AIG Bailout Bonus: Butt Chewing!! Great.

[Adam]

This is excellent, and the USA needs to ask more questions like this:

 

<object width="425" height="344">

 

 

<embed src="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UP73cK3GXdo&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></object>

[Chewy]

Agreed! This is B.S! Plain and simple! I think you and I think a lot alike Adam... One small business owner to another!

 

Great vid! "On the basis of your answer I think you should step aside"

 

The man couldn't say whether a 3 million dollar bonus to people no longer working there was excessive or not.

Edited March 18, 2009 by Chewy

[Loud Pedal]

What a great clip. Finally someone that is ALMOST as outraged as I am.

 

That guy is a

[Marylander]

Yea! Make those guys squirm! I can't wait to see how the AIG execs get it on the stand today... that should be good TV.

[ss-truck]

The national news has gotten so depressing lately I hate to watch it . But with the AIG fiasco I have got to watch that . That is totally rediculous . Adam maybe they will give you money to pay bonuses to your employees ?

[Joven]

This bailout thing has really pissed me off to put it lightly!

GMA says they are trying to see if they can recoop the money or congress will take it out of there installment. NEXT INSTALLMENT!

 

The bank exec see the opportunity to get paid and jump ship.

Sad thing is , congress let it happen.

How big are you? shutting down AIG isn't an option because they cover 30 million Americans(insurance) yet (BROKE)!

[ALF01]

At the risk of stirring things up, I would like to make two points in reference to this...both of which I am passionate about.

 

First off - I ABSOLUTELY AGREE with the outrage over the AIG bonuses, and the "rewarding failure" mentality so prevalent on Wall Street and in our financial communities....

 

However...there is A SECOND ISSUE/PROBLEM....Our elected Politicians....

 

I am admittedly using a broad brush, and do not want this to be a Democratic or Republican thing....BUT...

 

HOW MANY MEMBERS OF CONGRESS HAVE VOLUNTARILY LOWERED THEIR SALARY TO $1.00/YEAR?????

 

Private jets, taxpayer funded boondoggles to the ends of the world.....their own "pension/retirement plan" while we are left with the remnants of Social Security??

 

The average Joe has no idea how these folks live, and it's much closer to the "AIG Executive" level than most of us....perhaps if we published their tax returns.....

 

I was e-mailed the following, and find it very relevant:

 

*********************

 

545 PEOPLE

By Charlie Reese

<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p> </o:p>

Politicians are the only people in the world who create problems and then campaign against them.

 

Have you ever wondered, if both the Democrats and the Republicans are against deficits, WHY do we have deficits?

 

Have you ever wondered, if all the politicians are against inflation and high taxes, WHY do we have inflation and high taxes?

 

You and I don't propose a federal budget. The president does.

 

You and I don't have the Constitutional authority to vote on appropriations. The House of Representatives does.

 

You and I don't write the tax code, Congress does.

 

You and I don't set fiscal policy, Congress does.

 

You and I don't control monetary policy, the Federal Reserve Bank does.

 

One hundred senators, 435 congressmen, one president, and nine Supreme Court justices 545 human beings out of the 300 million are directly, legally, morally, and individually responsible for the domestic problems that plague this country.

 

I excluded the members of the Federal Reserve Board because that problem was created by the Congress. In 1913, Congress delegated its Constitutional duty to provide a sound currency to a federally chartered, but private, central bank.

 

I excluded all the special interests and lobbyists for a sound reason. They have no legal authority. They have no ability to coerce a senator, a congressman, or a president to do one cotton-picking thing. I don't care if they offer a politician $1 million dollars in cash.

<o:p> </o:p>

The politician has the power to accept or reject it. No matter what the lobbyist promises, it is the legislator's responsibility to determine how he votes..

 

Those 545 human beings spend much of their energy convincing you that what they did is not their fault. They cooperate in this common con regardless of party.

What separates a politician from a normal human being is an excessive amount of gall. No normal human being would have the gall of a Speaker, who stood up and criticized the President for creating deficits. The president can only propose a budget. He cannot force the Congress to accept it.

 

The Constitution, which is the supreme law of the land, gives sole responsibility to the House of Representatives for originating and approving appropriations and taxes. Who is the speaker of the House? Nancy Pelosi. She is the leader of the majority party.

She and fellow House members, not the president, can approve any budget they want. If the president vetoes it, they can pass it over his veto if they agree to.

 

It seems inconceivable to me that a nation of 300 million cannot replace 545 people who stand convicted -- by present facts -- of incompetence and irresponsibility. I can't think of a single domestic problem that is not traceable directly to those 545 people. When you fully grasp the plain truth that 545 people exercise the power of the federal government, then it must follow that what exists is what they want to exist.

 

If the tax code is unfair, it's because they want it unfair.

 

If the budget is in the red, it's because they want it in the red .

 

If the Army & Marines are in IRAQ , it's because they want them in IRAQ

 

If they do not receive social security but are on an elite retirement plan not available to the people, it's because they want it that way.

 

There are no insoluble government problems.

 

Do not let these 545 people shift the blame to bureaucrats, whom they hire and whose jobs they can abolish; to lobbyists, whose gifts and advice they can reject; to regulators, to whom they give the power to regulate and from whom they can take this power. Above all, do not let them con you into the belief that there exists disembodied mystical forces like "the economy," "inflation," or "politics" that prevent them from doing what they take an oath to do.

 

Those 545 people, and they alone, are responsible.

 

They, and they alone, have the power.

 

They, and they alone, should be held accountable by the people who are their bosses.

 

Provided the voters have the gumption to manage their own employees.

 

We should vote all of them out of office and clean up their mess!

Charlie Reese is a former columnist of the Orlando Sentinel Newspaper.

<o:p> </o:p>

<o:p> </o:p>

******************************************

 

Think about it!!!!!

 

[smjp]

I agree Al, our elected officials are well off, and set for the rest of their lifes.

[Chewy]

Agreed! I think most of our politicians have NO idea what living in the real world is like. WE pay taxes by April 15th or else! WE fly commercial jets to and from places, WE pay for EVERYTHING! Hell! We pay for them! I say we should get what WE want.

 

I don't think ANY political office should be run by the same person for more than 4 years. After that, onto the next one!

 

Just my opinion.

 

People need to get a clue like that Florida banker who didn't take his bonus but instead split it up and gave it to his employees! Now THERE is how the stuff works! I think everyone is entitled to their money but work for it and if your company is failing or unable to afford it DO NOT give bonuses.

 

Ok...

 

That's all...

[mikegeaney]

Maybe it's just me, but perhaps the great minds in Washington should have included some "restrictions" with the money they gave to these companies. What made them think that they would behave responsibly with our (taxpayer's) money? They didn't exactly have a history of responsible behavior. AIG was essentially written a blank check to do with as they saw fit. Now the Politicians are pissed because they are made to look like fools when something like this happens. This case was not the first and I fear it won't be the last. I still haven't figured out why the American people are not getting an equity stake in these companies. We have bankruptcy laws for a reason. Maybe it's time to let some of these places file, clean out the bad apples, and get some competent managerial oversight for the money that we have all given them...

 

[Superdutytd]

That senator was great!

I cannot beleive all these Bonuses went out, these are ridiculous.

[itsjer]

Unfortunately we don't know any of the facts other than some people got bonuses, but we are casting judgment based on headlines. I expect, as many of you do, that some of these bonuses are given based on the “good old buddy system”, but some could be given based on people like you and me working hard and exceeding their objectives.

I am holding judgment until hear the facts and will ignore the headlines and politicians. The politicians don’t have much room to talk since many of them have a hard time paying their own taxes (or not). <?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com<img src=" /><o:p></o:p>

[Chewy]

I expect, as many of you do, that some of these bonuses are given based on the “good old buddy system”, but some could be given based on people like you and me working hard and exceeding their objectives.

<o:p></o:p>

 

Which I am ALL for when the company giving them can afford them! As a small business owner with my families business we gave out over 500,000 dollars worth of bonuses this year because #1 we had an amazing year and #2 because we could afford to! We NEVER make promises to our employees. We tell them if they work their back sides off and we are profitable we will treat them accordingly.

 

Just my .02¢

[jub jub]

Great video!

 

I really think that when salaries get to a certain level, most people begin to lose touch with reality and in their own way of thinking, they can do no wrong.

 

I loved seeing that guy from AIG squirm!

[radstoy]

At the risk of stirring things up, I would like to make two points in reference to this...both of which I am passionate about.

 

First off - I ABSOLUTELY AGREE with the outrage over the AIG bonuses, and the "rewarding failure" mentality so prevalent on Wall Street and in our financial communities....

 

However...there is A SECOND ISSUE/PROBLEM....Our elected Politicians....

 

I am admittedly using a broad brush, and do not want this to be a Democratic or Republican thing....BUT...

 

HOW MANY MEMBERS OF CONGRESS HAVE VOLUNTARILY LOWERED THEIR SALARY TO $1.00/YEAR?????

 

Private jets, taxpayer funded boondoggles to the ends of the world.....their own "pension/retirement plan" while we are left with the remnants of Social Security??

 

The average Joe has no idea how these folks live, and it's much closer to the "AIG Executive" level than most of us....perhaps if we published their tax returns.....

 

I was e-mailed the following, and find it very relevant:

 

*********************

 

545 PEOPLE

By Charlie Reese

ffice:office" /><?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-comPoliticians are the only people in the world who create problems and then campaign against them.

 

Have you ever wondered, if both the Democrats and the Republicans are against deficits, WHY do we have deficits?

 

Have you ever wondered, if all the politicians are against inflation and high taxes, WHY do we have inflation and high taxes?

 

You and I don't propose a federal budget. The president does.

 

You and I don't have the Constitutional authority to vote on appropriations. The House of Representatives does.

 

You and I don't write the tax code, Congress does.

 

You and I don't set fiscal policy, Congress does.

 

You and I don't control monetary policy, the Federal Reserve Bank does.

 

One hundred senators, 435 congressmen, one president, and nine Supreme Court justices 545 human beings out of the 300 million are directly, legally, morally, and individually responsible for the domestic problems that plague this country.

 

I excluded the members of the Federal Reserve Board because that problem was created by the Congress. In 1913, Congress delegated its Constitutional duty to provide a sound currency to a federally chartered, but private, central bank.

 

I excluded all the special interests and lobbyists for a sound reason. They have no legal authority. They have no ability to coerce a senator, a congressman, or a president to do one cotton-pickingthing. I don't care if they offer a politician $1 million dollars in cash.

<o:p></o:p>

The politician has the power to accept or reject it. No matter what the lobbyist promises, it is the legislator's responsibility todetermine how he votes..

 

Those 545 human beings spend much of their energy convincing you that what they did is not their fault. They cooperate in this common con regardless of party.

 

What separates a politician from a normal human being is an excessive amount of gall. No normal human being would have the gallof a Speaker, who stood up and criticized the President for creating deficits. The president can only propose a budget. He cannot force the Congress to accept it.

 

The Constitution, which is the supreme law of the land, gives sole responsibility to the House of Representatives for originating and approving appropriations and taxes. Who is the speaker of the House? Nancy Pelosi.She is the leader of the majority party.

 

She and fellow House members, not the president, can approve any budget they want. If the president vetoes it, they can pass it over his veto if theyagree to.

 

It seems inconceivable to me that a nation of 300 million cannot replace 545 people who stand convicted -- by present facts -- of incompetence and irresponsibility. I can't think of a singledomestic problem that is not traceable directly to those 545 people. When you fully grasp the plain truth that 545 people exercise the power of the federal government, then it must follow that what exists is what they want to exist.

 

If the tax code is unfair, it's because they want it unfair.

 

If the budget is in the red, it's because they want it in the red .

 

If the Army & Marines are in IRAQ , it's because they want them in IRAQ

 

If they do not receive social security but are on an elite retirement plan not available to the people, it's because they want it that way.

 

There are no insoluble government problems.

 

Do not let these 545 people shift the blame to bureaucrats, whom they hire and whose jobs they can abolish; to lobbyists, whose gifts and advice they can reject; to regulators, to whom they give the power to regulate and from whom they can take this power. Above all, do not let them con you into the belief that there exists disembodied mystical forces like "the economy," "inflation," or "politics" that prevent them from doing what they take an oath to do.

 

Those 545 people, and they alone, are responsible.

 

They, and they alone, have the power.

 

They, and they alone, should be held accountable by the people who are their bosses.

 

Provided the voters have the gumption to manage their own employees.

 

We should vote all of them out of office and clean up their mess!

 

Charlie Reese is a former columnist of the Orlando Sentinel Newspaper.

<o:p></o:p>

 

<o:p></o:p>

 

******************************************

 

Think about it!!!!!

 

 

 

 

Hoorah! Excellent post, the politicians want us POd, as a diversion,at the AIG boondoggle so they(politicians) can skate untouched.

[jjwvette]

The butt chewing did no good......I wouldn't buy any policy from AIG even if they were 1/2 price:banana: