Daily Archives: March 25, 2009

Frontier Lawman Earned His Reputation Shooting Drunks


Frontier Lawman Earned His Reputation Shooting Drunks


“Cap” Light, Belton

Letters To The Editor


Dear Editor,


The Governor thinks he can justify taking $1.2 billion in stimulus funds, dedicating 70 percent of it to tolling Texans for roads to nowhere like the Grand Porkway in Houston, but can

Stimulus Withdrawal: TAB President Displays Ignorance


Stimulus Withdrawal: TAB President Displays Ignorance


What is in that Texas drinking water?


It

Truisms: Part Two


Truisms: Part Two


In my last column, I was discussing some of my favorite “truisms” or “true things.” One is “If you toss it today, you

I Told You So


Free Trip To Rome


Free Trip To Rome

The Other Afghan Surge


The Other Afghan Surge


Despite President Obama

Obama Pops


WASHINGTON, D.C.

Take Me Out To The Library


Take Me Out To The Library


Last Thursday marked the seventh anniversary of the U.S. invasion of Iraq.


If you recall, then-President George W. Bush falsely connected the tragedy of Sept. 11, 2001, with the infamous leader of Iraq in order to justify the bloody invasion and subsequent illegal occupation of his oil-rich country.


As a result of the Bush administration

Kucinich Follows Up Cheney


WASHINGTON, D.C.

Shoe Cannon


CALGARY, Canada

Bush Attacks Obama With


CALGARY, Canada

Judge: Ex-Bush Aide Like Madoff


WASHINGTON, D.C.

Stuff Happens


WASHINGTON, D.C.

Pin Pitchfork On AIG — Right-Wingers Aim To Out Sickout AIG Outragers


Right-Wingers Aim To Out Sickout AIG Outragers


DALLAS, Texas The torch and pitchfork manufacturing industries were riding high last week as politicians and pundits in this faultering free-market economy scrambled to one-up the other in a game of out sickout the outragers of American International Group (AIG).


The game started over the weekend as word spread that the same AIG executives that sold toxic credit-default swaps would receive $165 million in bonuses after accepting a $173 billion welfare check from U.S. taxpayers. The largest bonus to one top employee is around $6.5 million, according to reports.


The populist fires had already been lit months ago after the first of AIG’s handful of welfare checks. Like smoke that fills backrooms, jokes swirled such as “What’s the ‘G’ in AIG stand for? Greed!”


But that was only the beginning.


At first, the language of this latest outrage was firm but levelheaded. Take the words of Rep. Tom Perriello (D-VA), for example.


“This decision by AIG is offensive to the American taxpayer and at odds with the free-market principles they claim to support. I opposed the bailout for these banks as bad policy and I oppose these bonuses as bad morality. I am outraged that middle-class taxpayers who have worked hard and played by the rules are watching their retirement savings and home values shrink, while those who caused our economic pain continue to prosper,” he said in a statement.


Perriello continued, “AIG hides behind claims of contractual obligations, but the car companies who received bailout funds found a way to cut wages to line workers. Why is it okay for companies to force cuts on workers but not scale back million dollar bonuses for the executives who knowingly caused us this mess?”


Perriello was not the only member of the newest Populist Caucus of the Democratic Party to voice outrage with civility and more “I-told-you-so’s.” Rep. Mike Michaud (D-Maine) also issued a public statement last Monday.


“The only reason AIG is in business today is because taxpayers’ money was used to bail them out over and over again to the tune of $170 billion,” said Michaud. “I voted against the bailout last year because it did not contain adequate safeguards and it did little to protect the investment of the taxpayer. Now we’ve seen the result the very business unit of AIG responsible for driving the company into the ground is being paid millions for it.


Michaud added, “The fact that this is allowed to happen is an outrage. But there is a difference between expressing outrage and acting to fix this problem. I appreciate President Obama’s willingness to explore ways to stop these bonuses, but it is time for Congress to step up to the plate and make sure taxpayers are not paying for executive bonuses. I’ve supported reform of how bailout funds are spent. These reforms passed the House, but the Senate has failed to act on them. I’ve also called on the House Financial Services Committee to close loopholes in the current program that allow for excessive executive compensation while companies are being subsidized by American taxpayers.”


“It is simply unconscionable that American families are subsidizing executives who have contributed to the economic mess we are now in.”


It almost sounded like Michaud was going to do something other than lull us to sleep with all this langauge.


But then came Sen. Char

March 2009
M T W T F S S
 1
2345678
9101112131415
16171819202122
23242526272829
3031