Just as reminder, the estimates are showing foreclosures across the Country are running in the thousands per day.  I have read estimates as high as 7,000 (Seven Thousand) per day. That means 7,000 families have lost their homes, children displaced, pets in the streets, vacant homes, etc., etc, etc. every day.

Well, the folks in Fairfax County realized that this was going to get worse before it gets better, and decided to tackle the problem "head on".  They set a plan in motion that is a good start to stem the tide of the foreclosure plague that has gripped the Country and Virginia especially.

As reported by The Associated Press, "Fairfax County's plans, approved Monday, involve spending nearly $3 million to buy and repair up to 10 foreclosed homes the county believes are falling into disrepair and pulling down the value of neighboring properties. The county, which borders Washington to the west and has a population of more than 1 million, also plans to help as many as 100 first-time homebuyers purchase foreclosed properties for up to $385,000.

Gerald Connolly, chairman of the county's board of supervisors, said in a prepared statement that the initiative "will help restore stability for residents and neighborhoods affected by the foreclosure crisis." He also said the county will work with nonprofit groups to who want to buy distressed properties.

The county plans to spend $6.5 million over the next two years on the program. The remainder is to come from an existing credit line and more than $2 million in federal funds."

I really believe that unless the "Feds" see the problem first hand they won't understand the problem.  I hope that over the Independence Day vacation, when they when home, "For Sale" signs were seen, constituents were seen that are now homeless, animals that were left homeless were seen wandering around and report of displaced children were read about.  I hope they realized that the store and restaurants had less business, the roads had less traffic and if they lived near the coast or a lake, there were fewer boats to be seen.  I also hope they saw fewer trucks on the roads, because the truckers are going out of business and I hope they saw that the local Starbucks has fewer customers. I hope they saw that some backyards were empty and the barbecues were not lit, because the homeowners were forced to leave. The holiday was not celebrated by some, because they had no cash left.

I hope that our Representatives and Senators had to fill their own gas tank, and fill up with over $ 70 of gasoline and experienced the shock of high prices.I wonder if they noticed that military foreclosures are running at a level four times higher than non-military families.  What a disgrace.

Fairfax actually realized that besides all the other aforementioned problems, if nothing was done, the County Revenue stream would be affected, budgets would have to be cut, school lunch programs, raises, infrastructure maintenance, health programs, food programs, social programs, education programs, etc., etc., would have to be scaled back. 

Only something good can come out of the action by the Fairfax County Supervisors.