Sub prime rate mortgages are forcing people to lose their homes or declare bankruptcy. I understand that Secretary Beneke is slashing interest rates to prop up the economy. Why aren't those mortgage rates going down if interest rates are going down?

Credit cards: don't get me started. One daughter can't answer the phone. It is bill collectors. One grandson closed out all his credit cards, but still owes on them. Another grandson has ruined his credit . A third grandson is on disability social security for a mental condition. Credit card companies try to get him to sign up for a credit card. The words: predator eats people and their lives, comes to mind.

During President Ford's term, the country has galloping inflation. Every week, at the grocery store, I would see a new and higher price sticker stuck on the top of the can, over the old one. Prices went up weekly. During that time, banks would not lend money for mortgages because the money would be paid back with cheaper dollars down the line. The inflation rate was higher than the rate that banks could charge for a mortgage. President Ford gave out buttons, "WIN". This meant, whip inflation now. Sure.

The solution for inflation and stagnation at the time was to repeal the usury laws. Remember in the movies, the gangster would charge outrageous interest rates? That's called usury. If you didn't pay, they broke your legs. It was funny in the movies. With the usury laws repealed, banks could raise their interest rates above the inflation rate. People could get mortgages. Credit card companies took advantage of the removal of the top interest rate allowed. Now credit card companies are the gangsters, in my opinion. They get you hooked. You pay and pay for the rest of your life. Some people have committed suicide. Do you find something wrong with this picture?

To me, the solution is to simply pass new usury laws that would cap the highest interest rate that a company could charge. Unfortunately, those same, rich corporations are funding the political campaigns of our elected officials. I see no movement to get the new law passed. In fact, Bush is funded by one of the credit card companies.

See the movie, now in DVD: "MaxedOut"

You can make a difference in several ways: don't go into debt. Save for a purchase before buying it. If you can't do that, then you can't afford it. Keep informed through consumer report sources, such as the magazine, Consumer Reports, Clark Howard.com on your computer, various other sources including government information. and...you can write your representative about this problem. You can also call in radio talk programs, write letters to your newspaper. ...Don't allow automatic withdrawal from your savings account and above all, don't get another credit card.