TARP repayments averaging 8.5 percent profit for United States

Funny how we've gotten so deeply into Socialism that we're coming out the other end right smack dab in the middle of Capitalism.

The Treasury Department is booking an 8.5 percent profit on investments in bailed out banks, according to a new survey.

American Express and Goldman Sachs ranked among the top five most profitable investments for taxpayers, according to SNL Financial, a market research firm that released the survey.

(snip)

The Treasury Department said Friday the government had been repaid $181 billion from the program, and predicted that the bailout would be a net profit to taxpayers. The profits stem from early repayments, stock sales, dividends and warrants issued under the bailout.

Here are the five most profitable returns, according to SNL:

1. Centra Financial Holdings - 26.2 percent

2. First ULB Corp - 26 percent

3. American Express - 23.3 percent

4. Goldman Sachs - 20 percent

5. First Manitowoc Bancorp - 19.5 percent

Prop 8 Trial Watch: Gay marriage generates millions, expert tells court

By GottaLaff

Maybe Prop 8ers will understand dollar signs, since they can't seem to appreciate, you know, love and commitment:

Legalizing same-sex marriage would generate millions of dollars for San Francisco, the city's chief economist said Thursday, as a trial on California's gay wedding ban entered a fourth day.

Edmund Egan, who directs San Francisco's Office of Economic Analysis, said legalization of same-sex marriage would increase the intake of real estate, payroll and sales taxes and would slash the number of uninsured. [...]

Further, because married people amass more wealth than unmarried individuals, they are likely to spend more, spurring sectors of the economy.

Minnesota Court Orders Coleman To Pay Franken Over $94,000

Dollars from heaven. Wonder if this portends anything?

In an order issued just a short while ago, the Minnesota election court has now commanded Norm Coleman to pay Al Franken $94,783.15 in itemized costs from the trial.

The Franken legal team had originally asked for $161,000, but the court rejected some of the claims as either not being sufficiently documented or not justified under the loser-pays provision of the election contest law. Bear in mind that even the $161,000 claim would only have made a small dent in the millions that have been spent in this process.

Dazed and confused: Big Pharma delaying cheaper drugs

By GottaLaff

Via CLG:

Pharmaceutical companies "delaying cheaper drugs"
The European Commission has accused leading pharmaceutical companies of delaying and impeding the entry of generic drugs to the market, denying the public access to cheaper medicines. Neelie Kroes [European Commissioner for Competition] - whose inquiry began in January with raids at some of Europe's largest drugs companies, including GlaxoSmithKline in the UK – warned that the EC may now launch anti-trust proceedings against individual companies.

Like meds are even relevant. Everyone knows that laughter is the best medicine. Unless you're diabetic, or have heart problems, or TB, or hyperthyroidism, or osteoporosis, or depression, or erectile dysfunction, or high blood pressure, or.... make Big-Pharma-Bucks.

Need a few bucks?

By GottaLaff

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Go here, get work, and then thank me by buying me a drink with all that new-found cash.