Through lobbyists and campaign contributions, mortgage companies sought to deregulate the industry so they could turn mortgage loans into Wall Street speculation, creating profit that was only there on paper. For awhile they boomed, and the executives and their stockholders walked away with millions.

After they changed mortgage rates so that many people couldn't afford their homes and defaulted, these companies started failing, and now these scam artists want the taxpayers to bail them out.

Who is bailing out the people who lost their homes? It's an emergency when the lenders are losing their portfolios, but when the lower classes lose their homes due to a failing economy and jacked-up mortgage rates, supposedly it's their own fault.

Should it be any surprise that these unfortunate people, who now don't have homes nor the money to lend these millionaires, won't agree?

I think we're seeing the last desperate attempt to scam the American people by the most greedy, corrupt administration this country has ever seen. It's only been successful in ripping off the American people because the public naively believed that no administration could possibly be so uncaring, treacherous or greedy.

-- Boyd Williamson, Reedsburg

Car addicts missed 'World Carfree Day'

Monday was World Carfree Day, and I'm assuming most people didn't know because I saw just as many cars on the road as usual, if not more.

I "divorced" my motor vehicle several years ago, and I'm starting to feel like an outsider looking in. What I see is people addicted to driving their personal vehicles.

I've heard them say there's just no way they could live without their personal vehicle. I'm sure if you asked a crack addict, he or she would say the same thing. I admit it's difficult at times to not have a car readily available, but it's not as bad as you'd think. Due to wise choices I made on where I live, work and play, I rarely have to sacrifice and often have less of a burden by not maintaining that large piece of machinery.

Your addiction is something you'll have to deal with on your own and eventually seek help.

-- Aaron Crandall, Madison

Corporate leaders should face charges

Regarding the proposed bailout, corporate leaders should be held accountable for their irresponsible actions, not the American taxpayers. No bailout for them.

Congress should make them pay by cutting corporate executive salaries and investigate them for criminal negligence, fraud and abuse. Otherwise Congress will face the judgement of the American people, who are fed up!

-- George Nestler, Madison

Reconsider use of Israel's strategies

Sunday's paper carried a story about UW-Madison Chief of Police Susan Riseling, who had just returned from a trip to Israel to learn counter-terrorism strategies. She visited police who monitor the borders and the Ben Gurion International Airport.

I recently participated in a delegation to Israel and Palestine with the Interfaith Peace Builders.

As a secular Jew, I am ashamed of Israel's military policies toward the Palestinians that are largely illegal under international law.

I wonder if Riseling visited the West Bank which Israel has occupied since 1967 and which continues to build illegal settlements.

There are many obstructions to the movement of Palestinians, including Israeli-only roads and a "security wall" nearly 30 feet high in some places that will eventually stretch more than 400 miles.

Israel is currently in violation of numerous U.N. resolutions and has been condemned by human rights organizations.

There are many examples of human rights violations against the Palestinians that most U.S. citizens don't know about because the stories are not in our media.

I hope Riseling and others who praise Israeli policies will learn the other side of Israel's counter-terrorism strategies and question if we want these extreme and racist strategies brought home to our cities.

-- Michele Bahl, Madison