Ebenezer Kerry

Banks and other companies who took, or were forced to take, federal bailout dollars will not be allowed a Christmas party this year if John Kerry has his way:

NEW York's party planners aren't dancing over legislation Sen. John Kerry is trying to push through Congress.

Last week, the Massachusetts lawmaker introduced the TARP Taxpayer Protection & Corporate Responsibility Act, which would prevent all 421 institutions that received federal bailout money from "hosting, sponsoring, or paying for conferences, holiday parties and entertainment events."

Kerry introduced the bill after learning the Northern Trust Corp. of Chicago, a profitable bank that received $1.6 billion in government cash, had sponsored a golf tournament in Los Angeles with special outings for clients featuring performances by Earth, Wind and Fire and Sheryl Crow.

But small business owners who help produce such events say Kerry's rules could have an unintended deadly impact. Noah Tepperberg, owner of Manhattan nightclub Marquee, told Page Six's Neel Shah, "Conferences, holiday parties and entertainment events are often business drivers and can be important factors in helping drive bottom-line profits. I think it's absurd that the government stereotypes all such activities."

Matt Levine, owner of The Eldridge on the Lower East Side, agrees. "Just because John Kerry didn't get into the White House, and probably wouldn't get into The Eldridge either, he should really be focusing on creating more jobs, not taking them away."

"At the end of the day, we are an industry of valets, caterers, florists, groomers and the like," said Shawn Sedlacek, whose VOX Group handled technical and marketing aspects of the Northern Trust event. "For every $100,000 that's spent on an event, $90,000 of that goes to human power. This backlash of 'don't do events' is going to hurt a lot of working-class people."

Democrats are so blinded by their hatred of corporate America they can't see the little people who are hurt by stupid laws like this. If this federal money was supposed to stimulate the economy, what's wrong with stimulating a few caterers, valets and party planners?