57.54%	Yes
37.85%	No

Comment: Yes, my family is feeling the effects of the credit crunch.We are having a hard time getting a loan even though we pay All of our bills on time.Now we all have to pay because of all the people who thought they had to keep up with the " The Jones' " when they really could not afford it . from Oxford , ME. by Lindsay

Comment: yes that and Maine's high state taxes. When is anyone going to do something about our high taxes? by kev

Comment: Not at all. I pay my bills on time and pay more then what I owe every month. I skip the trip to DD everyday so that probably helps and make my own coffee at home. from Portland, ME by Sam

Comment: yes and getting worse from westbrook by al

Comment: It's getting so bad for me that I can barely afford toilet paper from Sabattus

Comment: Not really the best way to deal with any of this is to pay your bills on time and take whatever money you have and put it in a coffee can and bury it in a hole in the back yard like our grandparents did years ago. from South Portland by Bruce

Comment: I am no longe using my credit card, instead i"m paying it off completly from Portland maine by D

Comment: I justreceived foreclosure on my house in Portland after owning it since 1981. My mortgage payment was $2200 a month and my take home is $2700 - go figure. Subprime casualty. from Portland, Maine by Donna

Comment: Thank goodness for the idea of a having a hidden nest egg!! We have wood and oil for the winter and plenty of food in dry storage. Let Wall Street Crash! from Gray Maine by Joe

Comment: Not at this point but that is not an indicator for the future. If you are looking to assign blame, look in your own neighborhood, the balloon mortgages with no means to male the payments. What did we expect? from SP, ME by S

Comment: Not seeing much of an effect yet but certainly will see a change in our investments in the near future as the dow keeps dropping from Turner by Diane

Comment: We don't use credit.. and we save money every week towards the golden years. No matter how much money we make and have to live on we put 10% each week into the retirement accoutn.. called "Savings" Other should try this to. We also by bulk and do 90% of all our shopping in NH to havce on taxes!!1 Screw this state. Until the can control their spending... Run it like a business not a charity! Stop spending and sve Augusta!!! I almost dies when I saw on that website about spending that the state paid over $85,000 in bottled water!!!!!! are you kidding me? we have some of the best water in the world right out of the faucet! What a waste of money!!! So we are all set we save money and don't use credit and we buy less then 10% os all our goods here in Maine. Oh and we don't live near the border of NH 2 hour drive twice a month and have a great time in Portsmouth or North Conway! So we screw the state out of tax money. They screw us left and right.. Do state employees deserve any bettrer water them my emplyees or your coworkers??? i did not think so... Screw this state! Stop spending money you don't have!!! Wew all do so why should the state not have to and just charge the tax payers more money! from Scarborough by G

Comment: it will affect just about everyone.. people with investments, real estate businesses.. hard to tell who would be immune.. by Mark

Comment: Nice job Mike Michaud! Instead of doing the right thing he votes no for his own political advancement Thanks! DOW down 800pts! from Scarborough by Craig

Comment: YES!!! We're forced to pinch every penny earned (and we make decent salaries) ... I have student loans out as well as a car loan ... I have a family member who had student loans with a certain bank, and a rep. from the bank called and stated that they needed a prompt payment in full, this was because the bank was going under. How can a new college grad come up with $30,000+ ... come on. It's getting ridiculous and something needs to be done, before it's too late. from Biddeford by Erin

Comment: Yeah, it's tough to live and I do have a hard time but I save my change and I'm paying off my credit cards and just using debit. I thank God we have gas heat, food, clothing and a roof over us though. from Maine by C.

Comment: Its just money. Everything will work itself out eventually. Look back to the 1800's they survived, we can too from gorham

Comment: Yes my brothers private student loan company went out of business and he wasn't able to get another private student loan, he recently joined the marines and is hoping to get into linguistics. Things will get better though and hopefully only people who should be getting loans will get loans. from Lisbon Falls by Suzanne

Comment: between ,gas prices,oil groceries,i don't know how anyone is going to stay warm this winter,everything is so out of control,and they offer loans for people to buy oil,that just is not right............. from new gloucester by deb

Comment: We have no debt other than the mortgage. Higher prices are creeping into our savings but at this time, we are in good shape. I don't really want to see how my 401K is doing. by D

Comment: We are to poor to feel the effects of Wall Street, but it would be nice to get some relief at the pumps. Instead of bailing out Wall street why not just take the money and give it to tax payers after all it is our money to start with. from Edgecomb ME by J

Comment: I have never in my lifetime seen it this bad. I am very worried being a father of 2 to what the world will be like in years to come. On the same note, I feel it is not our responsibility to pick up the cards for these multi-million dollar salaried business leaders and their poor business tactics! from Naples

Comment: Would they bail me out? I dont think so. If you make high risk loans, thats what you are taking,a high risk and they lose. But why not, the whole country will bail you out! Whats to lose.Not fair to the rest of us. from Lisbon, ME by Leonard

Comment: Of course not. You buy what you can afford to pay for without credit. Not an unusual concept. Many Americans still do it, just like OUR grandparents or even parents before us. Perhaps their should be a 12 step program for Credit Abusers..!!! You abuse credit, you effect the lives of people close to you and even those you will never even come to know..when they the American taxpayer has to bail you out. No sympathy here..sorry! from ALNA MAINE by R

Comment: I dont use credit from St george , Maine by Stephen

Comment: And I am hoping that the prices for energy, (fuel & power)will help to make people STOP WASTING IT !! from Sabattus, ME

Comment: Isn't everyone? from Portland by B

Comment: Dont you think we all are, in one way or another. we are all gonna suffer the consequences of the greedy, for some time to come. from Maine by David

Comment: The economic effects of the crisis while hugely affecting credit, will also spread into everyday spending. Travel, dining, leisure spending as well as a heavy affect on the holiday shopping season could be in the foreseable future. from Portland, Maine by Joe

Comment: We live within our means. If we dont have it, we dont spend it. Our country would be much better off if everyone lived that way. from South China, ME by Vickie

Comment: We all will feel the effects. How will the businesses we work for make capital investments? Investments that help bring more profits which in turn helps pay employees salaries. If They aren't making the projected profits they just cut the workforce back to make the money. A lot of big business are cutting back. I work for a large local printing company and they have been cutting back a lot in the past year. from Sabattus, ME by E

Comment: Not right now.... from Buxton by Laurie

Comment: Even though we probably have lost some money. I do not support bailout. Not until CEO's & Paulson salaries are par with the average American citizen. This has been years in coming and it's time that passing the buck stops! from Belfast,me by Belinda

Comment: I do not think the general public truly understands the effects of NOT fixing the economic meltdown. They say they do not want to bail out the stock market, so I hope they are willing to bail out all their family's needs when there is a loss of jobs and buisnesses begin to close down. from Auburn, ME by Sandi

Comment: We lost our home of 23 years to forclosure as a casualty of the Ameriquest scam. And the government wants to bail them out? It is the government's fault that mortgage companies were de-regulated a few years ago and now we see the result of greed. from Scarborough by Norene

Comment: We can give the President a blank check to fund the wars but not to help us in our economic crisis? Families are losing their dreams..the dream to own their own home. How much more do we have to lose before something is done? from Auburn by Annemarie

Comment: We have sence Bush took office!!! by Brian

Comment: If Mainers think that the reckless lending of the financial institutions needing bailout doesn't effect them, then they either don't understand how wide reaching the effects of these failures will be and/or they have their heads up their butts. There are very few American's who aren't feeling the credit crunch in some way now, and will even more so in the weeks to come. American's should be outraged that Congress is so out of touch with reality as to so blatantly show they don't care about how it effects their constituents. from Sanford, ME by Tina

Comment: The members of Congress & the House of Representatives seem to keep forgetting one thing. They are not there for themselves. They are they for us. They are in fact a tool. So, we don't care if the speaker of the house hurt someones feelings. Suck it up & take it like a man. Then do what is best for this country. from Biddeford by Chuck

Comment: Hey G from Scarborough, people like you are the reason that the state has high taxes! We need to try to get better education to idiots like you. Before you go bashing on Maine, you may want to learn how to spell. And by the way, if you hate Maine so much why don't you move? from Brunswick by John

Comment: I,m tired of hearing that the trouble is because of the failed policies of the past 8 years,it goes much deeper, it is not the administrations fault when some borowers go in over their head in debt. from So.Portland Me by Steve

Comment: I went to buy a car today and i got the worst rates I have ever seen....NO sale. from Portland by Cole

Comment: not really... from me by james

Comment: I live within my means just like goverment and business( at all levls ) should have been doing all along. This bailout plan is for the rich and their riches and let them pay the price period !! Let them sell of their stocks, homes, vacation homes, yachts, etc......THE BACK BONE OF THIS COUNTRY DID NOT DO THIS !! "We the people" will survive and learn alternatives. If you made a mistake with your morgage, suck it up and start over in a rent. from Auburn, ME by Pam

Comment: The government should not be bailing out these institutions. Instead of giving the bail out money to them divide it amongst all americans 18 (200,000). Even if that money were taxed it would still be $297,500.00 for each person and the government would get 25 billion right back. People then could pay off thier mortgages, crisis solved. SO SIMPLE!!! from West Gardiner, maine by Dick

Comment: I'm in advertising and have seen businesses close after 27 years... business owners are scared to continue their normal marketing and cutting all expenses possible.... even the company I work for has a corporate mandate to cut all expenses....I'm very worried about my job if the economy doesn't get help and start improving soon...... with out my job, my family would suffer..I am the primary source of income and we would probably loose our home among other things.... from Waterville by Dawn

Comment: For my family & I it is business as usual. We have been responsible and have always exercised fiscal restraint and lived well within our means. I have not fallen prey to the whims of our consumer driven society so we are just fine. . .no changes here. If Wall Street and the corrupt U.S. Congress lived like I do, all would be well with them also. from Damariscotta by Gina

Comment: I do not need acar every year to keep up with the Jone's,I do not eat all this high priced put together already food!I wear a sweater.We ride together in a group to teah at U.S.M,people have to have cell phones at 10 to just chat,unreal. from Old Orchard Beach by antonella

Comment: If credit is going to dry up as a result of all this financial mess, why is my mailbox still chock full of credit card offers?! from Farmingdale by Lorna

Comment: I know people need help but I don't feel we should bail these big companies out for their errors in taking high risks the government has yet to do anything to help or propose to help the little guy who is struggling. Thats what we should be looking at. from Windham ME by Tracy

Comment: I am a real estate agent in Southern Maine, a single parent of 3 children. I have been feeling the affects of the credit, fuel and general economy issues for months. I think congress should put together a bill that will decrease the costs to all americans and not just to the lending industry. If cost of living was not so high and folks were able to spend money the economy would be able to improve. Ultimately small business is what keeps the economy going. I have stopped spending money completely. I used to take my kids out to dinner, to the movies but now I can barely put food on the table. What ever bill the government passes it needs to be universal. How anyone thought it could be done in a week is beyond me. It took years to get to where we are. I blame the government for inaction and then false expectations from Saco, ME by Tiffany

Comment: Our life is completely unaffected. Our jobs haven't changed, nor our spending habits, we just spend responsibly. This "Crisis" is nothing more then many people losing confidence at the same time. (And all this grim reporting on the state of things don't help.) When really, assuming we didn't bite off more then we can chew, there is no real crisis. And honestly, I really resent Obama's comment on this being the fault of our current president. It is the fault of the people, us, if everyone started buying again, and acted like there was no crisis, there would be no crisis. from Auburn, ME by Tim

Comment: I think the Government should take that money and divide it amoungst the poor in America. It would give them housing, and the things they need to survive. Who cares about the rich people? It,s about time they learn how the other half live! from Harrison by Imelda

Comment: There's no way it can't affect most middle income people. But life will go on as it has in the past for the well to do, as it has done in the past. from Westbrook, Me by John

Comment: isn't lending and spending over the value of something the wrong way to business.I have been self employed for about 30 yrs.if I spend over the value of what I have will the state or our fine goverment bail me out I can answer that for you the answer no the banks will say it is your falt and down you go they don't reward me for being dumb. from naples me. by william

Comment: Who are the chief executives and their respective executives responsible for the collapse of the most recent financial giants? Why aren't their names household words right now? Why aren't they being grilled on prime time? Why aren't they being penalized? Why do they get to just "move on" in their careers? You can't bring change to a system of government or a socio- cultural way of life without punishing those responsible for gross misdeeds and/or mismanagement, and eliminating corrupting influences, i.e., PAC money, from the US system of government. from ME by Lisa

Comment: I don't think anyone is immune from this. Right now we are trying to put a bandage on the hemorraghing artery of our economy. We need to slow the outflow before we can stop the leak. Translation: We need to stop spending we don't have. from Westbrook by Kimberly

Comment: I think everyone is, regardless of how much money they save, how little shopping they do in the State of ME, and how much debt they don't owe. It live less than 5 minutes from shopping in NH. I'm certainly not going to drive out of my way to shop in ME to give the states the money. We pay off our credit card every month, and pay all our bills on time, but it's a struggle to put much money away for the future. from S. Berwick by Cathy

Comment: I'm not sure if it is just the credit crunch or the economy as a whole. I am a child care provider. When I went on vacation in June I had 12 children enrolled. When I came back I received notices from 8 of those families that they would no longer need me to care for their children. Most of them could not afford childcare any more so family and friends are helping them out. Since then I have taken in a few more children but most of them only last a month and then leave for the same reasons. I am not the only daycare that has experienced this. I have spoken to several daycare providers and most of them are feeling the same crunch. The future of family child care is very uncertain and could possibly be eradicated especially when they erect the 10 million dollar child care facility in Waterville in 2010. What happens to us now? by Michelle

Comment: the overall cost of living has increased so drastically over the past 2 years that i'm falling behind just getting groceries & gas. plus all the other utilities have gone through the roof. in addition , i refinanced my mortgage last year to payoff other debts but since my credit score had started to plummet, i ended up w/ a high interest rate w/ a payment i can hardly afford. overextending my credit was my fault but i hate to lose my home after being there for 16 years & trying to raise 2 teenage daughters in a stable enviorment. thank you. from waterboro / maine by shawn

Comment: Honestly, so far it hasn't really been that big of a deal. I was actually sort of pushing for the bill to not get passed. from Kennebunk, ME by Nate

Comment: Am I feeling the effects of the credit crunch? No, I personally don't owe anybody except the regular monthly bills that we all have. My thoughts on yesterday vote in the House is one of disappointment, but its time to lay aside the blaming and finger pointing and get down to the American People's business and fix the ecomonic problem that the country is in right now. from Randolph, Maine by Gary

Comment: Just give every american citizen $1,000,000.00. That will solve the crises for less than half the price of the bail out package. from Westbrook,ME. by Richard

Comment: We can thank those who take out huge loans for their lavish lifestyle. Don't spend what you cannot afford! from Norway by Annie

Comment: We are a family of 7 who just added a new baby 3 weeks ago and own our own business. With the market slow down and our home under construction we are holding our breath. What I want to know is why are we being affected by the mistakes of those who clearly need not to worry about their mistakes simply because they know our government will save them. Whos going to help us this winter? We know WE the people have to help ourselves. As Mainers we will find a way, we always do. The solution should help us not hurt our financial futures. from Berwick by Laura

Comment: Who is going to help the people that ALREADY lost thier homes. I have no desire to help keep the Fat stock holders and CEO of big companies rich with what I have LEFT. from Eudora Ar by Vanessa

Comment: My family is one of the first to suffer the effects from sub-prime lending. One family emergency and we ended up losing our house because our mortgage company REFUSED to work with us. I understand the reasoning for the bailout...perhaps if the Congress guaranteed a 90-120 moratorium on homes facing foreclosures....they would get constituent support? from Windham, ME by Velma

Comment: Hell no, I hate to say it but people need to be smarter with their money. If you cant afford it dont buy it. SIMPLE!!!!! look at past generations for instance. from windham by john

Comment: Why dont the president fess up to keeping this war going to long? He should pull our troops back so the money saved from that we could use for the stock market. from Pittston by Jamie

Comment: My wife and I both oun small bussinesses and we definetly are feeling credit tighten With winter coming on again we are very conserned about the extra expenses.We are acctualy looking into moving to a warmer climate to save money.Maine is so expensive to live here and we both are natives about to leave.The sign at the state line should read MAINE THE WAY LIFE SHOULDN'T BE OVER TAXED AND UNDER PAIDED from SO.PARIS ME by GARY

Comment: The Bailout plan is not good for this country and most of all where in the constitution does it allow the government to hand over money like this? from sanford by jay

Comment: The credit crunch is not affecting me at this point at all. I pay my bills on time and don't borrow more than I can pay back (when I have to borrow!). Fact is greed corporations and people who don't take responsibilites for their actions (people who borrow more then they can afford) are the reason we are in this mess. I hope the bail out never goes through! I don't want to pay for people or companies who shot themselves in the foot. This is the way capitalism is supposed to work. from lisbon by Justin

Comment: Yes we are feeling it....when is government going to wake up.....Not just DC...how about Augusta? Cut the frills....$85,000.00 on bottled water....come on...I buy my own....let them buy their own.....cut out the government cars....I have to buy and pay my own car to get to work...let Augusta do the same including the Governor.....don't get me going on taxes.....I'm tired of paying for everyone else......let these people get a job like everyone else....it's to easy to get welfare.....case in point....I was ill a few years back and was without income...my husband inquired about food stamps to help but was told we did not quality because wer MARRIED...talk about encouraging people to avoid a commitment....you can live on the government if you're not married....I could go on and on but it's time Governor Baldacci opens his eyes and pays attention to what is going on in Maine.....P.S. I too shop in NH to avoid taxes. from Arundel, Maine by Fed UP

Comment: This is what happens when socialist democrats enable people with no job, no downpayment and shoddy credit to have a mortgage! Democrats could have fixed many things in the last two years but, as usual, have refused to act! No sympathy here! from West Gardiner, Maine by Brian

Comment: Some of us are in 401k retirements. We are not all privy to be in Federal and State pensions that are all guaranteed. We need the Gov. to reach some type of agreement to save the economy,from a total breakdown. by Joseph

Comment: Prices for everything has risen. I don't think the bailout will help in the long run for the average and poor people. Let the ones who helped cause the problem help pay for it instead of the gov. allowing them to be paid millions while bailing them out for taxpayers to pay. from Boothbay Hbr. by Marie

Comment: I am a responsibe homeowner who saved up for a 20% downpayment and bought a house during the peak of the real estate boom back in 2004. I bought a house I could afford at my income level, and don't feel that taxpayers should bail out those who wanted a shortcut to the american dream and bought with no down payment and and took out a sub-prime, no down paymentloan or adjustable rate mortgage. People need to take responsibility for their own actions and not always expect the government to pick up the pieces for them... from Wales, Maine by Joe

Comment: home forclosier from lewiston by john

Comment: i have never had a credit card have always paid cash live pay check to pay check irent dont own.Why should my taxes go up so others can use money they dont have to buy stuff they cant afford deal with it!I think its good reality check for all those who rely on there credit cards to get the stuff they need it should be the other way around use your cash for what you need instead of relying on your credit cards for everything.Wheres the bailout for us who live paycheck to paycheck! from topsham me by L

Comment: NO NEED TO BORROW from OTISFIELD by LEONARD

Comment: Bush administration economic policies simply don't work - they benefit no one but the major oil companies. from South Portland ME by Joe

Comment: Not currently having a need for a large loan by Bonnie

Comment: Yes. We are more cautious on what we are spending money on. Maybe this year the true meaning of Christmas will be seen, not just buying gift after gift. from Gorham by Tina

Comment: Yes, but in a more possitive way. We've been under foreclosure for a while because of predatory lending practices, and as a result of the economy being the way it is, the mortgage companies are becoming more desperate to keep people in their homes so they won't be stuck with properties that have lost value in the past year or so. from Lewiston by Amy

Comment: Money does not go as far today because costs of everything has gone up. Hopefully the next president will have a plan to turn our ecomony around and bring jobs back to the u.s. where they belong.. from Augusta by Carol

Comment: If this isn't hurting you in one way or another.... make some room in your bubble, I WANT IN! from Eliot Me by Andy

Comment: Let nature take it's course. Don't reward bad behavior with a "get out of jail free" card. You made dumb choices, you lose. from Waldoboro, ME by Jonathan

Comment: I think congress needs to come up with a plan that puts the cunsumer in control such as a plan that would allow people to ask for help with there bad debt and with stipulations on income to debt so people will see the benifit themselfs but a plan that gives wall st $700 billion is not the answer considering that is around $2300 per american from Gardiner ME by Glen

Comment: No I do not support the bailout. What people need to understand is easy money and borrowing too much money got us into this. More of the same is going further down the same path. The government cannot fund everything and this will only make it harder on the man on the street. The country cannot continue to sustain the debt that it continually is taking on. The correction in the housing market is going through came about because homes prices were inflated. The correction Wall Street is going through is because stocks are inflated. The next thing that will go through a correction will be the economy. No bailout will stop it for the person on the street just wait and see. It will just make it a harder and longer down turn for the person on the street while banks and wal street firms get insulated from what is to come. from Farmington by Richard

Comment: I think we'll is oil and stcok prices come down as well interest rates.This could be a good thing.Our banks here in maine seem to have there act together.Unlike the wall street bankers.All the money they ran off. This was part of there plan for us the honest real working poeple to pitty them and bail them out. Let wall street start all over again.There just banking that we well bail-um out.Even if we diid bail-un out they would do it all over again! And Tom Allen has let me down.See what greed has gotten you on wall street. how you like it know! from Fayette,maine by Tom

Comment: And I am 100% against the Wall Street bail out. They made the mess. Live with it. Save the average person's home. If we have 700 billion to throw around, insure children against diseases and other health needs. from Hartford, ME by Lennie

Comment: Yes we are already devistated. why is it that nobody is talking about the Diesel fuel crisis. Diesel fuel it rasing the price of everything we eat, drink and touch. Diesel fuel didn't drop why .. Isn't it just a waste product of gasoline? from monmouth. maine 04259 by Ken

Comment: We brought our selves up with our own hard work. We invested in metals, we invested in solid assets, and talent. Sorry to all those that gambled and lost. from Portland by Daniel

Comment: Yet another failure of Bush Inc. We must not let another conservative in office. from Oxford, ME by Wendell

Comment: We try to live within our means. from Old Orchard Beach by Carla

Comment: even though i pay my bills on time, we live from paycheck to paycheck and with everything going up and up i know that it is going to get worst. from waterboro by tammy

Comment: How can u not feel the rippling affect from this?? Gas is going lup and we pay even more for a gallon of Milk. It is crazy everywhere!!! from Hiram by Tammy

Comment: We have been working to pay off our debt so in general we are in a decent place right now. from Sabattus, ME by A.

Comment: It is getting very hard, between house payments, car, insurance, and other household expenses there is hardly enough to pay for the food and others things we need to live on and there are ONLY 2 of us! I hope all of us can make it through this winter safely. from Sanford by Callie

Comment: The only need for for a 'bail-out' is the result of past greed and excesive spending. from Leeds / ME by Bill

Comment: I think the bailout is insane. 700 billion spent could do a lot better starting new programs then bailing out failed ones. If we fail there is no bailout for us just a clean out the feds usually take it all. from Turner maine by Robert

Comment: My husband and I are retired 50 year olds. No one ever mentions how the volatile stock market affects individuals that are living off their investments today. We are too young for Medicare and Social Security and must rely on the stability of our investments for our health care costs and costs of daily living. from Saco by Terry