Amy Goodman's New Column, "Workers Laid Off, Executives Paid Off, Bernard Madoff"
Political Agenda Based News
The global financial crisis deepens, with more than 10 million in the U.S. out of work, according to the Department of Labor. Unemployment hit 6.7 percent in November. Add the 7.3 million ?involuntary part-time workers,? who want to work full time but can?t find such a job. Jobless claims have reached a 26-year high, while 30 states reportedly face potential shortfalls in their unemployment-insurance pools. The stunning failure of regulators like the Securities and Exchange Commission was again highlighted, as former NASDAQ head Bernard Madoff (you got it, pronounced ?made off") was arrested for allegedly running the world?s largest criminal pyramid scheme, with losses expected to be $50 billion, dwarfing those from the Enron scandal. The picture is grim?unless, that is, you are a corporate executive. The $700-billion financial bailout package, TARP (Troubled Assets Relief Program), was supposed to mandate the elimination of exorbitant executive compensation and ?golden parachutes.? As U.S. taxpayers pony up their hard-earned dollars, highflying executives and corporate boards are now considering whether to give themselves multimillion-dollar bonuses. Read More Listen to this Column
Source: Democracy Now! Blog
I do not think it is right for these big CEOs and others in like positions make off with our dollars. But I have known from the start that it was the CEOS and others that were being bought out or helped with the $700 billion bail out plan. I think it just plain sucks that it is the taxpayers who are footing this bill.