ALERT: Geithner Cancels New York Appearance

This may be nothing, but it should be noted.

Treasury Secretary Geithner has cancelled a scheduled visit to the Bronx on Friday to tour the Mott Haven Campus – a four-school construction project financed in part through Build America Bonds.

Here's how the Treasury's original press release announced the event:

SECRETARY GEITHNER TO VISIT BRONX SCHOOL CONSTRUCTION PROJECT, TOUT BENEFITS OF BUILD AMERICA BONDS

WASHINGTON – Highlighting the impact of the Recovery Act on job creation in hard-hit communities, Secretary Tim Geithner will travel to the Bronx on Friday to tour the Mott Haven Campus – a four-school construction project financed in part through Build America Bonds. When fully constructed, the four schools will educate more than 2,300 students and employ nearly 200 permanent staff members, according to the New York City Department of Education. Following the tour of the construction site, Secretary Geithner will hold a media availability.

The Build America Bonds program created by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act allows state and local governments to obtain much-needed financing at lower borrowing costs for new capital projects such as construction of schools and hospitals, development of transportation infrastructure, and water and sewer upgrades.

WHO: Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner

WHAT: Mott Haven Campus school construction project tour and media availability

WHEN:Friday April 2, 2010 Media wishing to cover the b-roll opportunities of the Secretary’s tour should arrive by 8:45 a.m.

WHERE: Mott Haven Campus
730 Concourse Village West (between 153rd and 156th St.)
Bronx, NY

You could come up with a good parlor game trying to name all the possible inconsequential reasons the event may have been cancelled. Still it's an anomaly. Is there a reason Geithner needs to be in D.C. tomorrow and, possibly, this weekend?

Many years ago George Bush (the Father), while President, was in New York City and cancelled a speech he was to deliver at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel. The White House press office said he had a cold. In that day's issue of NyPo (pre-internet), they had a picture of him walking on the beach. I suspected something was up. Noriega had been saber rattling in Panama. I suspected something might be up with Panama. I bought a little gold. The U.S. invaded Panama that night.

This cancellation doesn't appear to be of that scale.

Nothing comes to mind that specifically would require emergency action this weekend, but this is a long Easter Day weekend and governments sometimes like to act over long weekends. Further, the financial world could not be labeled an example of stability and safety right now.

I'm certainly going to be paying attention.