NYT - Bailout Robbing Banks?

[This is an op-ed piece but contains useful info]

The Bailout Is Robbing the Banks

By JOHN C. COATES and DAVID S. SCHARFSTEIN
Published: February 17, 2009

MANY Americans are angry at banks for taking bailout money while still cutting back on lending. But the government is also to blame. For reasons that remain unclear, the Troubled Asset Relief Program has channeled aid to bank holding companies rather than banks. The Obama administration’s new Financial Stability Plan will have more influence on bank lending if it actually directs its support to banks.

Full article at: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/18/opinion/18scharfstein.html?_r=1&th&emc=th