Almost $800 billion dollars has been appropriated for stimulating the economy, and the only relief I seem to have gotten from it is lower gas prices.  Wait, that was actually because nobody but us was buying gas.  So basically, all the companies that were collecting money are still collecting money, and all the Americans who were paying their bills are still paying their bills.

All the companies that were taking money from the TARP program, that I envisioned would be paying respects to our government and toting a new line of responsibility don't seem to be doing any such thing.  Most reports are showing that they can't even account for the money they've been given.  In a country were the President, the most powerful man in the nation, makes less than 1% as much as the most wealthy man in the country, you'd think there might be some more fiscal discipline and accounting measures.  I mean, if you all of a sudden work for the same people as the president, shouldn't you also be put on the same payscale?

I sure hope that Obama is serious about the new restrictions and accountability measures he plans to enact on the distribution of the rest of the TARP funds, because I damned sure couldn't get a loan without telling anyone how I was going to repay it, and when.