John Stossel joined FOX Business and FOX News in October 2009. His show, Stossel, airs on the Fox Business Network on Thursdays at 8 p.m. ET
He is the New York Times best-selling author of Give Me A Break and Myths, Lies and Downright Stupidity. His "Give Me a Break" commentaries take a skeptical look at a wide array of issues, such as education, the economy, parenting, and more.
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Jim C
Fannie should become a broker, sell the houses to cash investors at a price = a 12% cap rate on the lease payment, and require the purchaser to grant the seller (tenant) a 12 month lease with a one 12 month extension with a rent increase capped at CPI. Fannie gets out of the loan (with a haircut) the homeowner/tenant is not on the street and has a payment he can afford and the investor gets the property at a reasonable price. Seems like a win-win-win to me. I'd be in for a couple fo those.
Carolyn Johansen
Governments are lousy landlords. They build layers of red tape and do not do repairs. I rented a house from a VA county. A 60 ft. pine tree fell on the roof. It was nearly a month before they got around to trying to get it off. In the meantime the roof leaked and soaked the drywall in the living room. I refused to pay the rent and moved. When they took me to court--I showed the judge the photos of the tree an the damage. I won the case and they were out 3 month's rent.
Betty Colvin
Why doesn't anyone comment on the fact that many of the bills that have passed will not go into effect until 2013! Looks like the President and congress do not want Anerican to know just how much their taxes have gone up until they are hopefully reelected? Also why is nothing being said about the YouTube videos showing Obama admitting he is Muslim? How can that be? Pharoahs in early Christian history made them give everything they owned including grain making Christians bondservants to them.
Richard Bobo
Until the taxpayers truly unite, we do not have a prayer of changing the system. The US Stakeholders Movement could turn things around once the word gets out there. usstakeholders.org is about fixing the disconnect between taxation and representation.
Tanner
Mr. Stossel, just ran across this article and I'm sure you've seen it but its worth looking at-its proof that free markets not only work but that they provide a sold foundation for countries. http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20091107/ap_on_re_as/as_pakistan_improving_the_schools
Scott
John is right again. Any time a government entitlement program is funded, the taxpayers lose and it becomes a permanent drain on our system. Government is not the solution. Government is the problem. Ronald Reagan said "Government does not solve problems; it subsidizes them". Enough said.
José
Barnie Frank is nothing but a communist in drag . . .
Armand LaMountain
We were part of the Wolfe Pizza machine scam late 80's early 90's. We are curious as to what has happened to Wolfe and his partners after they were arrested and I hope went to jail forever, but probably only for a month or two. Thank you, Armand LaMountain
Richard Smith
The biggest form of housing welfare in this country is the federal tax deduction on mortgage interest and property taxes and the $250K/$500K exemption on capital gains taxes when selling a primary residence. For wealthier Americans, the federal government ends up paying for 20% and 30% of their housing costs. Particularly troubling, is the tax deductions are also available for vacation homes. Phasing out these handouts would be a good way to get the government out of public housing business.
'Em
Is there any effective entitlement program? Granted, people really need help right now so I at least hope they are adjusting the rents to something affordable. I suspect the reason for renting is to enable Fannie to continue to pay interest on the mortgage backed securities they've issued.
Liberty Lover
Hi John, So what are you for on this issue?
Aardvark
Not only may the "tenants" never leave but who becomes responsible for maintenance and upkeep? Since the "owners" no longer have any skin in the game, they may just decide to live in the homes and allow maintenance to fall by the wayside. If the government takes over all maintenance then who covers that added expense? I remember when I lived in an apartment, maintenance was the job of the landlord since it was his property not mine. I paid the rent on time and he fixed whatever broke.
Mike
I'm so glad John moved to Fox. What will ABC do now, however, now that they have lost their one true journalist?
jim
john knows his stuff