Because a) that would be wreckless and create more problems for the economy - i.e. handing out a few 10s of billions to startups, b) the banks DO need to prop u

Because a) that would be wreckless and create more problems for the economy - i.e. handing out a few 10s of billions to startups, b) the banks DO need to prop up their balance sheets - we can argue about the reasons until the cows come home, but if they don't increase their capital, they will take down the entire financial system, and c) the last thing a startup (well, a 'startup' in the Valley/high-tech definition) needs is a loan from a bank. I understand your frustration with the way the economy has performed (or not) in the last 2 years, and the seeming 'cronyism' that Obama has enacted - but the fact remains that if he didn't do what he did...we wouldn't even be having this discussion now. There is no telling what state the US would be in, after the rioting and such. I know it's hard to envision, but believe me....rioting on a wide scale and massive police crackdowns (on a scale America has never seen) could not be ruled out.