McCaskill: Taxpayer-funded CEO bonuses? No.

Ms. McCaskill, I'm with you, all the way. Having worked for one of the largest companies in the US, I know that most CEO's do not put in the day's work that I and my co-workers did. The CEO's of the bailed-out companies should be pinching every single penny, and not just the ones of their underlings. It should begin at the top. Period. AND the people under them (not supervisors), the ones compiling all those numbers for the CEO's to make decisions on, should not be affected. Those workers did not steer their company into financial ruin, the CEO's did. What kind of person could accept huge, or any, bonus under those circumstances?? They are the Ugly Americans that other countries ridicule the US about, that's what. They are arrogant, greedy, dishonest, and selfish. They should be ashamed of their behavior, but they are not. What is wrong with this picture?? Well, I am disgusted, and I hope Ms. McCaskill can put this wretched subject to bed. You go girl!!!!

CEO's should consider themselves lucky not to share the same fate as the French Aristocracy of 1789. They would certainly deserve it.
Of course Senator McCaskill is right.
The Republicans in Congress who disagree and who now call the House stimulus bill wasteful are just as big of "idiots" as the CEO's. Over the last eight years they have wasted over three trillion dollars on policies and programs that have directly led to our current economic woes. In doing so they have displayed the most cynical and partisan behavior possible. Now if they don't get their way they are threatening to pick up their marbles and go home. They still just don't get it.
Getting the economy going and funding it properly is more important then then the partisanship currently being displayed by Republicans who seem to only be interested in "Tax Cuts" for their rich and wasteful supporters such as "Idiot" CEO's.
Republicans and business leaders need to get on board or get out of the way.

How can these CEO's accept such huge salaries and bonuses when their companies are begging for taxpayer money?

I find this unconscionable.

What a bunch of crooks!
While our hours are cut at our jobs and we no longer get a bonus
because work is slow, they can accept that huge of a bonus!
How can they look at themselves in the mirror everyday, without
feeling like a jerk! Why is the economy in this mess? Because people like them are at the top of the ladder cheating the rest of us that have to do the work to keep their company going. They get the royal treatment & everyone else gets to worry how they will survive while our stocks have been cut in half. I'm talking less than $35,000. now.
Alot less than just 1 of their undeserved bonus's.

New American Business Standard

Having managed several different small business entities over the span of some 40 years in my working career I found a single core principle guided all things in business, “Business is Profit”. If you did not make a profit, you no longer had a business, period.

Now however I’ve learned in the 21st century there is a new standard for business. It starts with you must form a public corporation and issue stock and secure large sums of venture capital. You then formulate a plan carefully figuring out how much your top management can suck out of this company in the next five to seven years in salaries and bonuses while doling out meager dividends to stockholders.

Key to the success of this model is insuring your corporate board, you know the stockholders oversight on management, is loaded with individuals of like mind who will support the fraud upon stockholders, so long as the get their fair share. Of course these are the managers of other corporations drawing large salaries and bonuses from those organization.

And the final piece of this business model is the politician. You must insure you have enough politicians in your circle of “friends” that when you can no long fleece the public at large, they simply refuse to buy your stock, you can fleece them through the government.

The company is in bad shape? Then no bonus at all. You don't give bonuses to guys that did bad business. A bonus is for a job well done. Period.

god bless the senator. she said what the rest of the working class is thinking. she is more generous than i would be.the jug heads just don't get it do they?

In general, it is socialism to cap salaries & bonuses, but I think Sen. McCaskill is absolutely right that as long as these people are begging for money from my taxes–and increased interest rate!–they'd better limit themselves! I'd like to wallop them for thinking they "deserve it" when they are the ones who screwed things up. Most people get FIRED when they mess up their company's performance.

Jennifer,
With all of this bailout money being mismanaged and only being used to line the pockets of individuals who are running failing organizations when is the little man going to get a break. Why hasn’t H.R. 600 been fast tracked? For crying out loud it will boost home sales with ZERO taxpayer money. It will boost jobs, help eliminate the oversupply of homes on the market and put credit worthy people into sensible FHA backed loans. It will help boost the economy without the taxpayers help. This program was eliminated last October with another “stimulus” package and has done nothing but hurt the economy, eliminate jobs and add to the decline of homeownership.

Thank Goodness someone is telling it like it is. Thank you Claire. I'm from Missouri and I'm proud of you for not being afraid to stand up and shake your finger at anyone who dares to waste the taxpayer money in such a flagrant way. If the CEO's can't live on $400,000 a year, they need to take a look at their lifestyles. They should be a little humbled by the fact that the Government would rally behind their companies to help them out and be a little frugal with what they've been given.

Action time! Demand the return of the bonus money! Failed executives should not get paid while millions go unemployed. Write your senators, I made it easy here: http://www.returnthebonus.com
Template and link to email addresses provided.
Outraged!

Bailed-out CEOs shouldn't get any kind of bonus, but I suppose a $400,000 cap is a start. It's like this: are we bailing out troubled companies or are we bailing troubled CEOs out? The idea that my money I pay diligently to taxes going to those jokers, so they can fly on their fancy private jet, drinking their fancy wine, in the Ferrari or Jaguar, switchin' four lanes, with the top down screamin out, "Money ain't a thang," makes me want to throw shoes at people.

I'm down with Claire McCaskill. Give Claire a bonus instead.

Hey, love your segments! I was wondering just where the gov was planning on buying 8mil worth of green vehichals? Boy it better be the big 3, or i dont c how it will will help the economy?

So who's to blame? Seems to have started when money was made available for the asking with "no strings" attached. Shame on our nearsighted government for not consulting lawyers so that specific language could be written for conditions and accountabilities to accepting public tax dollars.
The banking industry made bad home and business loans and reaped high interest rates during the times when people were still making payments. Now when those payments cease to come in they cry "we're in trouble" and want to get tax dollars to shore up their companies "bottom line". The people in the banking industry know the difference when making good and bad loans but they took chances to show ever bigger profits. They are the ones that should suffer when things go bad, not the taxpayer.
CEO's that claim they will share the pain through reduced wages they earn when times are tough at their companies are the same ones that still get bonuses and company stock and get paid dividends on that stock
UNBELIEVABLE.

The CEO's and management higherups who's companys received our tax dollars in the form of the "bail out" should not only NOT recieve bonuses, they should be chopped, fired, layed off, let go. Period.

"McCaskill says she wants to cap the pay of bailed-out CEO’s at $400 thousand dollars a year – the same as the president’s salary, as long as they are taking taxpayer money."

Senator Claire McCaskill is right, Jennifer. If these CEO's can't live on that, tough!

Just unbelievable! Just astonishing! We´ve found out that the taxpayer money is to blame for the ´´idiot´´ people outrage. So, why not to praise those ones who don´t pay taxes? At least, they are not contributing to outraging us. That´s an inside- out do-or-die conclusion but whatelse to think about? Now,speaking more seriously, if there´s someone really responsible for that outrage they are categorically the governments themselves, not the big Wall Street firms or others. How much do those CEO´s deserve? Sorry Ms. McCaskill, but capped $400 thousand dollars a year is a goddamnedest high salary , besides, they don´t deserve any taxpayer money at all.

THESE PEOPLE WILL GO AS FAR AS WE LET THEM–THEY ARE USED TO S-– EVERYONE & TELLING LIES-IT IS OBVIOUS-THE PRESIDENT SHOULD STEP IN AND FORBID THIS–BONUSES GIVEN AFTER THE BAILOUT SHOULD BE RETURNED & NO FUTURE BONUSES UNTIL THE DEBT IS REPAID TO THE GOVERNMENT

If greedy corporations want a hand out after mismanaging long term financials then they should be allowed to fail and deal with the consequences. One should not be allowed to push for limited government intervention and regulation of corporations operating in the US, while at the same time asking for monetary assistance!

Senator Claire McCaskill is on the right track but does not go far enough.

I was, and still am, against any bailout for any corporation. The principle of capitalism is to succeeded and profit, failure to do so then the company goes under. While unions suck corporations from one end the CEOs suck them dry from the other. If people want their company to stay in business, and keep their jobs, then all should sacrifice. I do not see the government bailing out small business so why should we do it for major corporations that have, or at least once did, large assets.

If the government still wants to provide bailouts, CEOs should only receive the same amount as the lowest paid employee; no other perks and benefits. After all they are what caused the situation.

God Bless the Senator!!!! She has the courage to stand up and say that this is WRONG!!! How can tax payer money even be considered for any kind of bonus, hard working Americans work their entire lives and most don't come close to making the kind of money these CEO's make in a five year period. And then the CEO's earn bonus' for what being able to screw up their companies and talking the government into giving them a bail-out. To me that sounds more like a form of FRAUD or ROBBERY from the government and millions of this country!!!!! These bail outs are only helping the rich get richer and the poor stay poorer if used in this way.

Let's see... the Democratic banking regulators (Barney Frank) came up with mortgage rules that caused the banks that gave them to need loans. Now the government – after making the lending standards mistake – rushed to give the banks loans with our money without much thought about the terms... now the government wants to to back and dictate how much someone who took a loan can make...

If I was a CEO of one of these places and the government was dictating my salary and benefits, I'd declare bankruptcy and watch the economy go crash...

I think it is wonderful that our new pres is putting bonus caps on the coorperate monsters. It is so time for someone to look out for the MAJORITY of our nations people.

I worked for a fortune 500 company for many years. The high-end executives and CEO of that company couldn't even use their e-mail or a Blackberry properly (which of course the company furnished for them because they were "top-end" executives). These people walked away with millions at the end of the year with bonus checks, pay raises and stocks. The people that actually did all their work for them walked away with meager bonuses and insufficient pay increases. However, when in financial crisis, these are the people whose jobs get eliminated first. I am absolutely on board with capping executive pay and eliminating bonuses and pay raises for them. How about sending them to a computer learning center in addition to cutting their pay?

there should be no more bailouts period. we know what the money is going for. people are still losing their jobs and homes . while fancy trips are being planned for the ceos. give the people the bailout not the banks . i for one will pull out the little money i live on out of the bank. thse ceos are laughing in the face of the people

i think ceo's shouldn't get any bonus. they are the reason they need the buy out. my husband has been in and out of hospitals for last several years and he cant get social securit disability. they told him to get a lawyer. so the lawyer gets a 1/3...you have to love government.

Jennifer
I love this story and I also totally agree with Senator McCaskill regarding a cap for company leaders that have received taxpayer bailout money. There are a few questions left nagging in the back of my mind though. Of the reported $18 billion in bonuses how much of that was paid by companies that have received taxpayer assistance? How much was paid by companies that, in spite of the current economy, have prospered? The other question that is nagging me is the Senator's voting record on law-maker's salaries. I can't remember when the federal budget has been balanced and yet law makers continue to have pay increases, opt out of Social Security payments and maintain tax payer funded staff after leaving office sometimes for decades. Oh yeah and the retirement benefits for a Senator of just one term?
"Let he who is without sin cast the first stone."

I find it very interesting that Wells Fargo received a bailout. My husband and I tried to refinance our home with a program called The Wells Fargo Three-Step Refinance System this past week. Wells Fargo sent us a paper saying we qualified so we applied. We have over 1475 together in credit score so there was no problem there. Wells Fargo holds our current loan so why would we believe that there would be an issue? Yesterday they said our home was appraised and it appraised for less than what we owe. We have put down about $200K on our house in Vegas that we built in 2005 but the funny thing is Wells Fargo holds the mortgage. We were only trying to lower our interest rate with them. They have no problem taking more money from us for this house that is worth less than we owe but won’t lower the interest rate. No wonder people are losing their homes. It really makes me mad that we are bailing out these banks. Greed and money is running our country, not the President. I really don’t need to say what is going to happen, we will be taking our business elsewhere as soon as possible….

If I go to the bank to get a secured loan for a house or car, the bank tells me how to spend the money; however, if I get a personal loan, the bank cannot tell me how to spend the money. The government should have put stipulations into a "loan agreement" before the money was given. Since, they did not, it works like a personal loan, and it is too late to cry foul now.

Putting caps on salaries is not the way to go. No matter how much anyone may dislike how much CEO's are paid, we have to let it happen. Government, even if loaning money, should not interfere with private enterprise. If it is done in this situation, it will be done other ways in the future. It is setting a really bad precedent by allowing this.

As a middle-aged white man I'd like to thank the CEO's for adding to the spreading belief that middle-aged white men are this generation's fall guy. Now we'll be the the brunt of a whole new set of jokes. ie; How many middle-aged white men does it take to change a light bulb? None, they just leave it for their grandchildren to take care of.

greed outwieght logic for must of these C E O for years, logic should tell them this a contract with the america taxpayer and with contracts come conditions accept then or don t take our money simple

We have the average America wondering if anyone in Wash. has to answer to the laws the rest of us do? If Obama wants to make changes in Wash. he should hire someone who lives in the real world not from the rich and famous. Then we might get some work done there instead of having to have all these hearings and get the crooks out of government.We don`t need a government giving away our money remember the government is the people not Wash. All we need is our jobs brought back home not overseas and get our people back to work and paying taxes. We need America to join together to make it what it ones was and can be again if we all stand together, Remember if you don`t love it leave it

Reading the remarks of this legislator, one would never guess that her own company, the United States, is somewhere between 10 and 20 trillion dollars in debt, and that tax income this year will probably be at a 30-year low, adjusted for inflation. If not a 70-year low, putting that company over 1.5 trillion in the red this year, Yet this lady and her colleagues have answered that call by voting an additional 2 trillion in spending for themselves over 2008, 2009, and 2010. Has she fired any of her staff? Lowered their salary, or her salary? Offered to work for nominal pay, using her own savings? Given up any of her perks?
Given up her office? Not a chance; federal judges, legislators, and employees are still asking for pay raises, as of this winter. It is worse than just sad, Jennifer, it is sick, in terms of national leadership.

Mrs. McCaskill,
I applaud you on your bill of limiting the compensation of CEOs who request and receive taxpayer funding. You should also include in your bill a retroactive "clawback" clause so they must repay/return all funds loaned to them. I think it"s outrageous that Wall Street Robber Barons were allowed to bring this nation to his knees by creating this financial crisis and a REAL slap in the face to taxpayers for Congress to reward them for their unethical and incompetent behavior. There is no excuse for what they did and to try and justify it by saying they had to give out bonuses to keep "talented" people. If they were so talented and smart we would not be in this position. They are not talented they are unethical and thieves on top of it. They all should be jailed for what they did, not rewarded. Taxpayers have lost all respect and trust in our politicians because of the criminal situation the nation finds itself in. While millions are losing their jobs, homes and health care these idiots on Wall Street have the nerve to even think they deserve anything more than jail. I will write to my representatives in Washington and let them know I expect them to support your bill.

My tax dollars need to help people that need to buy food and have a warm place to sleep because they are losing their homes. Some overpaid moron who spends vacations out of the country and is able to pay 2k for a suit needs a lesson in reality. People are poor, jobs are scarcer than hens' teeth and our economy is in the toilet. How can bonuses paid by bailout money possibly be justifiable? Perhaps these overpaid morons need to think about this and quit worrying about their superficial needs.

If they are getting money from the government how can we justify them making more than our president...or even as much!

In the state of Georgia, as in most states, if you take money from someone that is intended for one purpose and use it for another purpose, OR YOUR OWN PERSONAL GAIN, it is called theft by deception/conversion. What law enforcement agency has authority over the tax payers money when it is stolen. Lets see about taking some warrents and locking these low down theifs up.

I agree with the fact that there should be a cap on salaries for executives on the Wall especially during days like these. I especially am for removing the entire bailout package if the execs and or companies don't return all that bonus money back to the fed. That is an absolute outrageous violation toward the american taxpayers. I want them to start using some common sense instead of common greed. Donald Trump and myself are on the same page on this issue. It is Morally Wrong for lush bonuses and retreats paid for the people that helped them on their request. I am not for any bailouts for the Wall so business can go on as usual as the way it was intended. Some big fish comes along and swallows another one in the harmony of wall street business as it was intended. All we did on bailing them out was to disturb the natural balance, and also threw about 2 trillion out the window.

Stimulus Package...it sure sounds like a scientific answer to the common cold. Our nation is sick and all it really needs is to go back to basics and common sense instead of common greed. Tax Breaks and working with Global Industry to bring back manufacturing. We have literally lost 9/10 th's of that capability at that is the root of the problem. Smart and pragmatic people always agreed that a good job was always the best social program. We have seen our jobs exported by greedy businesses in some cases to increase the profit of margin. We have not worked with a lot of businesses to give them a tax break and thus attempt to level the playing field so they don't have to leave the country and head to look for cheaper labor overseas. Tax breaks for people that bought a more economical vehicle should of been alloted to americans for buying american and greener vehicles. It wasn't all that long ago people were buying Hummers and getting a tax break for buying those stupid things that don't even fit in a normal garage. People should of been getting tax breaks for buying smaller more economical cars made in America or give them a stimulus tax break for buying a Harley! You can fit a lot of them in a garage and get to work for a whole week on the gas it takes that Hummer to go to the mall and back.

Wall Street is concerned that a compensation cap will lead to a "dilution of the talent pool".

What talent pool? If these people had any talent and were truely good at what they are doing, the economy would not be in the tank.

The focus on short term stock prices in order to boost their income and bonuses at the expense of the long term vaibility of the companies they manage is what has brought the economy down.

Jennifer,
I have been hearing about the 15k tax breaks for new homw buyers; what about if you build a new house.

Jerry

Women's voices, sometimes heard better even in a whisper.. and I am so happy we have a woman saying what all of us think.. why should the greedy keep getting all of our bucks, and get away with it, no one doing anything about it..! good for her and for our president.

The CEO's deserve a competative wage however the excessiveness of bonuses and wages needs to be limited if the company has received tax payer bail out money. It's unfair that these companies took our money becasue they were going to collapse and the greed is still tolerated. The banks are not lending the tax payers money that we gave to them to open up the economy. Just rediculous!

I know some people say that putting a salary cap on the executives is
socialism, but isn’t the government bailing out these businesses also socialism. It sure isn’t capitalism. I feel as tax payers we have ever right to tell them what to do with the money. We have already seen, or not seen, what happens when money is just given to them. They can not be trusted to do the right thing.

Guy Suddath
Raleigh N.C.

Here's what I don't get....
If a company is in such dire need that they need a bailout, why would a CEO get a bonus at all?
My company gives out profit sharing, but if there's no profit, we get zero.
Here's an idea.....if your company is failing and needs a bailout, FIRE THE CEO!!!
And while I'm on a roll.....I'm tired of hearing about "Joe the Plumber."
You can call me "Dave the factory worker," and I don't make anywhere near what Joe the plumber makes.
I average a gross of $30,000 a year and paid 10% of that to Federal Taxes alone...I've lived below my means, did not get a mortgage foreclosed on me, did not have money invested in Wall Street, yet I'm now struggling because my company is heavily reliant on the automotive industry. So......who's going to bailout "Dave the factory worker?" An extra $20 a paycheck is not going to help anyone....
Since there seems to be so much tax money to go around, I'd be happy if they just gave me my $3,000 in federal taxes back.
But I'm sure that went to someone on welfare who didn't pay a penny in taxes, yet received a refund of thousands of dollars.

I agree with the senator. Put a cap on the bonuses. I was starting to think thats's why they laid off so many workers. They wanted ese big bonuses, and laying people off gave them extra money for the big bonuses. This is so wrong for these people to get large bonuses for bankrupting their company. Its taxpayer money an we should be able to dictate how its spent.

If $400,000.oo is good enough for our PRESIDENT it should be more than enough for CEO'S , Football players , Basketball players, Baseball players, Golf players, and so on ( ETC ) the highest pay allowed should not exceed the HEAD of our country. The profits gained by companies should be shared with the workers that made them. Foreign imports should be better regulated. Cost of making products should be reduced by doing corrective little things like not leaving a machine you operate on while your at lunch. Profit sharing not higher wages and invest your money on your own not only with company ( do not put all your eggs in one basket ) I could go on and on but really just use some common since a little profit is a whole lot better than no profit . For example A car company say's they lost 3 million dollars this quarter only made 10 million. Explain to me how you lose money you never had in the first place. I'm sorry I did not buy a auto just so you could show a higher profit.
All in all I hope our elected officials can stay honest and trust worthy and not be ripping off the american tax payer just to pad there pockets.

All bonuses should be based on profit. Total revenue minus all expenses=profit. If your business is operating in the red,===no bonus

I made just over 60 g last year half of which was a lump sum pay out at early retirment plus I spent a few months in the mid east again serving the country. I just did my taxes and I am so happy! I have to pay more to the feds. Please give my money to some sucker making over 500 g a year...God knows he needs it more than I...by the way can anyone spare me a loan to help pay my taxes?

Everyone who gets a large sum every year on bonuses and runs the company any company in the ground, because of their greed, should not get a penny and should be hold responsible with their holdings in their private lifes and also their wife,husband, children should not be enriched by their failures and we should be able to confiscate their holdings. When the rich put their monies in overseas accounts, they should go, without going to court, to prison and I mean Prison not some federal spa. These creedy so.b. deserve nothing better. Also their should be a cap on attorney fees, so everyone can afford a good attorney. I look at some of these attorneys, they are more criminal then some of their clients. Think O.J, now one of the attorneys from his murder trial says he thinks O.J. is a psycopath. Why did he defend him ? Attorneys have to be held responsible for their actions too.

It has become quite clear to me, thanks to CNN that most all of CEO's, Banks, Stock Exchange, Corporations, Congressional Representatives, and so on, have cheated the Tax Payer. Some were caught. Some were not.

President Obama should stand each one (ALL) up, ask each one directly if they have done cheating to American and her people. If they are guilty, they should be tried like all other criminals, if found guilty, they should get punished and sentenced immediately, Maybe their fiines should be to repay how much they stole from our country. If there is to be any jail time, Maybe they should go CUBA!

Not only should the CEO's need to return every penny they recieved in bonuses I think a 500k limit for yheir pay is just right.Iread in the new york times that how can they live in new york on that money.
Thanks to the politicians and reporters bringing down the unions that built this country without thinking twice about it I now make 6dollars per hour instead of my union scale of 45 per hour. If I can live on less so can they.Shame on the Times for writing a story like that.

I have a one word comment on the CEO's of corporations in America today... treason!

The only thing dumping tax payer money into the economy without resolving the root cause of the problem will do is dig the hole deeper; that is, give the corrupt CEO's more money to steal. CEO and other corporate executive greed has to be addressed if you want the economy to recover. If you look at the definition of treason, they are guilty of it and I think they should suffer the harshest punishment of treason.

Why can't we as taxpayers demand that the money be returned? It is "OUR" money afterall! Why are the CEO's of the American financial institutions being rewarded for the huge contribution for the downfall of the economy?
Families are loosing their homes because the banks are foreclosing on them but the CEO's of the same financial institutions are able to keep their lavish lifestyles? Come on, what is wrong with this picture?
These people are removing people from their homes but they continue to live the same lifestyle? I was under the impression that the "bailout" of the banks would help these families keep the homes they have worked so hard for and give them the opportunity to at least refinance at a lower interest rate and give them the opportunity to keep a roof over their childrens heads. Our tax dollars should be helping "the people" not as a reward for those who have assisted in the downfall of the banks.

Who in this world decides that these ceo's should make these elaborate salaries while other people are kept just above poverty? I feel that one of the problems with our economy today. People and coroporations are allowed to make allthese profits and bonuses off of the working class people.If they paid thier workers better ,gave better benefits to them, people would have more money to spend to help our economy,insead they keep the money and we go farter in the hole.

I work for a large bank in Florida and they cut my bonus. I am a middle class man trying to survive during these times. The bank I work for decided to cut our annual bonus some didn't even get a bonus. It makes me upset that my bank excpeted taxpayers money and the CEO gets his bonus but the hard working middle class people get next to nothing. Many of us worked hard and depend on our annual bonus. Like many of my co workers I was hired to do a job and did it to the best of my ability and when the bank makes bad decision I am the one that is affect not the person that made that decision.

I think that all of us call the Senate and I do not want so they that all Senators are paid off, by the Lobbyist, I think Lobbyist should also be held responsible for our DOWNFALL, because our Politicians do not care about the common person, but only about themselves. So I say termlimits to all of them, they are getting to sure about themselves and they also should have a downfall, like the rest of us. Please the young people of this country, start to get involved about running for office. We need to get all of these Repulican Senators once and for all out of office. They do not care if you voted for them or not, if you call them to support the President, they hang up on you in their offices, got rich over their years in Office. They have free trips, golfing,ect.ect., Its not that I am against Republicans, its just their notion not to listen to those in NEED. So I say, we do not need you anymore, I would like it , if we had a third party to start here in our Country, I am not talking Ralph Nader, he is a nuisance only, but a party, who has Interest in our country and is more interested to bring us back from this Situation.

Aloha there Jennifer.... I have a few questions hope someone can help out. We bought a house is this mess of an economy, we are not 1st time home buyers. We are having our taxes done and wondering if this new plan will help us out in any way. Would it benefit us in any way to wait a little longer to file?
Thanks for anyone who can help out!
Arrin

It's greed. We all are capable of it. I don't like it when others do it. But if it were me would I take it? it's easy to say NO right now because it's not there in front of me. Ask yourself what you would do if someone said you could get away with getting your bonus of just $1Million. Would you take it? I not so sure any of us would pass it up. But it does get me angry thinking about these already wealthy suits basically stealing because it's legal>.

Give us all a break!! These selfish, self-centered CEO's think they are better than the average joe? "God created all men(and women)equal".
Does this sound like equality to you? These (already)multimillionaires do not need any more money. They should willingly give up their third homes, yachts, and vacations to Cancun, or some tropical isles. We, the people, need to be better represented as Americans than by these hogs!!!

To me the "Big CEO's" could lie to congress and who would know. I feel the money given to them is not going to help the people that needs it. For instance Bank of America got billions but who did it help. I have a credit card with them and my interest went from 11% to almost 26%. This was taxpayer given to them so they could out better than the people that needed it. These CEO's are alot smarter than congress and will get by with what they been doing all along.

I live in Missouri, and I say "KUDOS" to McCaskill! She's showing her true Missouri out look at things. And most of us say it like we see it. Remember Truman? "The Buck Stops Here".... enough said.

As I am watching all this, I keep hearing in my mind the words
"Robber barons" .

As most people know, the Federal Reserve and Federal Income
Tax both came into being in 1917 because of the greed of the Robber Barons.

We don't need reminders of The Great Depression, we need reminders of the historical greed of the banking industry.

I DON'T THINK THAT CEO'S SHOULD GET EXITING BONUS'S. WHEN CHUCH CONAWAY LEFT KMART AS CEO AFTER RUNNING THE COMPANY INTO GANKRUPTSY, THEY GAVE HIM A 9 MILLION DOLLAR BONUS JUST FOR LEAVING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! AND HIS ACOMPLIST, MARK SCHWARTZ, RECEIVED 4 MILLION. I WOULD LIKE TO BE A CEO. I COULD BLUFF MY WAY TO THE TOP WITH A BUNCH OF B/S AND DO A TERRIBLE JOB AND STILL COME OUT LIKE A MILLIONAIRE. I THINK THAT THIS IS A SCAM AMONG THE BUSINESS WORLD. HOW ABOUT JIM NARDELLI???? HELPED RUN G.E. INTO THE RED. CAME ON BOARD AT KMART AND HELPED SPEND MONEY ON NEEDLESS EXPENSIVE PROJECTS AND THEN GOT FIRED. WELL, GUESS WHAT COMPANY IS IN TROUBLE NOW????? HOME DEPOT!!!!! JIM NARDELLI WAS A CEO FOR THAT COMPANY FOR ABOUT 6 YEARS AND WAS PAID SEVERENCE TO LEAVE. WHAT AM I NOT GETTING ABOUT THIS PICTURE. IF I DIDI LOUSY WORK, DO YOU THINK THAT THE COMPANY WOULD PAY ME MONEY TO LEAVE????? LOTS OF MONEY??????????? THINK ABOUT IT??????!!!!!!!

I feel no ceo deserves more then a 100,000 dollars a year. The difference above this amount from their bonus's should be divided amongst all the hard working employees that they layed off!

We all need to realize that there is NOT one person on capitol hill or in any bank in this country that has Joe/Josephine Public in their best interest. All of this huffin' and puffin' seems to be good now – but where have these guys been? and what good will it really do now? This mess will end up in some federal hearing some where for years on end until everyone quits thinking about it. These guys will get to keep the money and stay out of jail, while we continue to suffer and foot the bill for these jokers. And, as usual, they will appease the American public until we shut up about it.

My wife and I went to our local wells fargo mortgage center in Colorado to ask about refinancing our two auto loans that are currently with a credit union. We pay 7.5% interest and have credit scores just below 700.

We sat with an account manager for Wells Fargo and the first offer was to give us two lines of credit, one for each vehicle at 160% of their book value which would be significant cash out to our pockets. The interest rate would be an undetermined percent between 12 and 20% and of course the application and refi fees.

When we explained that was a ridiculous offer, the account manager then, already having all our financial information, noticed we had about 50K in equity in our home and proceeded to push very hard for a debt consolidation consisting of our two credit card debts and the two autos. My continued comments that I do not want to place unsecured debt against our house had absolutely no affect in their strategy to lock us in a loan with them.

As a last ditch effort, we were offered two credit card accounts with a combined 9k limit at 18%.
When I asked why in the heck we would even consider more credit when we came in to refi two autoloans, the response was “this would help our credit scores”.

Its baloney like this that the public needs to realize.

Wells Fargo’s only goal was to get us to take out cash and credit to get us further in debt and at a much higher interest rate then that which we already have. This is so typical of lending institutions when you’re not independently wealthy. You’re just another victim if you believe the rubbish and misleading advice they give you.

John Stumpf, CEO of Wells Fargo could make the decision to offer competitive rates to help people refi to lower rates which would save consumer funds, increase savings, and that would promote spending too.

Wells Fargo has predatory like lending practices and should have to pay the government back since they can’t account for billions of dollars they accepted from taxpayers.

I'm so glad Wells Fargo got BAIL OUT FUNDS. I was sent paperwork from Wells Fargo to complete a three step refinancing package since we are already Wells Fargo customers. After weeks of sending them all our information we were denied because our house doesn't appraise. We live in Las Vegas and built in 2005. Tell me one sucker who's house appraises after the builders pushed housing costs so far above the average that it should be illegal? We put down $175K total and still our house doesn't appraise. We pay biweekly and always on time but Wells Fargo is not willing to refinance our mortgage so that we can save $188 a month. We paid over $20K in interest last year on our home. What the heck is wrong with our country? Lets give more to the banks as I'm sure they will eventually do the right thing. We are looking for another bank that would love to make $20K a year on our mortgage as I no longer want Wells Fargo to get that money. They can go under as far as I'm concerned. They don't care about the average person and what they need.

If the CEO's had done their job! They wouldn't need a bailout!
As I see it, only in America, you get rewarded for failure.

Maybe If the CEO's had taken a pay cut , the job you save might have been their own, and seeing how I am supporting them I get the right to take away their bonues.
I am 65, retired on a fixed income. So where is my help?
I did all the things you smart people told me to do. Now I sit here and watch it all go down the drain while the smart people steal it from me.

Macedon,NY

Thank You Senator McCaskill for speaking out for us, especially when the public never seems to be heard. The Republicans really have gaul critizing the stimulus bill since they are the ones who got us here. These Ceo's are way out of control and they are forcing our government to intercede, therefore if it comes down to having to have a salary cap I say that would be the only way to handle things. With all the foreclosures, I also say they should not have to be so greedy and have three or four houses. Sell a few of your homes and that could be your bonus. Look at all the money you would be saving and we would not have to support you and your families anymore. Shame to all you CEO'S.

These CEO's are smart. Even if their salary is set at no more than $400,000.00 dollar they will somehow get their bonus. They have been cheating the people all the time and will never change. I guess if you got money you can get away with alot. To bad for the low income people that half to pay the price for these so call CEO's. The CEO's should not receive any money at all the hold time until all taxpayers money is paid back.

I would love to see the president have the ability to put a cap on all the extreamly well paid sports fiqures.Do they really need to be paid millions / billions to run a feild or drive a racecar,or walk around and hit a ball with a crooked stick and try to make a hole in one!

Stimulus????? What Stimulus???? Millions of Americans are out of work, states are broke, yet we are spending stimulus money on Conservatories for Nancy Pelosi for some birds. Why are we still trying to get to Jupiter when Americans are committing suicide daily? Why is Haliburton still making out like a fat rat? We need to change the business as usual attitude in Congress. If we expect radical results, we need to make some radical changes!!!!!!

I would like for some one to help to get the ball rolling on changing the laws on child support in Pennsylvania and other states. I these hard times a lot of men and women have a hard time paying there bills let alone finding work so I as other pepole send in any thing the can even if its not enough. On the other hand you can be thrown in prison for this with out even doing a crime, being out of money shouldnt put a person in the same catagory as rapest, murderest, ect. let alone to think how much money it cost the tax payers to keep these non-criminals in prison. these laws destroy lives and the economy, does any one know were to turn?

my husband owns a small family business...this stimulus package is not going to help us....we are taxed to dealth and do not see it helping us...this package does not help those of us that are working just to keep our small business from going under...we are responsible to keep our three employees and their families paid but have nothing left..should we close to get help..if you are rich or unemployed you get help...the rest of us (low to middle class) get nothing but more taxes ...my family deserves better from our government....

My family opened our own business with our own funds and in order to make ends meet we have yet to cut a check to ourselves. We don't have a payroll yet so are we not eligible for the "stimulus"?

Now that Michael Phelps is "innocent" of charges, will he help some of his "friends" that he caused to get busted with lawyer costs.
He probably doesn't know them now

I absolutely agree. It sometimes seems as if everyone is in the taxpayer's pocket. It is great to see someone in Congress who is on the side of the taxpayer.

To all the top execs in all the troubled companys -AIG, GM, all the others. First of all all of you should be FIRED for bad business practices. You were bailed out once!! This did not happen over night, but apparently all you were concerned with was YOUR bottom line. Shame on you!! I am sure there are other good and honest people that would love to have your positions with half the money.. We (all the hard honest working) people should say NO MORE MONEY!!

I am an Ex-CEO of a small printing company. These big CEO's frustrate me like you wouldn't believe and I guess because it never was their own money and assests on the line that they don't get it. The Captain always goes down with the ship. My ship sank. My family and I went down with the ship. We were a family owned business and we lost more than the business. We all ended up unemployed and still unemployed. We dropped our health insurance years ago and thank God none of us got real sick, we still don't have health insurance. It so bad that I had to stop paying myself long before I let employees go. The sacrifices need to come from the top as well as the bottom. I wanted my employees to know that we were suffering along with them it wasn't one sided. As I look for work I see the phrase " Looking for someone wirh entrepreneurial attitude" as I read this all I can say is "You can't say that you're that person if you're not willing to make all the sacrifices that go with it" so how can a CEO give himself millions in bonuses when the ship is sinking? Where's his sacrifice? It's not his business, he doesn't own it, it's not his money he's playing with! I wish I could of "jumped ship" when things started going bad . I am looking forward to new and better things leaving the past behind me but it's hard to do that when you keep hearing what is going on with our tax dollars. http://www.LatinConnectionTexas.com

What do you think? How much do these CEO’s deserve?

Whatever the penalty is in their home states for conducting ongoing fraud and embezzlement...10-20 years Hard Labor?

I am confused: I thought that to receive a bonus, your company had to be doing "good". If these companies are receiving taxpayer money to help them out, then they can't be doing that good. So why are the top employees receiving bonuses? When my husband receives a bonus, it is because he made the job come in under budget (INCOME for the company) and that he did the job required of him (his JOB). However, if the job didn't do good, he got no bonus. How are the top execs of AIG any more special that the average worker?

How is it taxpayers responsibility that we bail everyone out–banks, auto makers, wall street? Isn't our money already there anyway? If I had the extra money for this, I would pay more on my own bills. Doesn't anyone at all make these companies responsible for the financial decisions that they make? How can they live "outside of their financial means?"

If AIG (or any company for that matter) has to borrow money to stay afloat, then bonuses should be the first thing that should go. Can anyone say the words: BUDGET, BELT-TIGHTENING or in the case of the top execs: JOB PERFORMANCE REVIEW?

If there is no one to make these people accountable for their actions, maybe Pres. Obama will create a committee to see to it that they do, and we may not be in this mess again. I would hate for my children to have to deal with the greedy situation that we are in now.

NO NO NO....If the government was not smart enough to know about the contracts for the bonuses BEFORE the bailout money was given then that's just to bad. Know who you are getting in bed with before you get in bed. Good job Obama, I can't wait to see the next screw up.

What they (the governement) needs to do is fire all of upper management and promote from the middle management. Fill in the lower level positions with people who would be happy to have a job right now. Hopefully middle management can learn from the bad mistakes made from these greedy, money hungry, and very un-deserving upper management "leaders". We the public should demand a list of all the bonus takers and make sure they are branded cowards and thieves. I for one am tired of being treated stupidly.

And if they dare have the nerve to complain how hard it is to live on $400,000/year, I will gladly switch salaries! Our family lives on 90% less than what they make and I struggle with 2 jobs to feed my family. $400,000/year - I can only dream of hitting the lottery that good! And I have a college education!!

Bailout??? I was under the impression that the money given to banks...ie Bankof America was a 8% loan. I believe the media is fuellng outrage. So many of the people I talk with are under the assumption that the "bailout " money was a gift from the taxpayers...which it is not! The country stands to make a small fortune when these loans are paid back.
I wish they wouldn't call it a bailout...because we aren't rescuing them with out a hefty repayment plan. 8% is the highest loan I know of ..Most people would never take a loan at 8%!!!
Im so glad they all asked for help when they did instead of weakening our economy by going out of business

The Republicans were glad to express their outrage when there was an opportunity to smear Democrats like Senator Dodd over the AIG bonuses, but in classic form their true colors show in their hypocritical outrage over limiting executive compensation when CEOs run their businesses into the ground. If you want tax payer dollars to rescue your business, then you must accept the consequences and sacrifice your massive compensation. There should be no reward for failure! The Republicans have to pick one or the other. Either you're outraged about AIG doing it or you're outraged about denying others in the future to do it.

I think that it is time that congress gets a dose of there own medicine. They are just as much or more at fault as any of the companies who received bailout money for these tough economic times. So where are the limits on there compensation. If anyone is being over paid it is them. I think that putting them in same Social Secruity fund as everyone else, and then giving them a performance pay would be a good idea. Brett – Georgia

I am a Republican and and for some of President Obama's plans and against many others but I have a question. First let me say that I in every way always support our tropps where ever they may be serving. Still, it has been repeatedly stated that Iraq no longer wants the U.S. presence and has ongoing protests to our troops being there. With all President Obama's promises to get our troups out of Iraq, why are we still there when the country we are trying to help no longer wants us there at all? Now President Obama say we will be out September of 2010. Why not now?

They shouldn't earn a single penny. Remember, they committed fraud. The CEO = GOD complex is in full swing. These Morons deserve nothing. No money, no pitty, no sympathy and no special treatment. As a real estate agent with a conscience, I am appalled at what took place over the past 5 years, and quite frankly, I am a little embarrassed. I feel for the hard working families who are now losing the homes they not so long ago, thought would belong to them forever. And the worst part is that the same working families are the ones footing the bill to bail out the big "CROOKED BANKS" because they still pay their taxes, which means that they are paying to lose their homes. How STUPID is that? So I say NO to any earnings going to a CEO of any corporation, period!!!!!!!!!