[GOPJ]

If we do the bailout, what makes you think any of the groups that made this mess won't repeat the same mistakes? There's lots of money to be made if you can take outrageous risks - knowing you'll rake in the money if you win, and that you'll dump your losses on taxpayers if you lose. If I had confidence that the powers that be would change the incentives so doing right was rewarded - and doing wrong lost money, I would back this. But there's nothing. We bail out the multimillionaires and 6 months from now we do it again?

[cammie]

This whole issue is a bit above my head (above my pay grade?) but I spoke to a friend who is a VERY conservative law and econ professor, and his response to me when I asked what will happen if the bailout doesn't happen was simply:

"It will be VERY bad. How bad, no one knows."