http://www.axtora.com/homesites/us/wisconsin/dunbar/ Dunbar, WI News http://www.axtora.com/homesites/us/wisconsin/dunbar/content/808867b35efb9940b8aaaf2627a533a9.html Hunters who werent seeing many or any whitetails opening day of Wisconsins gun deer hunting season Saturday had plenty of opinions on why it sounded more like the second weekend of the hunt than the first http://www.axtora.com/homesites/us/wisconsin/dunbar/content/c8f6c91fce3c012f621831b3c4b7f73f.html Hunters who werent seeing many or any whitetails opening day of Wisconsins gun deer hunting season Saturday had plenty of opinions on why it sounded more like the second weekend of the hunt than the first http://www.axtora.com/homesites/us/wisconsin/dunbar/content/8a05e71e85f3e9624a4613b95ffef45f.html What gave the Wisconsin Badgers the fortitude to finish off Minnesota in the fourth quarter the Achilles39; heel for this football team throughout the Big Ten seasonWhat was the impact of the Gophers playing without star receiver Eric DeckerAnd how in the heck did a Metrodomestyle game break out at Camp RandallCapital Times columnist Mike Lucas the color analyst for the Wisconsin Radio Network offers his thoughts on these http://www.axtora.com/homesites/us/wisconsin/dunbar/content/a1ab19e53566cc07688fa07b59c59b69.html Ninety years ago Tuesday World War I ended with the signing of a peace pact between the allied nations and Germany That event was commemorated 20 years later when Congress established Armistice Day in 1938 a day that now is known as Veterans Day to honor all the men and women who have served in our nation39;s military Ceremonies are set around the area state and nation Tuesday to honor veterans including a program in http://www.axtora.com/homesites/us/wisconsin/dunbar/content/05c471b6cc7e59cf422b7d71a7035b71.html WASHINGTON First the 700 billion rescue for the economy was about buying devalued mortgagebacked securities from tottering banks to unclog frozen credit markets http://www.axtora.com/homesites/us/wisconsin/dunbar/content/493b4e8aeaa8c5ea76073a52e108101c.html WASHINGTON First the 700 billion rescue for the economy was about buying devalued mortgagebacked securities from tottering banks to unclog frozen credit marketsThen it was about using 250 billion of it to buy stakes in banks The idea was that banks would use the money to start making loans againBut reports surfaced that bankers might instead use the money to buy other banks pay dividends give employees a raise and executives a bonus or just sit on it Insurance companies now want a piece; maybe automakers too even though Congress has approved 25 billion in lowinterest loans for themThree weeks after becoming law and with the first dollar of the 700 billion yet to go out officials are just beginning to talk about helping a few strapped homeowners keep the foreclosure wolf from the doorAs the crisis worsens the government's reaction keeps changing Lawmakers in both parties are starting to gripe that the bailout is turning out to be far different from what the Bush administration sold to CongressIn buying equity stakes in banks the Treasury has deviated significantly from its original course said Alabama Sen Richard Shelby the top Republican on the Senate Banking Housing and Urban Affairs Committee We need to examine closely the reason for this change said Shelby who opposed the bailoutThe centerpiece of the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act is the troubled asset relief program or TARP Critics note that tarps are used to cover things up The money was to be devoted to buying toxic mortgagebacked securities whose value has fallen in lockstep with home pricesBut once European governments said they were going into the banking business Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson followed suit and diverted 250 billion to buy stock in healthy banks to spur lendingBank executives hinted they might instead use it for acquisitions Sen Christopher Dodd chairman of the Senate banking committee said this development was beyond troublingSure enough a day after Dodd DConn made the comment the government confirmed that PNC Financial Services Group was approved to receive 77 billion in return for company stock At the same time PNC said it was acquiring National City Corp for 558 billionAlthough there will be some consolidation that's not the driver behind this program Paulson recently told PBS talk show host Charlie Rose The driver is to have our healthy banks be wellcapitalized so that they can play the role they need to play for our country right nowOther planned uses of the bailout money have lawmakers protesting although it is only fair to note there is nothing in the law that they just wrote to prevent those usesSen Charles Schumer DNY questioned allowing banks that accept bailout bucks to continue paying dividends on their common stockThere are far better uses of taxpayer dollars than continuing dividend payments to shareholders he saidSchumer whose constituents include Wall Street bankers said he also fears they might stuff the money under the proverbial mattress rather than make loansNeel Kashkari head of the Treasury's financial stability program told Dodd's committee this past week there are few strings attached to the capitalinfusion program because too many rules would discourage financial institutions from participatingAs the bank plan has become a priority the effort to buy troubled assets has receded from the headlines Potential conflicts of interest pose all kinds of problems in finding qualified companies to manage that programFirms with the relevant financial expertise may also hold assets that become eligible for sale into the TARP or represent clients who hold troubled assets Kashkari saidThe challenge was made plain when the Treasury hired the Bank of New York Mellon Corp as custodian of the troubled assets purchase program The bank will conduct reverse auctions to buy the toxic securities on behalf of the Treasury The lower the price they set the better chance sellers have of getting rid of the devalued securitiesOn the same day it hired Mellon the Treasury also picked the company to receive a 3 billion investment as part of the capitalinfusion program The same bank hired to help manage part of the economic rescue plan became a beneficiary of itWith the Nov 4 election nearing lawmakers decided it was important to remind the government officials running the bailout program about parts of the law aimed at helping distressed homeowners by offering federal guarantees to mortgages renegotiated down to lower monthly paymentsThe key to our nation's economic recovery is the recovery of the housing market Dodd said And the key to recovery of the housing market is reducing foreclosuresSheila Bair who heads the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp responded that her agency is working closely and creatively with Treasury officials to realize the potential benefits of this authority http://www.axtora.com/homesites/us/wisconsin/dunbar/content/4b82a1ddc8616aa12e74656e753c00e7.html EDEN PRAIRIE Minn After an ugly performance against the New Orleans Saints the heat has been turned up on Minnesota Vikings punter Chris Kluwe and the punt coverage unit http://www.axtora.com/homesites/us/wisconsin/dunbar/content/92740e40c9dd69c24b73618cae8648b6.html Hundreds of motorists would like to forget the hours they spent on icy Interstate 3990 last February but state agencies have not On Thursday the state39;s frontline disaster responders met at the state Emergency Operations Center in Madison to create a similar scenario and official reaction The response to the Feb 57 disaster was criticized as slow and inefficient and as a result of an investigation Brig Gen Don Dunbar ordered the Wisconsin National