To the editor:

In a crisis, it’s important to take prudent steps but also to make sure you don’t go too far. Unfortunately, many lawmakers are apparently overreacting to our country’s mortgage “crisis.” According to a story in the Oct. 4 Journal-World, Democratic party leaders want Washington to become more active in the mortgage market.

But the government has already done the right thing. It’s increased the amount Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac can invest, and that’s the key. Those government-sponsored corporations have long stood for responsible lending, and allowing them to be more active in the mortgage markets will help make those markets more stable. Right now, any further intervention would just be counterproductive.

A strong housing market is in everyone’s interest. But it’s important to remember that government interference won’t solve our problems. The power of the free market makes the American economy the strongest in the world, and only that free market (with the proper safety net) can keep us growing for decades to come.

Rebekah Romm,

Lawrence