Letters: Bank heads, e-readers, airlines
Kai Ryssdal reviews what listeners had to say about who should run the banks, expensive e-readers, charging overweight passengers more to fly, and financial terminology.
Letters in a computer with red mailbox flag (iStockPhoto)
More on America's Financial Crisis
TEXT OF STORY
Kai Ryssdal: Letter topic number one this week matches news topic number one: the banks. In a commentary about the TARP -- the bank bailout -- Robert Reich questioned whether or not the heads of the biggest banks in this country ought to be fired for mismanagement. He said taxpayers, who're now really shareholders, are entitled to some accountability. And then he said this:
ROBERT REICH: Yes, I know: Wall Street needs all the talent it can find, and we don't want government bureaucrats running our banks. But we do need people who understand that when they take billions of dollars of public money they have public responsibilities.
That's where a lot of you, like Robert Bruner in Detroit, said hang on a second. Not about the public responsibility part but about the government running our banks part.
ROBERT BRUNER: He recited the well-known formula: "We don't want government bureaucrats running our banks." Given the competence of the FDIC crew that handles failing banks, I, for one would be glad to have someone so competent running our banks.
We brought you a story about e-readers last week. Sony makes one. Amazon.com, too. But other companies are jumping into the market. Designs are being improved, but price tags aren't getting any lower. So Steve Bradford for one, here in Los Angeles, still isn't sold.
STEVE BRADFORD: I could use an e-reader for the several hundred pages of documentation that my work needs me to carry around when I'm on call. I could use it to read the L.A. Times and the Wall Street Journal. But not at $400.00.
Price are also an issue for United Airlines. United has decided to charge overweight passengers for an extra seat if they having trouble fitting into the one they paid for. Our story on that got a lot of response, mostly along the lines of this one from Bill Faybree in Woodstock, N.Y.
BILL FAYBREE: I have many friends who will be adversely affected by the policy due to their size, and they are not fat because they sit around eating Twinkies all day. People come in all shapes and sizes. You don't have to be all that large to spill over into the next sardine seating provided by the airline.
On the theory that turnabout is fair play, Bridget Disney of Omaha, Neb., said United ought to be fair all the way around.
BRIDGET DISNEY: Tiny people less space and fuel so they should get a refund.
Finally, a terminology update. I've told you about our cliche wall, our running list of the most overused or laziest economic verbiage. Ken Pimple wrote from Bloomington, Ind., with his pet peeve.
KEN PIMPLE: I'm started to get tired of listening to people use the phrases "toxic asset" and "bad asset" because if something is toxic or bad it isn't an asset, it's a liability.
Send us your peeves, if you've got 'em. I know you do.
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