailout, it will just speed up the outflow and elongate the depression.
Recommend
Recommendations: 0
This isn't about credit freeze | 7:54 a.m. Oct. 3, 2008
This is about people control. He who controls the money controls the people. If they pass it (and they probably will) we have no freedom left. Vote everyone out that doesn't vote against this. And don't vote for anyone who won't vote out the Federal Reserve and the Income tax amendment. It isn't Ron Paul who is crazy!

And while we are at it let's boycott ABC, NBC, CBS, AP, UPI and all the other BIG news sources. They are only propaganda machines.
Recommend
Recommendations: 0
Gazelem | 8:14 a.m. Oct. 3, 2008
If we want to defeat this bill we need to flood Congressman Bishop's office with calls he is still undecided and we need to let him know that we are against the bill.
Recommend
Recommendations: 0
Ken Goddard | 8:48 a.m. Oct. 3, 2008
You can count on Cannon to vote ya since he can throw mud into Utah voters faces. Looks like Jim is turning out to be Utah's only honest and clear thinking congressman. Good for him. He at least sees the boondoggle and bribe that it is. Lets see, we have this and the trillions in contingent guarantees for Fan and Fred, 100's of bad banks to close, insuring formerly uninsured money market accounts: trillions, and, the now vastly increased FDIC insurance limits. Accountants would render an entity like this bankrupt. Contingent liabilities (guaranteeing debt of others) was why AIG was taken over by the govt. And lets not forget all the money the blank check and create money out of thin air Federal Reserve is throwing around. Heaven help us.
Recommend
Recommendations: 0
Keith in Colorado | 8:59 a.m. Oct. 3, 2008
So all it is expected to take is $110B in "tax breaks and other sweeteners" to persuade them to drop their opposition? It doesn't matter that their conscience and common sense (rightfully so by the way)prompted them to vote against this insanity in the first place. As usual, we can always count on them to sell themselves out. In this instance however, that should not have been the case! "politics as usual" should not apply - there's too much at stake.

By voting it down, would it drive us further into recession or possibly a depression? Very possibly so. However, the larger isssue in my opinion, is that the greedy bankers and investors MUST bear the consequences of their mismanagement. There also needs to be a "cold turkey" withdrawal of the consumer from so much easy and unsupported credit. We who are innocent in this matter (and I truely believe that there are many who live within their means) will have to pay a little of the price as well.
Recommend
Recommendations: 0
Earl | 8:59 a.m. Oct. 3, 2008
Hang in there, Mr. Matheson! The charade of a bailout is nothing more than rewarding stupidity. The economy will not disintigrate if prices fall. Let the correction happen already!
Recommend
Recommendations: 0
Beelzebub | 9:15 a.m. Oct. 3, 2008
Some of you folks embarass me. You don't really have a "clue" about the credit market crisis and its impacts on everybody, including Joe-Six-pack. We can all fall on our swords over ideology, but at the end of the day, there's a fire burning and it needs to be put out before it destroys the whole neighborhood. We can argue about who lit the match later...Matheson took the "chicken" way out of a tough vote. Spineless...
Recommend
Recommendations: 0
Madden | 9:26 a.m. Oct. 3, 2008
This is the SAME bill. Anyone who changes their vote is simply showing they can be bribed with pork-filled legislation.
Recommend
Recommendations: 0
NO BAILOUT | 9:52 a.m. Oct. 3, 2008
WHY won't the representatives listen to the people? Who are they representing, anyway?
Recommend
Recommendations: 0
The Maddening Crowd | 9:58 a.m. Oct. 3, 2008
Few people truly understand modern financial system and how it impacts all of us. I agree that any bad-actors must be held accountable. Meanwhile, must we insist that the entire system collapse first so that we can "teach everybody a lesson" including innocent people? The credit market will impact everyone. Something must be done. It's not an easy vote, but I think Matheson took the "chicken" way out of this issue by voting No.
Recommend
Recommendations: 0
what a joke! | 10:12 a.m. Oct. 3, 2008
I don't know how this can be called a "bailout" when they've filled this bill with 400+ pages of pure pork. Have any of you read this bill? It's an outrage where the money and tax credits are going to. It's unbelievable.
Recommend
Recommendations: 0

No. Utah sees a major earthquake every 350 years. Last one? 350 years ago.