Economic stimulus

The government TARP program has so far done diddly squat. What a surprise. A government program that promised more than it could deliver.

Recently in the news, it was reported that Merrill Lynch executives spent $1.2 million on renovating an executive suite. When I first heard this I was appalled. How dare they spend taxpayer money on a shiny new toilet!!

However, it turns out that the media, in it's race to vilify capitalists, was WRONG. Not a single dime of taxpayer money was spent on this renovation. In fact, the renovation was about 9 months before the "bailout" was even imagined.

Seems to me that the media could have spent a little more time investigating this story before plastering it all over the place. But then, they wouldn't have had that thrill go down their leg that they all seem to get when capitalism is the bad guy.

As a matter of fact, Merrill Lynch did a much better job stimulating the economy by having the renovation done than the Looters in DC have ever done. That $1.2 million dollars had an immediate impact. The money went to taxpayers (decorators, contractors, delivery services and suppliers) and no bureaucrats got their grubby little fingers on it.

So I'm sorry, Merrill Lynch, that I got caught up in the vilification. Thank you for an effective economic stimulus.