Just glad we could help you live out the recession in ease....

Speaking at the FBR Capital Markets conference in New York in December, Walter M. Pressey, president of Boston Private Wealth Management, a healthy bank with a mostly affluent clientele, said there were no immediate plans to do much with the $154 million it received from the Treasury.

“With that capital in hand, not only do we feel comfortable that we can ride out the recession,” he said, “but we also feel that we’ll be in a position to take advantage of opportunities that present themselves once this recession is sorted out.”

Well, ain't that wonderful? I mean, it must be nice to have all these kind people help you out, and ensure you could ride out the storm in comfort.

And don't think he's alone. At the Palm Beach Ritz-Carlton last November, John C. Hope III, the chairman of Whitney National Bank in New Orleans, stood before a ballroom full of Wall Street analysts and explained how his bank intended to use its $300 million in federal bailout money.

“Make more loans?” Mr. Hope said. “We’re not going to change our business model or our credit policies to accommodate the needs of the public sector as they see it to have us make more loans.”

I truly can't even comment on these two statements - on a human level, on a brand level, or on a "never in a million years...." level.

I ask, if We the people can give the money away, can't we call the loan in early? Why not put it up for vote?