BY RICHARD LECOI can't believe it! From articles and letters that I have read in these pages it appears that "those" people are at it again. You know who I mean... the "poor" and those who try to help them. How dare "those" people try to buy a house and take down all of Wall Street by their greedy and selfish attitude. Who do those "poor" people think they are us? It is bad enough that they get public housing and welfare and all the rest of those giveaway programs; now they think they can have a house? Unbelievable, because we all know that if were not for "those" people we would all be driving a Bentley and have a second home on beach front property on the Cape. Those selfish inconsiderate poor people thinking they have a right to opportunities likes us. Amazing what one group of thoughtless "poor" people can do to bring down our economy and shake the economy of the world!

Now if you believe this so far, then you have an exciting six months coming up with the visits of the Great Pumpkin, Santa and the Easter Bunny.

The point I am trying to make is simply this; there is enough blame to go around for everyone for the financial situation we are in. However I believe that people of low income and one of their greatest advocates, Congressman Barney Frank, have taken an unfair amount of the blame. Homeownership programs did not bring down AIG and their Wall Street colleagues. I must note here that the people of low income did not take any junkets after they lost their homes. But then again I guess driving a Wall Street international business into the ground and running out with a multi-million dollar sweetheart deal can be very exhausting.

Back to Barney. Let us not forget the tremendous amount of work and positive legislation he has delivered for this nation and our communities. I could write volumes just on the affordable housing legislation that Barney has sponsored in support of housing and community development agencies and the people and communities they represent.

Barney has been praised by both sides of the aisle for this legislation and many other pieces of legislation. Barney was recognized by the National Association Of Housing and Redevelopment Officials as the national legislator of the year for 2007. As a member of the NAHRO faculty and in my role as a national consultant to the public housing industry, I can attest to the good works of Barney and his staff. However, before some of you who fancy yourselves as constitutional lawyers, literary giants and national historians grab for your quill pens, please remember my point about enough blame for everyone. I will not discuss past, recent or future legislation or programs in any detail. Let's just suffice it to say that each of us has the right to our own opinions and all the responses to this letter will not change mine, just as detailing the benefits affordable housing programs and legislation in this forum will not change yours. I am sure you will respond as is your right to do.

Let me finish with three points. First in my over 30 years in the affordable housing industry I have yet to run into one individual who said that while growing up their goal in life was to be a single parent on welfare and live in public housing. It is not the picnic some would have you believe it is.

Secondly there is no such thing as "low income" people, only people of low income. Being of low income is not a nationality or faith, it is an economic condition that anyone of us could find ourselves in in the blink of an eye.

Finally, many of you reading this may ask if I am an unabashed Democrat, supporter and friend of Barney Frank. Let me answer that and close this letter by quoting the honorable governor of Alaska... "you betcha" (wink wink).

RICHARD A. LECO of North Attleboro is a former executive director of the North Attleboro Housing Authority and has worked in the affordable housing field throughout his career.