So What Else is New and Me - Nothing

A great short article today on BNET.COM - I have attached it below, bottom line summary is that the TARP funds in the states didn't stimulate Small Business Lending. I would point out that when the U.S. press talks about a Small Business that in Canada that's probably a pretty impressive business .

Did the same thing happen in Canada . I sure think so . The Federal Govt Secured Credit facility , viewed as a saviour of small business lending seems to have not completed one deal, the recession is over, and most lenders , if not all, are as cautious as ever . The mega bucks seems to have gone into ' infrastructure ', although I still count 20 potholes on the way to work . At the end of the day it will probably be small and medium business that takes us back to where we need to be.
Stan

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TARP Fails to Spur Small Business Lending

By Alain Sherter | Feb 1, 2010

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The good news coming out of the federal government’s latest assessment of TARP is that the financial system is alive, big banks are raising money and the final tab for the program might be less than initially estimated.

Not small potatoes. But the financial industry bailout is failing in two key respects: reigniting bank lending to U.S. consumers and businesses, and helping homeowners avoid foreclosure, concludes special inspector general Neil Barofsky in his office’s quarterly report to Congress. More broadly, he expressed concern that financial reform efforts are falling short:

Stated another way, even if TARP saved our financial system from driving off a cliff back in 2008, absent meaningful reform, we are still driving on the same winding mountain road, but this time in a faster car.

TARP’s failure to stimulate bank lending to small businesses is particularly regrettable. In March 2009, the Treasury Department announced the “Unlocking Credit for Small Businesses” program and later earmarked up to $30 billion for small-business lending. As of Dec. 31, however, no funds had been disbursed under the program. Barofsky doesn’t explain why.

Yes, demand for credit by smaller companies is down. It’s also fair to ask whether community banks really need taxpayer money to boost lending for commercial customers. And there’s a risk in pumping funds into some businesses that, barring a sharp economic recovery, might go bust.

But now isn’t the time to reel in aid for such enterprises (and their lenders). Small Business Administration lending is finally showing an uptick, an encouraging sign. And as everyone knows, the key to reviving the economy is to create jobs. That means taking a chance on small businesses and small banks, just as the feds have taken a chance on big companies and big banks.