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After Bailout - Let the Good Times Roll at Taxpayers' Expense!
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For AIG executives, happy days are here again! Here is some of what taxpayers' bailout money bought.
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WashingtonPost.com
October 7, 2008
After Bailout, AIG Executives Head to Resort
Less than a week after the federal government offered an $85 billion bailout to insurance giant, AIG, the company held a week-long retreat for its executives at the luxury St. Regis Resort in Monarch Beach, Calif., running up a tab of $440,000, Rep. Henry Waxman (D-Calif.) said today at the the opening of a House committee hearing about the near-failure of the insurance giant.
Showing a photograph of the resort, Waxman said the executives spent $200,000 for rooms, $150,000 for meals and $23,000 for the spa.
"Less than a week after the taxpayers rescued AIG, company executives could be found wining and dining at one of the most exclusive resorts in the nation," Waxman said. "We will ask whether any of this makes sense. " See full article at this link:
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/livecoverage/2008/10/after_bailout_aig_executives_h.html?nav=rss_email/components
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When elected officials speak of reducing the country's financial burden, they usually discuss cutting social programs, such as entitlement programs that benefit distressed families, including children living in impovished circumstances, college students, and the working poor. However, it appears that the collective budgets for all such programs do not compete with the nation's revenue spent in repeated bailouts for Big Business.
Corporate welfare is generally excused from conversations about cuts in federal funding, because getting a free ride is apparently acceptable for the FAT CATS.
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FOR COMPARISON PURPOSES, HERE IS ANOTHER NEWS STORY
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Distraught man who could not find work killed 5 family members and himself
Oct. 7, 2008
LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) -- A man distraught because he could not find work shot and killed his mother-in-law, his wife and three sons and then killed himself inside a home in an upscale San Fernando Valley neighborhood, police said.
Authorities said the man had an MBA in finance but appeared to have been unemployed for several months and had worked for major accounting firms, such as Price Waterhouse.
The two-story rented home is in a gated community in Porter Ranch, about 20 miles northwest of Los Angeles.
"The shootings were discovered after 8:20 a.m. Monday, after a neighbor called police to report that the wife had failed to pick her up to take her to her job at a pharmacy," Deputy Chief of Police Michel Moore said. (Full article at this link: http://www.cnn.com/2008/CRIME/10/06/california.murder.suicide/ )
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More from NowPublic.com on the AIG executives scandal
- After Bailout, AIG Execs Head to California Resort
- AIG after bailout scandal, executives party in California
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Mary Neal
< st1:PlaceName>Website: http://wrongfuldeathoflarryneal.com
Assistance to the Incarcerated Mentally Ill
Visit Online at: http://www.care2.com/c2c/group/AIMI
Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink?
When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee?
Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee?
And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me. ~ Matthew 25:37-40
October 7, 2008 at 04:30 pm by duo, 412 views, 3 comments





Most RecentMost Recommended Comments (3)
at 17:46 on October 7th, 2008
Well, what do you think, NowPublic members? Interesting how things are so different for the FAT CATS and regular folks around here. While AIG insurance executives are running up a 440,000 tab following their bailout, a distraunt California dad kills his family and himself over financial distress. Despite having a Masters degree, Humph!
Mary
- reply
Orionsbelt (not verified)at 09:10 on October 9th, 2008
This story is being reported in either a purposely deceptive manner or out of complete ignorance of the manner in which independent insurance agents are compensated by insurance carriers.
I work for a competetor of AIG so I have no interest in making them look good. However, the manner in which this story is being reported is very disturbiing.
The fact is that this conference is part of the way insurance companies pay independent brokers for the business they send to AIG. They choose compensation packages that involve lower commissions in exchange for participation in incentive programs that involve prizes and usually trips such as this for reaching certain preestablished sales goals. These conferences are then used as a reward (in many ways part of their salary) for the sales people and an opportunity for the carrier to maintain relationships with valuable agent brokers. I guarantee you that most of the AIG people at this conference were working, giving presentations, educating agents on their products, etc.
Cancelling this conference or moving it to Motel 6 with ham sandwiches would basically be telling the independent agents that AIG was no longer going to be paying them so take your business elsewhere. It would be the same as refusing to pay an outstanding earned commissions check.
You may not like the way the sales process works and the fact that independent brokers need to be incented to send their business your way but that is the way sales works.
at 14:19 on October 9th, 2008
You know what I thought about as I read your post? I thought about the folks complaining about a welfare child wearing Nike shoes.
That is all I could think of -- how people thought it was outrageous for a welfare recipient to have nice things.
AIG is a WELFARE RECIPIENT. And as far as I am concerned, they could stay home and eat peanut butter.
Mary