I am a homeowner who works hard to pay my mortgage. Why should my tax money be used to help fix a problem I did not create?

Bush administration officials say they have no choice. They say lending would come to a halt without this bailout. In his most recent speech to the nation, President Bush outlined the potential fallout: Businesses would close their doors. Americans would lose their jobs. Loans for homes, cars and college tuition would be tough to find. And retirement nest eggs would dwindle.

Also, keep in mind that a growing number of troubled borrowers did not contribute to the problem. Some took out traditional fixed-rate loans. But when home prices sank, they suddenly owed more on their mortgages than their homes were worth. They could not refinance if they needed to move for a job or other personal reasons, such as divorce.

If it's any consolation, you still come out ahead of a less-deserving borrower. You have not lost your home and your credit score is intact.

-- Washington Post Staff Writer Dina ElBoghdady