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TARP contacts

Posted: Mon Oct 05, 2009 7:43 pm
by Paul
During the hearings on the TARP Bill Congress was being contacted by a very high number of people who did not want to pass the bill.

Does anyone here know if there is a public record of contacts to Congress and what they said to their Representatives? It would be very interesting to provide the ratios as supporting evidence of the claim that the House generally ignores its constituents.

Re: TARP contacts

Posted: Mon Oct 05, 2009 8:30 pm
by JEQuidam
Paul, I like where you're going with that. Maybe some analyst has written an article on this subject.

I can only think of two sources of information. The first would be from those congressmen who voted against tarp as they probably kept track of the calls & letters in order to justify their position. (Those who voted for TARP spending would have records too, but won't release them.)

Second, and probably your most reliable source, would be from reputable opinion polls. Even if you can't find good public opinion data relative to the initial TARP spending (rushed through Congress during the Bush administration), there should be plenty of poll data prior to subsequent authorizations. Some examples:
Gallup January 15, 2009 Americans Want Details Before Release of More TARP Funds
Rasmussen February 11, 2009 56% Oppose Any More Government Help For Banks