Originators have sounded off on proposals to dismantle Fannie and Freddie, and one has offered a stern warning from history
Once again, we celebrate MPA's Comment of the Week.
Originators have been sounding off again this week, adding their perspective on the news shaping the industry. Of particular interest has been President Obama's plan to dismantle Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac and replace them with a new government reinsurer. The president's fellow Democrat, Harry Reid, has broken with the administration on the plan. Jim Malloy took to the MPA forums to offer a history lesson in the dangerous consequences of winding back vital government infrastructure.
"Fannie and Freddie are infrastructure, which is an important government role. The problem was the politicians meddling in the guidelines making them crazy.
Like building the interstate freeways system, we get much more done in a shorter period of time. Do you want you package shipped ground from Miami to LA to take a month? No, the feds built freeways and now private industry ships it over ground in 5 days.
Fannie and Freddie were like a central bank. It is infrastructure. When Prez Andrew Jackson destroyed the 2nd Bank of the US (the central bank at that time) it led to local banks getting out of control which led to a greater depression than in the 1930s.
The answer is to give FNMA and Freddie more conservative guidelines so the politicians can not meddle for political purposes. The law should say they must be let to do their business but with annual and open-to-the-public audits.
Also the investors in them would get their money back when their value comes back."
Well said, Jim Malloy. Your post is MPA's Comment of the Week.
