Obscanity: You'll know it when you see it

Congress unveils rescue bill (CNN).

I still think it’s just amazing how it’s become the accepted convention to use the $700 billion as the baseline for this bailout. Where did this number come from? Why are we even accepting that Congress and the taxpayers somehow owe Wall Street any kind of bailout? And I know the snarky comment is going to be that “owe” is exactly the operative word here, since so much of this is based on mortgages, or so we’re told. But again, these banks were greedy and took a risk based on that greed. Why do the rest of us have to pay for their hunger for money and their willingness to push people to borrow beyond their ability to repay?

Why isn’t this money going towards the establishment of a universal healthcare system? Aren’t skyrocketing healthcare costs another HUGE reason why people are declaring bankruptcy and walking away from their homes? Even if they’re not, nobody can possibly claim that healthcare costs are not damaging the economy. Shouldn’t this be our number one priority, considering that people are dying?

Of course, they could just give this money back to the taxpayers, in a real economic stimulus package… but that would never fly. They’re only interested in giving us chump change, not real change.

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