After reading a few articles yesterday, I am not unhappy that the bailout bill was not voted in.  To me it looked like there was not help for the taxpayers and all the money would be going to the financial institutions.  How was the economy going to improve by giving money to the banks so that they will be able to lend us more money?  To me, that does not make sense.
If the $700 Billions is taxpayer money, then why don't they bail out the taxpayer.  That makes sense seeing that it is the taxpayer that is hurting the most.  Why can't they give the taxpayers a couple hundred thousand each, so that they can pay their mortgages back to the banks.  Then the banks can go back to lending money to each other and us.  If I got back all the money I have paid into taxes since I started working, and I have been working since I was 16, that's what I would do.  I would pay my mortgage down and any other debts that I may have.  Now that makes since to me.   If the banks are mismanaging money then, why give them more money to possible mismanage. 

Here's another option:
According to the wikipedia, there is about 138 millions taxpayers in the US.  If they would have just divided the $700 billion up among the 138 million taxpayers, we each would have gotten around $5072.46.
I know that is not a lot but I could still work with that amount.
If I got a $5076 bailout check, here is a list of my options on how to use it:
1. Help pay the mortgage for 5 months.
2. Pay my car loans for 7 months for both cars.
3. Pay my People's gas bill for an entire year. And maybe the telephone bill, since the furnace is only on from January til May.
4. Buy gas for both cars for entire year.