Taxpayers unwittingly fund excess

Posted by Courtney E. Howard

How very nice of us, hard-working American taxpayers, to treat AIG officials (like Martin Sullivan to the right, who continues to pull a million-dollar salary as a consultant to AIG) to a week-long spa retreat. Oh, I am sure they needed and deserved it, right? Indeed. And how moral and ethical of AIG bigwigs to treat themselves to a $5 million bonus and $20 million golden parachute on the backs of hard-working Americans. I am disgusted -- nay, repulsed -- that greed continues to be rewarded at a time when middle-class and working-class folks, such as Addie Polk (a 90-year-old Ohio woman who attempted suicide when her house was foreclosed upon), are stressing and distraught over how they will survive in the days and months to come. If anyone deserves an all-expenses-paid, money-is-no-object spa retreat it is us on "Main Street," who continue to make sacrifice after sacrifice in our own lives in the name of survival.

As much as I want to continue to slam and damn those benefiting from recent bailouts -- after all, more than enough ammunition exists -- I would rather spend my time and energy in celebration of us: the majority of the nation who give up nights and weekends without complaint in support of our industry, the end users we serve, and the American Dream. My hat is off to you all.

I do, however, want to play a bit of the devil's advocate and note that European government officials readily admit that they serve the will of the people; for, if they do not, the community will band together and rally in the streets to have their voices heard. Perhaps we need to band together and remind our public servants of their duty -- we do pay their salaries, after all.

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