Another bad business deal for Citigroup and AIG?

Give me a break come bail out a poor middle class person like my self

1.43 for gas here in Colorado Springs! Not sure where to post this but thought you might like to know....

Hey, gas seekers (gasoline, that is!) – COME TO KANSAS CITY MISSOURI. We pay $1.42 a gallon – almost everywhere. We've got lots of it.

We cannot get this country back on track unless we start investing in it but how can you get anyone to want to invest when the companys waste the money on sports figures, partys and golden umbrellas for CEO's. If I have to cut back to the bone just to survive why should I even think of investing in these wastefull companys

Citicorp and AIG are no better then the Auto companies. Why should we bail any of them out. I pay my mortege and bills on time every month, pay off the credit cards on time and still get the short end of the stick. I think it's time to let these companies fall on there own and come back stronger then ever with out the bailout help.

The Federal Government should give every head of household tax payer 5000. and joint tax payer 7000.00. If the Federal Government really want to help the mainstream this will help every taxpayer. With the Government Bailing out the Auto Industry's and Citi Bank this will not help mainstream, these Corporate Companies are asking for A-1 credit. The average blue collar worker credit scores are now below 600, with so many jobs lost almost everyone's credit is down hill so tell the Government to give us a real helping hand and stop giving BILLIONS TO THESE CORP COMPANY'S.......BJ

I have been listening alot to all this financial info. Lots of excuses.
Capitalism is failing. Guess this is the correction everyone was looking for. But it wont work if you dont let it run its coarse. Sure big money has lost BIG MONEY. These excecutives are not taking a big enough burn, if the company fails so should its leaders. Save the company and its workers, but clean out the board room they obviously have not done the job they needed to.

Whoever okay the money for AIG, should be asked to resign.
They should be held accountable as well as the executives at AIG.
Where was their plan that resemblies cost cutting like the Big 3 have to have.
Why is it the AIG executives were not ask to take a salary of $1.00 like the CEO of the Automakers? Or give up their Health Insurance like the hourly workers at the Big 3?

Jackie Janousek
Michigan

Can't our generous congressional wizards in Washington figure out that the bailout money for these finanical leeches is not being used for bailout purposes! If I as a tax payer can sit here and see that my money is not being used to financially strengthen there position but used for advertising, expensive conferences, executive bonuses, why can't they? Why not retrieve the same amount of money they use for excessive spending that does not go directly to the bailout purpose. Why is that so difficult? Just like the auto companies. They can have $25 Billion when the top three executives are released, the Union contracts are renegoiated to reasonable wages and benefits, and a action plan to make them profitable. If we bail them out now without any stipulations or commitments you can bet they will be back within 6 months.

A billion dollars a day in Iraq and Afghanistan, 700 billion for the banks, 25 billion for the auto industry. Where does it end? Doesn't Congress know that the USA is $5 trillion in debt? When they print more money, they devalue our currency making the economy fall. Why do we elect people to Congress when they don't listen to the people?

Robin,

I am so upset with Citibank! My credit card APR was raised from 8.9% to 14.9% for no reason. I have been a loyal customer with an excellent credit record for 20 years now. I have a balance of under $1k and my account is in excellent standing.
I tried calling them to talk about how unfair this is, but they wouldn't do anything. Is there anything else I can do?
Please advise.

Francisco Pagan
Chicago

ps- I love your morning show...you are a bright sunshine in the morning.

Do the idiots in Washington know that CITIgroup is wasting money in this fashion? I can't believe that they give citi all that money and not help the people who depend upon the car manufacturers for jobs. Something is wrong with this. Maybe if the employs at CITI were union they wouldn't get the money either.

Keith

You asked if anyone has a problem with this. My problem is with a government that would even consider loaning this kind of money without some kind of controls attached to it. Sponsoring a stadium or a sports team???? Absolutely NOT!!!

(continued)...

If I managed my finances in such a flagrant wasteful fashion
I'm sure one of the big money mongers would not
give it a second thought about throwing me and my family
on the street if we couldn't pay our mortgage.
Why don't they throw the money to those people who are
on the streets and use that to promote their business.

It is safe for me to assume AIG did not have to come up with a RESTUCTURING PLAN, like the Big 3 has to do. Spending money is no option for AIG when it comes to spreading it around.
The Big 3 has already opened contracts with UAW and have several plans aready in PROGRESS to cut wages and benefits. Once again the workers and blue collar need to scrimp on everyday items, like food and housing.

Jackie Janousek

People across the US need to ask for Chris Cox to resign, he is
getting his pay check, dividends and bonus, while others are getting deeper and deeper in the whole partically because of bad investors practices.

I can't believe our government Officials allow this to go on and repeatedly give AIG money. The bail out funds were approved to help the citizens of the USA. Not just save Corporate America. Everyone needs to be looking at the folks running the SAFE Foundation and their solution the Great American Home Giveaway. They are helping American Citizens and Our Nations economy simultaneously. Paulsin should be spreading a few bucks their way because their solution works.

TOO MUCH CAN CREATE OVERWHELMENT

I can understand that they want to move forward with their PR and community relations plans but at $20 M per year for 20 years? That's insane. Their leadership SHOULD have the capacity to understand that using tax payer funding to underwrite, basically, a promotion for 20 years is ridiculous. There are people busting their ass just to make ends meet and getting laid off right and left but yet their tax dollars, and mine, will provide one helluva promotion for the company. Yee-haw! Where is the humility? Where is the humble appreciation for the poor slob (myself included) that paid for that fancy advertising on the side of a stadium? For the most part, these companies are so layered with “management teams”, each person fighting for his/her own agenda, to climb the ladder, they can barely see beyond their cufflinks. Look, I’m not against making money in a robust economy but to rape and pillage the American tax payer? It makes me sick.

I think that these companies shouldn't be spending this money on sports. I don't think the Mets are going to better if they have the Citigroup sponsership or not. AIG also should't be spending money overseas on soccer either. If you want to save your buisness, I don't think sports is the way to go.

If the public were to discover the truth of the atrocities being performed in the name of freedom under the duress of the people in our great nation, there would be a revolution by morning.

Where did my piece of the American pie go?

Oh, I forgot the government gave it to the banks and big businesses.

if you find any can you send it back my way I sure could use it now.

There's is something terribly wrong, here, but it started roughly twenty years ago. Trade agreements have dismantled America, deficit spending has dismantled America. Our own elected leaders have been currupted by lobbyists and greedy Big Business. It's almost as if they all have their heads in the sand! Or, has it been a plan to gradually dismantle the once envied Giant of the world. Whether a plan or utter stupidity, reality is the ship is sinking so let a person of color be the Captain. What devious Evil!

These deals are just further insults to the people who built these companies. Citigroup wasted our money when we banked with them and then took our money by getting a multi-billion dollar bailout at our expense. A hotdog at Citibank Stadium will taste alot like ashes in our mouths from the money they have burned. Won't that be great for marketing?

And to pay for Citigroup's financial decisions, it is not only receiving taxpayer monies from the feds, it is raising interest rates on card members. I received a Notice of Change in Terms yesterday - a hike in my interest rate from 7.74% to 14.99%. I told them to take their card and ...you probably know the rest!

i'll wear an aig logo on my apron for $2000, per year

UN freakin BELIEVABLE... The nerve of these people... The government (taxpayers) need to take the money back if they do this...

This is sickening. Why can't they give the money to tax payers. I agree with the New York lawmakers who said the stadium should be renamed Citi/Taxpayer Field!!!

Yeah, this seems a little ridiculous to me. Where is our public outcry? Hmmm. I'm not sure how many of my tax dollars are going to A.I.G. in the effort of self promotion but... .... I want those dollars back.

Dude, Where's My Congress?

And we're surprised? It should be properly titled "Citizens/Citi Stadium".

Dear Rafer:
Do you really think it would make more sense to call Shea Stadium
"IBM Park" or "AT&T Arena?". Those companies, still on the DJIA 30 industrials, do not even actually exist any more, to my knowledge, other than as a nonentity federal subcontractor and minor cell phone retailer. At least Citigroup has some actual assets...as for its 300 billion dollars in outstanding bad loans, well, I would note that it is also still paying a divident this quarter, although I think the latest Treasury deal puts a cap on that as well. Has Microsoft (how many teams does Paul Allen own right now?) ever paid a dividend?
Another thought would be to call Shea "Google Park", there...remember when Google stock was the hot buy on the street, two years ago, before it tanked? Even so, apparently the kids that sold all the stock are worth a few billion or so, according to Forbes, anyway. Then again, New York's mayor is still claiming over 10 billion in assets...how borrowing the 400 million from him, and calling it
"The Bloomberg Sports Center", or something?
Just giving your blog some thought, here, thanks for the transmission.
James Carrow

When is all this bs gonna stop. They are robbing us blind and there is nothing we can do about it. The economy would would fair better if they would just give the money back to the tax payers instead ot these big corporations like AIG and citigroup. Just help the pedple that are struggling harder and harder everday us little people.

I can't believe our leaders are rewarding business's that continues to make business decisions that are not decisions that a company that is getting welfare from our tax dollars should make. I haven't done those things in my business and because of big banks I can't get loans for my home buyers. I am on the verge of filing chapter 11 because of the big banks screw up. I have employees I'm going to have lay off but because I'm not big I get discriminated against. I would rather the government give the money to the nations poor and let them jump start us since its not theuir fault we are in this shape. Thanks for letting vent Robin

Congress is no longer representative of the people. It is made up of wealthy self-promoting business representatives who protect business interests at the expense of the common people.

Conditions are never set when they dole out American money; it is a sham to say they are looking out for the American taxpayer. They are looking out for themselves and business interests that will support them.

Citi and AIG arrogance is commonplace in the corporate world. This is why the monopoly structure of American businesses (now global) should be downsized and limited in scope, forcing them to return to providing service and value to the American consumer. Right now they are getting a free lunch and we don't have many other options.

Henry Diaz

Bad habits are hard to break.

Citigroup is out of its frickin' mind!

They want a bailout from American taxpayers, then turn around and want to spend $20 million a year for the next 20 years for naming rights for the new Mets stadium!

Doesn't our Government have veto power over Citigroup expenditures?

If Citigroup really wants naming rights for the Mets stadium, let its executives and employees take it out of their salaries and bonuses, not out of ours!

What can we do? It's terrifying and sickening to have to watch helplessly while our hard earned dollars and security are thrown down a rat hole. What's wrong with our government. They've lost their collective minds and we will pay for generations! Something needs to happen to jolt them back into reality. Waiting for elections will be too late!

Thanx for keeping the stories of mismanagement of bailouts on the front burner. I believe, like many, that the bailouts are not correcting the problem, just letting mismanagement of the companies continue. However, since there are bailouts, hope you can still keep their accountability (??) to the forefront. Isn't there a "watchdog" committee somewhere for this?

You are a welcome a.m. sight! Always glad to see you!
g

This story calls for the WALL STREET POLKA from L.A. punk band CUBICLE!

Yes I truly agree with the mets being ok without the taxpayers money. I also they the focus should be on people jobs and not seeing some big company name on a baseball team jersey.

thank you

I am in total agreement with Tina..11/25....it would seem that these board of directors have learned NOTHING from Sept. 20 and have agreed to fleece our tax dollars for their own personal agendas. There is something very sinister about corporate policies these days...as though they are truly EVIL...to give this info to the media is saying "we can do whatever the #%&$ we want and you, the public have no say".... where does it end?..."W" Bush acts like the captain of the Titanic, ie. saving the rich and allowing everyone else to drown with this sinking capitalist ship.... Mr. Obama shall have to face the lobby for this corporate evil...which would prefer that policies remain as "status quo".....

I want to know...if Citigroup is receiving 700 billion of taxpayer dollars to be "bailed-out" then why are they raising their credit card interest rates over 10% across the board and making it more difficult for those already struggling to pay their bills – they're just shooting themselves in the foot. Wouldn't that 400 million for the Mets stadium be better spent taking care of their ailing business rather than shafting the middle-class? How much longer are we supposed to take the 'Bush + big business' reaming that we're getting?

It's outrageous, that we actually have no say in what the government does with our money. All we can do is listen to news casts telling us what the government's done, and nothing about how their addressing our concerns with the way these companies are spending our money.
When are we going to "WAKE UP".......We're being robbed....by our own country no less!

It goes and shows that these two companies don't give a hoot about it's employees and the taxpayers or even their policy holders. What this is showing is the complete disreguard for the trouble they found themselves in. All what the CEO's and upper executives want to keep is their high living. They have the gall to say we know what you are going through. We're going though it too. BULL! Millions of dollars in pay. How about they work for minimum wages and get NO bonuses at all? Then maybe, just maybe they might know what the rest of us are going through.

Since they want to throw millions of dollars out for naming rights on a stadium and have a name on a jersey. Throw those millions my way because I really need to get out of major debt and to be able to restructure my entire life.

I think it's crazy for company's like Citicorp and AIG to be allowed to stay in business or at least gov should take the over and reduce the amount of money they are spending out on stupid crap. Laying people off and spending 400 million on a team is crazy. It just goes to show that those employees that made it even possible for a company to get as big as these companies are the ones that pay the price in the end.

The goverement will help multi million dollar companys but they for get if the middle class blue collar working men and women in this country would stop wprking for 3 days i mean truck drivers,teachers ,the people on the bottom of the country the country would shut down .
We are the people who run this country but some of us has for got that .if people want the us goverment to help us lets stand up for our rights and do something about it

This is getting way out of hand!!! These men need to be stopped...By any means required!!!
Just like the boneheads at the big 3....saying they will take $1 a year for pay......EVERYONE KNOWS THEIR REAL PAY IS IN THEIR BONUS....If they agree to end bonuses, that would be impressive....Cutting pay to $1 is just a marketing ploy to get their greedy hands on our money

Here is a idea from a blue collar worker with a 10 th grade education.Lower mortgage rates to 4% fixed.People would have a lower house payment and would have more money in their budget to get back on track.I think that all americans should go on strike. Tell all lenders we are not going to send any payments until they take care of the people.

I think the 400 million committment to the Mets is outrageous. Too much excess on part of the bank all adds up. Someone like a new management team should take a hacket to their expenses and have them get down to business. 50k lost their jobs and so should the BOD. Last but not least, when the Citi lends money to a weaker borrower they impose "restrictive covenants" without fail.. Thats exactly what our gov't should have done )impose lots of covenants to the bailout, like new BOD, withdraw 400m expenditure for Mets, and fly coach for executives and so on and so forth.

Citigroup has its head up its you know what. What marketing guru decided this is money well spent? The average Joe that rides the subway to see the Mets could give a rats ass what the name of the stadium is. There must be plenty of perks for someone? Box seats, luxury boxes and the like, fire them all.

About this bail out, I think I will file with the government and only ask for 1 million dollars to pay off my house, car, taxes, insurances and whatever else I can spend it on.
Thanks,
Barb

Hey, I work for the auto industry. Yes, management has made many a blunder, But did anyone see congress railing the bankers for getting all of our tax dollars? The big 3 has been giving Americans jobs for 100 years, helped win both world wars, and we get treated like this. Shame on those hippocrites in washington, only looking out for banks. America was the manufacturing capitol of the world, and our government sold us citizens out.

I recevied a letter today from CITI and it said that we could "opt out" of a service that would more than double our rates. I have been a good customer for CITI, never been late on a payment and I have always had a good customer service to this point. I can not believe that a company would treat its customers with such disregard and expect us to pay for the mistakes of its CEO's. I would love to see what the CEO's of CITI are getting now (salary and extras) that would justify such an increase. I have kept my part of the deal with them and now they want to change the rules with no reason. The only thing I can see is greed, is this what the bail out was intended to do ? I will go out of my way to ensure that no one I know ever deals with them again. I will also contact my local goverment officials and BBB to inform them of their intent to defraud and steal from its customers.

We want the economy to turn around by helping these big corps but their putting the screws to us middle class by still living lavishly, laying off employees and spending the billions frivolously, they need to be held accountable right down to the last penny. If we eliminated all of the CEO's etc. the real workers could keep their jobs, pay their mortgages, etc. & America would prosper again, it's the board-room crowd that's draining & killing America. Give us little people the money and we'll pay our bills & spend money & make our country great again. Get RID of the so-called big shots.

Couldn't agree with you more Rafer. The very least they could do is give us taxpayers tickets to the games. Hey – maybe they could even take turns flying us there in their coporate jets...

If AIG is spending 400 billion dollars on the naming right for the Met stadium name then our stupid Goverment needs to get the money back that was given to them. And AIG needs to stop spending money on the expensive retreats. What is this world coming too. Give to the rich and keep the poor poor.

Where do I get in line for my Free hand out? Where is the oversight? Why is that these major corporations get the free hand outs with no restrictions or limitations. To see thousands of people out of work and unable to pay their bills or even put food on the table is unacceptable!!!

We all understand the need to keep these corporations going, but when are we going to put a stop to this mismanagement. The problem is with the greed and corruption of our corprate management teams. They only focus on this month and this quarter. What we need to do is change the corporate management structure and compensation not just give out monies. Until we make major changes in corporate compensation and incentives nothing is ever going to change

We need to help them fix this. Everyone should contact the Mets and inform them that if they accept and keep this contract with Citigroup, we the people, who apparently are the only ones with any sense, will boycott everything connected to the Mets! Home or away games, we will NOTsupport it! You have to hit people in the pocket book to get their attention. We've had our turn, now it should be their turn!

The priorities of our government and our banking industry have been absolutely upside down for quite some time. The $20 million a year pays for the naming rights, but I'm sure it also pays for a handful of luxury suites and admittance for playoff games. Having the name on the stadium doesn't help with marketing ($20 million a year would be more effectively spent on commercials and other advertisements), but it does help out executives show off their luxury suite to other executives.

I know these banking executives are laughing at the fact they have this country wrapped around their fingers.

I can't believe how taxpayers monies is being wasted to bailout big banks and coporations while citizens are losing everythang out here, families being put out of their homes. Im currently going to court because of an illegal repossession of an auto from one of the banks, and I have always been blessed enough to pay my bill on time. These banks and corporations that are recieving our money wont help the citizens of this country. We are being taking for fools!!!!!!!!!

I agree. Why does AIG need to advertise with a sports team? They have had all of the advertisement that they could get over the bailout! I have my life insurance tied up with AIG. If I had known 20 years ago that the money that I pay was going to go to a sports team, I would have bought a share or two of the Chicago Cubs. That is a about what it amounts to. I don't know who the Manchester United is, or could care less. All I care about is the security of my family should something happen to me. With that security in jeopardy, why should AIG be throwing my insurance premiums at a sport that no one in America watches anyway. These large companies who think that an arena named after them, or a logo worn by players, need to get a grip on reality. They get most of their business from telemarketers that constantly harass people for their money...and most of those calls are from India. My retirement has gone to hell over the econimic crisis, and what little I have left, I have redirected into Global Communications Funds. Citi and Aig still need phones, and I am sure that they have plenty of them. Every player on the Manchester whatever will need one, and I will at least have a piece of that action. The people of the United States need to buck up, and BUY AMERICAN. The UAW and the steel workers made our country what it is today. Trash Walmart, Kmart, and everyone else who sells imported goods. Let's look out for the store on the corner that is owned by one of our citizens, and sells American made goods perhaps produced in Detroit or Pittsburgh. Let's look out for ourselves for a change.

I absolutely agree with Bob Van Dillen. This is just too much. Beggers can't be choosers. Obviously, the greedy,arrogant and outright malicious CEOs and other upper management thieves of these co. can't understand that rank and file employees also have lives and families to look after. It's just unbelievable that the Congress throws billions at the feet of these incompetent, rogue people. This is hard earned money of the taxpayers, who are being laid off, ruining their lives and careers, just to feed the ill-will of the management of these COs. This is nothing but irresponsible,almost illegal behavior of these corp.'s management. The people need to wake up and demand answers from not only the management but the Congress, as well.

thats america

We are bailing out companies that have ceo's collecting paychecks and bonuses that now the taxpayers are paying...and the automakers will be back for more if the Buko Bucks they spend in advertising doesn't convince the public to buy the overpriced and inferior products that they are selling. At least the monies they spent supporting lawmakers is paying off. Bailing out companies that are spending money for naming rights and lobbying politicians with taxpayers money is unacceptable. How about AIG having another party on the taxpayer....why is an insurance company the first one to need a bailout ? where is their thousands of employees layoff threat and where does the taxpayer benefit from their bailout, the automakers are a real bargain compared to this. Form a line CORPORATE AMERICA...FIRST COME, FIRST BAILOUT...

I have a great idea! Tell them to quite sending out the endless paper supply of household crap to save some bucks! I mean come on Citigroup...you send so much literature out it is ridiculous not to mention costly to your company and our enviornment! AIG – take notes! I don't see anyone helping our middle class in the upper peninsula of Michigan where our resources of help are limited and many cut due to budget restrictions. I think Obama would benefit from a panel of every day people from various areas of the U.S....not just the big city focus. Why is it that those of us who live paycheck to paycheck can see the endless waste of money in these corporations but yet the supposedly "well educated" CEO's, consultants and advisors don't have a clue!

Well, this all goes back to what my Daddy told me as a boy. Thr Republicans are for the Rich. Lately, that phrase is ringing in my head. We are all stuck with no say in a goverment for the rich by the rich. Look at it like this: If my wife and I we're ready to go Chapter 11 and lose our house and I went to a family member for a "bridge" loan or an outright bailout to save my house, family..etc, and that family member floated me $50,000 and spent the money on a new wardrobe, and new car a Harley Davidson and small paddle boat. How would they feel for lending me that money? THATS WHAT"S HAPPENING! We cant do SH*T about it, cause we have no say at all. Sure we can vote, but does that really count anymore. Its more lke a suggestion than a vote. Im glad Obama got in and that the electors at least voted smart for once.

If they just gave us all $100,000. Each head of house hold, that is. Then we would revive this economy better than than any plan that is out there, and definately better than what's happening now. Cant you see the line forming all the way from DC to Florida with companies and city government swith their gfreedy filthy hands out saying GIMME GIMME!@!@ I NEED I NEED!

Im hating what's going on, its very disheartening!

UGH

Court order them to give the money back or put just as much into bailing out some of the middle class, that are loosing their homes.

j ust show's how smart our gov. is.

No more money for Wall St., not one red cent, until they pull their heads out from where the sun don't shine.

Have heard first hand how AIG spends money like water and the laughs and fun they are having; racing boats just for one and what about the accidents involved and the lawsuits!

Seems that the taxpayers, the middleclass, are the one ultimately "paying" for the greedy bunches out there! And to be passive at this time in history is "morally wrong"!

Fanny & Freddie another "bunch of crooks"...

There should be a freeze on all bonus money, the CEO's never did there job as never did the "so called" late KEN LAY; A joke. And the GM (former CEO of Home Depot)... a joke and we all buy it, and humbly work on, trying to make it! This has to end and there should be a ceiling on all the salaries of the so called CEO's and management of these companies.

Questions should be asked and the companies should ALL BE MONITORED, records open, and the BAILOUTS NEED TO STOP!
GREED is the monster! What ever happened to having our needs sufficiently met!

Ask the questions! Getting back to AIG; first hand many know how AIG spent money, and laughed all the way. This should be brought out in the news media. Ask AIG about the boat racing accidents! The deaths while onlookers were out for fun too but witnessed more in horror! Yes all in the name of "fun"! And just who paid for all this???? The money spent was to be used to keep business going, not for the greedy boys who were supposed to be men, taking responsibility! What a big mess!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

jnl

And once again I'll take it back to where & what people had said when this all came to light. Bail out the American People and in doing so you free up cash and create the ability for people to have finaces available to spend.

AIG after it was first agreed upon to bail em out blew 400,000.00 on a spaw & luxury treatment. I don't really care about who paid for it. sponsors or other wise it still came down to a hard fast kick in the teeth to the American tax payers. And still we gave them more money. And to top it off they get an American tax payers bail out and dump all that money into a team that is over seas? Why didn't someone over there bail them out.??

Citigroup.. Shame on them what good is the bail out going to do them if the American people begin a boy cott on them. The stadium would have to find a new sponsor at that point iin time. What's more important Having your Business or your name on the top of a stadium??

As for the major 3 Dealers. I would hate to see them go out of Business however there plan is a band-aide in the color of money. It's a little to nothing patch on the problem. I own a F-150, I'm married with a wife & 4 step kids. My family & my wifes family are 800 miles from us. At any price the cost of gas makes it hard to see them. I talk to my mom regularly but have not seen her in some three years. What they ask for is of NO meaning if the American People do not have the money to spend on a new Vehicule. I know I can't.. Is Ford going to come to me and say hey lets get rid of your gas hog. Here's a Hy-brid we'll trade you for that F-150.. We all know that will never happen.

Naptha screwed up when it allowed American Industry out of the country and did not set restriction upon import and savings through selling prices to the American people. And we all know or should know when you set up a Business in say China. There is to be NO debt on the equipment when it reaches their shores and ones it is off loaded it is then the property of the Republic of China. You can not take it with you when you leave. And one American company I know of brings one of their products into this country packaged and ready to put on shelves. And still has the nerve to lead the Amrican people on by bringing it into this country stamped Made in the USA.

Guess what people were are our own worse enemy.

It makes me sick to my stomach that my tax dollars fund these high rolling fat cats that have been coughing our eyes out for years.Where's my bailout ?

How many AIG or Citi bank executives die Congress ask if they were willing to work for a dollar a year or rake them over the coals for their transportation to Washington? For some reason the auto industry is the only one so far that has had to promise to make structural changes in their leadership. Does congress realize, especially the Republican ones, that there are so many other industries that supply the auto industry with parts and products? If the auto industry is made to file for bankruptcy our country is going to be in a real DEPRESSION!
My husband retired from General Motors after 30 years of service. Every contract that was negotiated by the UAW with GM contained some giving by the union members in order to keep their healthcare cost down and their own money going into their pension fund.
I always thought that if your company was losing money then NO ONE got a bonus, much less millions of dollars in bonuses. When GM did not have a good year we as hourly families did not get a bonus. We got a letter saying "good job but no bonus this year". The heads of all these companies must have graduated with very high marks if they can figure that someone at the top who is losing money for his company deserves a large, large, very large bonus.
I say restructure the leadership at the top of the auto companies but let's restructure the banking and insurance industries and even the congress that loses us trillions of dollars each year.

this going on and no help for carmakers.our government needs a major overhaul.how long are we going to let these oldtimers run our country into the ground with their way outdated ideas and beliefs?

You have got to be freaking kidding me. As the world around us suffers, jobs are being cut, company's are cutting back on spending so that they can preserve their jobs, these SOB's are taking our tax dollars so they can throw the money in the air. Take the money back and give it to a hard working middle class family struggling to make ends met. I say enough of the big bail outs, they got themselves in it, let them get themselves out. When a middle class family is struggling to make ends met or pay a doctor bill, I don't see anyone stepping in and giving them a million dollars to make their lives alittle eaiser. You CEO's, sale one or two of your six houses and one or two of your private jets and dig yourselves out of the hole.

I agree with BJ, give the money back to the taxpayers, let us mainstream the money, you know what 15 to 20 thousand would do for every tax payer.

Pull the money back, If they want to give taxpayer money away, Then they did not need to be bailed out in the first place, That money could have been used to retain jobs, If they do not want to use it for it`s intended purposes they need to go under, NOW!!!!!!!!!!!!

It is about time for us, the people, to meet in Washington with our pitch forks and hanging ropes. The Government is not baling out these poorly run companies we are. It is us, the middle class working group that are paying the bill. It is time we get fed up and start demanding that our Government listen to us.

Questionif I owe Citigroup 5000.00 dollars and Ipaid more than 5000.00dollars .does this mean that my note is paid in full? Rember this question.Jay R.

Instead of giving the banks and the auto industry and all these big wigs that spent all our money, more money. They should give us the people the money so we can pay our cars and houses off then the banks and the auto industry would be getting the money in the way they should be getting it and then we the people can get our stuff paid off, get out of debt and be able to start saving and taking care of our families without scrimping.

Correction for Joan LaGrega comment. After Nardelli (sp) tried to put Home Depot into the tank, and the Board of Directors (read Directors as IDIOTS) gave him a PLATINUM parachute, the board of IDIOTS at Chrysler ( or was it Cereberus) decided to see how long it would take him to destroy Chrysler.

On another note. The leadership of the Senate Republicans has apparently forgotten that we currently have military personnel in Iraq and Afghanistan where terrorists are trying to kill them. As Chrysler, Ford and GM (and their thousands of parts suppliers) provide major amounts of military equipment, and repair parts, shutting these major manufacturers can be viewed as aiding and abetting the enemy. Isn't this considered TREASON?

I truly cannot belive that CitiGroup and AIG have received such a large percentage of the $700 Billion bailout plan without any type of oversight. Yet for auotmakers they must justify every cent and receive a CZAR to oversee the "LOAN". Citigroup and AIG shoud have their executives receive $1 compensation and oversight into these large expenditures. They should have every transaction scrutinized just like any business being audited.

If I need a bailout who do I need to go and see...Our government is doing worst then ever bailing out one after the another. I persoanlly thing $400 million and $125 million for sponsor the sport team is out of wack. We can use that money to invest in something or hire the employee who have lost their jobs. There should be a salary cap on all the CEO and top officials of the company. I can go on and on but some serious actions are to be taken by the congress.

They should have to give back the money.
Where are the over sight officer????????
The Gov. let the big companies do what they want

No...this sort of "marketing" is in fact nothing more than an ego stroke for the company and probably does not work.
While it probably does guarantee good seats at every ball game for bosses and some perks for their employees, if my gut feeling is right, the public finds this sort of thing unnecessary, in poor taste and wasteful. When a company needs to put their name on a stadium in order for them to support a cause such as a college, they have forgotten the meaning of being"public spirited"! When they buy a professional ball team a new stadium as part of an advertising ploy they have forgotten that the public is not stupid. In both casing I find it offensive and crass.

They are now "public employees" and they need to get used to it. http://www.typepad.com/site/blogs/6a010534a77e35970c010534a77e39970c/post/6a010534a77e35970c01053660becc970b/edit

b

Face it we were duped one final time by the Bush admin., namely by Paulson! First it was to go to the real cause of the problem: helping homeowners with their mortgages. Obvious bait & switch. What needs to happen now is that the 2nd half needs to go entirely to the homeowners. Once they are stabilized then money will begin to flow from the right direction again.

(Richardlew here Rafer) I really enjoy you all there at the Morning Express, Bob and you are like my younger brothers when they get together. Robin is the one that starts most of the things happening there, I have been watching CNN when it was CNN2 since 1982 when it first starte, NOW i really enjoy getting up in the morning watching the news, be it bad or good you all put your feelings into what you do and that is much more then any other news program does. TO bad that Glen Beck is back, he should of stayed at FOX news, but that is just me, i really don't like people that put people down all the thime. Jennifer has changed a great deal since she started, Bob to with this Chat room now we all get to see and hear for you all, are reg. people, I see that Bob really doesn't like people talking about him but he will just have to ignore them. You rafer just take it on the chin and go on. I not saying Bob doesn't but heck hes from NJ ha! well my friend you take it easy, and keep the peace.
Richardlew

Citigroup holds the mortgage on my house that is now dropped in value by 93K and its value is 60K less then what i owe. My wife lost her job i cant make the payment, they are debating weather to allow me a short sell or to forclose and come after me.
They took the bail out money and did nothing to help people in the same situation i am in.
They stold the money and now are going to destroy my potential to get a loan in the future, that in turn will bog down the economy. These folks are the worst kind of criminals.....