ROB WOUTAT: When Personal Gain Trumps Principles  Recent events
have given us a useful refresher on economics.  When lenders
gave too much money to too many people who couldn't pay it back
and the housing bubble burst, the banks got in trouble and
didn't have enough money to lend, so banks and other businesses
were in trouble and had to lay off employees.  The slump in the
building industry rippled outward to result in less work for
carpenters, electricians, plumbers, drywallers, painters,
landscapers, furniture sellers, drapery installers, etc.  With
more people working less and buying less, sales tax revenues are
down, so local governments — Mason and Kitsap counties, among
them, are cutting jobs, and our state government is facing a
massive deficit.  Merchants are cutting prices to get people
into their stores. Car dealers have extravagant vehicles fewer
people can afford. The lines are growing at food banks. Linens
'N Things is shutting down and Circuit City has filed for
bankruptcy.  Some of the things w