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Geithner "Burned Billions," Shafted Taxpayers on CIT Loan, Prof. Bill Black Says

Posted Nov 02, 2009 12:00pm EST by Peter Gorenstein in Investing, Recession, Banking

Another one of the nation's largest lenders has filed for bankruptcy.  On the brink for months, CIT filed for Chapter 11 protection on Sunday.

The prepackaged plan allows CIT to restructure its debt while trying to keep badly needed loans flowing to thousands of mid-sized and small businesses. The plan keeps CIT's operations alive and makes it possible for the company to exit bankruptcy by year's end.

But here's the bad news:  While senior debt holders will only lose 30% of their investment, we, the U.S. taxpayer, will lose the entire $2.3 billion we lent the company this summer.

William Black, professor at the University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Law is dumbfounded.  "We put ourselves on the hook in a completely inept way where we lose first. We lose entirely as the taxpayers."

Black, a former top federal banking regulator, blames Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner for negotiating such a bad deal on behalf of the American public.

His argument goes as follows: 

The government was in no way obligated to lend the struggling CIT money and, in fact, initially refused to provide it bailout funds.  More importantly, being the lender of last resort, the government should have guaranteed we'd be the first to get paid if CIT eventually filed Chapter 11. By failing to do so,  "it's like he [Geithner] burned billions of dollars again in government money, our money, gratuitously," says Black.

Black believes the problem stems from regulators' fears that if the banks recognize a loss on the bad assets it will create a domino effect that will wipe out the entire financial system.

"If that's true we've got to get rid of capitalism," he warns, "because if we can't recognize losses in a capitalist system we have no future."

 

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354 Comments

Yahoo! Finance User
Yahoo! Finance User - Monday November 02, 2009 12:12PM EST

CIT is Not a bank but a private lender. They should have filed Ch 11 earlier and let the shareholders and bondholders bite the bullet.

soulsonfire
soulsonfire - Monday November 02, 2009 12:13PM EST

Hang em' high.

Anthony
Anthony - Monday November 02, 2009 12:14PM EST

Its clear now that Geithner works for Goldman Sachs and only takes on the policies that benefit them. Now that Ron Paul's bill to audit the Fed has been gutted by Watt and the Democrats, that we will have to live in a plutocracy where Goldman SAchs, jP MOrgan Chase, and the Fed collude against the American people with the blessing of the Obama administration.

DenisW
DenisW - Monday November 02, 2009 12:14PM EST

"If that's true we've got to get rid of capitalism," I believe the government has already done so.

Anthony
Anthony - Monday November 02, 2009 12:15PM EST

http://market-ticker.denninger.net/archives/1568-Goldman-Sachs-Reasonable-Doubt.html

joe
joe - Monday November 02, 2009 12:16PM EST

our great past leader sayd;the economy is fundamentally strong and than we need 700 billions

lalinda d
lalinda d - Monday November 02, 2009 12:17PM EST

governemtn shoudl take over and rake all profits after. if the private sector can do why not the governement. it is not too late take over citin whole and keep with the public .

Terry F
Terry F - Monday November 02, 2009 12:17PM EST

Please don't tell Obama what comes after a Trillion!

Yahoo! Finance User
Yahoo! Finance User - Monday November 02, 2009 12:20PM EST

WHERE'S MY BAILOUT?

Terry
Terry - Monday November 02, 2009 12:20PM EST

Timmy knew exactly what he was doing which was giving Goldman a chance to get out without a loss. Good work Timmy we appreciate another few billion dumped on the taxpayers. No Senator should be in office more than 2 terms (12 years) and no Congressmen/women should be in office more than 3 terms (6 years) otherwise they do too much harm to us all. VOTE OUT the INCUMBENTS in 2010.

Yahoo! Finance User
Yahoo! Finance User - Monday November 02, 2009 12:21PM EST

When the story about Geithner’s failure to pay taxes on his immigrant housekeeper first broke, I said I thought Geithner was tainted and if I were Obama I would dump him. (I’m an Obama supporter who has never affiliated himself with any political party.) The ONLY valid reason I can see for keeping him is that Obama could use an insider like Geithner to help BRING DOWN the fat cats. If it turns out that Geithner is there to HELP Wall Street, then, believe me, I’ll be the FIRST one calling for Obama’s head. It’s too early to tell what’s really going on, so the President still gets the benefit of the doubt as far as I’m concerned.

Redwoodkape
Redwoodkape - Monday November 02, 2009 12:22PM EST

TG has never made the transition from being a banking advocate to being an advocate for all of the US populace. I was hopeful that Obama would bring CHANGE. Big disappointment.

Yahoo! Finance User
Yahoo! Finance User - Monday November 02, 2009 12:25PM EST

Always remember that everyone is a seller. No one makes any money until they sell. You can't trust anyone in a system in which everyone is a seller. Learn to read the Markets yourself. Or better yet, ask your portfolio manager, broker, fund manager or whoever you trust to invest your money to teach you how to read the Markets. They're taking huge commissions from you so you have a right to know how they make money with your money. If they're reluctant to teach you, say they're too busy to teach you, then you tell them it sounds like they're also to busy to properly invest your money. Investors themselves have the power to stop Wall Street corruption. Stop being a helpless victim and grow a pair.

Yahoo! Finance User
Yahoo! Finance User - Monday November 02, 2009 12:26PM EST

come on .. only 2.3 billion.. chump change for the barack hussein obama regime....mmm mmm mmm.... who's buddy is in CIT? oh oh... little timmy in charge... TIMMY DOESN'T EVEN PAY HIS OWN TAXES.. BAWAHAHAHAHAHAHH... SUCKERS.. keep that tingle HOT FOR OBAMA mmm mmm mmm....it could have been worse... LOLOLOLOLOLOLOL.. just give em some more... prop em up ... mmm mmm mmm... hey boys and girls.. obama is an EXECUTIVE WITH DECADES OF RUNNING COMPANIES.. WHAT? he never did? bawahahahahaha... FRAUD? LITTLE TIMMY IS AN EXPERT IN FRAUD.. DOESN'T PAY HIS TAXES.. DO YOU???? HMMM? WHY OF COURSE...SNIFF.. THE BOYS TINGLES UP THEIR LEGS NEEDS RECHARGED.. MMM MMM MMM YES.. THAT'S THE KEY , THEY ARE WANTING TO GET RID OF CAPITALISM....

Rey
Rey - Monday November 02, 2009 12:27PM EST

Our Money Flushed down the toilet bowl ........ More to follow ....... DUMBO-MA and cronies are pitifull

Joe 54
Joe 54 - Monday November 02, 2009 12:28PM EST

Hindsight is always 20/20, glad you guys aren't in charge! You are pathetic.

BringBackCapitalism
BringBackCapitalism - Monday November 02, 2009 12:28PM EST

No, true capitalists would have let them go down. Now we have a system were it's better to fail than succeed. This must End Now!

Doug
Doug - Monday November 02, 2009 12:28PM EST

cit is going through the basement , shares are worthless

Tex
Tex - Monday November 02, 2009 12:29PM EST

Come on! $2B is chump change the way Congress goes through money.

Yahoo! Finance User
Yahoo! Finance User - Monday November 02, 2009 12:29PM EST

Little timmy is the fall guy??? barack hussein obama's smartest guy in the world for the job pick ..is getting a pass, why? because he is out golfing and having parties at the White House.. mmm mmm mmm see, this is planned to ruin the country.. just more waste fraud and abuse for takeover of socialism... obama is thee MOST RADICAL LOON SOCIALIST EVER.... OBAMA IS DANGEROUS BOYS AND GIRLS.... MMM MMM MMM STILL PROUD YOU VOTED FOR THIS STOOGE OBAMA? LOLOLOLOL HERE'S YOUR CHANGE DULLARDS.. MMM MMM MMM

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