Where are the priorities????

[Guest]

Huge bail out bills contaminated with billions of $$$ for pork...keep the government running bill contaminated with millions 0f $$$ for pork....AIG execs get millions of taxpayer $$$ bonus money That if they weren't bailed out they would have gotten $0!!!).

And then we have the rest of the hypocritical story:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/usnw/20090316/pl_usnw/the_american_legion_strongly_opposed_to_president_ s_plan_to_charge_wounded_heroes_for_treatment


http://www.boston.com/news/nation/washington/articles/2009/03/17/gates_readies_big_cuts_in_weapons/

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/03/16/MNIA16GCBO.DTL

And too many more to post.

There are no priorities...ONLY political agendas....agendas that will only benefit the current administration and lawmakers....whose goal is to tax the rich except for themselves and those they favor......WHICH DOES NOT INCLUDE WE THE PEOPLE!!!!

Fueled by the AIG executive bonuses which was known to the administration at the time the money was given to AIG....has potential to create a backlash for the new administration.....JUSTLY DESERVED!!!! They are not doing their home work....only their agendas!!

BTK

[Guest]

His plan is a blue print from Karl Marx. Follows it exactly. And we should not be surprised as he told us during the campaign that was his direction. Higher taxes for the higher incomes, reduce defense spending, print more money and inflate the currency, and several other items.

The one article you posted that really gets to me is the one on newspapers. I live in the DC area where we have basically two papers. The Washington Post and the Washington Times. The Post is losing readership, and about to go broke and the Times is growing and making money. The difference. The Times reports news, the Post reports their opinions. Both have their editorial opinions, but the Post slants its news to support that opinion. Big difference, and its showing in the bottom line. Let them sink. If they wanted to report the news, they might survive. And the San Francisco paper is of the same ilk as the Post and deserves the results it gets. The people want news reported in an objective fashion, not slanting the news to push an agenda.

[Guest]

The bonus money is a grain of sand and only a diversion to get the American people worked up and side tracked while Obama runs our economy into the ditch.

[Guest]

The bonus money is a grain of sand and only a diversion to get the American people worked up and side tracked while Obama runs our economy into the ditch.

I figured that in about 18 months we would be at this point; NOT in two months.

What is scary is that much of what was posted on here during the campaign and considered outrageous (I got pm's to prove that along with the responses on here) had the game plan spelled out.

If you do any reading on Jeremiah Wright's church (considered to be the leading church in the Black Liberation Theology) and Alinsky who Obama considered so wonderful, and President Obama's own TWO autobiographies (gotta read them both they are different in a number of ways), you would find what is happening no surprise whatsoever. You combine that with the most radical left wing congress and what you are seeing is NOT going to stop at all.

There will be telling us how bad this or that is..then the spending of money to solve it (PLEASE watch where the money goes and the strings attached to it).

The administration KNEW about the bonuses when the money went out...there was an agreement between the WH, and congress to add language to allow bonus money to be spent. Now, they are crying outrage over .....less than 1% of the total while they told us the pork was ONLY 3 to 4 % ..stop whining !!!

You gotta stop listening to what he says and watch what he is doing !!!!

[Guest]

The administration KNEW about the bonuses when the money went out...there was an agreement between the WH, and congress to add language to allow bonus money to be spent. Now, they are crying outrage over .....less than 1% of the total while they told us the pork was ONLY 3 to 4 % ..stop whining !!!
You gotta stop listening to what he says and watch what he is doing !!!!

Correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't the money go out under the previous administration?

[Guest]

If you make under 250k your taxes will not go up, not one dime I believe he said.

I think most will be quite shocked come 2011 and earlier when the tax increases hit. They are going after anything and everything including gas, oil, heating, etc, and it will hit the poor and middle class right between the eyes.

In April the cigarette tax is going up 62 cents a pack, another tax on the poor and middle class. I guess the rich can already afford it.

I don't think most people have any clue what's about to happen but I do see his approval numbers dropping rather quickly as more people start to figure it out.

There is but one hope and that's for a good clock cleaning in the next elections and a republican partly that grows a spine

[Guest]

The whole bonus thing is just another smoke screen to pull attention away from the real issues. Those bonuses in the grand scheme of things amount to dinner and a couple drinks.

Notice they are going after the the one's who got the bonus not the one's who gave out the bonus.

[Guest]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't the money go out under the previous administration?

The money was in the stimulus bill....

This from todays New York Times...

"But Mr. Reid mostly ducked a question about whether Democrats had missed an opportunity to prevent the bonuses because of a clause in the stimulus bill, that imposed limits on executive compensation and bonuses but made an exception for pre-existing employment contracts."

"The clause was apparently added in final negotiations between Congressional leaders and the Obama administration. "

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/18/business/18bailout.html?hp

From Newsmax......

"But it was Dodd who inserted language — known as the Dodd amendment — in the $787 billion stimulus bill that allowed all bonuses awarded before February 11, 2009, to be paid to AIG executives. That very amendment, which is now law, is now the chief hurdle to government officials who want to recover that money.

The amendment was meant to restrict executive pay for bailed-out banks, but it also included the exception for "contractually obligated bonuses agreed on or before Feb. 11, 2009."

Dodd is the largest single recipient of 2008 campaign donations from AIG, with $103,100, according to the Center for Responsive Politics. That was more than presidential candidates Barack Obama and John McCain got, and nearly three times the $35,965 Sen. Hillary Clinton received."

http://www.newsmax.com/headlines/chris_dodd_bonuses/2009/03/17/192860.html

[Guest]

It is good to see that most people in this link understand what Obama is up to. Only one seems to be drinking the koolaid. I hope that it is indicative of the rest of the country. :coolsmiley:

[Guest]

AIG's plans were publicized last fall, when Congress started asking questions about expensive junkets the company had sponsored. A November SEC filing by the company details more than $469 million in "retention payments" to keep prized employees.:cus:

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hEalVdubp5tGI_-bkLMyNULqCjXgD97040E00

Prized employees.....OMG!

[Guest]

AIG's plans were publicized last fall, when Congress started asking questions about expensive junkets the company had sponsored. A November SEC filing by the company details more than $469 million in "retention payments" to keep prized employees.:cus:

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hEalVdubp5tGI_-bkLMyNULqCjXgD97040E00

Prized employees.....OMG!

This is bad...serious....disgusting for sure, but why is this, a smaller percentage so bad when we were asked to simply accept the pork which was quite a bit more than these bonuses. Remember when we were told to remember how small the percentage of pork was ? This is certainly not defending AIG, but again.....lots of smoke screens !!!

PS: Maybe someone should take a deep breath and find folks who want to work there and fill the vacancies in the Treasury !!!!!!

[Guest]

Just a note......KAYAKERNC is correct in that the initial payment to AIG was in TARP 1 paid during the previous adminstration, but NOT THE BULK OF IT. ALSO, recall it was paid at the behest of the current President !! Not defending Bush here at all !!

Number two....everyone remember that the big stimulus bill that is causing all this grief was RAMMED through congress...those who opposed villified AND

READ BY NOBODY !!!!!!!!

[Guest]

This is bad...serious....disgusting for sure, but why is this, a smaller percentage so bad when we were asked to simply accept the pork which was quite a bit more than these bonuses.

It is bad....serious....disgusting, mainly because honest, hard working Americans are out of work, while multi-millions are given to people who SHOULD be fired for their failures. And, in fact, some of them have already been, or are about to be dismissed, with OUR money in their pockets.:cus:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/03/17/cuomo-reveals-details-of_n_175865.html

[Guest]

Just a note......KAYAKERNC is correct in that the initial payment to AIG was in TARP 1 paid during the previous adminstration, but NOT THE BULK OF IT. ALSO, recall it was paid at the behest of the current President !! Not defending Bush here at all !!
Number two....everyone remember that the big stimulus bill that is causing all this grief was RAMMED through congress...those who opposed villified ANDREAD BY NOBODY !!!!!!!!

The TARP legislation passed last fall without ANY conditions limiting executive compensation, for the institutions receiving our money. This mess should be layed at the feet of Ben Bernanke, Timothy Geithner, and Hank Paulson. Not defending Bush or OBama!

[Guest]

It is bad....serious....disgusting, mainly because honest, hard working Americans are out of work, while multi-millions are given to people who SHOULD be fired for their failures. And, in fact, some of them have already been, or are about to be dismissed, with OUR money in their pockets.:cus:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/03/17/cuomo-reveals-details-of_n_175865.html

I feel compelled to simply say YOU ARE RIGHT ON !!!

[Guest]

the politicians or the media why this bonus issue with AIG was timed to the present when it was known when their request was recently made for another installment.
Kinda looks like let's do it and if we get caught, we'll dance to what ever tune has to be played at the time.
The wagons are circled so tight they will all come out without a mark....as usual.

BTK

[Guest]

It's amazing to me how stupid this countries leadership thinks we are. Read about how AIG is going to pay us back the $165 million. From the $30 billion the tax payers are giving them. Find me someone to give me $30,000 and I will gladly pay them back $165. If the public accepts that answer, we derserve what we get. The BS is getting way to deep for my boots. The sooner this crowd gets out of power the better for all of us.

http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/AIG-reimburse-taxpayers-bonuses-Geithner/story.aspx?guid=%7BF6D29347%2D1059%2D40F3%2DB2C4%2 D6C85B41A4FC1%7D

[Guest]

The current stimulus legislation has several "pork cutlets" which make the AIG bonus payments look like chicken feed, yet the Administration has decided to make AIG the boogey-man while all those congresspersons who added the extra schnitzel to the platter are TOTALLY ignored. How hypocritical!

AIG's excuse is that their employee contracts require these bonus payments. That's for the lawyers representing AIG, the employees and the Dept. of Justice to sort out and verify. If true, and the Administration tries to impound those bonuses, then then taxpayer is going to get stuck with the very high cost of of the government's involvement in significant litigation at the minimum, and if the employees win, then the taxpayer will get tagged with everyone's legal fees as well (check the Equal Access to Justice Act). If the Administration settles the matter outside of litigation, again, the taxpayer is stuck with the cost of the settlement. The constant theme is - the taxpayer pays....

All of this obfuscates the several servings of roast taxpayer (a.k.a. "pork") within the stimulus legislation and redirects the press and public knowledge from what is going on between the K Street lobbyists and Congress with the bulwark of our money.

This is the old con-man's trick of redirecting the attention of the mark while the pea is slipped out from under the cup and into the hand.

[Guest]

Timothy Geithner, you remember him - the guy we just couldn't do without !
Geithner was the architect of the $85B AIG bailout AND added $30B on top of that after AIG reported 4th quarter losses.

Christopher Dodd is the largest recipient of AIG donations and now is trying to tax those retention payments (bonuses). Here's why I call this guy hypocrite in chief -- Dodd inserted an amendment that provided for these bonuses in the porkulus bill last month. The amendment was put in as an exception for AIG contractually obligated bonuses agreed upon before February 11, 2009.

So now you can see the hypocrisy here. This indignation is all a ruse to divert attention away from the debacle this administration has become in less than 2 months.

Someone said here that they couldn't wait until this administration is over in 4 years. I assert that there will be so much damage with illegal immigration amnesty, socialized medicine, more left leaning re-write the Constitution Supreme Court judges, and suicidal foreign policy that we may not recover even after throwing the bums out. Just this morning I am hearing the many pension plans that most of us are drawing from will be in trouble. Bailouts, rescues, whatever you want to call them are detrimental to our economic health. Living without our means as individuals and as a collective Republic should be the standard.

I didn't vote for Obama but that doesn't give me much comfort now anyway. He cannot succeed on this track and I don't believe he's as smart as many think. He has surrounded himself with poor choices in his cabinet, appointing 'czars' and seems only to be able to give speeches using his 7x24 teleprompter. Not good folks.

[Guest]

If so then why are the rich getting theirs first and with many more zeros than most of us would get even if we added all ours together

They are talking millions/billions/trillions and the man gets up to tell us...we the people....when our $500 check will be in the mail:1rotfl::1rotfl:

I just wish there was an icon for pathetically funny!!!!!!!!

BTK

[Guest]

If so then why are the rich getting theirs first and with many more zeros than most of us would get even if we added all ours together

They are talking millions/billions/trillions and the man gets up to tell us...we the people....when our $500 check will be in the mail:1rotfl::1rotfl:

I just wish there was an icon for pathetically funny!!!!!!!!

BTK
They (our elected officials) tell us that on the all-too-often-proved-true pretext that we are too stupid to remember any of this come election time, and that if we don't re-elect them, then we won't get our share of the pork because a new guy is not as skilled at greed than a "seasoned" representative or senator.

We get what we elect....

[Guest]

I think this is a lot of smoke. It is not brain surgery. Although the numbers make me a bit dizzy. I have been involved in several "Takeovers." I saw the end coming and would have bailed except for a retention agreement. They wanted me around during the transition because of what they thought I knew. I did know quite a bit. My retention bonus? It was never more than 25k. I wish it was more.:sigh:

These people were deemed important. Perhaps you don't agree but that doesn't make much difference. If prior to all of the problems, the recipients were earning Salary and bonuses in the million dollar range then million dollar retention agreements were not out of line. If however, these people were earning 50K and got millions for retention I would smell a rat. I'd bet that this is not the case.

Either way, they had contracts. Contracts and agreements are sacred in America. Barney Frank et al know this. They are not stupid or uneducated people. That's why I believe that this is being used as a smoke screen to take our focus of or more important issues.

Just my opinion

Yoda

[Guest]

I think this is a lot of smoke. It is not brain surgery. Although the numbers make me a bit dizzy. I have been involved in several "Takeovers." I saw the end coming and would have bailed except for a retention agreement. They wanted me around during the transition because of what they thought I knew. I did know quite a bit. My retention bonus? It was never more than 25k. I wish it was more.:sigh:

These people were deemed important. Perhaps you don't agree but that doesn't make much difference. If prior to all of the problems, the recipients were earning Salary and bonuses in the million dollar range then million dollar retention agreements were not out of line. If however, these people were earning 50K and got millions for retention I would smell a rat. I'd bet that this is not the case.

Either way, they had contracts. Contracts and agreements are sacred in America. Barney Frank et al know this. They are not stupid or uneducated people. That's why I believe that this is being used as a smoke screen to take our focus of or more important issues.

Just my opinion

Yoda


I think you are correct !!!!

At one end this administration and congress are taking over business's.....they are/have added "small print" language to the states stimulus money to obligate them to the Federal govt for some time..... And on the other.....they are having groups like ACORN help with the census....MOVEON is spending millions and millions simply to help the President sell his budget...already have begun campaign money raising....groups are already being organized to insure that the control over voters is there !

Our federal government will control so much and those who are being "protected" by the government using the census and groups like ACORN will vote one way only...while those who cannot win the vote will pay the bills !!!!

Dont listen to what he says...watch what he is doing !!

[Guest]

May I quote you?

"Don't listen to what he says...watch what he is doing !!"

Yoda