street observer..

I don't know who she is or what she represents but I randomly found these postings on two completely different streets. Notice how one face is green with red stuff oozing out of the eye, and the other is a red face with green stuff spurting from the eye..

Bankruptcies and the greenback

Two things to consider:

1. Bankruptcies..many more to come. One of my friends foresaw the circuit city bankruptcy months ago (and I can't recall who!). I see no point in bailouts, and strongly think filing for chapter 11 bankruptcy is the way to go. We have a system in place in this country where companies are better as functioning entities than ceasing operations due to lack of funding. This is the bankruptcy code. Companies survive restructuring, reorganization, and shareholders, creditors survive losses. but the business will still continue - isn't that the objective of the govt.? There is no need to bail out investors of a company in order to minimize the impact of financial crises on general public. Prime argument in support of the bailout is to increase money supply in the economy so businesses wouldn't be cash starved for funding projects, hiring talent, etc. But this stream of logic is problematic because institutions are utilizing the bailout package only to clear the debt coming due for these institutions, it is not creating more jobs or lending.

2. US Dollar's strength.. how long would it last? current "flight to safety" in boosted the dollar's exchange value. But are the consequences when China and other gulf nations decide to stimulate their domestic economies (as evidenced by the $548bn Chinese govt. stimulus package) and pull out reserves from US to finance projects home front? will it lead to a dollar sell off, and subsequent weakening? US is at mercy of foreign investments, and this is unhealthy going forward.

kinda cool

https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6VStgAllUAQWeXavU4sQtc1V8gbt5V9O1qJXxu1tBAydkT8tuqbmOvm2VF0jExFgOQ8CnXwbXzAF3Yx-QxxJvI1LRrsQJ1TvaSidbk4bk2tm3YmkuF6M3SmDHuIMvhSb81Ax-M7BwaZs/s1600-h/steve+brodner.jpg

Call me socialist but here's what I think about taxes

tax cuts on wealthy don't guarantee higher economic growth or employment - hiring decisions are not based on tax benefits received to the wealthy upper class, it's driven value added motive. If hiring an extra worker reaps more benefit than cost, then it's a sound decision. Tax cuts promote consumption, not employment. Here's a good piece if I'm not convincing..
http://robertreich.blogspot.com/2008/11/mini-depression-and-maximum-strength.html

Obama - B.O or B.H.O?

Now that he won his place in the white house, perhaps it's time to wield his diplomacy and use his middle name - Hussien?

Here's an interesting piece on Obama's tax policy. In view of increasing income inequality- the past couple of years have especially seen drastic rise in income disparity - a 4% shoot up in tax on income >$250K doesn't seem outrageous to me. It doesn't qualify as socialism.
http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/stevecoll/2008/10/that-which-is-n.html

I'm interested to learn about the impact of his tax plan on Hedge funds and PE firms - considering a raise of 20% in capital gains, making it 35% from 15%.