Big bailout might be inevitable

These two paragraphs put the dilemma well:

The thought of a bailout has and will continue to infuriate millions of Americans who didn't succumb to the temptation of a temporarily cheap mortgage to buy a house they really couldn't afford, or to tap their home equity for that boat, RV or vacation villa that also was otherwise beyond their means.

Then again, if some of your neighbors are in danger of facing foreclosure, you may think differently about the idea of a government-led rescue. In a sinking housing market, it may be better for your own property's value to keep your neighbors in their homes than to face a street pocked with vacant units, perhaps for years to come.