AIG bonus payments controversy

The Tangled Web of Entitlement Politics

by Bill O'Connell on November 15, 2010

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“The nine most terrifying words in the English language are, ‘I’m from the government, and I’m here to help.’” – Ronald Reagan

 

Our friends on the left scoff at such words as those above, but the longer they are in power and providing “help”, the more they get tied up in knots.  Let me walk you through an example using Congressman Tim Bishop as the key player.

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Tim Bishop Outsources Jobs with Your Tax Dollars

by Bill O'Connell on October 28, 2010

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There’s good news and bad news coming out of the Tim Bishop campaign.  The good news is that he has a new ad out so we don’t have to keep watching the same ad he has been running incessantly for the past five weeks.  The bad news it’s about the one subject that Tim Bishop wants to talk about, outsourcing.  It’s the same old stuff, wrapped in a new package.  Why can’t Tim Bishop talk about his record?  Is he embarrassed by it or afraid of it.

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Rescue Me

by Bill O'Connell on April 1, 2009

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Can liberty be saved?  Is there a chance that we can rescue our country from the federal juggernaut that wants to reach down into the deepest recesses of your life and take control?  They spend your money with reckless abandon and say, “What Me Worry?”  Those in power would have indulged in the trappings of office, sated on money and power, and be long gone with their spoils while the crumpled bill lies on the floor for you and your children and your children’s children to pick up and pay.

They have invited many to the party, to eat, drink, and be merry with promises of “middle class” tax cuts that are the greatest April Fools joke of all time.  Don’t worry we’ll get the rich to pay for it all.  You know, those evil fat cats on Wall Street.  But the Republicans on Wall Street have long be replaced by Democrats.  That’s right, Gordon Gecko is a Democrat.  60% of Wall Street contributions went to Democrats vs. Republicans.  How long will the top 2% of earners keep shouldering the burden before they slow down, stop, or emigrate.  Who will pick up the pieces then?  Who will support the drunken revelers that Obama piled on the public dole?

AIG Outrage

All of the outrage by Congressional and Administration leadership over the AIG bonuses is the epitome of hubris.  AIG contributed $104,000 to each Barack Obama and Christopher Dodd, during the recent election cycle.  Do you remember the brouhaha over language in the stimulus bill that had a loophole that allowed the AIG bonuses to be paid?  Dodd said he didn’t include the loophole.  Later he said he did include it but at the insistence of the Obama administration.  Now is it just me or does anyone else see a quid pro quo here?  Then they come out red-faced professing that the bonuses are an outrage.  Senator Schumer, who is threatening to unconstitutionally tax the bonuses into oblivion, took $112,000 in contributions from AIG.

Lessons from Hugo Chavez?

More recently President Obama effectively fired the CEO of General Motors and now speaks of bankruptcy.  I, among many others, said they should have filed for bankruptcy long before taxpayers bailed them out.  So now after we have sunk taxpayer money into GM and Chrysler, Obama steps in and effectively runs the company on “our behalf” as owners of 80% of the company and now says bankruptcy is a good idea!  When will the amateur hour come to an end?  But watch carefully, because Obama will assiduously avoid offending the auto workers union, despite the fact that the union contracts put US auto makers at a $2000 per car disadvantage against the competition.  GM (Government Motors) will now be forced to make cars that satisfy Obama’s left wing supporters but that Americans don’t want to buy.  It will be interesting to see how the government forces us to buy them.

What Do the Europeans Think?

For years we have been told by the left that we must listen to what the Europeans are saying.  They say we have to consider foreign laws in weighing Supreme Court cases.  They decried Bush’s policies as alienating our European friends.  So what do the Europeans think of Obama now?

The president of the European Union on Wednesday ripped the Obama administration’s economic policies, calling its deficit spending and bank bailouts “a road to hell.” — Washington Post, March 25

A Very Dangerous Path

In March of 1933 Adolf Hitler, proclaiming a national emergency of a potential communist revolution asked the German legislature, the Reichstag, to grant him emergency powers to deal with the situation.  Such a proposal required two-thirds approval by that body.  The final vote was 441 in favor, 84 opposed.  From that point on, Hitler was dictator. 

 Rahm Emmanuel likes to say, “You never want a serious crisis to go to waste.”  President Obama is taking the current financial crisis to ram through a massive power grab.  The legislation is being rammed through with such force and urgency that no one has a chance to read it.  What ticking time bomb could be tucked in those pages that get voted on and passed without scrutiny?  Just look at the AIG fiasco for the answer.  No one seemed to know or admit it was in there.  If we allow this to continue, we may find some other provision included in the dead of night that will destroy our country forever.

Be on your guard.

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Fair is Fair

by Bill O'Connell on March 23, 2009

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President Barack Obama is now proposing that shareholders should be allowed to vote to limit executive pay. After all they own the company, right? If that is such a good idea shouldn’t all of us vote on the pay of President Obama, Nancy Pelosi, Barney Frank, Christopher Dodd, Charlie Rangle? And I don’t just mean within their districts, the whole country should vote on each of their salaries. After all they work for us, no? It would be interesting to see how much the American people would cut their $175,000 salaries since their approval ratings are abysmal.

If we did this, then many of these incompetent bloodsuckers would leave Congress and do something else. Then maybe we could replace them with real talent, who would be well paid because they do a good job: close the budget gap, shrink the size of government, cut taxes and let the economy grow.

I think Nancy Pelosi should work for $1 per year and see how fair that is. What do you think?

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