I just read a short news piece that said the cost to bail out the Wall Street financial institutions could be a TRILLION DOLLARS.

The size of the problem is 4 to 6 trillion dollars.  (BBC News) You don't have to be in the business to know what these numbers mean if such a bail out goes ahead.

My point is, for not-so-rich Americans, it would take decades for the poor on welfare (which is now work-related) to be bailed out to the tune of a trillion dollars -- BUT, the rich can be bailed out by the stroke of a pen.