Get the government off my back

At the Republican convention, loud cheers went up when a speaker said we need to get the government off our backs. That has been the philosophy of much of this administration and its appointees to the EPA, CDC, etc., etc. We see the results with global warming, automobile mileage requirements, "drill, baby, drill."
That philosophy is now going to cost you and I and our grandchildren $100 billion as we have to bail out Freddie Mac and Fannie Mac. Banks were giving mortgages to people they encouraged to lie about their income. Banks sold mortgages with "teaser" variable rate mortgages that would go up in two years and the buyers can not pay the real rates. Banks issued mortgages where the buyer was paying only the interest. Experts were telling us this would spell disaster but our regulators wanted to get government off our backs. Now the bailout will cost up to $100 billion or perhaps even more. Mutual funds, pension funds, and individuals who invested in Freddie Mac and Fannie Mac or in some of these lousy mortgages are now losing billions more.

My father was what he called a "professional pest." He was an auditor for a state. He checked to make sure businesses paid their unemployment compensation tax and registered their employees. His job was to be sure that when someone was laid off, there was help for them. One businessman tried to get him "off his back" by choking him, but a very distinguished businessman said dad was fair and tried to help out the businesses. There are good "pests" who can help prevent disasters for families and for the economy.