Your Very Own TARP Application

If you have Acrobat Reader or better yet, Acrobat Professional, here is the link to download your own personal TARP Application to get your share of the remaining 350 billion dollars Henry Paulson is literally giving away! You won't have to account where it goes! You won't have to tell the public anything, or even the government! I'd suggest asking for at least 250 million like I am going to do, with my Grumpy Old Man Group, or GOMG of Colorado Springs...

Now you can join the big boys of financial administration, with the streamlined form that really doesn't require any information on your part. It's more difficult getting a library card than filling out the actual TARP application. When the Associated Press asked 21 banks that have already received at least one billion dollars, every single one said that we don't have to tell you squat. Members of Congress are trying to find a way to make the whole thing more responsible to the taxpayers.

In a recent article, Nobel Prize winning journalist Paul Krugman explains that it will take some time before the economy recovers. Because we don't have any markets that will drive the economy now that the housing bubble burst as did the financial industry. War is draining us instead of driving us out of recession, and if we begin to save more and keep on spending less, any recovery will take longer and need government help.

But as the economy gets worse, so does petty crime. Christmastime is the biggest shoplifting season, with 35 million in merchandise stolen daily across the country. Increase in job layoffs, not being able to get by and buy things for children, people are getting 80% more desperate this year. Stores have less employees to look for shoplifters, police departments are putting it down on their list of priorities, and even charities are being swamped with more needy folks than they have the capacity to help.

I know that we are having few gifts to give the grandchildren, and it looks to be a very modest Christmas this year. Please remember that this is a religious holiday, and helping to nurture each one's spirit is more important than the amount of swag under the tree.