What led to finance crisis

When I loan money to a friend, I expect it to be paid back. When a bank makes a loan to someone to purchase a house or car, it needs repayment of the loan if the lender is to remain in business.

Liberal lawmakers in government since 1992 have promoted policies insisting that banks make more than one-fourth of their housing loans to low-income borrowers regardless of the risk. When 28 percent of mortgage borrowers have low incomes and poor credit, it is likely they might have a high failure rate on repayment. In order to assist low-income people, Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae for 15 years acted as government agencies promoting loans likely to fail. Those policies led to subprime loan failures and the current financial crisis.

Rolf McEwen, Albany

A reliable volunteer

I have worked with Bill Root at the St. Mary’s Soup Kitchen since 1997. Bill is always the person to go to when we need something done. He is dependable and reliable. He volunteers to help out three days a week. One of Bill’s duties is public relations; he takes the extra time and effort to make sure that all of the people that eat here feel welcome.

I personally think of Bill as a friend and I know that as a city councilman he would devote his time and energies to make sure Albany remains a great place to live.

Suzy Stothoff, Albany

The writer is co-director of St. Mary’s Soup Kitchen.

A worker for downtown

We, Albany residents and homeowners, would like to encourage our fellow Linn County citizens to support the candidacy of Gordon Kirbey for the county commission.

He is a downtown business owner, dedicated to enhancing the health of the downtowns of all the cities in the county and dedicated as well to the preservation of farmlands and the expanded availability of foods grown locally. He is and would be fiscally responsible. He supports a holistic approach to our meth problem to reduce addiction and to deal with the devastation it causes to families and the community.

Gordon is a practical businessman who would bring knowledge and common sense to the Linn County Board of Commissioners.

Cheryl French, John Redmond Byrne, Albany

A follow-up on recall

This morning I received a phone call that prompts me to write a follow up letter. The gentleman who called first questioned where I got my facts. Most of the facts I obtained from accounts in the

Democrat-Herald and Lebanon Express — not the personal opinions and the “he said, she said” statements. I read the actual facts of what happened during the course of the meetings and the board actions reported in the papers.

One area where I have personal knowledge is the Beyond LHS program. My son is one of the students whose future was kept on hold because the bickering and personal agendas during the board meetings kept delaying the final decisions that needed to be made at least two months before they were.

The caller made a very revealing statement. He said, “I think it all started with Jim Robinson.” I personally do not know the man and really have no opinion one way or the other about him. But blaming someone else for your own behavior is inexcusable. The passionate desire to get rid of Mr. Robinson is no excuse for the disruptions and violations of board policies and procedures that Alexander and Wineteer have caused. If you choose to find another superintendent, fine. But do it the right way. Follow the policies and procedures that protect the district and therefore our students from legal and civil liability.

Brian Hawes, Lebanon

We’re punished for thrift

Many people have said no good deed goes unpunished. Now I know it is true.

First, we the people, in order to form a more perfect union, vote in our representatives at many government levels and they repay us by putting us in a huge billion-dollar debt and the war with no end (really a civil war).

And now they burden us with the banks’ financial problems and decide to bail out the greedy.

Secondly, my wife and I try to be fiscally responsible. We pay our bills off early. We have no credit card debt, both our cars are paid off, and our only debt is our house, which we bought because we could afford it. Quite frankly, we live beneath our means.

If we can’t pay cash and it isn’t an emergency, we don’t buy it. Now we will pay more taxes to bail out greedy banks and people who bought houses they could not afford.

The time is now for change and fiscal responsibility. No more of business as usual with Bush and McSame and their other greedy friends. I am voting for Obama to make greedy people pay their share and get us out of Iraq.

Michael D. Felde, Albany

They fight for your kids

Before you vote on this recall I think you ought to give some thought to just what is happening here. The two men involved, Rick Alexander and Josh Wineteer, have been controversial and they have been outspoken.

But take a good look at just what they have been fighting for. It is for your kids and their quality of education.

I challenge you to cite one time that they were not trying to provide the best education possible for our children.

The main complaint is that they were anti-Robinson and were trying to get rid of him. If you feel that our children are better off under our current administration, then you should vote to recall both. However if you are upset with our schools and their record, if you feel that the programs have been a dismal failure under Robertson, then vote to keep these men on the school board.

If you want to have all our kids continue with the same and worse education with its downward spiral then you should vote to recall. However if you would like to see progress and improvement with the removal of Robertson as a No. 1 priority then you need to vote against this recall.

If you are happy with the state of our education system in Lebanon then vote for the recall. If not, then you need to support the only members on the board that have time and time again stood up to our school superintendent.

Nick Heineck, Lebanon

Joe 6-pack? That’s not me

I think it’s very strange that Sarah Palin wants to talk to the Joe 6-packs of America.

Is she suggesting every middle class American is a Joe 6-pack? I don’t have a brother named Randy, I don’t live in a motel, and my name is not Earl!

So this may disqualify me as a Joe 6-pack. But I betcha, if I find out more, I’ll get back to ya! Wink! Wink!

Rudy Kilgore, Sweet Home