It's Your Money

Today's editorial from the Washington Times:

"On April 15, tax day, most Americans feel a little violated as the government peeps into their most private affairs to see what's taxable. The Obama administration views such transparency as a one-way street.
Government secrecy has become the norm under this administration, particularly when it comes to the financial bailout. Exhibit A is a gag order preventing banks from divulging how they performed on the Treasury Department's financial "stress tests." These tests were instituted Feb. 25 to gauge the liquidity of the country's 19 biggest banks and determine whether they could survive another dramatic economic downturn. Federal officials told the bankers to keep mum about how stressed out the tests say their institutions are.
Thus far, the U.S. government has spent, lent or committed $12.8 trillion to the financial rescue. That tab works out to $42,667 per person, or $130,600 per tax filer. It is almost as much as an entire year's worth of gross domestic product, which last year was $14 trillion. The government refuses to inform the public - or even Congress - where all the money is going."

So much for government transparency. And for all you Bush haters, blame him since he started all this massive spending.