This'n'That; January 13th [giveaway;citibank;RenSq;socialism]

More Vote Bailouts [as opposed to Voter] Wait 'til the particulars come to light; Betcha this round of stimulus spending will do nothing more than assure the union membership votes democrat!! WASHINGTON (AFP) — President-elect Barack Obama vowed changes to a much-criticized 700-billion-dollar bank bailout program as Democratic leaders demanded stricter conditions before more funds are freed up. Angry Democrats argue that banks have pocketed the money without offering customers new credit, or have reduced competition by snapping up other banks, or have extended lavish bonuses to senior executives. Obama said the second TARP instalment should focus on helping families at risk of losing their homes and small businesses trapped in the credit squeeze. "And I think that we can regain the confidence of both Congress and the American people [I sincerely doubt that's possible!!] that this is not just money that is being given to banks without any strings attached and nobody knows what happens, but rather that it is targeted very specifically at getting credit flowing again to businesses and families," he said. Wholesale changes are expected in terms of how the Obama administration will spend the money, with a view to making the process more transparent and better targeted, Democratic senators said. "The Obama administration wants to rebrand this exercise. They realize it's been terribly mismanaged," said Christopher Dodd [ the same crook that got a "sweetheart" deal from Countrywide Mortgage], chairman of the Senate banking committee. The senators meanwhile welcomed assurances from Summers about the planned 775-billion-dollar stimulus package, which Obama said Saturday would save or create four million jobs [anybody got any idea how a "saved job" is measured? This is just more "fluff" ] and prevent a years-long recession. Democrats want Obama to keep his focus on an infrastructure spending spree [spree: Carefree, fun spending-arguably, the most accurate word in the treatise!!] and to raise the stimulus money intended for renewable energy tax breaks and unemployment insurance. However, Republicans made clear they would oppose any move to reduce the role of family and corporate tax cuts, which Obama has said will comprise 40 percent of the total package. Grumbling about its impact on the US budget deficit, which congressional watchdogs say will top one trillion dollars this year, House of Representatives minority leader John Boehner said the entire package should be rethought. "Why couldn't we tax less and spend less as we put this package together?[Because both the government and legislators' power wouldn't grow!!]" he said on CBS television's "Face the Nation." But on CNN, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said the package "might" exceed 775 billion dollars, and called for a repeal of tax cuts for high earners [the Pelosidiot hasn't read Econ-101; tax cuts at all levels stimulate private spending hence the economy grows!! Tax cuts work everytime they're tried!!] pushed through by Bush and the Republicans, to help offset its deficit impact [Pelosidiot: repealing tax cuts will only have a negative impact with reduced confiscations to the Treasury!!]. Democratic Senator Charles Schumer said the stimulus bill could be ready for Obama's signature by February 13, and the president-elect promised to work closely with Congress in the days ahead. "We're not trying to jam anything down people's throats [what a load of bovine-feces!!]," Obama told ABC. But he stressed that "the sooner a recovery and reinvestment package is in place, the sooner we can start turning the economy around [more likely to drive the economy further into recession or depression!!]." Shouldn't We Get Our Share? The latest news is that Citigroup is considering selling a 51% stake in their brokerage house-Smith Barney. Citigroup was the beneficiary of some $20Billion in first-round giveaway money, not to mention a $300Billion guarantee of Citigroup's "troubled assets." "Morgan Stanley is likely to pay Citigroup between $2 billion and $3 billion for a 51 percent stake in the brokerage Smith Barney, a person close to the negotiations said Saturday. Morgan Stanley would then have the option to buy the rest of Smith Barney over the next three to five years, the person said. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak about the ongoing talks." Wouldn'cha think that cuz the taxpayer gave 'em a fairly large pile'a money that the taxpayer should have "first dibs" on any unearned income they have? Besides, the taxpayer is still "on-the-hook" for most'a those unethical mortgages Citi- and other shady institutions, has written. Finally, Someone Who's At Least Read Economics101 Neil Bauman, a Webster [NY] developer, announced today a $50 million plan to develop a portion of Renaissance Square into three residential buildings with retail space on their ground floors in place of the proposed performing arts center. Bauman, who owns the northwest square of 224-226 E. Main St. and One N. Clinton Ave., stressed that the funding for the residential buildings would be entirely private. He said he is growing impatient with the county’s plan for Renaissance Square. He said that if the county had the full funding for the performing arts center, he would not be putting forth a counterproposal. The Renaissance Square project also includes a bus terminal and a Monroe Community College campus center.The theater requires $55 million in funding, yet to be raised, before it can be built. The entire project is slated to cost $230 million.Mike Power, a spokesman for Renaissance Square, said the Ren Square project has $175 million in federal and state funds for the three-pronged project of a new campus, a performing arts center and a new downtown transit center. That figure includes $28 million for the theater, which would cost $55 million.To close the gap, project officials have asked the state for another $30 million. The project could also draw federal stimulus dollars, if the spending bill is written with projects such as Ren Square in mind, said Power.Power said the performing arts center is of vital importance to Ren Square, which will initially create 3,000 jobs."I don't think anybody wants to see a theater left out of the project," said Power. Be Careful What You Wish For....... obama Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel said on November 21,2008, "You never want a serious crisis to go to waste. And what I mean by that is an opportunity to do things you think you could not do before." One had better remember that Emanuel was one of "Slick Willie's" henchmen.... putting out as many fires as he could before they saw the light of day. What was "Slick's" [and "Rob'em" as well] primary unspoken goal...? As many and as big steps toward "one-world-government" as possible without the public noticing the change. For those who believed all the recent campaign "fluff," ya gotta be asking yourself if the guy has ever had an original thought..... he's great reading from a teleprompter, as one can tell. When you hear all the "ah's" and "er's," there's no teleprompter in front of him; there's no one whispering in his ear; the questioner is "off-script!!" How 'bout looking at his associations? Practically everyone he's had any substantive dealings with is an ultra-liberal, i.e., Bill Ayers, Bernardine Dohrn, Jeremiah Wright, Louie Farrakhan and the full-time crook, part-time fraud, Tony Rezko. It's a bit too early to tell if he's a one-world-government promoter or not, but it'll only take a slight swerve to the left for the country to go from liberalism to socialism!! Til Nex'Time......