Quote from TheFinn:
I believe that many of the banks have already paid back the TARP money:
http://www.crainsnewyork.com/article/20090617/FREE/906179993
This still doesn't explain why cutting out money-losing part of businesses and saving the money-making ones (say for example, cutting out money-losing car lines out of GM and saving the lines that are making money) won't work. I freely admit that I don't understand a lot about how all this works.
The problem with your premise is that you assume you can unwind the bad or "toxic" side from the healthy side.
Except, in order to do this you need to bring out the toxic assets. This also means someone has to eat the toxic assets. Guess what no one has done that . Unless you call the Taxpayer funneling capital out their collective orifices at unheard of rate to financial entities.
TARP I was for the purpose. Troubled Asset Relief Program. But we skipped the Troubled Asses and went straight for the relief.
You see.. human nature being what it is..Rather than force the toxic assets out on the condition of money, the goverment gave them money and then tried to force the assets out. and then everyone just kind of forgot.
Besides everything is ok again. There are no toxic assets any more.
Please dont ask about why 95% of new mortgages are backed by Fannie and freddie, and why combined that have lost 150 billion of taxpayer dollars in the last 14 months.
Also don't ask, why the FED is still holding the Funds rate at 0 15 months later.
Also, don't ask how the banks paid back the TARP money while drawing on the FED Lines.
Also don't ask how GM needs to sell more Units in the next 20 years to pay back the loans/equity (52 billion) then its has sold in the last 40 years. While reducing all its lines.
Also, don't ask how the Federal Deficit and FED balance sheet exploded, conveniently while all those companies "almost"collapsed. while the Companies are all perfectly ok now..but the FED balance sheet and Federal deficit is still toast.
Also don't ask if the Federal Deficit includes the Fannie and Freddie liabilities Marked to market.
Everything is fine..move along.