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Showing posts with label Bailouts. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Bailouts. Show all posts

Tuesday, March 28, 2023

Digital Currency Coming Your Way

 


Yesterday this blog posted a meme showing why digital currencies are such a bad idea.  And Dr Joseph Mercola is not optimistic about stopping them:

STORY AT-A-GLANCE

  • Three large banks failed in a single week in March 2023, and the ripple effect could easily take down the entire banking system. The cascading bank failures began March 8 with the shut down and liquidation of the crypto bank Silvergate Capital. It had invested deposits in Treasury bonds, which lost value as interest rates were hiked to stem inflation
  • March 10, Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) failed. It too was invested in government bonds, which again became a problem when customers began making large fear-based withdrawals. This was the second largest bank failure in U.S. history, and the largest since the financial crisis in 2008
  • Spooked by the failure of Silicon Valley Bank, Signature Bank customers withdrew more than $10 billion in the days that followed, resulting in the shutdown of Signature Bank on March 12
  • Government regulators have promised to make customers of the two banks “whole” by insuring all funds, not just the first $250,000. Only select “too big to fail” banks will be eligible for this kind of special treatment. Small local banks will not be eligible
  • The most likely outcome of this bailout system is a consolidation of banks until we’re left with just a small number of mega-banks. This consolidation, in turn, will facilitate the rollout of a central bank digital currency (CBDC), as the banking industry will be a tight-knit monopoly

The full story at Discern Report is here.

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Monday, May 7, 2012

Stop the Job Killing Big Tobacco Bailout


Big Tobacco companies have inserted an amendment to the massive federal highway bill that is currently being debated in Congress.  This amendment reclassifies all small Roll Your Own (RYO) cigarette retail shops as “cigarette manufacturers” for the sole purpose of driving them OUT of business, killing jobs across the country and limiting consumer choice.
Beginning Tuesday, May 8, the House and Senate will begin meeting to discuss this bill in a conference committee.

We’ve all played a good game of hide & seek, right? Cover your eyes, count to ten, run around and find your friends? It’s fun because you get to exercise just how clever you can be. If you can stay hidden, you’re clever. If you can find people, you’re clever. It’s a game that is SO much fun, some members of Congress are still playing!

Hidden in the Senate’s massive version of the 2012 transportation reauthorization act is a teeny weeny provision allowing Big Tobacco companies to SQUASH small businesses. You heard me. In between money for roads, bridges, airports, trains, and Amtrak is a monumental United States Government bailout for Big Tobacco.

TODAY’S MESSAGE: Enough hide and seek. Tell Congress REMOVE the #BigTobacco bailout from the highway bill. It’s a job killer. http://bit.ly/NewTax

If you’re a frequent reader of my blog, you already know this. But, we’re getting new readers every day so here it is again:

Big Tobacco has bought some lawmakers. These lawmakers have introduced legislation reclassifying small tobacco shops where you can roll your own smokes as “tobacco manufacturing” facilities. This throws small, roadside tobacco shops into the same tax and regulatory category as mammoth cigarette manufacturing facilities. Unfair, right? Well, the pain doesn’t last long for Mom & Pop tobacco shops. They pretty much go out of business immediately.

Why is Big Tobacco doing this? Because 99 percent market share isn’t enough. They make no money off people who roll their own smokes. If they can eliminate our ability to roll our own, Big Tobacco thinks they’ll pocket more money. Which, they probably will if they’re successful.

That’s where you come in.

You can help by reaching out to members of Congress. Scroll through some of my previous posts for lists of folks to hit.

Today: Engage a few members in the morning and a few members in the afternoon. Take a few minutes for Facebook. And if you have time, take a few minutes to post in the comments section of online news stories. Members of the news media appreciate heads’ up on how their member responds to your inquiries!

Tuesday, Congress reconvenes to hammer out a final 2012 transportation reauthorization act. Let our voices be heard!

Saturday, May 28, 2011

DId Chrysler "Really" repay their TARP Loan?

Using Obama math (48 States + 2 States = 57 States), the Treasury Department is claiming Chrysler has repaid their TARP loans....

From Congressman Westmoreland (GA-3) --
Washington, May 26 -
 
Earlier this week, the Treasury Department announced Chrysler had repaid its outstanding Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) loans.  According to this announcement, the Treasury Department paid a total of $12.5 billion to Chrysler – yet only received $10.6 back.  So let’s do the math:

$12.5B Loan
-$10.6B Repayment
$1.9B Still Outstanding

Is this what the Treasury Department considers repayment of a loan?  I was always under the impression that it involved paying the entire loan off – not just a portion of it.

Further down the announcement, comes the truth hidden amongst the rhetoric lauding this early ‘repayment.’ 
“Treasury continues to hold a 6.6 percent common equity stake in Chrysler. As previously stated, however, Treasury is unlikely to fully recover its remaining outstanding investment of $1.9 billion in Chrysler.”
So what they really should have announced was that Chrysler repaid some of its loans and the federal government decided to excuse almost $2 billion in outstanding loans in exchange for continuing to own a portion of the company.  I, for one, am appalled at this announcement.  Not only does the Treasury try to take the fact that Chrysler has failed to repay its loans as something positive, they have also decided that almost two billion dollars is not worth trying to recoup.  I think the Treasury Department and I have a very different idea of what success is.

David Asman with Fox Business had an interesting take on the situation as well.

Friday, May 14, 2010

Rep. Mike Pence (R-Ind.) introduces the European Bailout Protection Act

From the Tea Party Patriots "New Patriot Journal" Blog --

After a week of preemptive attacks on a possible IMF bailout of Greece, Rep. Mike Pence (R-Ind.) introduces the European Bailout Protection Act, aimed at preventing taxpayer dollars from going to a rescue plan.

"This legislation would require that countries like Greece cut spending and put their own fiscal house in order," says Pence, backed up by other members of the House GOP, "instead of looking to the United States for a bailout. We face record unemployment and a debt crisis of our own, and American taxpayers should not be forced to bear the risk for nations that have avoided making tough choices."

The full release is below the fold, with the detail that the bill "does not permanently prohibit the IMF from lending" to the troubled counties. Nevertheless, Ezra Klein is not a fan of this proposal.

(Thanks to my colleague Ben Pershing.)

U.S. Congressman Mike Pence, Chairman of the House Republican Conference, joined Conference Vice-Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers, Ranking Member of the House Appropriations Committee Rep. Jerry Lewis, Rep. Jeb Hensarling, and Rep. Kay Granger in introducing legislation today to stop U.S. tax dollars from being used by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for bailouts for European countries. Rep. Pence released the following statement today as the European Bailout Protection Act was introduced:

“The American people are fed up with taxpayer-funded bailouts and deserve to know we are bailing out Greece and possibly other European countries. If the Obama Administration has its way, the U.S. will contribute to a nearly trillion dollar bailout of European countries with economic crises that are a direct result of wasteful government spending.

“This legislation would require that countries like Greece cut spending and put their own fiscal house in order, instead of looking to the United States for a bailout. We face record unemployment and a debt crisis of our own, and American taxpayers should not be forced to bear the risk for nations that have avoided making tough choices.

Background

The European Bailout Protection Act would:

1) Prohibit any funds that have yet to be drawn by the IMF from being used to provide financing to any EU countries until all EU nations are in compliance with the debt to GDP ratio requirement in their own collective growth pact.

2) Require the Treasury Secretary to oppose any IMF loans to EU nations until all EU countries are in compliance with their debt to GDP ratio requirement.

The bill does not permanently prohibit the IMF from lending to these nations; it simply prohibits the U.S. from participating in the proposed European bailout.

Wednesday, April 21, 2010

Senate Trying to Ram Through Another Bad Bill . . . Surprised?

Dear Fellow Tea Party Patriots,

This Friday Senate Bill 3217, also known as the Restoring American Financial Stability Act of 2010, introduced by Democrat Senator Chris Dodd of Connecticut, is scheduled to hit the floor of the US Senate where it must wait 72 hours before it comes up for a full vote.
CLICK HERE to read the actual 1,421 page bill.

The vast majority of Tea Party Patriots' Local Coordinators from all over the country agreed on our most recent weekly conference call that this is a bad bill and we oppose it.

In short it grants permanent, unlimited bailout authority to the Federal Reserve. It's like TARP forever without the nasty, unpopular debates and votes in Congress. Beyond that it gives the Fed the power to takeover vaguely defined "nonbank financial companies". And the Fed has the power to decide what constitutes a "nonbank financial company" on a case by case basis.

Here are some links to a few articles that give a bit more insight into this very, very bad piece of legislation which must be stopped:

How To Create Bailouts Forever

Hidden Danger in Dodd Financial "Reform" Bill

Dodd Bill Creates Permanent TARP and You Can Quote That

Connecting the Dots: Does Wall St. Want Dodd Bill?

Obama: Read My Lips, No More Bailouts (But Let's Keep $50 Billion Around Just in Case)

So, what are we asking you to do?

Four things:

1.) Please contact your own Senators first and voice your opposition to this bill. If possible, physically go in person to the local home offices of your two Senators and speak to someone there who will take note of your opinion and pass it on. If you're not able to go in person, please call, email, and fax the offices of both Senators from your state. (
Find Your Senators by State on the Senate Website)

2.) Call, email, and fax these 8 Republican Senators who are not yet 100% opposed to this bill:

Bob Bennett of Utah (202) 224-5444
http://bennett.senate.gov/public/

Susan Collins of Maine (202) 224-2523
http://collins.senate.gov/public/

Christopher Bond of Missouri (202) 224-5721
http://bond.senate.gov/public/

Saxby Chambliss of Georgia (202) 224-3521
http://chambliss.senate.gov/public/index.cfm

Bob Corker of Tennessee (202) 224-3344
http://corker.senate.gov/public/

John McCain of Arizona (202) 224-2235
http://mccain.senate.gov/public/

Olympia Snowe of Maine (202) 224-5344
http://snowe.senate.gov/public/

Scott Brown of Massachusetts (202) 224-4543
http://scottbrown.senate.gov/public/

3.) Write Letters about this issue to your local paper for publication on or before Sunday. Also leave comments on as many news blogs and websites related to this subject as you can find.

4.) Forward this message to as many people as you can and ask them to take these same 4 steps as soon as possible. Use the full power of your circle of influence to move others (at least 1 more person) to take action.

Once again it's up to us, you and your fellow Tea Party Patriots, to defend America from out of control government.

Wednesday, February 10, 2010

Saturday, January 2, 2010

U.S. Govt. now owns Controlling Stake in GMAC with $3.8 Billion Bail Out

The U.S. Government now owns a controlling stake in GMAC, the financing arm of General Motors. Refusing to call it a bailout, the administration is calling it an injection of funds....
The US Treasury announced Wednesday a 3.8 billion dollar fresh capital injection into ailing GMAC, the former finance arm of General Motors that became a bank to access federal rescue aid.

It had previously injected 12.5 billion dollars in capital into GMAC.

The 3.8 billion dollar capital injection will be in the form of 2.54 billion dollars of trust preferred securities and 1.25 billion dollars of mandatory convertible preferred (MCP) stock.

Treasury said it would also receive warrants for both types of stocks, totaling 190 million dollars, which it would exercise immediately at the close of the transaction.

The Treasury, headed by Secretary Timothy Geithner, said it would convert 3.0 billion of its existing MCP, which was invested in May 2009, into common equity "to boost the quality of the capital supporting GMAC."

That move will raise Treasury?s equity stake in GMAC to 56 percent from 35 percent. (Google News)

Why does it always seems like "we" are the ones being injected?!?