Yep. Spot on.

Good Afternoon Charles,
I read your entire piece. I am for a one month moratorium on rents and mortgages but not 6 months from tomorrow. I believe those that can pay (for the record, I paid today) should pay. Then wait for the stimulus checks in three weeks and then have local governments at the behest of the President waive rents or mortgages on those that simply can't pay on a month-to-month basis with preferences to the unemployed and victims' families of COVID-19.

I'm not an economist, statistician, physician or epidemiologist so I'm not sure if that is accurate or doable. But, I am an optimist and it's a start. I think in 2-3 weeks we will have a much better idea if the "curve is flattening" in Washington state and we'll have more data from other countries. If it is, I suggest Gov. Inslee lift the "shelter-at-home" order. Why? We MUST get some businesses going. Yes, I'm aware that it is an extraordinarily tough call for the President or the Governor. But, it must made at some point.

I have noticed already that epicenters have changed and some countries with the exception of China are showing a decline in infections and deaths of COVIDS-19. At this point, I merely don't trust China's data.

At the end of the day, we're in this ALL together.

In the end, the mortgages and rent have to be paid. There can be no free ride. The books have to be balanced and the debts have to be paid. Whatever mitigation is offered in the short term must be within that framework.

Meanwhile, the mentally-ill and drug ravaged homeless continue to reject help when offered and nobody has a solution for that.

Yep, pretty much a giant blinking neon sign that capitalism is an utter failure. Comments here prove it even more.

More selfish greed people, Moar!

JFC what a worthless shit species humans turned out to be.

@3 - " The books have to be balanced and the debts have to be paid."
Yes, the debts that have been intentionally, incrementally piled up on the common people. Those debts? The ones incurred by a neoliberal elite who know how to manipulate money and debt and have shifted debt onto us? Student loans, rising mortgages, etc. etc. etc.

No.

The books can be balanced by ERASING the DEBTS.
It's been done in the past, it can be done today.

@11 Gold, women and sheep are all we need for trade.

What countries have done that, Charles?

it seems like the approach taken in most European countries makes a lot more sense. Pay the companies to keep everyone employed, even if they are doing nothing. Better yet, have a robust unemployment insurance program, along with rent forgiveness for small businesses. Otherwise, you are basically giving out big bonus checks to high paid employees working from home, while hurting small landlords (who have paid off their mortgage). You also run the risk of banks defaulting, which could cost the country more money (as they end up buying them up via FDIC).