What's in your wallet?

Reading the Wall Street Journal today, I learn that our government is thinking of buying a big chunk of Citicorp's stock.

I've got a Citi card in my wallet. I owe them some money, but my credit is good enough that they keep raising the credit limit. That's okay, because I use it very sparingly and keep the balance low or at zero.

Hey, Gummint! Instead of buying stock, just pay off my balance. That'd do a number of things. First, it would pump capital into the bank. Next, it would free up my dollars for other purchases. Third, the government wouldn't have any ownership stock in the bank. That sounds like a win-win-win for everyone involved.

Of course, I'm a middle-class white guy who pays his mortgage and uses credit responsibly. The current government has no interest in helping anyone in my demographic.

More the shame.