In the current economy, two major issues deserve urgent attention.

They are – unemployment and home ownership.

This topic will focus on the homeowners and the federal program under consideration to address the foreclosures arising from high mortgages.

Meanwhile, the following news report and editorial from other news organizations are presented for reference.

According to the –

1. New York Times report By David Streitfeld – Friday, March 26, 2010 – Thank you.

New help for homeowners – Revising Loan Modification

The Obama administration will announce today a broad new initiative to help troubled homeowners, potentially refinancing several million of them into fresh government-backed mortgages with lower payments.

The escalation in aid comes as the administration is under rising pressure from Congress to resolve the foreclosure crisis, which has put millions of Americans at risk of losing their homes.

A major element of the new program, according to several sources who spoke on the condition of anonymity, will be to encourage lenders to write down the value of loans for borrowers in modification programs. Until now, modification programs have focused on lowering interest rates.

Another major element will involve the government, through the Federal Housing Administration, refinancing loans from borrowers whose home value has sunk below what they owe on it.

More than 11 million homeowners are in this position, known as being underwater.

That aspect of the plan would apply even to borrowers who have not fallen behind in their mortgage payments.

Investors who own the loans would have to swallow losses but would probably be assured of getting more in the long run than if the borrowers went into foreclosure.

The FHA would insure the new loans against the risk of default.

Many details of the administration’s plan remained unclear Thursday night, including the precise scope of the new programs and the number of homeowners likely to qualify.

This much was clear, however:

The plan could put taxpayers at increased risk.

If many additional borrowers move into FHA loans, a new downturn in the housing market could send that government agency into the red.

The FHA has already expanded its mortgage-guarantee program substantially in the last three years as the housing crisis deepened, insuring more than 6 million borrowers.

Sources said the agency would receive $14 billion in funds from the Troubled Asset Relief Program, cash it could dangle in front of financial institutions as incentives to participate in the new program.

A third element of the White House’s housing program will require lenders to offer unemployed borrowers a reduction in their payments for a minimum of three months.

An administration official declined to speak on the record about the new programs but said they would “better assist responsible homeowners who have been affected by the economic crisis through no fault of their own.”

The plan would essentially supplant the government’s earlier mortgage modification plan, announced a year ago with great fanfare.

It has resulted in fewer than 200,000 people getting permanent new loans.

As many as 7 million borrowers are seriously delinquent on their loans and at risk of foreclosure.

The news was greeted with cautious enthusiasm by groups that have tracked the foreclosure crisis and tried to assist communities and underwater homebuyers.

“It sounds really good, and I’m not used to saying that,” said Kevin Stein of the California Reinvestment Coalition in San Francisco.

He said “the two main weaknesses” of the existing federal Home Affordable Modification Program were that,

It didn’t reduce the mortgages of underwater homeowners,

And, didn’t help borrowers who were underemployed or unemployed and would have difficulty qualifying for a loan modification.

“It seems they have taken these issues to heart,” Stein said.

“It’s unclear how many people will qualify – that’s the one hesitation. We’re not sure how broadly these initiatives will reach.”

Martin Eichner, with Project Sentinel in Sunnyvale, said the proposals sound good but he would like to see the details.

“It has to help significant numbers of people and there has to be enforcement,” Eichner said.

“These plans always look great in the first news release, but we’ve often been disappointed in the performance. To the extent that lenders write down principal balances, that would be a significant improvement,” he said.

Eichner said the home affordable effort also needs an enforcement mechanism.

“Without any real consequences, day to day we see lenders ignoring what we think are pretty clear rules under the current making home affordable program,”

While the number of foreclosure-related filings is beginning to flatten or decline, the number of borrowers who are seriously distressed is rising.

In the fourth quarter, the number of households at least 90 days past due on their mortgages swelled by 270,000, according to a report issued Thursday by the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency.

“The government is seeking to persuade people to stay in their homes by aligning the mortgage debt with the asset value, which is the only viable path to real housing stability,” said one person who was briefed on the government’s plans.

Several people who described the plans would speak only on condition of anonymity, since they had not been authorized to disclose details ahead of a White House briefing scheduled for this morning.”

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2. Editorial in the Bay Area News Group – March 29, 2010 – Thank you.

www.mercurynews.com/opinion:

Titled – Foreclosure plan has carrots but needs sticks –

“Eight million households are behind in their payments or in foreclosure. But the Making Home Affordable programs has modified just 200,000 loans.

Forgive us for not jumping up and down with delight over the Obama administration’s latest plan, announced Friday, to help stem the tide of foreclosures.

The changes will help those who are unemployed, underwater or both.

But they have come so late that it’s difficult to muster much enthusiasm.

Banks participation in solving this problem has been optional for too long.

The government must require those who caused this debacle to do more to end it.

Since the foreclosure crisis began three years ago, 6.6 million families have lost their homes, according to the Center for Responsible Lending.

The problem is not getting better.

Eight million households are behind in their payments or foreclosure, and

One in five are underwater – they owe more on their mortgages than their homes are worth.

The administration’s primary tool against foreclosures, the year-old Making Home Affordable partnership with lenders, has so far modified the terms of just 200,000 loans. It is not up to this enormous task.

But the changes announced Friday have the potential to improve that record.

The program will now be open to the unemployed, who previously couldn’t qualify but are a primary victim of foreclosures.

They’ll be eligible to get up to six months’ forbearance and to have their payments lowered to reflect their reduced income, at least for a short time.

Those who owe more than their homes are worth – in California, that’s more than a third of borrowers – may finally be able to get their loan principals reduced.

This much-needed shift in approach addresses another key driver of foreclosure.

Lenders will get incentives to reduce the amount owed.

Borrowers who are current on their payments but underwater – prime candidates to walk away from their mortgages and further weaken the housing market – could refinance into a cheaper government loan.

All of this will help. But the main problem with the government effort remains:

It’s all carrots, no sticks.

Consumer advocates have been pushing Congress for years to allow bankruptcy judges to modify loan terms for primary residences, which could reduce foreclosures up to 20 percent.

The financial industry’s army of lobbyists has managed to beat back that idea, known as “cramdown,” saying it can deal with the problem on its own and through Making Home Affordable.

That’s clearly not the case, because of malice or incompetence.

It would be wonderful if politicians gave the same consideration to desperate homeowners that they do to banks.

Most everyone facing foreclosure nowadays did nothing wrong – they’re simply caught in the cascading wave that began with the subprime mortgage crisis.

The same can’t be said of the banks that got us into this mess and then took billions of taxpayer bailouts.

Allowing judges to modify loans in bankruptcy would add structure to an overwhelmed system.

Reasonable compromises worked out in court would set precedents for lenders to follow.

If they didn’t, they could be forced to by a judge.

Judges have this power for second homes.

There’s no good reason they shouldn’t have it for every home.”
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Comment – Review and Analysis is in progress and will be presented shortly.

Thank you for your patience.

Padmini Arhant

This week, President Barack Obama and the Democratic Congress secured three major achievements of national and international significance.

Beginning with the latest event:

The world’s prolific nuclear nations, U.S and Russia signed a long overdue nuclear weapons treaty reportedly to reduce the warhead arsenals by one-third with the hope to lead the international community towards a complete nuclear disarmament.

Housing market revival through programs targeting foreclosure for millions of homeowners.

And

National Health Care Legislation – is a historic victory for the democrats and the Obama Presidency.

A review and analysis on these topics is in progress.

Your patience is much appreciated.

Thank you.

I acknowledge receipt of your inspirational letter and the kind remarks.

I’m truly honored to receive the ‘unique’ gift from our Hon. President Barack Obama.

My response to the letter from the President and the current developments particularly on the Health Care will be presented shortly.

Your patience in this regard is immensely appreciated.

Thank you.

After prolonged war and foreign troops still on the ground, the Iraqi population went to the polls on March 7, 2010.

Despite explosions in and around Baghdad and elsewhere, the election marks a great period for the Iraqi population.

Like most democratic elections, the Iraqi electoral process is faced with the ballot counting errors and fraud allegations.

Nevertheless, it’s a unique opportunity for the Iraqi people to embrace democracy having been persecuted previously,

Followed by an on-going war that has forced the government to deal with the anti-war insurgency within the country,

Instead of remaining focused on the economy.

Even though, the Iraqi election commission has not confirmed victory to the incumbent Prime Minister Nouri-Al-Maliki due to the incomplete election results, the possibility of a majority rule appears to be bleak.

Leaving the current administration with the only alternative – a coalition government per the Iraqi constitution.

Iraq is historically a secular nation. Therefore, it cannot afford to let one group be dominant over others like now.

It’s essential for Sunni representation in the Parliament to curtail domestic terrorism and allow the Iraqi people to experience democracy via peaceful existence.

Likewise, the Kurdish constitutional rights must be acknowledged to reflect real democracy.

The Kurdish impressive victory in Kurdistan and the disputed areas is well deserved, considering the brutality against them in the past.

Similarly, the formidable opposition led by the leader, Ayad Alawi gaining momentum in the five Northern provinces signifies the rainbow coalition as the ideal political option for the long-suffering people of Iraq.

Iraq has been through a horrifying period with millions of innocent lives sacrificed up until now.

It’s in the best interest of the people – the Sunnis, the Shiites, the Kurds, the Assyrians and other minority groups to come together and govern Iraq in a democratic system.

Without a shadow of doubt, such approach would not only promote the desirable political stability but also provide economic prosperity and national security.

The concerns expressed by Sami Shorsh, the head of the Kurdistan alliance List, regarding the Kurdish rights at the national front is legitimate, based on the isolation recently.

At the same time, I concur with the Kurdistan President, Massoud Barzani urging the Kurdish unity on national issues. For it would expedite the regional progress and reduce the economic burden through solidarity.

I reiterate the importance on the Shiite and Secular outreach to the Sunni representatives in the formation of the new government.

It would unequivocally settle the storm that has wreaked havoc in Iraq thus far.

I urge all leaders in the ruling majority and the minority across Iraq to put their differences aside and acknowledge one another as an Iraqi first and rebuild the once sophisticated civilization of Mesopotamia.

At last, the life sacrificed by the Iraqi men, women and children in all these years is being honored with blessings on the living.

Congratulations! to the Kurdistan President Massoud Barzani and the Kurdish population on the recent legislative poll.

On that optimistic note, I wish the people of Iraq,

The dawn of new era with long lasting peace and glory in abundance.

Thank you.

Padmini Arhant

Attention seeking news articles deserve scrutiny.

The article regarding The Republican candidate Tom Campbell – a former Stanford Law Professor.

Election 2010

Campbell haunted by links to professor

“Statements inconsistent on man tied to terrorists – By Mike Zapler
mzapler@mercurynews.com – Thank you.

Please read the entire article on-line @ www.sjmercurynews.com, Wednesday, March 10, 2010.

However, the excerpts of the article are presented below:

Washington – Republican U.S. Senate candidate Tom Campbell is facing a potentially crippling controversy over his past defense of a fired Florida professor with ties to terrorists and his inconsistent statements regarding what he knew and when about the man’s actions.

Dogged for weeks by criticism over his defense of Sami Al-Arian, who later pleaded guilty to aiding terrorists, Campbell has denied knowing about the man’s incendiary past, which included nods to Islamic jihad and calls for “death to Israel.” He also said that his dealings with Al-Arian occurred before the Sept.11 terror attacks…

Al-Arian was fired by the University of South Florida following an interview with Fox News’ Bill O’Reilly two weeks after the Sept. 11 attacks, during which he acknowledged proclaiming in a 1988 speech, “Jihad is out path. Victory to Islam. Death to Israel.”

Campbell responding to a request from a fellow law professor rallying scholars to the cause of academic, freedom, wrote to the president of the university in January 2002, asking her to reconsider the engineering professor’s dismissal.

“I respectfully wish to convey my sincere alarm that Professor Al-Arian may be treated harshly because of the substance of his views,” Campbell wrote.

The controversy over Al-Arian – combined with Campbell’s votes as a congressman to trim economic aid to Israel and his acceptance of campaign contributions in the 2000 campaign from Al-Arian (which at one point he denied) and others with ties to terrorist groups – has given rivals Carly Fiorina and Chuck DeVore an opening to challenge Campbell’s commitment to Israel.

Campbell rebuts each of the claims with detailed, nuanced arguments, but he has damaged his case with inaccurate statements and recollections, particularly of the O’Reilly interview.

“It never helps when you have to say the dog ate my homework,” said Pitney.

A potential source of his problems is the conflict presented by Campbell’s two chosen career paths.

He has spent his career advocating for civil liberties and academic freedom as a law professor while also trying to get ahead in the cutthroat arena of politics. But defending the rights of unpopular individuals is turning out to be poor politics.”
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2. Pa. woman accused in terror case

Indictment says she used the Internet to recruit jihadists – By Maryclaire Dale

Associated Press, Wednesday, March 10, 2010.

Philadelphia – A suburban woman “desperate to do something” to help suffering Muslims has been accused of using the Internet to recruit jihadist fighters and help terrorists overseas, even agreeing to move to Europe to try to kill a Swedish artist, prosecutors said Tuesday.

Authorities said the case shows how terror groups are looking to recruit Americans to carry out their goals.

A federal indictment charges that Colleen LaRose, who called herself Jihad Jane and Fatima LaRose online, agreed to kill the Swede on orders from the unnamed terrorists and traveled to Europe to carry out the killing.

It doesn’t say whether the Swede was killed, but LaRose was not charged with murder.

A Justice Department spokesman wouldn’t confirm the case is related to a group of people arrested in Ireland on Tuesday on suspicion of plotting against Swedish artist Lars Vilks, who depicted the Prophet Muhammad with the body of a dog.

But a U.S. official speaking on condition of anonymity said LaRose had targeted the Swedish cartoonist and had online discussions about her plans with at least one of the suspects apprehended in Ireland.

The official wasn’t authorized to discuss details of the investigation.

LaRose, who has blond hair and blue eyes, indicated in her online conversations that she thought her appearance would help her move freely in Sweden to carry out the attack, the indictment said.

In a 2009 online message to a co-conspirator in South Asia, she said her physical appearance would allow her to “blend in with many people,” which “may be a way to achieve what is in my heart,” the indictment said.

LaRose is a convert to Islam who actively recruited others, including at least one unidentified American, and her online messages expressed her willingness to become a martyr and her impatience to take action, according to the indictment and the U.S. official.

“I will make this (killing the artist) my goal till I achieve it or die trying,” she wrote another South Asian suspect in March 2009, according to the indictment.

U.S. Attorney Michael Levy said the indictment doesn’t link LaRose to any organized terror groups. He would not comment on whether other arrests were expected.

LaRose, 46, lived in Pennsburg, Montgomery County, Pa., before moving to Europe in August 2009, authorities said.

She called herself JihadJane in a Youtube video in which she said she was “desperate to do something somehow to help” ease the suffering of Muslims, the indictment said.

According to the 11 page document, she agreed to obtain residency in a European country and marry one of the terrorists to enable him to live there.

She traveled abroad with a U.S. passport stolen from a male friend and intended to give it to one of her “brothers,” the indictment said.”
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3. Swedish artist has no regrets over prophet drawing – By KARL RITTER, Associated Press Writers.

AP – Swedish artist Lars Vilks walks in the streets without protection in Stockholm, Sweden, Wednesday March …

NB: It’s contradictory to the claims made in the preceding article.

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4. Boyfriend: ‘Jihad Jane’ suspect wasn’t religious – By MARYCLAIRE DALE, Associated Press,
Wednesday, March 10, 2010.

Killing the target would be her goal “till I achieve it or die trying,” she wrote a south Asian suspect in March 2009, according to the indictment. Her federal public defender, Mark T. Wilson, declined to comment Tuesday.

“I’m glad she didn’t kill me,” Vilks told The Associated Press on Wednesday, saying the suspects appeared to be “low-tech.” He said he has built defense systems in his home to thwart would-be terrorists, including a safe room and electrified barbed wire.

U.S. Attorney Michael Levy said the indictment doesn’t link LaRose to any organized terror groups.

In recent years, the only other women charged in the U.S. with terror violations were lawyer Lynne Stewart, convicted of helping imprisoned blind Sheik Omar Abdel Rahman communicate with his followers, and Aafia Siddiqui, a Pakistani scientist found guilty of shooting at U.S. personnel in Afghanistan while yelling, “Death to Americans!”

PA Comment: Again the content is inconsistent.

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Content Review: By Padmini Arhant

The recent “Associated Press,” publications severely lacking in credibility due to the following information on these articles.

Relevantly, it makes one wonder, which does the “Associated Press,” represents –

The people, as it should in a democracy

Or

The powerful responsible for creating confusion and mayhem targeting the truth seeker by scapegoating Islam and the Muslim population.

When journalism is at the lowest ebb, it symbolize the democracy’s demise.

1. The article . Swedish artist has no regrets over prophet drawing – Associated Press

The same AP article in Yahoo News at 11.30a.m PST had a foot note :

“The Prophet is not holy to be offended anytime.”

However, it’s been re-published later without that comment and it’s a wise move for it prevents unnecessary discussions.

2. As for the article on the Republican U.S. Senate candidate Tom Campbell –

Campbell haunted by links to professor.

These particulars raise an interesting query about the intention.

“A potential source of his problems is the conflict presented by Campbell’s two chosen career paths.

He has spent his career advocating for civil liberties and academic freedom as a law professor while also trying to get ahead in the cutthroat arena of politics. But defending the rights of unpopular individuals is turning out to be poor politics.”

Then quoting the “Fox News host Bill O’Reilly’s interview” as the premise for substantiating the allegations against the scapegoat, Tom Campbell, is a top notch comedy of errors, especially with the show’s irony as “The No-Spin Zone.”

The truth of the matter is the American Professor Sami Al-Arian is innocent and a “Patriot Act” victim in a witch hunt by the unscrupulous to camouflage their crimes against humanity.

Please view the USA vs. AL-ARIAN is 2007 documentary film about Sami Al-Arian and his family during and after his federal trial on terrorism-related charges. It was directed by the Norwegian director Line Halvorsen.

3. Then in the article Pa. woman accused in terror case.

Indictment says she used the Internet to recruit jihadists – By Maryclaire Dale Associated Press

Wednesday, March 10, 2010.

The repeat references are noteworthy.

“A suburban woman “desperate to do something” to help suffering Muslims has been accused of using the Internet…”

She called herself JihadJane in a Youtube video in which she said she was “desperate to do something somehow to help” ease the suffering of Muslims, the indictment said.

Again, here in this specific article, one must also observe the ambiguity on the entire content without being able to provide the terrorist group having allegedly recruited the subject, the convert to Islam, and then this claim:

“It doesn’t say whether the Swede was killed, but LaRose was not charged with murder.”

U.S. Attorney Michael Levy said the indictment doesn’t link LaRose to any organized terror groups.

He would not comment on whether other arrests were expected.”

Despite the national intelligence services’ surveillance on the American citizens’ private and public communication through all mediums under FISA and Patriot Act,

The quoted official and the indictment is unable to furnish details to authenticate the data.

Evidently it’s a blatant demand from those behind this cacophony articles to withdraw the requests made in the blog post titled “Subliminal Attacks – A new wave Politics,” favoring the people in the United States and across the globe on national and international issues.

Hence, my response to them is – “Hope and Change,” is no longer a myth but a reality.

The forces behind the subliminal threats ought to remember that if my blog posts are being searched to discredit my standing,

I urge them to be patient for the information to be released shortly that would truly enlighten the minds of the entire world.

Thank you.

Padmini Arhant

I would like to thank the visitors to the website www.padminiarhant.com in the United States, India and around the world.

Your love and support makes the effort worthwhile.

As stated in the profile, the website objective is to promote peace, progress and prosperity for all with a major focus on protecting the environment, the only ideal habitat for living species in the universe, thus far.

It is depicted in the logo – Save the Planet,and Peace on Earth.

That being the goal, I express my gratitude and deep appreciation to the readers of my articles for taking the time to read and reflect on the topic.

In coherence with the paradoxical universe,

Success is greeted with genuine affection and enthusiasm for its representation – obviously from the supporters.

Likewise, it’s also subject to hostility, propaganda and rejection – by the opposition.

The purpose of the material on the website is to engage the like and the unlike minds in a serious thinking process beyond surface review in order to understand the self-created complexity largely responsible for the global status quo.

Criticisms are directed in many different ways. Constructive criticisms enhance quality.

Targeted criticisms often subvert facts with fiction and personal convictions.

Earlier on the element of truth was explained in a manner to allow rational thinking to prevail over confusion and distortion.

When viewed with an open mind, the articles on the website have invariably defended the weak, the oppressed, the disadvantaged and the victims of mass deception –

Dissenting authoritarianism against innocent population.

In many featured visual content, the protesters represented by the unarmed civilians and the monks were waving a white flag and a peace sign during their peaceful demonstrations for freedom and justice only to be mercilessly hurt and killed in response.