Tuesday, March 17, 2009

Outrage!

No other class of people is better at feigning righteous indignation than the political class.

When insurance giant AIG was given "Too Big To Fail" status, they also got a check for $170 billion, written on the account of the American taxpayer.
They then decided to reward themselves, in perfect object-lesson style, for failing.
To the tune of $165 million in bonuses.

Well, those DC profligates, who signed the check, weren't going to let this kind of thing pass without jumping on the livid bandwagon.
To wit:
"Recipients of these bonuses will not be able to keep all of their money," declared Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid.
"If you don't return it on your own, we will do it for you," said Chuck Schumer of New York.
"They're not going to get the financial benefit of those bonuses," said Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus, D-Mont.
"One way or another, we're going to try to figure out how to get these resources back," said Christopher Dodd, D-Conn., the panel's chairman.
Sen. Jon Tester, D-Mont., said AIG executives "need to understand that the only reason they even have a job is because of the taxpayers."
Senator Grassley even went so far as to suggest that they either give the money or kill themselves.
Evidentally he feels the best way to recoup the money is through double taxation of the bonuses, first as income, then as inheritance.

Let's be clear.
It was these same politicians who gave AIG our money.
AIG should never have had the money to begin with.

Don't hate AIG.
Hate the politicians who voted in favor of giving them the money in the first place.

Don't let them fool you, as they hope to do, into believing they aren't the real villians in this piece.

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