Phew, what a mess the economy is in!!! I, like the rest of the country am worried. I am seeing the pressures at work to bring orders in whilst customers don't want to spend the dollars. It's going to be a tough few months....

However, what really needs to be looked into is how did this happen? How can it be avoided in the future? and What should be done to fix things?

I am not an economist and have no pretensions to be one, but, a couple of lay-mans points that I want to make:-

• Those at fault should be accountable. Be it Government, the financial institutions, lobbyists, whoever. Some of the activities that have gone on are certainly on the criminal level.
• What action should the Government take? Bail out those billionaires that caused this problem with the average working man's tax dollars. I don't think so!! Why should we, the people, bail out these people when our jobs, our mortgages, our lives are crumbling because of these selfish, greedy fat-cats? They really help us when our houses are up for foreclosure because we got sick, couldn't afford Health Care, couldn't work and therefore got behind don't they? It is not Government for the rich, entitled, greedy. The Constitution is based on Government FOR THE PEOPLE...that's all people. It's about time the people realized this and fought for the rights we are ALL legally entitled by our Government not just the lucky few. Remove lobbyists, remove special interests, remove corporate campaign finance. Let the real people speak!! I have no problems with my taxes going to my buddy down the road about to lose his house, pay for him getting health care etc... I would pay more taxes for that. I DO have a problem with my taxes going to help Joe Billionaire out because he got into a problem by stepping on my buddy down the road. The founding fathers will be turning in their graves. We had the Revolution for this? The Boston Tea Party came to this?

Enough venting for now. I think it's time to fall back on age old adage that we see on all our Money...."In God we Trust"...and remember what that means and what the teaching of Jesus says...

-Richard