New Jersey CFO

The astonishing housing bubble could not have happened without the Federal Reserve’s easy-money policy

July 2nd, 2009

The blunt truth is that even if we had had President Obama’s financial regulatory “reforms” in place four years ago–reforms designed to prevent another financial meltdown–we would still have experienced a horrific economic disaster. In other words, the Administration’s prescriptions deal with the symptoms–and those badly–not the underlying causes.

The astonishing housing bubble could not have happened without the Federal Reserve’s easy-money policy, which got under way in late 2003. If not for the excess liquidity created, there would not have been sufficient fuel to distort the housing market and ultimately the financial system. Yet President Obama has remained mum regarding the need for a strong and stable dollar. Without such a policy it’s guaranteed we’ll continue to experience financial turmoil.

The Fed’s punishment for its wretched doings is that Congress will likely give it more regulatory powers. That’s the thing about government: The more it fails, the more power it accrues.

Obama’s Financial Overhaul Is Largely Useless – Steve Forbes, Forbes

Entry Filed under: A Growing List Of One Term Presidents, Analysis & Commentary, Back to the basics