Just Who Do They Work For?

The Drudge Report headline read "Obama: $3 billion aid for Unemployed." I followed the link to the AP release titled "Obama Administration to Provide $3 billion in Housing Aid."  The story detailed how the Treasury will use bailout money from the $700 billion TARP to provide interest free loans up to $50,000 targeted for unemployed, underwater homeowners. The jobless homeowners fall deeper into debt as a result of the loans, but the cash layout would enable them to stay put for two years.
What the story does not do is address the reason for the $3 billion taxpayer program. Look, nobody in power gives a damn about any of these people. Its the banks that are being bailed out. Yes, the healed, well-capitalized banks that passed the stress tests will suffer losses once the homeowner defaults.  Once again, Geithner delivers for the big banks by taking taxpayer money to save their bacon. As a bonus point, perhaps the President will retain votes from the disgruntled, unemployed constituents who are the recipients of $50,000 in new debt, allowing them to stay in their house for a few more years.

Banks 1, Public 0.

On to the next story. The online magazine, Information Week, posted a story titled U.S. To Train 3,000 Offshore IT Workers.  The article tells how a hand-picked Obama appointee is overseeing a joint project between the US Government and corporate partners. The Government is chipping in $10 million taxpayer dollars. The idea is to train foreigners in IT positions so that American companies may offshore  domestic jobs in exchange for lower-paying foreign skilled labor in order to cut costs. That's right. Americans are paying taxes in order to subsidize the corporate training of foreigners.  The goal is that the foreign trainees will make suitable replacements for the more costly Americans who are paying taxes to outsource their own jobs.

Corporations 1, Public 0

Just a few months ago, the President went before the American people and announced that his goal would be to double American exports within 5 years. Little did I realize he meant the exportation of jobs, not products. Congress and the Executive Branch of Government clearly represent large corporations, and mega-banks. You can throw in the Judicial Branch for that matter, as the Supreme Court removed monetary restrictions on corporations in the name of free speech. I suppose the logic is that, since money talks, contributions must be considered speech. And banks and corporations are letting their money do the talking. Clearly, DC is listening.