[Villages Kahuna]

Is anyone else alarmed that the disclosure of the recipients of more than $500 billion in bailout money delivered to businesses through the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) is such a big secret?. Questions directed to the Treasury Department were answered by saying that information was “proprietary” and “confidential”.

Why? That amount of our taxpayer funds is not insignificant. Heck, the entire budget of the Defense Department is $617 billion! Would we accept that what was being spent by the DOD is a big secret?

I don’t think so. Why?

[BobnBev]

I'm not alarmed, disgusted yes, but not alarmed. To get the info you want, you will have to go all the way to the Supreme Court. Big brother will only tell you what they want you to know.

[vintageogauge]

These are loans that went through private banks, I doubt there will be a list of the banks customers made public unless the businesses agree to it.

[BS Beef]

I think we're losing site of the fact that all these loans, bailouts, what ever you'd like to call them aren't really free. The money has to come from somewhere and that somewhere is taxpayers pocketbooks.

[retiredguy123]

I have always been alarmed that all expenditure of taxpayer money is not disclosed. It should be public information.

[Gpsma]

Alarmed no. Perhaps too many here are living in their Social Security/Pension bubble...with no debt.

How about wondering about all the small businesses closed down with employees without work?

But unless u gave your stimulis check to charity....then dont complain that small businesses need help

[OrangeBlossomBaby]

Originally Posted by BS Beef

I think we're losing site of the fact that all these loans, bailouts, what ever you'd like to call them aren't really free. The money has to come from somewhere and that somewhere is taxpayers pocketbooks.

Some of us aren't losing sight of that. What we are losing sight of, is who is in possession of our money. We are losing sight of that, because the people our elected officials have chosen to trust with that information, have chosen not to keep us informed.

If this was a matter of national security - I'd say yeah - we don't need to know exactly who has the money. I'd totally understand that. We don't "need" to know that Lockheed-Martin got the bid award for the secret helicopter project that shoots missiles with precision aim while hanging upside down, with 27 Portuguese Water Dogs specially trained to carry bombs are tossed out in self-pulling parachutes over the enemy compound.

But we should know that Darden Restaurants (owner of Chili's) received 10M while Bob's Diner's application wasn't even considered because they ran out of money before he turned it in - which was 2 weeks BEFORE the deadline.

We don't necessarily have the "right" to the first wad of taxpayer dough's information. But we should necessarily have the "right" to the second wad's info.

[rustyp]

Originally Posted by Gpsma

Alarmed no. Perhaps too many here are living in their Social Security/Pension bubble...with no debt.

How about wondering about all the small businesses closed down with employees without work?

But unless u gave your stimulis check to charity....then dont complain that small businesses need help

I hired a small business to do work that I normally would have done myself with my stimulus. Does that count ?

[Villagerjjm]

….and you said the U.S.A. would never go Socialist...… SMH !!

No big secret. Treasury has already disclosed who got the money and who, like Harvard, had to give some back thanks to the Treasury. What irritates me is that some of that taxpayer money is going to criminal illegal aliens. And some states want the taxpayer to bail out their pension funds. Also these states were involved in distributing some of the money, not just the Treasury, and their antiquated COBOL systems aren’t up to the job.

[JoMar]

Alarmed no......I no longer get crazed over stuff I can't change or control. I have no desire to run for office nor do I believe my representatives care about anything except getting my vote. That's why they send form letters. So far their strategy works, they keep getting re-elected.

[ColdNoMore]

Surely, the secrecy can't be a result that a disproportionate amount went to those who are "connected"...could it?


Nahh, silly me, with all of the transparency that's been displayed...that could never happen.

[Viperguy]

And the uninformed just blindly follow what they hear from friends (or on tv). This country is in deep trouble.

[Nannyof3]

Who are the illegal aliens?

[J1ceasar]

Would you really Really like to know which bank got money? should have people put a run on it can cause more problems