Projo 7 to 7 News Blog

At least the Mayor has common sense. This measure was not the way to go about "protecting the people" and that is not the government's job in this case.

Instead, how about an ordinance whereby the City forgoes back property taxes as an incentive for a buyer to purchase a vacant forclosed property? Fill the property, gain tax revenue that would otherwize be uncollected, and cut down on neighborhood blithe.

That's helping the people.

Jim obviously you are extremely out of touch with reality. Your comment is dead wrong, it is the job of the government to protect the people. This ordinance was not about buying forclosed properties. this was to keep working folks in their homes so they dont lose them to forclosure. But its ok, you can keep on living knowing that people are losing their houses everyday in Cranston and the big banks are having a field day meanwhile hard working good people are getting porked.

Why won't this city council understand that their actions create an anti-business environment. Why would any bank lend to people in Cranston with this onerous burden on them??? Just leave the businesses alone.

Bob - The banks entered into these contracts knowing that they have the right to foreclose if the obligations of the contract were not met. The United States Constitution prevents laws being passed that would change the obligations of a contract. THe city solicitor told the city council that the law was not constitutional and they passed it anyways. I feel bad that people are losing their homes, but the owners entered into the contract under ther own volition.

Bob, I guess we can agree to disagree on the role of government in this case. I hold strong to the fact that it has no place getting involved in a financial contract between two parties. While I feel for those who you say are "getting porked" many are in these situations because they wanted to live too high on the hog in the first place. If you can not afford you home, you should not be in it. Sorry to offer a realistic approach, something that our society has forgotten, byut to me it's black and white.

If the government wants to help, consider my alternate solution.

People entered into mortgages while they were earning enough income to afford them.
Nobody enters into a mortgage with the idea that they are going to be victims of layoffs and cutbacks.
The lack of compassion by some who sit in their comfortable surroundings, sounds like Marie Antoinette saying, "Let them eat cake!"

Jim, I agree people who purchased homes way above their means know what the end result will be. I'm more conncerned about the family of 4 living in a small home scraping by everyday and working for their future and then suddenly, a wife gets cancer or the husband loses his job cause he taking care of the sick wife and running the household and driving the kids back and forth to school. Then when he does finally get to work he sits alone in a dark room and cries through his lunch break wishing someone would help him. These are the people this ordinance helps, please think of that. I could give a rats behind about the legalities of a contract when these big banks prayed upon people. Its not fair.

Bob, I feel for those families as well because I have lived a similar situation in the past year. It is from this experience that I realize that it is NOT the job of the government to take care of me or my family. No, it's not fair that bad things happen to good people. No it's not fair that people lose their homes. However, if we count on the government to "make everything fair" in life we not only neglect our personal responsibility but our connection to each other. In hard times we need to reach out and ask for help. Help need not be forced on us.