Obama Calls Wall Street Bonuses ‘Shameful’ and the ‘Height of Irresponsibility’ — But Unclear How Stern He Was With CEO’s During Visit Earlier This Week

“The two gentlemen who introduced him yesterday, their combined five-year compensation package is $150 million,”
And their companies are a couple of bright spots in a bleak landscape. Both IBM and Honeywell are doing pretty well. Their layoffs are basically just taking advantage of the recession to try to lean down and become a bit more efficient. This entire blog entry seems a pathetic attempt to manufacture a conflict. Why don’t you dig up more specifics on the “pork” in the stimulus bill rather than creating rumors?

What a hypocrite…. BO had no problem taking an all expenses paid trip to Hawaii on the taxpayer dime.. HEY ABC… how much did the pres cost… ??

Concerned in OH: “while forcing other Americans to go without heat and just telling them to suck it up.”
What Obama actually said:
“We can’t drive our SUVs and eat as much as we want and keep our homes on 72 degrees at all times…”
1. One of the fastest payback measures a homeowner can take is to install a programmable thermostat so the house is not conditioned ‘at all times’ to the occupied setpoint.
2. 72F is the ‘standard’ summer cooling setpoint and likely what he was referring to (CA mandates 68F heating, 78F cooling).
3. Regardless, please cite where Obama is “forcing other Americans to go without heat.” YOU ARE LYING.

“0bama . . . forcing other Americans to go without heat”
_______________________________________
Oh sure . ..

jhw …. what is the temperature in the white house…just curious,also the 170 million spent on the innaugaration could have paiod for alot of heating bills.it is so easy to be the minority party with these clowns in charge.

jhw539 (4:39 PM); I appreciate your counterpoint argument. But I’m sure you don’t support companies that post record losses, layoff sometimes thousands, screw stockholders, and still hand out bonuses to themselves? Honeywell and IBM aside.

catman: “what is the temperature in the white house…just curious,also the 170 million spent on the innaugaration could have paiod for alot of heating bills.”
I don’t see why the temperature in the Whitehouse matters. And the $170 million spent on the inaguration (not all governemnt money either) DID pay a lot of heating bills and helped a lot of jobs. It went to small businesses to put on an event that pumped more money into the local economy than a Superbowl.
The Republican party is not going to last long if it chooses to take pride in being the ‘party of stupid’ rather than get back to it’s intellectual, think-tank roots.

jhw…read the bill. i understand that we republicans are no smarter than a fifth grader but even a third greater knows a pig when he sees one. the socialist pork is spewing out both ends of that bill and greater than 50% of AMERICANS know it and arent buying it.your man (our president ) had better get to real work and get us a bill that has bipartisian support.

LongT: “But I’m sure you don’t support companies that post record losses, layoff sometimes thousands, screw stockholders, and still hand out bonuses to themselves?”
In general, no. But that doesn’t relate to the completely baseless slander this article is implying (Obama is chummy to deadbeat CEOs in private but scolds them in public!).

the fact that he’s talking to the heads of major corporations is progress to me. Great leaders are accountable. Obama is reminding these CEOs of that fact.

Why is it that we are having salaries frozen, our 401ks are a disaster, we are told to turn down the heat and quit driving our SUV’s and these idiots get million dollar bonuses? Now they are getting them with our money. Get used to it; there’s no relief for the common folk.

jhw..temperature of the white house is relevant when you tell the masses to do something that you yourself dont subscribe to. at least jimmy carter dawned a sweater to demonstate his sacrifice. i am a afraid we really did elect an elitist.

well i think that your increased and useless spending is ‘shameful’ Mr. Obama so get over it

The bottom line is Corporate GREED. The executives in America are like the grave.. they can’t get enough (enough is never enough). They sunk the country w/ stealing and now they want the gov’t to fund their stealing. But God has created the Madoff’s of this time to get these GREEDY, ungodly people and this is only the beginning of their “Days of Trouble”. Shake them Jesus Shake them, until they are broken without a remedy!!!

I hope Obama, Pelosi and all you democrats enjoy all that new pork in your bill.
Shame on you!

REPORT: GOP Lawmakers Outnumber Democratic Lawmakers 2 To 1 In Stimulus Debate On Cable News»
As Media Matters has documented, during the Bush administration, the media consistently allowed conservatives to dominate their shows, booking them as guests far more often than progressives. The rationale was that Republicans were “in power.”
It appears that old habits die hard. Even though President Obama and his team are in control of the executive branch and Democrats are in the majority in Congress, the cable networks are still turning more often to Republicans and allowing them to set the agenda on major issues, most recently on the debate over the economic recovery package.
On Sunday, conservatives began an all-out assault on President Obama’s economic recovery plan, with House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-OH) and Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) both announcing that they would vote against the plan as it stood. Despite Obama’s efforts at good faith outreach, congressional conservatives have continued to attack the stimulus plan with a series of false and disingenuous arguments.
The media have been aiding their efforts. In a new analysis, ThinkProgress has found that the five cable news networks — CNN, MSNBC, Fox News, Fox Business and CNBC — have hosted more Republican lawmakers to discuss the plan than Democrats by a 2 to 1 ratio this week:
In total, from 6 AM on Monday to 4 PM on Wednesday, the networks have hosted Republican lawmakers 51 times and Democratic lawmakers only 24 times. Surprisingly, Fox News came the closest to offering balance, hosting 8 Republicans and 6 Democrats. CNN had only one Democrat compared to 7 Republicans.
The drastically imbalanced coverage isn’t the first time that the news networks have effectively supported attacks on the recovery plans. As ThinkProgress reported on Monday, the cable networks, the Sunday shows and the network newscasts promoted a controversial CBO non-report 81 times before the actual CBO analysis of the stimulus plan was released.

“I am still waiting for SPECIFIC examples of “pork” from the bill. They are in there and they’re fair game for debate For example, personally I thought renovating the National Mall including retaining walls, paths, paving, drainage, and other infrastructure was a reasonable item.”
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I agree. Given that this bill is on line and completely open to public scrutiny, the examples of ‘pork’ provided by the anti-Obama types are pitifully small.
“Pork” is just name calling as talking point.

Jake,
The CEOs that Obama met with did NOT get any taxpayer money for bailout so they can get ANY BONUS they want to get. However, any bank that gets taxpayers’ money should NOT be giving out any bonuses.

Yes, our nation has been one of lies, corruption, greed, and unaccountability in the past few years. The world watches.. We have gone from a once admired nation to one of disgust. This has got to change. We must all work together. Freedom is not free, it is earned and paid for. Please don’t take it for granted and let it go away… our future depends on how we live, act, and behave today for tomorrow it can be gone. God Bless America…

It is past time that the American people wake up and start doing something for themselves. Starting tomorrow each and every one of us should make a phone call to each of the companies who accepted TARP funds. WE should tell these self-serving fat cats that they are the scum of the earth. Giving themselves huge bonuses and salaries while laying off the actual people who perform the work. And while they are living like kings of the sweat of someone else’s brow…they are running the companies that they are supposed to be managing into the ground. And while we’re at it…we need to find out who the members of the various company boards of directors and start calling them, too. Because they are not doing their jobs either.

This word ‘responsibility’ coming from a marxist is absolutely absurd. How is that when a conservative touts responsibility, he’s labeled heartless, but when a liberal does, he’s revered? Obama received millions from these financial institutions in campaign contributions, is he going to give that money back???

WHO CARES ANYMORE Do you really think that the gov is going to have anything trickle down to the working person. So far what I have read I see no help for the working middle class, Which by the way keeps this country going. So some on please tell me why are We the people Working class everyday normal people not getting any relief from our burdons, It seems it’s always the Top Dog that gets away with such out ragous doing, No one not one of these people have been asked to resign yet. Why is that, If I had taken money for the company I work for and did’nt spend it wisley belive me you know who would have a job but again this is in the real world of the AMERICAN WORKING CLASS the upper crust seems to be out of touch with the real world reality, if you not a banker movie star muscian, hey well figure it out.

I didn’t think there was too much pork in the bill. Some, yes. Any money spent on improving the environment of humans or fish is reasonable. Marine life needs help. Looked like some of it was going to education as well. I don’t have a problem with that. But renovating a mall? This is probably one of the least pork filled bills in a long time to be honest. IF the stimulus plan is a failure…atleast it won’t be responsible for thousands of American lives…like the Iraq “war” (should just call it the middle east “war”). Now that was/is a failure.

Time for Obama to pay his boys back for getting him in office. Bail out for the rich!

Independent Fighter: “But renovating a mall?”
I think you are referring to the rebuilding of the infrastructure of one of the most heavily visited parks in the country – The National Mall. It included paving, renovating the reflecting pools, retaining walls, drainage, paths, roads, etc. And that has been pulled out due to the Republican’s tantrum.

I totally agree with the President; but on the other had this is Capitalism, the CEOs don’t have to hold restraint; they will just make us pay for it through their system or they will take it from the bailout, better yet if they get the TARP they will still get it out of us through their own means, are they not maximizing profits?

anyone on here during out debate about southerners having no sense of humor. You HAVE to look at these photos on BOSTON.COM today! Hysterical!!!! I’m sorry, but yanks have the best sense of humor! You have to look at these! And notice what the guy is wearing in freezing cold ice-everywhere weather. Only in Boston!

These people do not think our country is in an economic crisis. So many people lost jobs and they collect bonuses. Where is RUSH complaining about this?

everyone hear is correct in their own way. a simple fix would be to have any ceo who gets govt money as a loan should have to personally guarantee that loan as do small business owners. why is that so hard? the point is that these buffoons ( dems and repubs) dont listen to you and me because 20 of us here on the right and left could come up with much more efficient ideas that would actually benefit americans rather than political donors.

Yes, I know, Mr. Obama never knew that any CEO’s on Wall Street were getting large bonuses. The general public just reading articles over the past years—knew but I guess he never read anything that the general public read. If his friends were making bonuses it was news to him.

It’s not shocking, it’s expected and speaks of how they see themselves versus the “rest” of us. It’s okay, they can continue to build their earthly treasures but they can take none of it with them in the after life. God will judge.

Watching the History channel today. Story about Pirates of the Carribean. Lots of parallels. The ship was a democracy, i.e. the crew decided where to go and what to do next. But when the booty was deemed not enough to share, they would drop off junior pirates on a sand bar and sail off. Sound familiar?

cc: thinking that people who don’t pay federal income tax whould get money back is ridiculous. They pay other taxes, but they’re not to the federal gov’t. They’re to their respective states, counties, cities, Social Security/Medicare…why should get someone get something back from which they don’t pay into?
Anyways, the federal income tax is unconstitutional anyways, but since we live in a welfare state, the issue doesn’t even matter.

jhw…using my tax dollars to conduct social engineering is irresponsible.how quickly you forget the mistakes of bush, namely assuming one has a mandate to push 100% of their own ideas. last time i checked 47% of this country ( america ) said no to obama. how about some bipartisian thinking. the 47% were not consulted in this process. if this keeps your looking at 4 and out, probanly 2 and out for the house.

Stop being so greedy you corporate big shots but keep sending your campaign dollars to Barney Frank And Chris Dodd.

Banging my head against a wall again. I love the diversion tactics of our government. “You are bad boys, now go to your room and I’ll bring you supper if you be quiet.” These people robbed us. The Wall Street Crash was the greatest robbery ever pulled in history. We as Americans, all nationalities together, lost our investments, our savings, our retirements. Has anyone asked where that money went? Trillions of dollars or digits from Wall Street losses were dumped into the Federal Reserve who is now giving this money back to banks to make bigger banks and buy little banks so there is no competition. It is called a Cartel. Then once the Cartel is finalized all that stolen Wall Street money at a fixed rate of 0.025% will be loaned out to Americans at a 20% and higher rate. This is robbery and we are now borrowing our own stolen money. I don’t care at all for this reprimand. We should have some justice and legislators with guts to call for the arrests and trial of these criminals. We the people might consider forming a coalition to hire attorneys to prosecute these criminals, Citibank, J.P. Morgan, and Wells Fargo. Perhaps a case judgement in the trillions paid directly to the United States Citizen. That would be Change I could believe in. Are there any good attorneys out there?

Alexandria, your understanding of the reasons why we’re in this mess is really dense. Have you not heard of the SEC which regulated Madoff? Did that work? No it didn’t. Have you heard of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, which are Government sponsored entities? Have you heard of the Federal Reserve, whom made money too cheap for too long? The gov’t had it’s hands in this mess from the start. Don’t blame capitalism for socialism’s failures.
The free market, which we haven’t had in a very long time in this country, regulates itself very well because fraudulent activity is punished by the market place and their activities are punishable under basic fraud laws. When a company makes poor choices, it goes out of business and the ones that make good choices buy up the assets.

@ Eric S 5:30
I agree with you – The “stimulus” and “bailout” packages are both poorly designed and will neither “bailout” nor “stimulate” our financial system and economy respectively.
My point was addressing the statement by Gibbs that Obama “talks to CEOs about responsibility”. It is not his place to do so, IMHO, for companies who HAVE NOT accepted bailout money.
For those entities who have received bailout money from the government (e.g., Wall Street, Big 3, etc.), well, you get what you deserve. If the government says no jets, no bonuses, no fancy offices, well, I guess they’ll have to live with it – It’s a choice they made. I read an article today that 20+ local/regional banks who initially signed up for bailout $$$ have pulled their applications – They don’t want the strings attached and the government overseeing their every move. They’d prefer to go it alone. Bravo for them.

Obama is showboating…. Nothing more…. Like he didn’t already know about this or he’s going to ask them to return the bonus money…….
Showboating hosted by ABC……

Joe, with all due respect, YOUR understanding of what happened the past 8 years appears to be even more dense than Andrea’s. What created the mortgage mess we’re in was not free market capitalism. Free market capitalism is when those who enjoy the rewards are also on the hook for the risk. What created the mess we’re facing now is precisely that free market capitalism was NOT in play. CEOs, such as Stan O’Neil at Merrill for one, were taking down MASSIVE bonuses and their INCENTIVE was to push as many CDOs and derivatives as possible. However, they were not on the hook for the risk. As it turns out, you and I were. I love free market capitalism as much as anyone but it only works when risk and reward are linked.

Lumberman_63
When has a President of the United States ever NOT been showboating?

The amount of the bonus seems to be in exact disproportion to their ability avoid making their companies bankrupt.
Asking the government to bail out a company means they are beggars. What a slap in the face.

Did the CEOs eat $100 steaks like Obama did last night?
How much did these CEOs spend on a party when they were named CEO? Obama spend $150,000,000.00 on his coronation, the most expensive in history.
Did these CEOs hire tax dodgers? Obama hired Geithner to be Treasury Secretary.
Do these CEO’s dial up the thermostat like Obama does in our White House, then preach to the masses to turn their thermostats down and force people to freeze to death? David Axelrod complained to the NY Times that the White House is so hot you “could grow orchids in there”. Remember that Obama told us that the rest of the world wouldn’t like it if we kept our homes at 72 year-round.
Do these CEOs drive around in huge armored gas-guzzling limos like Obama does?
Obama has no business scolding these leaders when Obama is 1000 times worse than they are.
the arrogant elitist Obama should practice what he preaches. Or is “rules for thee but not for me”? Is this the change and hope we needed?

LY2 said; “Also the inflation rate is out of control can you get a cap put on the inflation?” Huh? Where did that come from?

jhw..obvious that you do not understand tax law.thats ok, but i do .spending money on national research labs and launch vehicles…really? i consider that elitist spending while rank and file go without a job? the last place we should be is in space…i think we have enough problems on this planet.global warming? thought big al had that one nailed already.it appears its better just to give everyone a big fat check to either pay down debt(liquidity) or spend ( job growth) than to allow elitist tell us where we should spend our money.

Obama is “Shamefull”!!! And Obama’s so called Stimulus plan is “The Height Of Irresponsibillity”

Anyone who thinks that Bush was a man of small gov’t need merely look at the growth in the Federal Gov’t:
2001: $1,863,200,000
2002: $2,011,200,000
2003: $2,160,100,000
2004: $2,293,000,000
2005: $2,472,200,000
2006: $2,655,400,000
2007: $2,730,200,000
2008: $2,931,200,000
Public Debt:
2001: $5,807,500,000
2008: $10,024,700,000
Does this look like less government?
Numbers are great, they don’t lie like politicians.

“Do these CEOs drive around in huge armored gas-guzzling limos like Obama does?”
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This is a pretty weak point. Shows a bit of a bias in operation vs. logic.

I see that ‘$100 steaks’ ‘thermostat turned up’ and ‘pork’ are the new buzz word talking points. Please repeat endlessly.

Those folks working in DC are the most lazy and idiotic people on Earth. They have no sense of logic. How dare they steal from us…all the time, every day, forever! We work everyday just to put a roof over our heads and provide enough food for our family, yet they take and take and take. Give us back our money, write each tax payer a check for $10,000 and see how fast this economy gets back on its feet. Thats the only stimulous plan that will work. OR…forget credit, lets just buy what we can affort with the cash we make and forget about taking loans or credit from these people. They can go to hell! Obama, read your stimulus packet and fix it immediately!!!!!

catman: ” the 47% were not consulted in this process.”
Obama’s approval rating is over 70% on every current poll.
He consulted repeated with the Republicans and has clearly incorporated many of their ideas, from extensive tax cuts to eliminating a few controversial programs.
Repeating a lie – that 47% of people (ie, their representatives) – were not consulted in this process does not make it true and reflect poorly upon the quality of current Republican thought.

It is manifestly NOT hard to ride herd on executive pay. Merely make the tax rate for income above a known point, like that of 2005 or 6, 100%. If caught trying to fiddle with taxes there is already a well known means of enforcement: the IRS.
But executives are not the only putative villans here, all members of all boards, especially compensation review and risk management boards, of all companies receiving TARP and TARP-like public money should resign if those companies have spent money in stupid ways. “Stupid” is defined by the ta payer.

At the current rate of unemployment, I figure by 2010 the only people who will have jobs are auto CEO’s; upper echalon on Wall Street & Banks; and a few heads of the Media.

Almost as shameful as him spending $900 billion dollars of US Taxpayers money…money which we don’t have.

I want to wait and see if Obama is a truthful President or just a pathological liar as most politicians are. He said he would line item veto pork barrel programs that came across his desk. The American electorate remembers this campaigne promise he used to nell supporters of McCain and Palin. This stimulus package is full of pork barrel legislation. In a short time the pen will reveal Obama’s true loyalty. Is it to party or We the People? We will see his true character in short order. Corageous leader or Party puppy dog?

6 million points President Obama. I’m fried! Fried!!

Quote from article: “Sam Palmisano, Chairman, CEO and President of IBM (five-year compensation package, according to Forbes, $86.12 million) and David M. Cote, Chairman and CEO of Honeywell (five-year compensation package: $60.23 million).”
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Wow, that’s a lot of money. You’d think they played professional sports :)

I don’t care if it’s pork or beef or poultry. The point is to create jobs and accomplish something beneficial to the country in the process. If pork creates jobs, then let’s have some pork!

These corporate CEOs who are stuffing their pockets with bonuses while laying off employees should be cuffed up and sent to Gitmo. These CEOs who are laundering the citizens’ hard earned money should get nothing less than the “terrorist” treatment ! They are a threat to this country’s well being.

What is shameful, is that CEOs and executives that are worthless are paying themselves millions. The CEOs and executives that have had their companies beg the U.S. taxpayer for a handout are wasting the U.S. taxpayer money instead of using it to improve business for the shareholders and the American people.

John 6:54 pm said: “If pork creates jobs, then let’s have some pork!”
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What if the pork DOESN’T create jobs? What if you REALLY have to be creative to even come up with a justification of how “pork” MIGHT create jobs? I think that is the opposition’s position on the things they want tossed out of this bill.

A lot of these Wall Street criminals should be in jail for stealing people’s hopes, dreams, and hard earned money. Obama seems like he’s working hard, but it’s not hard enough. Less talk, more action. If he lets this stimulus package pass with all this crap in it, I will lose all respect for him. Be a man and stick to your word. Read it “…line by line.”

Pork never has and never will create sustainable jobs for our economy only the private sector can do that. We do need infratructure revitalization and government can help with this. The infrastructure is just the foundation on which allows us to grow jobs in the private sector. No wealth has ever been created by government programs only manufacturing can do that. We cannot spend our way to prosperity. The government should know this by now. They have been trying for years and all wees gonna get is more of what wees already got; a bankrupt country slaves to the whims of our creditors.We have now become the puppets and not the pupeteer.Sad but true.

What is shameful is that Wall Street beggar executives are using the U.S. taxpayer money to enrich themselves while their shareholders and investors suffer huge losses.

Here’s a stimulus package for the rest of us: No more federal student loan debt

Who cares about Wall Street and big business! All of us “real people” are not in the market or have been screwed by the market. If big business fails, then small business will prevail, once again!

Bush had no clue. Obama has no clue.
Presidents are elected by $$$$. Much $$$$. Lets elect a new one each month to stimulate the ailing economy. It will be more effctive than the current stimulus package and a lot more fun.

Wow, you all sure do whine a lot. My grandmother, who is still alive and still has all her faculties, was born in 1912. She lived through the Great Depression. Before you go saying that all these banks should just be allowed to go bust, maybe you should go visit someone who had the opportunity to live through the free market being allowed to function unfettered by government interference. Nobody had a job. No one could afford anything. She and her family ate because the raised their own vegetables, kept chickens and a sow. They had clothing because they sewed all their clothes or got them second hand. No car, no anything. My grandfather got paid $0.50 an hour to load dynamite onto trucks and my grandmother had a lesser paying job working for a factory in town. Yep, those were the “good ole days”!

“I don’t care if it’s pork or beef or poultry. The point is to create jobs and accomplish something beneficial to the country in the process. If pork creates jobs, then let’s have some pork!”
So what happened to all the jobs from the porktastic 2005 $286.4B Highway bill. That was supposed to fix all of the aging infrastructure then.
This time around we are only spending a fraction of the money in actual infrastructure spending. So where do we think all these jobs are coming from?
Economist Martin Fieldstein wrote today in the Washington Post:
“As a conservative economist, I might be expected to oppose a stimulus plan. In fact, on this page in October, I declared my support for a stimulus.
But the fiscal package now before Congress needs to be thoroughly revised. In its current form, it does too little to raise national spending and employment. It would be better for the Senate to delay legislation for a month, or even two, if that’s what it takes to produce a much better bill. We cannot afford an $800 billion mistake. “

The Wall Street execs are not only shameless, but they are thieves. They have used their positions of trust to defraud the American public. They need to be investigated, tried, and locked up in prison.
And now instead of returning their previous years ill gotten gains, they are asking for the U.S. taxpayer to fund their bonuses.
Why is Madoff still in his penthouse? If he is not the biggest thief ever, I don’t know who is.

All this stupid legislation is just what the American electorate voted for. Just look at who is running the congress. The circus has come to town and we might as well shut up and enjoy the show.

Why can’t we get these companies who have moved their companies over seas move them back here. That will be money back into the economy. No bonuses given out to any company asking for a bailout. All Execs making more than 100K take a 20% pay cut 200K 25% and so on and so forth for the company. How many underpayed workers could stay employed then. Take those billions $ of bonus money and pay daycare for their employees or give them pay raises as Im sure they don’t get bonuses or anything else.

What about senators who continue to give themselves raises in such difficult times? The whole system is broke……

cantwn4lusn said: “Why can’t we get these companies who have moved their companies over seas move them back here. That will be money back into the economy.”
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Are YOU the consumer willing to pay the PRICE the company will need to charge in order to pay the workers US wages? If so, let your voice/desires be known to those companies. Consumers vote with their dollars. Buy from Made in the USA companies only. If those companies start to flourish at the expense of the companies that outsourced jobs overseas, those companies will rethink their outsourcing strategy. Just don’t do the spending with a bunch of CONSUMER CREDIT (high-ticket items like vehicles are, of course, the exception, but big-screen TVs and other luxuries are not).

Olivia said: “This stuff about the white house heat is just gossip.”
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Just saw this on the ABC Evening News (last story before signing off). Still a rumor? Wait, what site am I on?

lawman- You are correct – the system is corrupt from greed. The solution is to make these greedy acts public like Obama did today. A complete list of all the names and companies should be posted on the internet for everyone to see. And the stockholders of these companies should DEMAND the money be paid back. Part of the problem is that this kind of thing went on in the past with little fan fare. It needs to be pointed out loudly and boldly when people act on their own behalf instead of for the public interest. Obama did the absolute right thing today by pointing it out.

The sheep are being slaughter on this blog. Many of the people on Wall Street are not high paid executives but get a bonus based on certain criteria. If we want to be so dam open why not tell which firms and how far down the employment tree the bonus were rewarded. Public embarrassment can lead to some very bad results throughout a company. Go for the big dogs but do not destroy the small guy. How many people are going to lose their jobs when the administration get finished with private jets. I bet the highly skilled workers in Wichita Kansas are now worried more than before. This industry might just move out of the country.

All this about tight credit is a farce. TOO lose of credit creates a false economy. One that is doomed from the start. We want to play now pay later. WHO CARES I will be long gone by then. As in the days of Noe were, eating, drinking and given in marriage. Pride cometh before the fall. You reap what you sow. Get my drift. The wages of sin is death maybe even this great nation I love. However if we repent and turn from our wicked ways we may here from God and HE will heal our land. It is probably beyond our means we will need help to get through this time of troubles for our nation.

SHAMEFUL???? I tell you what is shameful and it is the OBAMA and PELOSI lies. Obama said no lobbyists and he even allowed his Treasury Sec to have a GOLDMAN SACHS lobbyist among others and Obama with Pelosi tried to ram down this socialist giveaway through Congress when Americans are hurting and out of work. This bill rewards liberal groups and does nothing for the economy. Shame on Bush for Iraq and the border but shame on Obama and Pelosi for their gigantic lies!!!!!The ones that ABC, CBS and NBC have no guts to point out!!!!

hypocrite, what about the millions Gore is making spewing Global Warmer but yet using more CO2 himself then a small town!!

Wow that didnt take long. Obama has been in office less than 2 weeks and the bashing begins. Granted I am not happy with this package being crammed down our throats either but I think that its got Palosi’s name all over it she is holding Obama hostage. This package offers no real short term help, full of pork and basically is just a Dem spending spree.

“What I find most disturbing is your comment that the war in Iraq is/was a failure…”
What? Are we supposed to say that Vietnam was a huge success just so we don’t insult the troops that fought there? We know Vietnam was a failure AND we don’t blame the troops for it.

Here is my own issue and doupt. I voted, campained for Obama. As a Ind that voted Rep in most elections over the last 35 years, moving to a Dem vote was hard for me. At this point I am not sorry I voted for Obama as he sure is better than McCain would have been. However I would have liked to see a Rep led Congress like the Clinton years. I think Palosi and her band of conceivers did a lot of the damage that we are seeing. A result of two years of purposly messing with peoples lives and finances just so the voting public would blame Bush and the Republicans. Well it worked. The seats were filled with Dems. Why I do not know. Why was a Senate with a single digit approval awarded with more Dems? Now we have Palosi and Reid running the country in a lot of ways. This package isnt going to stimulate anything in the short term.
It stimulates the big corps, it stimulates Palosi and her gang because they now can go on a spending spree. Sure some may help down the road, but right now as thousands and thousands are being laid off and more and more will follow we need a big short term fix. 500.00 a person will not do anything. Bush’s checks didnt either. The Dem Congress only cares about themselves and now they can spend spend and spend.

Hmmmm!

Skip———–Being a retires Navy man myself your comment about the Iraq war being a failure doesnt bother me unless I take it out of context. The service men and women have not failed and have fought and performed fantastic. What failed was the policy to go there in the first place due to Bush and his close circle of friends. I and other while on deployment in the Middle East wondered mostly to ourselves why we were in Iraq instead of Afg. and going after the SOP that attack us on 9/11.
So just to say it again. The Iraq policy was a failure and I can say this now, we should have never gone atleast at the time we did. Afg should have been our focus all along. However the service personal fighting and obeying their Commander in Chief have been great I am most proud of them.

“This administration? Pal you’ve got some catching up to do.”
——————————–
Obviously a partisan reply. My statement was as an American and a Patriot. No one who can look beyond party politics would have responded as such. No administration in the past 100 years has been able to serve anything other than itself. The working American is the backbone which all politicians have assumed would always be there no matter what. The pervasive fact is that there are fewer and fewer Americans that don’t even know the true meaning of work. Let’s all put our hands out and say “I’m sorry Uncle Sam, I’ve done my best – but could you please do the rest for me?” Do me a favor Pal and prove that wrong. Start by telling me why unions and affirmative action still exist? Breeding ground for laziness, ineptitude and self aggrandizment. If your hand isn’t out, then you must be satisfied with your future generations paying off todays laziness (assuming that future generations have the choice).

Seeing people and politicians passing the ball on each other. I just lose all hopes. Everyone is for himself.

The comments mean nothing if the executives and CEOs of the bailed out companies continue to be greedy and line their pockets and devalue the stocks and mutual funds due to their mismanagement. This looting of the main stream by wall street is going unpunished with not even a slap on the wrist and then some in high places wonder why the confidence in American Institutions like wall street and the federal government has been eroded.

Flash – let it go .. let it go! You’ll sleep better! Bush is gone now! Damn!

To Skip: No offense Skip – but I did offer at least an idea, as grand as it may be, while your prodding offered nothing other than an semi-antagonistic response. It seems that no system is working for you (the American) either. The parties love that we infight amongst ourselves online because it takes our time and attention away from pushing them to do what is right. Aren’t you sick of hearing “this is the solution, take it or leave it”, instead of having them actaully do some real public service and get it right?

Typical republican’s always saying no, no, no, no. If it were a Republican president that was elected it would be yes, yes, yes, yes ! Republican’s don’t like Democrats and the Democrats don’t like the Republican’s and it will never change with this divided country we all live in which I will never understand. I hope and pray that someday the United States will terminate both parties and be just one party and that is the United Party union

Mr. President Obama has done more in a week then Bush did in 8 yrs

Politicians have the mindset that they are playing with monopoly money. Pass it out when it feels good. The problem is, it feels bad when they don’t pass it out, so they keep shoveling it to avoid any guilt. How many times in the past 30 years have we cut spending on anything other than defense? Every time it happens, there is outrage by some group it affects. Politicians get scared because it may hurt their chances at the polls so they vote to keep the funds flowing. What we end up with is this bloated, gluttonous government that will always look for more ways to take our money and spend it to get votes.
It is the greatest weakness of Democracy. Even the Greeks knew this thousands of years ago. They realized democracy fails when people vote themselves state treasury funds. We haven’t learned.

obama, DO AS I SAY, NOT WHAT I DO, that is his new motto, freaking looks stoned to me in that picture, and others, polosi held bush by the balls on that he didn;t want to do it, look it up links are a pain in the patoootie here

There is already some quiet infighting within the dems camp as we speak. Obama did not get the big win he expected by getting Republican house members on board and insiders are starting to point fingers at Pelosi to blame for the blunder. There is even talk of her being asked to step aside and a new vote for a new speaker.

You take it to them Obama. Let them know there is a new sheriff in town and you are not going to put up with the stuff George let go on.

Everyones got to return home. Cant really blame him though. I would if i could.

thomas that is brilliant if they get rid of pelosi, but more heads are going to roll because obama by his track record, if he doesn’t get his way he will get on the floor and kick his legs in the air, *smirk* and some one has to run in with a kleenex, roflmao

When financial houses went public the public took on all the risk and the executives took outrageous sums of money without any risk.
Let these banks and financial houses fail and give the bailout money directly to those depositors who are NOT executives of the company.

This was a great story and shame on the executives of these companies for being so irresponsible. Does anyone have a list of the companies that participated in the bonuses? I would like to make a concious effort not do business with them. This is the only way we will have an impact on them.

The whole thing makes me sick. There will come a day when the unethical and immoral behavior of our corporate and government leaders, people we are suppose to look to as examples of what it means to be a “success”, will bring our great country to its knees.
It’s happened before in history. Many times. It can happen again. We are the new Rome, after all.
These people, rich as they have become during the Bush years, are fools of the highest order. They may think they’ve got one over on everyone because they get to walk away with all the money but, it is a child’s victory. A hollow victory; accomplished by late-night slight of hand.
These people are cheats and thieves. It’s that plan and that simple.

We need a president like Harry Truman;he was not there to impress anyone.He put country first.
MONEY IS THE ROOT OF ALL EVIL!
I feel for those families who are out of work, losing their homes and have to listen to what is going on with their tax money.

This is almost comical, Americans have been fat, spoiled over-fed, using up 80% of the worlds resources while the rest of us have existed on a moderate silce of whats left. So this is how you react when faced with a situation the rest of us have been living under since the second world war.
You dont need your new TV’s, SUV’s & thermostat conrtolled cooling & heating all year round. Do like the rest of us & acclimatise.
Dont be consumers,Cows are consumers, the things you own will end up owning you. A simple life is a good life. There is no reason for some people to starve while a wealthy minority consumes all the resources.
Dont fight amongst yourselves over stupid ideology,that time has passed & those are the battles of antiquity. This is a new century, we must face the challenges as a united species or we wont make it.
Stop being afraid of Socialism, it’s not Communism. There must be some regulation from Governement, the private sector has proved time & time agian that it has no social responsibilty.
It acts from a purely Darwinian perspective, it will stupify & rape the masses for profit alone. There is no free market, simply cartels of the biggest multi nationals who regognise no flag or country.
The role of Government should be to take care of it’s citizens, not just the wealthy business sector. You should support more Government involvement & dont be afraid, you have the most protectionist constitution in the world, you have the power of the vote.
Use it.

Obama is in the process of screwing the American public out of an additional trillion dollars, after assuring us we had to give away 900 billion last year to save ourselves. I suppose “shameful” is relative.

Wallstreet doesn’t care what Obama thinks as the joke is on the American tax payers as Obama dishes out billions of our tax dollars to wallstreet!

The whole PROFIT system is a slave system. Unequal wealth is a slave system, & it makes a few filthy rich but leaves most poor & starving. The wage is a slave system (guaranteed income/Socialism will be freedom). Insurance is slavery. Loans are slavery. Taxation is slavery. Private property is slavery. Corporations are slave plantations so they’re actually illegal. Buying & selling is slavery (everything should be free). Needing a car is slavery. Sickness is slavery. Poverty is slavery. Homelessness is slavery. College degrees are slavery, & colleges teach slavery (wage). Only work part-time 10-hrs a week will be freedom, in Tower cities connected to Trains. Capitalism is slavery. Socialism & Communism is freedom. Read “Rogue State” by Bill Blum to see how evil USA really is.

Based upon just what I heard today, that Obama’s response was that the bonuses were “shameful”…quite frankly, I find that far too tempered a response considering the hypocrisy of the situation, and the outright complete apathy for the average US citizen. Instead of just chastizing these corporations, a full investigation should be done, and any bonuses given out say within 2 months before, or anytime after, a corporation received a handout or a promise of a handout…all those bonuses should be rescinded, or the receivers’ assets sold off, in order to pay ALL monies back to the taxpayers.
It’s time for the people to revolt!!!

why didn’t obama blast congress when they voted themselves a raise during this economic crisis? why doesn’t he impose a freeze on their salaries—furthermore, why did he allow a stimulus package to pass that included $25 million for atv trails—hell, if they sent that amount to the american people, then the economy would be stimulated!

Now President Barack Obama wants American taxpayers to believe that he is “outraged” at the greed of these Wall Street Bankers – yet, he still gives them billions of our hard-earned money. Gee, Barack, you really told them!

I am outraged about this. The very first condition of giving this bailout should have been a requirement that bonuses would not be paid, or a least reduced by more than half. These bonuses were obscene in good times, but to use tax payer money to reward irresponsibility and lack of ethics is criminal. A bill should be passed immediately requiring payback of those bonuses if not everything. They did not the money for the purpose it was intended. If credit isn’t loosened up, we’re paralyzed. This cannot be ignored or forgiven.

Easy solution. Tax tables in 2008 for all bonus money (actually any money, stock or deferred compensation receivedfor any banker employed by a bank that has received bailout money is taxed at 100% if the amount is more than 1% of the same employee’s total compensation in 2007. No deductions are available for any amount over their 2007 compensation either. And that table is raised to 110% for 2009 if the money is not paid back to the government by 12/31/2009. That figure raises 10% each year every year. That is right, their income is fixed at 2007 levels until the TOTAL is paid back with interest. And if they jump to another bank, they are still limited by the same amount they previously made, or the equivalent new position’s previous salary (whichever is less). Otherwise they will just start trading jobs back and forth.
Then the CEO’s and any other banker getting a large bonus is in fact working to get expenses cut, the profitiblity up, the bailout paid back, and that only happens with loans being made as planned-to creditworthy companies. They are out there, and they are laying off good talented workers by the thousand now.

I think it is time for all Americans to stop paying their taxes until our government is using our money to better our lives.
First roll back and freeze interest at 6% or less on all credit card outstanding debt. Let people purchase at this same rate. This will free up money now to use for new purchases.
Help low and middle class purchase a new fuel efficient Auto that doesn’t burn oil. They must trade in the old beater and it must be cubed.
This way the Auto worker is put to work and the purchaser must buy American made auto with this tax payer money.
I think it is time for the tax payers to show a united front, or the government will suffer the same fate as the family or individual has been forced into with no money at all from us tax payers. We are the ones with the purse strings if the government wants to continue to misuse our hard earned money.
People earning minimum wages having to listen to these CEO’s raking in what most people will not make in multible life times, is very sad indeed, then they will ask for more I bet.

Jake is back in business. Manipulate the news so as it seems Obama already knew about these bonuses earlier in the week. Now, its time for the Republicans to cry out. Arise the GOP.Arise!Stupid! For the GOP, its time to start blaming Obama. Blame him for the Economy, blame him for all the sins of last year when he is barely eleven days in office. Blame him!

These are the guys that ran the companies in the ground in the first place. The executives who authorized the bonuses should be fired. They should have been fired but were left in place by whom? What they have done is not shameful but outright theft. It may be legal but it is surely immoral. They should be prosecuted for mis appropriation of government funds/theft if at all possible. There should also be charges filed in civil court to get the money back. You can be sent to jail for buying drugs with food stamp money right? The executives must be held accountable and the people who allowed them to remain in those positions must also be held accountable to the american people.

The overpaid execs have demoralized the working class in this country. It is time for a change and Barak is finally doing something. Bush did nothing and now we are paying for it.

The Bankers and Executives that have taken these outrageous bonus are nothing more than dressed up crooks. They may want to think about their bonus when they come back for more money and they will because it was so easy the first time. They don’t deserve another penny. Citibank show ther contempt for the tax payers when they held their vacations in that luxury resort in CA.

“SHAMEFUL” 11 Trillon (with a “T”) dollars in debt. Out of control Government spending will bankrupt many generations to come. Don’t start whinning when the people you put in power over this country put us in the toilet. Unlike the past this time we will not recover. Can you say SOCIALIZM and new One World Order. “Beware” America the end to FREEDOM and GREATNESS is near. If we do not repent as a Nation from our “Wicked Ways” life will cease to exist as we know it today.

My Opinion: Government Bailout Money is meant to relieve stress on the American people, the common working men and women, for food, shelter, fuel, electricity and medications. I am “OUTRAGED”, to put it mildly, that any congressman or President, no matter what his political affiliation, would allow this to take place under his watch! I also feel strongly that a detailed account of where this money goes and to whom it goes to,should be required as part of the package. When any other fellow American goes to his banker or leaning agent, they insist on this information BEFORE you get the loan.

“The only thing needed for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing”. Where are the good men that will stand up against the evil of the Government toward the American taxpayer. Tax and spent and tax again, where does it end?

each year of their administration.

sorry kathy, i actually got technologically baffled and tricked . ..

Just a reminder… The “Bail Out” or “Rescue” money that is talked about here is from the Bush administration. Which in my opinion should have been a loan and not just given to the Banks…especially with accountability at none.
Those responsible for the bonuses should be let go immediately…still clueless as they seem to the plight of the rest of the nation. They need to join in the ranks of the Jobless.
And for those comments telling Americans to do something for themselves…Yea and while I was busy as single Mom doing just that..
Bush’s lack of leadership for the country’s economic infrastructure was allowed to be terrorized by greed and corruption…
After the last eight years of short-sightedness from a blind eye President.
All your constant whining and complaining about pork, especially with the deficit left by the Bush administration, just has your creditability full of holes.

Citizens Call ACORN’s 5.2 Billion Dollar Bonus Shameful

“ACORN”? lmao

I distinctly recall Obama’s campaign promise that no “Christmas Tree” legislations would cross his desk. Will he put his signature on this Economic Stimulus Package with ornaments and bows and tinsel streaming from it? You can bet on it. Mr. President sir, stop beating up private business and focus on what the legislative body is doing. CEO pay pales in perspective to what our government is doing. Concentrate on the areas where you have complete control and culpability. The billing for all these presents will appear on the citizen’s next credit card statement.

Haven’t seen a single post about the $383 billion the Treasury Dept passed out to small banks earlier this week. Talk about transparent. Oh well, it’s not like we’re spending real money, US dollars. We’re just spending Chinese money.

obama has no room to talk and should shut it. obama hired two lobbyists, after he said they would not be in his administration, one for secretary of treasury and the other for the pentagon. geithner has already hired another lobbyist as his chief of staff. obama is setting the example to the nation that lying, corruption even the taint of corruption is acceptable. he lied when he said, if elected, he would repeal the bush tax cuts on the rich but now he refuses to do it. obama has no room to talk at all. obama is turning out to be one huge disappointment. there is no change, just flowery speeches.

On every thread, no matter the story there are Rt Wing crazies with conspiracy theories, lies, insults and name calling for the current President. No REAL ideas, no REAL contribution, just blind hatred and fear.
It continues to put a smile on my face…hehehe

sdr65; Quess it’s a matter of perspective. The bonuses would not have been out of taxpayer money had the legislature not given the financial industry our tax dollars. Don’t blame the hens for the foxes indiscretions.

mmonrolivson writes, “CEO pay pales in perspective to what our government is doing.” Well, I say American workers pay pales in perspective to what Wall Street has DONE! Top 10 moneymakers in the hedge-fund industry in 2007:
1 $3.7 billion, John Paulson, Paulson & Co.
2 $2.9 billion, George Soros, Soros Fund Management
3 $2.8 billion, James Simons, Renaissance Technologies
Corp.
4 $1.7 billion, Philip Falcone, Harbinger Capital
Partners
5 $1.5 billion, Kenneth Griffin, Citadel Investment
Group
6 $900 million, Steven Cohen, SAC Capital Advisors
7 $750 million, Timothy Barakett, Atticus Capital
8 $710 million, Stephen Mandel Jr., Lone Pine Capital
9 $625 million, John Griffin, Blue Ridge Capital
10 $520 million, O. Andreas Halvorsen, Viking Global
Investors
Folks, that is not net profit their companies made, that is what they put in their pockets from the blood and sweat of all the investors in their funds. Paulson and many others made this obscene wealth hedging the collapse of the mortgage industry, then only pay a 15% capital gains tax on this wealth rather than normal income tax rates. Even worse, most of this capital they moved off-shore using tax loopholes that allow them to pay ZERO tax.

Our brilliant legislators are spending at a near one trillion dollar per month clip since they won the election and control of the House. How much relief has man on the street seen from this unprecidented spending? How much less is our national economy in risk of collapse? How many jobs have been saved? How many foreclosures have been prevented? How many more 9 AM’s will pass without the libs smelling the coffee?

devilkev; I agree CEO pay is obscene on Wall Street. Focus your attention on the boards of directors that authorized the pay and bonuses. This is private business, business the government should not be rescuing. Blame the congress for trying. Can’t blame the CEOs for being greedy. Many of the posters here are waiting for their windfall income. The only difference is the relative level of greed. CEOs think in big numbers. Welfare recipients just want to survive.

While all you liberals whine and cry that this is ALL Bush’s fault, perhaps you should ask our new Sec. of the Treasury more about his role in orchestrating those bailouts!
Bush & Paulson were wrong! There was no need to for all that money to be dumped “immediately”! They both deserve their share of the blame for it!
ALSO, the Democratic-Controlled Congress DID NOT have to go along with the bailouts. They rushed to quickly, so quickly even the American public kicked them in the teeth and said SLOW DOWN. The TARP bill was passed by Democrats, with some republicans joining in, but more republicans voted nay than yay.
In the rush to pump out the desperately needed bill, CONGRESS FAILED to get the oversight in place.
By the way, Then Senator Obama voted yes for TARP. I do not recall him saying anything about the lack of oversight in the bill then! Oversight is the responsibility of the COngress!
Then you have the ongoing saga of Barney Frank and his incredible stupidity as he continues to play Social Scientist.
————
Troubled OneUnited Bank in Boston didn’t look much like a candidate for aid from the Treasury Department’s bank bailout fund last fall.
The Treasury had said it would give money only to healthy banks, to jump-start lending. But OneUnited had seen most of its capital evaporate. Moreover, it was under attack from its regulators for allegations of poor lending practices and executive-pay abuses, including owning a Porsche for its executives’ use.
Nonetheless, in December OneUnited got a $12 million injection from the Treasury’s Troubled Asset Relief Program, or TARP. One apparent factor: the intercession of Rep. Barney Frank, the powerful head of the House Financial Services Committee.
Mr. Frank, by his own account, wrote into the TARP bill a provision specifically aimed at helping this particular home-state bank. And later, he acknowledges, he spoke to regulators urging that OneUnited be considered for a cash injection.
Mr. Frank said he didn’t try to interfere with the regulatory process. “We have never told the regulators that they should ease up on them or not order them to do this or that,” he said.
He cites the bank’s status as the state’s only financial institution owned by African-Americans. “We did say, yes, I thought it would have been a social tragedy if the one minority bank in Massachusetts that has been working so hard and had been overextended into housing was to be wiped out by a federal action, the Fannie-Freddie preferred [shares] thing, and that’s why I think it was important to try to help them.”
On Oct. 27, the FDIC and Massachusetts bank regulatory officials, alleging poor lending practices and executive-compensation abuses by OneUnited, slapped it with a strong enforcement action, a cease-and-desist order. Among other things, the officials told the bank to get rid of a 2008 Porsche for executives.
—————-
Now I wonder what Bumbling Barney wrote into that stimulus Package???

Why should the executives need to have the word directly from the President to stop what they know to be wrong? What is this – kindergarten?

devilkev; The breaking news headline here on ABC news read “Treasury Dept Gives $383 Billion to 23 Small Banks.”
Wording may not be exact. As I recall that message came to us on Tues. or maybe Wednesday. It wasn’t TARP money. There’s only $350 billion of that $700 billion left. That’s all I know. Was asking for more info. I suspect the money was given to them to head off another credit card crisis. Small banks invest the money they have on deposit from savings and checking accounts largely in the credit card funding pool at high interest and pay the depositor less than inflation rate interest. That’s how small banks make most of their money. When/if the credit card industry fails, so do the small banks. I’m sure the Treasury Dept would be one of the first to know if failure appeared imminent. More good news, huh? Remember the S&L failures in ’82? Worst recession since the great depression, but new records are being set even as we sit, read and type here. We’re in uncharted territory and don’t know which way to turn.

devilkev; A basic rule of survival is when lost don’t try to find your way out by going deeper into the forest. Stay where you are and wait for rescuers to find you. How can our government not know this?

T,
There is BLAME for both sides of the aisle leading up to TARP.
The most important question NOW is are we going to blindly allow people like Barney Frank to continue this. Bush is gone, guys like Frank will be there forever. He had a large role in pushing those banks to loan to people who could NEVER afford them, then when Bush & the Republicans did finally try to add some regulation on Freddie/Fannie, HE opposed it and helped to block it. Even this summer he was saying Freddie/Fannie were “fine”.
Then he blantly aims TARP money at a bank in Mass because its a minority bank. AGAIN showing he is more interested in social engineeering than what is best for the country.
I would love Obama to give us that “transparency” he keeps talking about , by DEMANDING that Congress identify who is respobnsible for each of the line items in the stimulus bill. That way Americans can see for themselves who (Democrat & Republican) is loading these bills up with pork that has nothing to do with the need for the bill!
That would be “change” we could ALL agree on !

If it is true we are spending 1 trillion a month, then our monthly cost of the Defense budget, war in Iraq and Afghanistan, is less than 60 Billion a month. Chump change by comparison.
Consider the stimulus being 800 Billion, that number would include our entire defense budget, war in Iraq and Afghanistan, the entire stimulus package of 1993 adjusted for inflation, and still have enough left over to buy 150 B-2 Stealth Bombers.

I work for a Midwest bank who’s executives have “gone the extra mile” foregoing raises for themselves and telling all VPs or higher no raises also and letting the “little” people have a least a 1% increase. The bank also was the receipient of initial TARP money, which we think is going to be used help homeowners who are making a good faith effort to make payments, only after all other options offered are exhausted, i.e. make reduced payments for 6 month, 12 months, etc and possibly then re-fi at the current value, forgiving the “overage.” This will take time and patience and months, so no TARP money will “spent” right away. We haven’t been actually informed that this is what management plans to do, but from the actions and plans put into place and being executed, this scenerio seems the mostlikely. The bank has also gone on a hugh cost reduction course of action, getting rid of “deadwood” and duplication as well as reducing expenses. So not all banks are “bad.” I’m glad to have a job and proud to work for a company that is actually trying to help.
Give President Obama some tme – he walked into a nighmare and can’t fix it overnight. Quit complaining and figure out what you can do to be part of the solution. It’s going to take ALL of us working together, politics be d**med and forgotten. Now if we could only get out leaders to have the same outlook…… Wow, what could be accomplished?

And this coming from a guy whose treasury secretary received a pay raise and owes back taxes.

Congress can’t add conditions to the bill after the money is given away. This is what happens when congress rushes to spend our money without properly thinking it through.

The height of irresponsibility is putting a tax cheat in charge of the IRS, and voting for billions of pork in a recession.

Meanwhile, about-to-be-laid-off teachers in LA are marching behind a big banner reading “New Leadership — Same Politics”.

See “Obama retools campaign machine”, AFP.

This guy is obviously impressed with himself! Well, I am too.

Was it “shameful” when Obama got $4MM for writing his book while moonlighting as a Senator from Illinois? Was it shameful when Ms. Obama was paid $325k for being on the board of the University of chicago hospitals while spending most of her time campaigning for her husband? On Wall Street, we worked and got paid on a formula, a percentage of what you bring in revenues. Bonuses are taxed, (which pay teachers and politicians salaries), incomes are spent, which provide everyone from the people at starbucks to JC Penny jobs.

Well duh; If you don’t like the CEOs giving themselves big bonuses stop giving them money.

Put a cap on the CEOs bonuses,freeze their assets and pay the taxpayers back until their companies make a profit! The maddness must stop!

How many company’s could forgo two “top” execs from their payroll to allow 15 or 20 people in lower level positions stay on — and how much more money gets circulated by these 20 kept on?? Any mathematicians out there who can figure this out.

his presidency isn’t two weeks old, and already warning flags have gone up.
Obama is wallpapering his administration with lobbyists, installed a tax cheat to run the Treasury Department and is pushing Congress to pass a massive, wildly unaffordable “stimulus” bill loaded with pork and reckless spending that plunges Americans even deeper into debt.
Even worse, the bill every day looks more like 15 years of pent-up big-government liberalism than an economic “stimulus” plan.
Ever since his election, many Americans have wondered which Barack Obama would show up at the White House: the most liberal member of the Senate or the post-partisan bearer of change we could all believe in.
One thing is clear: His “stimulus” bill is not change we can believe in. It’s a return to big-government welfare that we will choke on.

I have a friend who is reading “Dreams of My Father”. Her impression is that for the first time in our history, we have a president who actually hates his country. I’ll reserve opinion until I read it for myself. I hope she’s wrong.

“I have a friend who is reading “Dreams of My Father”. Her impression is that for the first time in our history, we have a president who actually hates his country.”
Right wingers love this country like an abusive husband “loves” his wife.
Sure there’s real emotion there but the way its expressed is horrifying.

I think you’re spot on Tina!!!

brighteyes…just how much $$$ do you think you’re going to get in stimulus??
Many of us need jobs to pay our mortgages … not a silly “drop-in-the-bucket” stimulus check. And…if I did get a check, I’d have to use it to pay my utilities or buy food. That doesn’t stimulate anything.
If it’s just cash you’re after, then maybe Obamer should just divide the $1.3 trillion by the number of LEGAL Americans and everyone gets that amount. Probably $17K each….

Anybody know why ABC, CBS, and NBC aren’t fully covering the stimulus issues?? I haven’t heard any of them mention the “$150M on honey bee insurance” or the “$20M on Fish Barriers” etc. (I’m not kidding about those – they really are included in the “pork-ulus package”!) Anyone been seeing this on TV???

These CEOs make me sick. Any company who took part in receiving any money from the stimulus package shouldn’t be allowed to buy “toys” and/or give/recieve massive bonuses. They took part in a socialist program, therefore the government should have some say what is going on inside their companies. I hate the fact that I am a recent college graduate busting my butt to find a job and trying to makes ends meet, yet our tax dollars are allowing these men to give themselves these huge bonuses. Not ok.

Why do people on Wall Street need “over the top” bonus? What would happen to the billions in bonus’s if not given to those over paid Wall street types? Would it be filtered into the economy or what? How can one segment of society be soooooo rich and yet a policeman, firefighter, nurse, teacher, etc have to fight for for their wages that barely pay their bills?

the only solace is that “A FOOL AND HIS MONEY ARE SOON PARTED”
we can only hope!!!

Shameful? Height of Irresponsibility?
How can Robert Gibbs stand before the American people and push a stimulus that everyone knows will cripple this Nation for generations on one hand, and talk ‘outrage’ at Wall Street on the other?
The hypocrisy continues to compound — exponentially!