Editor’s note: In light of the recent financial failures and discussion by Congress of a bailout, The Journal posed the following question to a few people getting coffee Tuesday morning: Do you think the US government should bail out the stock market? Why?
LeeAnn Meer
At first I was not for the bailout at all, because it appeared that it was for the companies that made faulty decisions. I believed that if we bailout anyone it should be the people.
On the one hand our country is made up of companies that survive, and when they fail then others come up to take their place.
Since then I have heard more and feel that we need to do something. But how in the heck did we end up in this place?
Brita Anderson
No, I do not believe that the government should bail out the stock market. If we do bail them out then it will just drag this problem on longer than if the companies that caused this problem have to work it out themselves.
Sheila Johnson
I wish I had more information. Unfortunately, I don’t trust the folks that are liable to make this decision. I am afraid that the small group at the top of the pyramid are just fine and still going to make money and the masses, those of us earning under $70,000 a year are the ones that are going to be hurt.
I am scared and I don’t want to live that way. This impacts whether I can buy a car, a house, or pay my employees. The small business people in this area rely on lines of credit to make it through the winter months. If that credit is not available, then it is going to be a very hard winter for myself, my employees and my vendors. If that is because people at the top got fat without anybody paying attention to them that makes me angry. I don’t know how to participate in that discussion, and I don’t trust the information to know if we should do the bailout or not.
It breaks my heart not knowing how it got to this point. My family has been here for generations and I don’t think this is how it is supposed to be. If the intention is that the market can take care of itself, then it is unfortunate that people in the market grab their own ship. I understand the principles of trickle down, but it is not happening that way. It all stays on top while people on the bottom are laid off, have their pensions stolen, and lose their jobs overseas.
Andy Dougherty
I think the government should do the bailout. The government should try very soon to get another bill brought up to bail out all these companies.
Based on all I have learned about the issues, it might be a good thing for the future of the economy and to prevent this from happening again.