To the editor:

As our country is occupied with ISIS terrorism, and as our Department of Defense, National Security Advisors and our CIA informs President Obama of military options, we must look at what else is happening in our country.

Over the last few days, the Bank of America was fined for the illegal actions inherited from Countrywide Financial and Merrill Lynch. The largest fine ever! How long do we just accept fines for this continuing operating against the law? CEOs just go on because the fines are just a rap on the knuckles that banks can afford.

Accepting fines is condoning illegal behavior. CEOs just keep getting rewards of huge bonuses and golden parachutes. None of these fines reimburse those who lost their homes. Where is the justice?

Corporations (especially banks) are out of control.

We need to pass the necessary legislation to stop bad bank behavior. The Glass-Steagall Act revival in its current form is long overdue. H. Resolution 129 and S-985 and a set of bills for the 21st century S-182 and House Resolution 3711 need to pass in the next session.

Mortgage banks operating as Countrywide Financial did and Investment banks operating as Merrill Lynch did must be separated from regular banks. We need stronger restrictions on hedge funds and derivatives (which are a bet on the market to go either up or down). Bets belong in Las Vegas and not in investment portfolios.

Let’s get our financial house in order. Let’s get Congress to pass bills that will ensure our banks will be regulated as banks.

Joan Patterson

Lehigh Acres