To BDI:  (I say again, you don't know what you are talking about)

• JUNE 11, 2010, 3:04 P.M. ET

TARP Repayments Surpass Loans

By DARRELL
A. HUGHES

WASHINGTON—The U.S. Treasury Department said Friday the total amount repaid
to taxpayers for government funds used to bail out U.S. companies has surpassed,
for the first time, the amount of outstanding debt.

The Treasury, in its May report to Congress on the Troubled Asset Relief
Program, reported TARP repayments reached $194 billion, which has exceeded by $4
billion the total amount of outstanding debt—$190 billion.

However, the outstanding debt amount does not include $106.36 billion that
has been committed to institutions but has yet to be paid out by the Treasury.
Factoring in that amount, the outstanding debt would be roughly $296 billion.

According to the report, $489.88 billion has been committed to specific
institutions, and $383.52 billion of that has been paid out by Treasury. The
department said it does not expect to use more than $550 billion of the $700
billion program.

A Treasury official described the manner in which the department
characterized the totals as "a cash flow issue."

"Going forward, there will continue to be repayments and expenditures on both
sides of the ledger," the official said, making clear that "the other money has
not ultimately been dispersed yet."

With that said, the Treasury's report indicates that the department has
already signed contracts with institutions regarding the already and to-be
distributed funds.

Still, the Treasury's assistant secretary for financial stability, Herb
Allison, in a statement described the totals as a "milestone" and said this is
"further evidence that TARP is achieving its intended objectives: stabilizing
our financial system and laying the groundwork for economic recovery."

The preliminary benchmark was reached in May when the Treasury completed its
sale of 1.5 billion shares of Citigroup Inc., "a
transaction that provided gross proceeds of $6.18 billion to taxpayers," the
Treasury said.

TARP investments posted an additional $23 billion return, bringing total
revenue to $217 billion through the end of May, according to the Treasury.

Despite the government's positive investments made through the TARP program
for banks, taxpayers could still face a loss on the program.

The Obama administration estimated last August that the total cost of TARP
would be $341 billion. The Treasury, in May, told Congress that the lifetime
cost of the program had decreased to $105.4 billion.

Looking ahead, the Treasury said additional expenditures from the TARP
program are likely to focus on housing initiatives, and other programs that are
tailored to help smaller banks and the securitization markets.

The department still anticipates repayments to continue to exceed the
outstanding

And, by the way, at the time that TARP was instituted during the last days of Bush, it was passed by a Dem. controlled Senate and House.

Another thing you might keep in mind:  These "corporations" you and Mobay keep ragging about; are owned by retirees like me and millions of others as part of our 401 K's and life savings.  Corporations are owned by the public.   Their officers and directors are hired and fired by those stockholders.   Just thought you would like to keep that in mind as you guys blame them for every mess we have.  I don't like you sniping at my companies!

Malodery's definitions are the standard lib "talking point" and are not true.

Here is the real difference between present day U.S. liberals and conservatives:

Liberals believe the government should attempt to solve as many of our public and personal problems as possible

Such a crock.

and that those in power should have the authority to confiscate everyone's private property as much as needed in order to fund this mandated charity and meddling. 

More crock.   I don't even think the majority of the tea party actually believe your version.   The fringe loonies do of course.

 They believe more regulation is better (as opposed to individual liberty).

If required.

Conservatives believe the government  should be limited as much as possible in order to free up the individual citizens and allow them to solve their own problems on a more localized level as much as possible.

Yeah, like go into the drug store and hope what you're buying won't kill you.

Conservatives believe in liberty and the original intent of the constitutional framers.  Liberals only believe in liberty that advances their cause.  Libs believe the constitution should be interpreted to reflect the morality and fads of the moment.

Not fads of the moment but it must be interpreted to deal with modern situations which weren't even dreamed of when it was written.

Liberals believe the federal government is wise.  Conservatives do not. 

As wise as we can make it.   Conservatives want to dumb it down and weaken it so it doesn't interfere with their selfish interests.   Like selling any potion they feel like and claim it will cure what ails us.

We are long past those days and it's not a time to go back.