The Stimulus Has Yet to be Felt

By Robert Weiss

According to the national Lundberg Survey of fuel prices, the price of a gallon of gasoline continues to climb, rising an average of 17 cents over the past two weeks. Analyst Trilby Lundberg says the U.S. price of regular grade gasoline was $2.66 a gallon on Friday when the survey was completed. Usually prices of gas hit a peak for 4th of July weekend where Americans are thought to be on the road to visit family and friends. In this economic downturn, we can barely afford the gas for a commute to work, let alone for a long weekend drive to vacation. Unfortunately the stimulus has yet to be felt by the people who need it the most - the hard working men and women of this country. Corporate banks that were handed billions of dollars of TARP money began announcing their return of the bailout money. Our only guess can be that they have used the funds to handle their economic pitfalls and now refuse to be attached to strings, which will control how they can use future funds. These strings were supposed to be how Americans could finally feel the "trickle down" of federal funds. Millions of American continue to be unemployed and continue to face foreclosures. Where is our help? Where is our bailout? Not surprisingly, the "trickle down theory" continues to fail. There will be no rain - we have yet to even feel a drop. [more...]