BS: New Sheriff in Town - Hope for Middle Class

Subject: BS: New Sheriff in Town - Hope for MidlClass
From: katlaughing
Date: 17 Sep 10 - 07:08 PM

President Obama just appointed populist hero Elizabeth Warren to establish and lead the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau! After watching the video at the link below, I think she is a great Hope for the Middle Class! Way to go, President Obama!!

Top Five Things You Should Know About Elizabeth Warren (with cites)

1. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau was her idea. Here's why she thinks this agency is so critical: "It is impossible to buy a toaster that has a one-in-five chance of bursting into flames and burning down your house. But it is possible to refinance your home with a mortgage that has the same one-in-five chance of putting your family out on the street."1

2. The Republicans are so scared of her, they tried to pass a law blocking her from leading the agency. Republicans in Congress and the big Wall Street banks have always been against Warren leading the new consumer agency. Republicans even offered an amendment that was widely understood as designed to block Warren. That amendment failed.2

3. She is one of the most prominent, successful and fierce female lawyers in America. Coming from working-class roots, she graduated from high school as a debate star at 16. She finished law school when she was nine months pregnant. And she has repeatedly been named one of the 50 most influential female lawyers by the National Law Journal and was twice nominated as one of Time magazine's 100 Most Influential People (among other honors).3

4. She spoke truth to power about the failed foreclosure program. The Home Affordability Modification Program was supposed to save homeowners from losing their homes but has left many deeper in debt than they were before. Warren used her position on the Congressional Oversight Panel to bring the voices of these disaffected homeowners right to the decision makers in the administration and demand accountability. 4

5. She may have actual superpowers. She once calmed a crowd at an NBA game with her encyclopedic basketball knowledge. She explained the financial meltdown so clearly to Jon Stewart that he said it made him "want to make out with" her. And there's a viral cowboy rap video about her.5

Check out the video of Warren on the "Daily Show" and share it with your friends and family. Just click here:

VIDEO

Thanks for all you do.

–Nita, Daniel, Anna, Jeff, and the rest of the team

P.S. Here is Elizabeth Warren's reaction to the news, with more information on her new role:
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=90375&id=23487-8293565-HMPkc7x&t=4

Sources:

1. "Making Credit Safer: The Case for Regulation," Harvard Magazine, June 2008
http://harvardmagazine.com/2008/05/making-credit-safer-html

2. "GOP Tried To Block Elizabeth Warren From Heading Agency She Proposed," Huffington Post, October 27, 2009
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=90368&id=23487-8293565-HMPkc7x&t=5

3. "Elizabeth Warren," Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elizabeth_Warren

4. "Elizabeth Warren is Bostonian of the Year," The Boston Globe, December 20, 2009
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=90369&id=23487-8293565-HMPkc7x&t=6

5. "How HAMP Makes Elizabeth Warren The Only Choice For Consumer Protection," The New Deal 2.0, July 22, 2010
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=90370&id=23487-8293565-HMPkc7x&t=7

"Got a New Sheriff," Main Street Brigade
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6W0vCgMRX0o

"Elizabeth Warren is Bostonian of the Year," The Boston Globe, December 20, 2009
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=90369&id=23487-8293565-HMPkc7x&t=8

"Jon Stewart to Elizabeth Warren: Let's Make Out," Talking Points Memo, January 27, 2010
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=90371&id=23487-8293565-HMPkc7x&t=9

Subject: RE: BS: New Sheriff in Town - Hope for Middle Class
From: Bill D
Date: 17 Sep 10 - 07:12 PM

Saw that...and Republicans are frothing because they can't filibuster her.

She is great!

Subject: RE: BS: New Sheriff in Town - Hope for Middle Class
From: Bill D
Date: 17 Sep 10 - 07:15 PM

(To be precise, she will only 'establish' the agency, including helping to decide WHO will lead it...for now. She will be the brains until they get it working)

Subject: RE: BS: New Sheriff in Town - Hope for Middle Class
From: Bobert
Date: 17 Sep 10 - 09:11 PM

oh, this oughhta be fun... Another round of anonymous ads attacking this woman as a socialist... Thank you, Mr. Alito and Mr. Roberts...

B~

Subject: RE: BS: New Sheriff in Town - Hope for Middle Class
From: katlaughing
Date: 17 Sep 10 - 09:30 PM

Bobert, what do you mean? She is already appointed to create the bureau, the way I understand it, so why would Alito and Roberts have anything to do with it and/or any ads?

Subject: RE: BS: New Sheriff in Town - Hope for Middle Class
From: Bobert
Date: 17 Sep 10 - 10:08 PM

Here's the deal here, kat... Anything that she does that is good is going to effect the bottom line of some schizter be it your credit card company or the "payday leander" who extracts 400% APR... When these regs are put out there for hearings the attack ads are going to come in fast and furious...

There will be this sweet lookin' woman holding her baby in her arms sayin', "If it weren't for those wonderful people at the ABC Lending Company my baby wouldn't have had anything to eat to the last 4 days... Please don't stop these people from providing their caring services in our community..."

And with the recent Citizen's ruling there won't even have to be a "Paid for by____________" at the end of the ad...

Well, kat, these ads will be run against this woman... I will guarentee that... Maybe not in yer market but mine seein' as I get all the DC stations... I'm really sick of these ads... They never stop...

B~

Subject: RE: BS: New Sheriff in Town - Hope for Middle Class
From: katlaughing
Date: 18 Sep 10 - 12:51 AM

Well, there is an interesting op/ed sort of article HERE which explains more of what she will be doing and what the challenges may be.

I can understand being tired of the ads. They are bad enough out here, but I can't imagine what they must be like at "ground zero!"

Subject: RE: BS: New Sheriff in Town - Hope for Middle Class
From: Bobert
Date: 18 Sep 10 - 09:15 AM

And thr DC market is very much "ground zero"... I mean, I fully underswtand what she is charged with doing... Kinda reminds me of the early days of the health care reform... Remember how the health insurance comapnies were ***saying*** that that wanted to be good Americans and partners in putting the legislation together and then spent hundreds of millions of dallars in attack ads???

There's going to be a firestorm of such spending and ads... Betcha...

B~

Subject: RE: BS: New Sheriff in Town - Hope for Middle Class
From: Crow Sister (off with the fairies)
Date: 18 Sep 10 - 09:43 AM

Can you explain why this woman is a great hope for the Middle Class in particular? I genuinely don't understand.

Subject: RE: BS: New Sheriff in Town - Hope for Middle Class
From: katlaughing
Date: 18 Sep 10 - 11:37 AM

Did you watch the video? It's just snippets, I know, but she actually talks about the middle class and what can be done and it's not just sound bites for a political campaign, imo. Of course, there['s much more out there which you can read if you search her name on google.

Subject: RE: BS: New Sheriff in Town - Hope for Middle Class
From: Crow Sister (off with the fairies)
Date: 18 Sep 10 - 11:44 AM

I think she mentioned the middle class once at the end, but that doesn't explain how what she's proposing will affect the middle class in particular as contrasted to other socio-economic groups.

I don't know how the US "class system" works, so a more in-depth explanation would certainly be enlightening.

Subject: RE: BS: New Sheriff in Town - Hope for Middle Class
From: akenaton
Date: 18 Sep 10 - 11:59 AM

I think this is a thread designed for "Desperate Mudcatters" sister, best suspend reality for the time being!

Subject: RE: BS: New Sheriff in Town - Hope for Middle Class
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 18 Sep 10 - 02:51 PM

More of a publicity stunt than anything else.

Crow Sister, the "Middle Class" is used loosely for those people who can afford (or aspire to) own a home or good apartment (flat), can send the kids to college, and are the great consumers that keep the engines of production going.
The "class" has been reduced in recent years as incomes have stagnated, employers have cut down on numbers of employees, and the growth bubble burst.

Subject: RE: BS: New Sheriff in Town - Hope for Middle Class
From: Amos
Date: 18 Sep 10 - 03:29 PM

Wow, a simple piece of positive news, and look at all the gnarly and jaded attitudes that come roaring out of their caves!! Shheeeshe!!


A

Subject: RE: BS: New Sheriff in Town - Hope for Middle Class
From: GUEST,Wayne, near Baltimore
Date: 18 Sep 10 - 03:34 PM

Item 1: It was during the Clinton administration that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac were told to make it easier for all Americans to own their own home and banks were practically forced to make bad mortgages that started the whole thing.

Subject: RE: BS: New Sheriff in Town - Hope for Middle Class
From: katlaughing
Date: 18 Sep 10 - 04:27 PM

I know, Amos, and from folks who don't even live here, huh?! Just goes to show ya how ignerent we'uns must be.

Subject: RE: BS: New Sheriff in Town - Hope for Middle Class
From: Amergin
Date: 18 Sep 10 - 04:35 PM

It's just a scam.....what it's really going to do is pretend to the American people that the Obama is actually doing something positive for the people....while in reality deals will be made behind closed doors with banks and other lending institutions, to prevent this group to even having a nominal show of power.

Subject: RE: BS: New Sheriff in Town - Hope for Middle Class
From: katlaughing
Date: 18 Sep 10 - 04:43 PM

I have just been reminded of why I swore to myself it was pointless to start any kind of political news thread on Mudcat any more. By what I read from most these days, we might as well all go slit our wrists. I feel sorry for all who have such negatives views with apparently little hope in their lives for any kind of betterment. The last I will be posting to any of them but as a mod.

Subject: RE: BS: New Sheriff in Town - Hope for Middle Class
From: Crow Sister (off with the fairies)
Date: 18 Sep 10 - 04:58 PM

"and from folks who don't even live here, huh?!"

I hope that wasn't directed at me.

Subject: RE: BS: New Sheriff in Town - Hope for Middle Class
From: Bill D
Date: 18 Sep 10 - 05:14 PM

It's NOT a scam.... it's an effort to regulate all the corporate rip-offs! If all the nay-sayers and Republicans throw mud and hamstring it, it will be HARD to implement....and of course, the Republicans (and a few Democrats) whose career is tied to support from big business and Wall Street will have no interest in seeing this work!

If I had a couple hours I could list all my personal notes on credit cards, health insurance, unjustifiable consumer prices, deceptive advertising and outright LIES....just in the last 8-9 years!

The Republicans are, as we speak, preparing a campaign of calling this agency everything but nice...and probably trying to dig up dirt on Ms. Warren also!

I wonder what cute little name similar to "Obamacare" they will choose....

Subject: RE: BS: New Sheriff in Town - Hope for Middle Class
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 18 Sep 10 - 05:52 PM

Crow Sister, I don't think she was aiming at you, but she needs to learn something about dual citizenship and about regulations, and about monetary deductions and benefits of those who work or have worked both in and out of the U. S.

I can't see that the Protection Bureau does much to help the ignorant. It does not stop banks and loan companies from offering mortgages to those unable to pay- it only stops unexpected increases in rates but renewals will still be at whatever rate prevails at time of renewal.
It cannot block existing high rates of credit card interest, but only bans unfair or unexpected hikes.
Overdraft fees must be spelled out but are not limited or prohibited.

In other words, the unwary can still be trapped.

The most radical change brought in by the Dodd-Frank Bill is designed to bring derivatives into the exchanges, where they are visible- but can still be gambled with.

Subject: RE: BS: New Sheriff in Town - Hope for Middle Class
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 18 Sep 10 - 06:17 PM

The appointment will raise Elizabeth Warren and her daughter farther up into the upper 1 percent of income earners, since it will revitalize sales of their two best-sellers, "All You're Worth," and "The Two-Income Trap, Why Middle Class Parents are Going Broke."

Both books spell out a major middle class mistake- "their eyes are bigger than their stomachs"- they want more than they can afford.

Subject: RE: BS: New Sheriff in Town - Hope for Middle Class
From: Bobert
Date: 18 Sep 10 - 06:52 PM

BillD sees it exactly the way I see it... "Change" scares the heck outta the crooks who will be put outta business... Goes way back to Biblical days...

B~

Subject: RE: BS: New Sheriff in Town - Hope for Middle Class
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 18 Sep 10 - 08:06 PM

No one is "put outta business" by the changes. Some practices are limited or forbidden, but business will continue to be carried on by the same bank and loan companies and credit card companies.

Subject: RE: BS: New Sheriff in Town - Hope for Middle Class
From: Bill D
Date: 18 Sep 10 - 09:00 PM

"... business will continue to be carried on by the same bank and loan companies and credit card companies."

...who will have 'some' of their predatory practices curtailed, and many others they will have to spell out and describe in detail what they offer.
You can't make a business quit thinking about maximizing its profits...all you can do is try to control making unfair profits at the expense of those who are trapped into situations they have little say in.

Subject: RE: BS: New Sheriff in Town - Hope for Middle Class
From: Bobert
Date: 18 Sep 10 - 09:08 PM

No, Q... Payday lenders will more than likely be put out of business... They are charging upwards of 400% apr...

B~

Subject: RE: BS: New Sheriff in Town - Hope for Middle Class
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 18 Sep 10 - 09:33 PM

"Payday lenders" who charge at those rates operate criminally with enforcers and will not be touched by government regulations under the Dodd-Frank Bill.
Not the purpose of the Bill to regulate underground activity. Its purpose is to promote Wall Street (and banking) reforms that affect the consumer.

Subject: RE: BS: New Sheriff in Town - Hope for Middle Class
From: Bobert
Date: 18 Sep 10 - 10:22 PM

Not underground activity at all, Q... There are "payday lenders" in every American city accross the country and they do charge as much as 400% APR, legally!!!

But don't belive me... I mean, what could an' ol' skinny hillbilly know??? No, Q, just click on that little thing that says "Google" and Google it up yerself and learn somethin' that apparently you ain't aware of...

This is somne serious shit goin' on an' ain't no proclamations to the contrary gonna change the realities... Hey, these lending practices, which will *****most definately***** be seriously reviewed by by Ms. Williams as the de facto head of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, are the worst lending practices, which BTW traget the poorest among us, that this country has seen in any of our life times....

Guess you don't know much about that, Q... Maybe not in yer neighborhood... Ride thru the inner city of yer closest city and check out the numbers of these joints... This is some bad shit...

And guess what??? These companies are making big money... The kinda money (99% off the poor) where they will have plenty of dough to do some major media buys when the time comes...

Don't belive me, Q-ball??? Two assignments: 1) Google up "Payday Lenders" and 2) Watch what happens when Ms. Williams messes around in any of these usery factories...

B~

Subject: RE: BS: New Sheriff in Town - Hope for Middle Class
From: Ebbie
Date: 19 Sep 10 - 12:52 AM

I believe Q lives in Canada.

Subject: RE: BS: New Sheriff in Town - Hope for Middle Class
From: Bobert
Date: 19 Sep 10 - 08:32 AM

Well, Eb... Then Q has a good excuse to be clueless about stuff that is happening right here in the US of A... I don't have any problem with folks not understanding or not being imformed about stuff... I do have a problem with folks who are ill-informed telling me that it is me who is on the wrong side of the reality/mythology coin...

Stickin' with everything I have written, including the parts about "payday lenders"...

B~

Subject: RE: BS: New Sheriff in Town - Hope for Middle Class
From: Richard Bridge
Date: 19 Sep 10 - 11:53 AM

In the UK the courts have power under the Consumer Credit Act to reduce amounts payable under "extortionate credit bargains", in some cases to excuse the borrower from making ANY payments and indeed to allow the borrower to reclaim payments that have been made. We would think anything else uncivilised.

Subject: RE: BS: New Sheriff in Town - Hope for Middle Class
From: Bobert
Date: 19 Sep 10 - 12:28 PM

That sounds very civilized, Richard... Here in the States crooks are worshiped... And the one's that are the most successful and have the biggest houses and the most toys are worshiped at an even greater level??? Stealing from people has become an "American" value to honored...

I remember back during Gulf 1 working with my brother doing procurements and found is so very odd that lieing and cheating one another in Kuwait is considered to be a part of their culture... Seems that every Kuwaiti we dealt with had these same well-honed triats and at the time I was thinkin', "How odd?"...

But now we have it right here in the US of A and, as with the Kuwaitis, we honor those who have the highest skill level at cheating their way to the top???

B~

Subject: RE: BS: New Sheriff in Town - Hope for Middle Class
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 19 Sep 10 - 06:27 PM

"Rather than regulating high-cost payday lenders, the Dodd-Frank Act seeks to provide financial incentives to offer more competitively priced small-dollar loan products through loan loss reserve funds, technical assistance funding, and other programs and grants to promote financial access and education." Huffington Post, July 28.

Moreover- the APR allowed to banks, etc. receiving incentives is 36 percent.

In other words, payday lenders are not criminalized, they are getting competition. But in the bottom-dwelling milieu where they operate, the clueless will continue to deal with them and wouldn't know how to do otherwise.
Not much one can do with the clueless on the bottom except to try to keep them off the street.

Now what do payday lenders have to do with the middle class? The amounts they loan are too small to be of interest to the guy with middle class expenses.

Subject: RE: BS: New Sheriff in Town - Hope for Middle Class
From: Bobert
Date: 19 Sep 10 - 07:49 PM

A lot, Q... Think about it this way... There are tens of millions of American workers living just below the poverty line one promotion away from bustin' into the middle class from the bottom... Throw in these preditory lenders, which inspite of what you may want to be reality, and these folks are gettin' sucked dry... Even that promotion of pay raise won't cut into the massive debts that "payday lenders" are stickin' on our working poor...

And for the record, there ain't no other options... Yeah, there is talk of legislation that will correct these practices but as of today there isn't one bit of competition!!! How do you spell, "zero", Q???

That is reality... No fantasy here... Maybe you could write some US Senators and ask them to quit being part of the 400% APR rip-off...

B~

Subject: RE: BS: New Sheriff in Town - Hope for Middle Class
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 19 Sep 10 - 09:21 PM

Someone "just short of entering the middle class" is dumb enough to go to a payday lender?
If he is that stupid, he belongs at the bottom.

or in an institution.

Subject: RE: BS: New Sheriff in Town - Hope for Middle Class
From: Bobert
Date: 19 Sep 10 - 09:46 PM

You need to wake up a mother of three, husband gone, no child support and workin' at Walmart as an assitant manager of some department, Q...

Then maybe you'd get it... Right now you are showing your ignorance of what tens upon millions of Americans are dealing with... Ain't no safety nets left... Reagan started burnin' 'um and Bill Clinton finished the job with the horridly unhuman "Welfare Reform"... No training... No real jobs that pay much more than minimum wage and here you are blaming the victims???

Shame!!!

Bad as blaming rape victims for being, ahhhh, raped!!!

You need to get a little education on how things really are rather than lecture poor people, who are striving to make it into the middle class, for the obsticles that the system has in place to keep them forever poor...

Shame on you...

B~

Subject: RE: BS: New Sheriff in Town - Hope for Middle Class
From: Bobert
Date: 19 Sep 10 - 10:01 PM

BTW, "payday lending" is the only game in town for tens of millions of Americans...

"Saint Peter, don't ya call me
'cuase I can't go
I owe my soul
to the company store..."

That is reality... Like it or not... Ain't no other "product" ( I hate that word when it means that more people gonna go to bed hungry) out there for the working poor and lower middle class...

"There ain't a lot of money
in this town..."

That is reality...

B~

Subject: RE: BS: New Sheriff in Town - Hope for Middle Class
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 20 Sep 10 - 01:23 PM

"Tens of millions"- slight exaggeration, reminds me of the word leak used with reference to the BP gusher in the Gulf.

Seems to me there are welfare stamps, etc. for the lowest tier of employed workers. I don't hear of them depending on payday lenders.
The last things they will able to pay are loans, no matter whether favorable or onerous.

The bottom for Walmart employees is $20,740/year. The poverty level for the U. S. is about $22,000/year. That is well above the federally mandated $7.25/hour.
(Figures from Financial Times)

Now if all sales clerks were given $30,000/year, manufacturing and sales companies would complete transfer of operations to Niger or wherever.

Sad, but true. And this state of affairs will not be helped by the regulations of the Dodd-Frank act and the protection bureau headed by Warren. It will help mostly those who have incomes above the 'poverty level'.

Government money must be spend on entrepreneurship and new directions in industry, not useless wars, etc.
Also required is education, and the elimination of the bottom feeder culture that has developed in urban environments.

Subject: RE: BS: New Sheriff in Town - Hope for Middle Class
From: Bobert
Date: 20 Sep 10 - 04:24 PM

Not an exageration either, Q... There are over 50 million poor people in the US of A and another 50 million who are marginally poor... The poverty level that the US Government uses for a family of 4 is under $21,000 a year and in many, if not most, metropolitan areas a family of 4 can't begin to live on #21,000 a year...

Then throw in alot of midlle class families who we know to be one serious illness of accident away from poverty then what you have is one very large market for these preditory lenders...

BTW, a very respected and well known Mudcatter PM'd me with his/her story... As a result of illness and a spouse at the top of his/her pay level this Mudcatter and spouse had to resort to "payday" lenders to put food on the table... This Mudcatter told me that he/she alaso has a "middle class" relative who has also fallen into a situation where that relative was forced to use "payday" lenders...

Now these people are middle class people having to pay upwards of 400% interest in order to get thru tough times...

It is no exageration that 10s of millions of people have or are currently having to get money from these loan sharks...

BTW, Q... If you don't believe me about this Mudcatter I'm sure there is some 3rd party way of substantiating what I have said without having to reveal his or her name...

Here's what I'd like you to do, Q... Take a ride to yer nearest metropolitan area in the US of A and sit in yer car accross the street froma "payday" lender and just watch... Pick like a Monday or Tuesday when money is gone from last Friday's check... Yeah, do that Q... After you have done that then you will have a much better understanding of what we are talkin' about here...

Right now, no disrespect intended, but you are just blowing smoke based on very little reality...

B~

Subject: RE: BS: New Sheriff in Town - Hope for Middle Class
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 20 Sep 10 - 08:13 PM

Not much point in replying, but you seem to have the notion that blowing money at the urban poor will solve their problems.
A few hard words need saying.
They have neither the skills needed for work in the 21 C. nor how to use money or resources. The education level is not only low but is contributed to by their society. Many jobs have disappeared, and they will not-emphasize that- return.
Automation and streamlined work procedures are the norm for those that remain in our society. Jobs that require only hand-eye coordination are now the province of 'third world' societies.
A technician class is replacing the laboring class, which is becoming obsolete except for those incapable of learning.

Only a concerted effort by government and society can improve the situation- and I see little chance of strong action in the forseeable future.

Subject: RE: BS: New Sheriff in Town - Hope for Middle Class
From: Bobert
Date: 20 Sep 10 - 08:49 PM

Well, Q... We agree 100% that only "a concerted effort by government and society can improve the situation"...

BIG Business has looked around and seen the "perfect storm"... To them that is a 10% unemployment rat and only 12% of workers covered by unions... That means that Boss Hog can whip his workers that much harder to get even one more ounce of productivity of of him or her and not have to hire anyone else...

There was a reason why unions rose during the early parts of the 20th century and that reason was that Boss Hog was workin' his employees like slaves... We are back to that point... I have three son-inlaws and they are all in that corpoarte grinder... One works 60 hours a week for Kraft Foods... Another one, also workin' 60 hours a week, works for Sylvan Polls... The 3rd, also working 60 hours a week works for a major hotel chain as a chef...

This is reality...

The middle class is gettin' it from both ends... Boss hog has his foot on their necks and the preditory lenders their foot on their necks...

I'm glad to have come up in a time when it was possible to make a living, pays yer bills and maybe put a little back for the future... I was ****very**** lucky to have come up in such times... There weren't "payday lender" on every corner... Yeah, you heard of the Mafia and "loan sharks" but that was mostly in movies... Those movies have become reality for tens of millions of Americans...

This is today's reality, Q... And it ain't all that pretty... Or Christain... Or caring... It's all a fuckin' ripoff of the middle class... No, make that the ****WORKING**** class... The pricks that profit from this "perfect storm" are nuthin' but crooks... They are as un-American as un-American can be... They are driven by Satan and by greed... And guess what??? All with the blessing of the government???

B~

Subject: RE: BS: New Sheriff in Town - Hope for Middle Class
From: LadyJean
Date: 21 Sep 10 - 12:31 AM

Glen Beck denounced her yesterday. Anything he's against, I'm for!

The foreclosure crisis has emptied 10 houses on my street in the last two years. It means my street is now full of rental homes, which automatically lowers the value of my house, not to mention getting some hardworking homeowners out of my neigbhorhood.