The Oct. 25 article on strategic defaults, Walking away, misses one important result of underwater borrowers' actions -- there's less credit available for everyone else looking for a loan.

Banks are not only learning how to pursue deadbeat debtors more effectively, but also deciding how they can make loans in a market where your promise to pay means absolutely nothing.

When interest rates dropped to get another slow economy moving, potential homeowners decided to buy more house instead of pocketing the savings. Eventually home prices reached the stratosphere, and consumers decided to buy more houses -- to live in, to invest in or to flip at any price.

Now disgruntled homeowners want to put the entire loss on the bank. Did anyone who sold a house for profit in 2004 or 2005 send the bank a check for their cut?

For everyone who walks away and chooses not to repay a loan, one of us will find our credit-card balance cut, our small-business line termed out and our home-loan application denied.

ANA CRUZ, Miami

Insurance woe

I consider myself to be healthy, but after a mammogram last year I was told that I had breast cancer.

After that episode, I tried to get insurance and was told to contact the Florida high-risk pool. I called and was told that no one had been let in that pool since the early 1990s.

I have a plan that's limited coverage (whatever that is). I have six months to go until I'm 65. We do need a public option. There's too much greed and profit in the healthcare industry.

MARTHA WILLIAMS, Boynton Beach

Where's justice?

Miami-born spy Antonio Guerrero was convicted of obtaining secret information for Fidel Castro, and his life sentence was reduced because it was deemed excessive.

Jonathan Pollard, who was helping the United States' only Middle East ally, Israel, was convicted of espionage and is serving a life sentence. This is miscarriage of justice.

DAVID SALVER, Miramar

Funding healthcare

Why is there such an uproar about trying to provide healthcare to more, if not all, Americans? Who among us does not have a family member without coverage?

Do we really believe that we can provide universal coverage and stop the huge increases in medical cost without the government providing a public option? Have you looked at the profits of the private insurers and the pharmaceutical companies?

We can fund this through a total withdrawal from Iraq and Afghanistan and now. Deploy our troops at airports, docks and train stations.

Their pay checks will reinvigorate the domestic economy, and they will provide additional homeland security.

MIKE MELNICK, North Miami Beach

Opposition `party'

The media have missed the point in criticizing the Obama administration for its treatment of Fox News. It is one thing for reporters and commentators to offer criticism of our government. That is their job.

But since President Obama has taken office, Fox ``news'' has been actively organizing and promoting anti-government protests and rallies. That is making news, not reporting it.

Fox has been functioning as an opposition party, and the Obama administration has every right to treat them as such.

FELICE DRUCKER, Miami

Where's Murrow?

In his Oct. 25 column, Don't fight Fox, Cal Thomas states ``Fox is doing the job broadcast networks and big newspapers should be doing were they not still deeply in the tank for this president.''

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