The Associated Press contacted 21 banks that received at least $1 billion in government money and asked four questions: How much has been spent? What was it spent on? How much is being held in savings, and what's the plan for the rest?
"We've lent some of it. We've not lent some of it. We've not given any accounting of, 'Here's how we're doing it,'" said Thomas Kelly, a spokesman for JPMorgan Chase, which received $25 billion in emergency bailout money. "We have not disclosed that to the public. We're declining to."
These goddamn jackals. Those of you who have missed a bank or credit payment will know that these bastards stalk you with the psychotic tenacity of Max Cady -- threats, intimidation, even calls on Sunday mornings -- and now we get this dick-move after bailing them out? Where are the torches and pitchforks? Where are the shoes?!
Granted, very smart people convinced us that TARP was necessary and I have no reason to doubt them. It may have prevented a much deeper crash. But these guys -- irrespective of the holiday -- ought to be summarily dragged into Congress to account for this.
Or maybe we should call them and ask them about our money.