[patientrenter]

It’s fun to enthuse about a specific new vehicle, and discuss its merits and demerits, but the notion that the right way to direct the part of our economy devoted to transportation is for a govt agency or govt program, or a few individuals, to pick a winner based on the appeal to them of one option is nuts.

By far the most efficient way to wean our economy off energy sources from “people who don’t like us” is to tax them uniformly. So gradually and relentlessly increase the per-gallon tax on gasoline, diesel, and the other energy supplies from these nasty sources. Then millions of people in the economy will have a steady incentive to come up with many solutions that use less of those bad energy sources. We will all get to choose the best solutions for our needs based on the purchase price and running cost and reliability and spaciousness etc.

Doing things in a more centralized command-and-control way would be analogous to having Washington DC choose which kinds of bread will be offered in grocery stores. Of course we could, but why would we choose not to harness the ingenuity and industry and consumer preferences of hundreds of millions of people?

[patientrenter]

It’s fun to enthuse about a specific new vehicle, and discuss its merits and demerits, but the notion that the right way to direct the part of our economy devoted to transportation is for a govt agency or govt program, or a few individuals, to pick a winner based on the appeal to them of one option is nuts.

By far the most efficient way to wean our economy off energy sources from “people who don’t like us” is to tax them uniformly. So gradually and relentlessly increase the per-gallon tax on gasoline, diesel, and the other energy supplies from these nasty sources. Then millions of people in the economy will have a steady incentive to come up with many solutions that use less of those bad energy sources. We will all get to choose the best solutions for our needs based on the purchase price and running cost and reliability and spaciousness etc.

Doing things in a more centralized command-and-control way would be analogous to having Washington DC choose which kinds of bread will be offered in grocery stores. Of course we could, but why would we choose not to harness the ingenuity and industry and consumer preferences of hundreds of millions of people?

[patientrenter]

It’s fun to enthuse about a specific new vehicle, and discuss its merits and demerits, but the notion that the right way to direct the part of our economy devoted to transportation is for a govt agency or govt program, or a few individuals, to pick a winner based on the appeal to them of one option is nuts.

By far the most efficient way to wean our economy off energy sources from “people who don’t like us” is to tax them uniformly. So gradually and relentlessly increase the per-gallon tax on gasoline, diesel, and the other energy supplies from these nasty sources. Then millions of people in the economy will have a steady incentive to come up with many solutions that use less of those bad energy sources. We will all get to choose the best solutions for our needs based on the purchase price and running cost and reliability and spaciousness etc.

Doing things in a more centralized command-and-control way would be analogous to having Washington DC choose which kinds of bread will be offered in grocery stores. Of course we could, but why would we choose not to harness the ingenuity and industry and consumer preferences of hundreds of millions of people?

[patientrenter]

It’s fun to enthuse about a specific new vehicle, and discuss its merits and demerits, but the notion that the right way to direct the part of our economy devoted to transportation is for a govt agency or govt program, or a few individuals, to pick a winner based on the appeal to them of one option is nuts.

By far the most efficient way to wean our economy off energy sources from “people who don’t like us” is to tax them uniformly. So gradually and relentlessly increase the per-gallon tax on gasoline, diesel, and the other energy supplies from these nasty sources. Then millions of people in the economy will have a steady incentive to come up with many solutions that use less of those bad energy sources. We will all get to choose the best solutions for our needs based on the purchase price and running cost and reliability and spaciousness etc.

Doing things in a more centralized command-and-control way would be analogous to having Washington DC choose which kinds of bread will be offered in grocery stores. Of course we could, but why would we choose not to harness the ingenuity and industry and consumer preferences of hundreds of millions of people?

[patientrenter]

HLS, can you do us a favor and review the maximum LTV ratios, and maximum dollar amounts, for the most popular govt-subsidized loans now?

E.g.

FHA purchase loans = 97%. Max loan = ?

FHA refinance loans = ? Max loan = ?

FNMA purchase loans = ? Max loan = ?

FNMA refi loans = ? Max loan = ?

Thanks

[patientrenter]

HLS, can you do us a favor and review the maximum LTV ratios, and maximum dollar amounts, for the most popular govt-subsidized loans now?

E.g.

FHA purchase loans = 97%. Max loan = ?

FHA refinance loans = ? Max loan = ?

FNMA purchase loans = ? Max loan = ?

FNMA refi loans = ? Max loan = ?

Thanks

[patientrenter]

HLS, can you do us a favor and review the maximum LTV ratios, and maximum dollar amounts, for the most popular govt-subsidized loans now?

E.g.

FHA purchase loans = 97%. Max loan = ?

FHA refinance loans = ? Max loan = ?

FNMA purchase loans = ? Max loan = ?

FNMA refi loans = ? Max loan = ?

Thanks

[patientrenter]

HLS, can you do us a favor and review the maximum LTV ratios, and maximum dollar amounts, for the most popular govt-subsidized loans now?

E.g.

FHA purchase loans = 97%. Max loan = ?

FHA refinance loans = ? Max loan = ?

FNMA purchase loans = ? Max loan = ?

FNMA refi loans = ? Max loan = ?

Thanks

[patientrenter]

HLS, can you do us a favor and review the maximum LTV ratios, and maximum dollar amounts, for the most popular govt-subsidized loans now?

E.g.

FHA purchase loans = 97%. Max loan = ?

FHA refinance loans = ? Max loan = ?

FNMA purchase loans = ? Max loan = ?

FNMA refi loans = ? Max loan = ?

Thanks

[patientrenter]

I think this ability to charge different rents to different groups is the reason why rents are so “sticky”. By giving various specials to new renters and some existing renters, average rents can be kept higher. People don’t want to move, so it takes a long time before everyone can take advantage of the new lower rent levels. I see lower rents taking years before they apply fully to existing renters.

[patientrenter]

I think this ability to charge different rents to different groups is the reason why rents are so “sticky”. By giving various specials to new renters and some existing renters, average rents can be kept higher. People don’t want to move, so it takes a long time before everyone can take advantage of the new lower rent levels. I see lower rents taking years before they apply fully to existing renters.

[patientrenter]

I think this ability to charge different rents to different groups is the reason why rents are so “sticky”. By giving various specials to new renters and some existing renters, average rents can be kept higher. People don’t want to move, so it takes a long time before everyone can take advantage of the new lower rent levels. I see lower rents taking years before they apply fully to existing renters.

[patientrenter]

I think this ability to charge different rents to different groups is the reason why rents are so “sticky”. By giving various specials to new renters and some existing renters, average rents can be kept higher. People don’t want to move, so it takes a long time before everyone can take advantage of the new lower rent levels. I see lower rents taking years before they apply fully to existing renters.

[patientrenter]

I think this ability to charge different rents to different groups is the reason why rents are so “sticky”. By giving various specials to new renters and some existing renters, average rents can be kept higher. People don’t want to move, so it takes a long time before everyone can take advantage of the new lower rent levels. I see lower rents taking years before they apply fully to existing renters.

[patientrenter]

[quote=davelj][quote=TheBreeze]

So much for TARP being ‘money good’.[/quote]

….it would be nice to wait until perhaps the latter innings of the game to start discussing how things are progressing.[/quote]

I am not going to spoil a good spat, and I don’t know the history of what sounds like a long-running feud, but…. I think Breeze (I like Breezhnev) has a point about the estimates the general public has been fed about the cost of the bailouts. Larry Summers and Chris Dodd and others had the temerity to spin stories about how the bailouts were mostly providing temporary liquidity, with not much chance that they would be providing a lot of solvency repair. That was a pretty straightforward twisting of the truth, and I think anyone who propagates that yarn should be called on it. Most of us are aware that solvency is the real fear, and the number isn’t small.

[Author]

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