Obama Takes on Foreclosures

Another day, another billion-dollar bill. President Obama has unveiled a sweeping $75 billion foreclosure-prevention program that will aim to keep 4 million families in their homes and help 5 million more refinance their mortgages. The program will likely encourage lenders to lower borrowers' payments by promising government subsidies in exchange for decreased interest rates and allow homeowners to manage troubled loans by extending their terms or giving them a break on payments. One Democrat claims the plan "will encourage servicers and lenders to do the right thing and give relief to struggling homeowners." The biggest challenge for the program will be to avoid using taxpayer money to reward borrowers who simply choose to stop paying.