And the current size of the bailout is...

[JonathanBydlak]

CNBC is reporting that the current size of the bailout, originally billed as $700 billion, is now actually $4.28 trillion.

Haha, how many of us will be [rightfully] saying 'told you so?'

http://www.cnbc.com/id/27719011

What a disaster.

[Bruno]

Just spreading the wealth around...

[Agent CSL]

This is actually BIGGER than I thought, even with my 'pessimistic' outlook. I was thinking somewhere in the upper 2 TRILLION area, when all said and done. Now my pessimism looks like optimism.

[thrillhouse]

absolutely sickening.....

[axiomata]

If anyone can code I think it would be a great idea to create an automatically updated png image the downloads the total bailout balance sheet puts it on a line, divides by the total US population (or taxpaying population) and puts the per capita cost on another line in some small banner image that could be hotlinked to websites and forum signatures.

Here's the current version:


Bailout Balance Sheet: (http://www.cnbc.com/id/27719011)
$4,284,500,000,000 Total
That's more than the inflation adjusted cost of WWII ($3.6 trillion)
$14,000 For Every American Man, Woman and Child
$31,000 For Every American Taxpayer

[slacker921]

If anyone can code I think it would be a great idea to create an automatically updated png image the downloads the total bailout balance sheet puts it on a line, divides by the total US population (or taxpaying population) and puts the per capita cost on another line in some small banner image that could be hotlinked to websites and forum signatures.

Where can we screen scrape the "total bailout balance sheet"? ... pretty please.

[slacker921]

That "Bailout Balance Sheet" doesn't look like it'd be updated. .. I tinkered for a bit with a "clock" style thing that would start out at the current level and add to it, but that's not right (even though the interest on what we've loaned out is adding to the amount). If there's a site or someplace that's keeping a running total of the bailout then a dynamic graphic would make sense..

And... some of the "bailout" is loans.. so even though we're giving $99,200,000,000 to commercial banks it can be argued (by some crazy drunk fool) that they're going to pay that back. So it's really tough to make something that updates in "real time" each hour or day to show the current total.

Basically unless our friend Hank Paulson coughs up some real numbers we're just guesstimating.

We could do what his buddies did and just pull some giant number out of our asses...

[amonasro]

holy shazzballs

can I have just a liiiitle bit?

[AutoDas]

I love asking people who support the bailout, "So how much did you get?" I haven't met anyone who has.

[ihsv]

Gawsh! I wish they'd send out another stimulus package. I want my tax money back, and there's this really sweet rifle I've been eyeing...

Seriously, though. That's disgusting. This is like watching an alcoholic who's been locked up in a liquor store over the weekend.

[Jordan]

Anyone else think the Fed purposely stopped publishing M3 statistics so they could do this years later?

[Agent CSL]

Anyone else think the Fed purposely stopped publishing M3 statistics so they could do this years later?

Bingo. You win a lollipop.