This is a classic example of the problem when one entity with too much control owns the entire sales stream – from start to end – from offer to sale to payment: Paypal has started withholding payments that buyers have already paid until the seller not only ships the item, but “as long as the buyer doesn’t report a problem or leaves positive feedback”! “Your funds are pending – please process this order” demands the notice from Paypal “…This money is being temporarily held in your pending balance… It will be held for up to 21 days… It may be available sooner if we can confirm that the item was delivered or, if this is an eBay item, your buyer leaves positive feedback.”

The Obama administration has launched a new website at Recovery .gov to provide the American people with greater transparency when it comes to how the government is spending tax revenues. Created under the House American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (HARRA), the website will help to provide insight into how the funds being made available by the Federal government for economic recovery are actually being spent.