Obama's attention

The president recently visited Orlando to address some of the needs of the tourism industry. I am thankful for his time, as tourism is a vital part of the Florida economy. It is also vital to our economy that we find a solution to the foreclosure crisis that has left so many Floridians, including me, homeless.

President Obama spoke from Disney World, one of the happiest places on earth, but I can tell you that going through foreclosure is no fairy tale. There were no happy endings for the thousands of Floridians who lost their homes due to fraudulent bank behavior and a civil-court system that seems to have processed foreclosure applications with a rubber stamp.

I hope the president initiates a federal investigation into the state's foreclosure process to determine whether it has been fair and equitable to Floridians. It is too late for me. I lost my home of 30 years with only a $2,000 balance on the mortgage. There are still thousands more who need help.

Let's not continue to blindly process preventable foreclosures or allow our Congress and attorney general to give big banks a break. It is the people of Florida who need a break. But mostly, we need the opportunity to stay in our homes and stabilize our economy.

Booker Perry, Maitland