I know where the money went.

[tranche]

Just got back from a bike ride in San Francisco's Pacific Heights (mostly old money, but all very wealthy) and there are literally 2 or 3 remodels going on per block (that's 2/3 on each street). The intersection of Divisadero and Broadway is a beehive of activity. It's great work for the contractors getting the jobs, but just goes to show that the pain is not exactly being distributed evenly.

[county worker]

1. During the Great Depression a great many huge summer homes were built on the Jersey shore.

It was said that the wealthy did it to give jobs to the unemployed. So far I have ridden out this recession without much pain. I lost a lot of equity in a house I sold but most of that came from the housing bubble. I can't take credit for the way things are going. I feel fortunate and feel very bad and have lots of empathy for those unemployed and those who have lost homes and more in this recession. In years past I was homeless so it isn't so easy to say what will come tomorrow.

[monmouth]

2. Especially in Spring Lake. Many beautiful homes were built there

during those years. Much of the monied people came up the hard way, earned their wealth and knew how to share it.

[Scuba]

3. The rich get richer, the middle class disappears.

[sandnsea]

4. Weatherization or solar installation?

It could be because they're the ones who can afford it, have the credit to get the loans, and will also benefit from the tax credits at the end of the year.

Hopefully that's it and they're helping to reduce energy consumption and putting people to work.

Of course, there are probably as many taking advantage of low wages and getting projects done for half what it would have cost 2 years ago.