Steve, thank you for the your usual balanced, articulate and thoughtful insight.

Your street smarts and avoidance of lofty rhetoric are evident in your "both feet" on the ground observation "Who in his right mind lends money to a probable deadbeat?". Your style is refreshing and appreciated.

Most of the guys I grew up with in Jersey became cops, priests or have had their pictures displayed in the post office. Funny thing, no one welshed on a loan from the post office guys. When the first payment was missed you got a warning, the second you lost a finger, the third they broke your leg with a bat, etc., etc., etc. Most of the loans were paid up by the first etc.

Maybe the government should hire the boys from the old neighborhood and start collecting on those bad loans.

Relax, I'm just kidding.......although.......