United Liberty

As various tax-related mail begins to appear in the mailboxes of hardworking Americans across the country, it’s instructive for all of us to reflect on why we carry the burden of our government every April.

Take this morning, for instance. We can credit the “ingenuity of the markets”, and specifically the ingenuity of John Thain, for moving annual executive bonus payments by Merrill Lynch up by a month last November, thus disbursing $15 billion in executive bonuses just before closing Merrill’s acquisition by Bank of America. Fast forward a few months, and the United States taxpayer just gave Bank of America another $20 billion in newly-borrowed funds to put a band-aid on mortar wounds in Merrill Lynch’s balance sheet.

The Treasury Department has allocated $250 billion to buy senior preferred shares of dozens of the nation’s largest banks as part of the “Troubled Asset Relief Program,” (TARP). Our government however, has haphazardly invested these relief funds in banks that have shown a propensity for making irresponsible and imprudent business decisions. On top of a lack of disclosure of the criteria for approved banks the government has displayed no consideration for the American public. By printing new money and diluting existing shareholder positions our leaders have proven they care more about saving poorly run businesses than their constituents.

Though I don’t always like his politics, I like Congressman Dennis Kucinich.  Frankly, I gotta love anyone who’s willing to file articles of impeachment against Dick Cheney.  Out of the Democrat Presidential Candidates, Kucinich had been my favorite; but, unfortunately the media gave him about as much attention as they gave Dr. Paul.

During Fox Happy Hour, Dennis answers a myriad of questions about the TARP bailout, the impending sweep by the Democrats in Congress and Nancy Pelosi’s strange insistence that a heavily Democrat Congress will actually be “more bi-partisan.”