Sure, it was state aid to business, but it wasn't free money - the treasury received assets and equity in return for the purchase, which it turned a profit on.

Sure, it was state aid to business, but it wasn't free money - the treasury received assets and equity in return for the purchase, which it turned a profit on. If you're going to put the cost of TARP up as a case for tax-and-redistribution schemes, you can't neglect to account for the returns. There was no currency printed for TARP (the Treasury can't print money; that's the Federal Reserve's domain) - it was financed via the sale of T-notes/bills/bonds. The government issued debt to raise the TARP money, and the rate of return on the assets purchased with that debt has exceeded the yield on Treasury securities, resulting in a net real profit. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2010-10-20/bailout-of-wall-street-returns-8-2-profit-to-taxpayers-beating-treasuries http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2010-10-20/bailout-of...