Wild Card/Thursday — 3/19/09

26 comments on this post so far. Add yours!

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  hmoffsuite on March 19 at 10:22 a.m.

  In another book deal, Obama has just signed to write about his accomplishments when he leaves office. Wonder if he will have anything to write about?

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  brandxranch on March 19 at 10:41 a.m.

  Everyone I know would have enough in their life to write a book, or at least keep a journal for family members. Isn’t that what so much of blogging is about?
  Jim and I are on the road to see family in Seattle. I have the blackberry figured out so that I won’t miss a minute of HBO. Can’t live without you, my friends.

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  hmoffsuite on March 19 at 10:43 a.m.

  toad >> ” If Obama were to only write about his first 30 days, he’d have more to say than most, in my opinion”

  You got that right. It could be entitled “How NOT to pick cabinet appointments”

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  hmoffsuite on March 19 at 11:57 a.m.

  The House just passed a bill to target specifically those receiving bonuses from companies receiving TARP money. This is targeted taxation and is absolutely pathetic. Regardless of how one feels about the bonus thing, this is NOT the way to get the money back. Thanks, dems. You will get our money one way or another.

  AP NewsAlert
  

  WASHINGTON (AP) — House votes to impose 90 percent taxes on bonuses from firms
  that took U.S. bailouts.

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  BrandonHansen on March 19 at 12:28 p.m.

  I’d like to see Bush’s bracket. I bet you A-mur-rika wins that one.

  Brandon Hansen
  Just South of North
  www.justsouthofnorth.com

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  poolman on March 19 at 12:53 p.m.

  hmo - and how does this affect you personally? Where you the recipient of some of that AIG bonus loot?

  Shhhhh - If you listen really closely you can hear hmo channeling Rush.

  This is not a conspiracy - this is trying to correct an obvious loophole that AIG executives found in the deal. What pathetic scoundrels they are - really.

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  hmoffsuite on March 19 at 1:05 p.m.

  poolman >> ” Where you the recipient of some of that AIG bonus loot?”

  Of course not. But what if they decided ANY other group of people were making too much money. Maybe from oil or jounalism. Anything. So, they go tax it uniquely? This is just not the way to do things. It stinks and Obama best veto this bill.

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  Sisyphus on March 19 at 1:14 p.m.

  That’s a pretty scary hypothetical hmo. But that’s all it is. On the other hand, this bill is wildly popular. I’m thinking Obama doesn’t hear your cries through the applause.

  No loophole poolman. Bush specifically contemplated these bonus payments in the legislation.

  http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601110&sid=aBwUb_K6GQ7s

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  toadman on March 19 at 1:14 p.m.

  hmo - I understand where you’re coming from on this one, I really do… still, I just think you see devils and conspiracies where there are none.

  A troubling precedent, to be sure, but not something that can’t be turned around given a different set of circumstances.

  Don’t live in fear, man. Fear is the mind killer…and the rational thinking killer also.

  Sorry I called you a dick earlier.. maybe that was a little harsh.. but hey, I hadn’t had my morning coffee yet, and I’m grumpy in the morning.

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  toadman on March 19 at 1:16 p.m.

  Also, HMO, I notice that after Dodd admitted to the Bonus fignuttery and the pushing of the previous administration to continue to allow bonuses in the TARP bill came out last night, you’ve been pretty quiet about poor widdle Timmy G. I still think TimG get’s a bad rap for too much. He’s not perfect, but he’s not evil.

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  Charlie on March 19 at 1:16 p.m.

  Congress in the wisdom, pass a 90% tax on bonuses on AIG. If it becomes law, will this be a Trojan Horse to kill business? Will Bill Gates be next? Trickle down.

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  Sisyphus on March 19 at 1:26 p.m.

  Timmeh is an insider who keeps trying to re-inflate bubbles and works from the top down. I’m actually coming around to share some concern on him.

  “Geithner’s banking plan would prolong the state of denial. It involves government guarantees of the bad assets, keeping current management in place and attempting to attract new private capital. (Conversion of preferred shares to equity, which may happen with Citigroup, conveys no powers that the government, as regulator, does not already have.) The idea is that one can fix the banks from the top down, by reestablishing markets for their bad securities. If the idea seems familiar, it is: Henry Paulson also pressed for this, to the point of winning congressional approval. But then he abandoned the idea. Why? He learned it could not work.”

  http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/features/2009/0903.galbraith.html

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  poolman on March 19 at 1:50 p.m.

  HMO /Charlie – my company had a very good year last year despite the difficult 4th quarter. I received what I considered to be a very generous bonus based on personal and company performance achievements. I won’t say how much but will say it was over 5 figures. I recently took some of that money and invested it in AIG stock. I have two comments here.

  1)I’m talking reality here. Not pie in the sky “Trojan Horse” bull crap.
  As a person who made a legitimate bonus based on real targets and achievements, I’m pissed that these AIG scum bags are getting any bonus. This is paramount to robbing money from the government, the taxpaying public, and the share holders.

  2) I want AIG to come back strong so I get a return on my investment. It is clear these morons can’t be trusted to manage anything. They are the proverbial fox watching the henhouse. That whole organization needs to be flushed. If they can’t retain their so called “talent” because of a disciplined bonus plan – so be it. Hopefully that will be a long term result.

  This legislation is specific to companies receiving federal bailout money – it’s nothing more than that. Any speculation or slippery slope theory is total right wing propaganda. It’s a Rush sound chamber. And, as a share holder in AIG and a person who participates in a bonus plan I totally support what our federal government is doing. Tell my how it will affect you personally without spewing Rush lines please - I would really like to hear that…

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  hmoffsuite on March 19 at 2:30 p.m.

  When the government decides it needs to fix wrong doings by passing a new law to attack a specific target, that is simply wrong. Aside from all the other issues. That is how third world countries with dictators act. It is a bad precedent and a slippery slope does, in fact, apply here, imo. I don’t like the AIG bonuses, I don’t like TARP and I don’t like bailouts. But, taxing a specific group, uniquely, is not the American way I stand by my comments on this one. You can’t change the rules in the middle of the game. If this specific taxation is allowed, who’s next? Which group? What individuals?

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  toadman on March 19 at 3:11 p.m.

  Sisy - I’m in agreement. Still, I never said Timmy wasn’t a little incompetent.. just NOT evil. In other words, he’s not maliciously stupid.

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  Sisyphus on March 19 at 3:24 p.m.

  True that Toad. He just might be too close to the subject to be objective. hmo, you might not be far off the mark and it sticks in my craw from a legal and conceptual standpoint. Indeed there may be a significant equal protection argument by those to be taxed.

  But your comparison to dictators is wide of the mark. First, if the government ever taxed arbitrarily as you suggest I would think there would be a significant political backlash. But this is hardly arbitrary. Its fighting fire with fire. They took advantage of the system and the system is correcting their error. Not only will there be no backlash because of it, if congress failed to act they’d be looking for jobs next year.

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  poolman on March 19 at 3:29 p.m.

  “But, taxing a specific group, uniquely, is not the American way” ~ HMO

  I hate to break the news here but that has been going on for a long time. Smokers, drinkers, gasoline users, gamblers - all pay obnoxious taxes. Gains made on investments are heavily taxed. The more income you make the more you pay in taxes. The better the location of your property the higher your taxes are. Churches are the one thing I can think of that are not taxed right now- I don’t understand that. I will make a slight tweak on HMO’s comment above…

  ‘But, NOT-taxing a specific group, uniquely, is not the American way” - we need to fix that…

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  hmoffsuite on March 19 at 4:19 p.m.

  poolman. True, we are all taxed to death. But, most of them we knew the tax existed before we paid it. This one is ‘after the fact’. What if they decided to ‘tax’ gun ownership, to a ridiculous level making it impossibe for some to own them? Or, taxed your SUV that you really need for soccer games? Or, taxed any other darn thing they want to fit their agenda? At will? And, fwiw, Obama just came out with a statement and he says, “this rightly reflects the outrage” that so many feel regarding AIG and the bonus deal. He looks forward to receiving the final bill. I largely oppose it for the legal implications. I think it might be unconstitional and would like a hearing on that with the SC.

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  Stickman on March 19 at 8:33 p.m.

  Brand X; Of course we could all write a book. I for one have many ideas for that , though I doubt they will ever get written. I would start with my parents, and then move on through my life. We all have chapters that may interest others, but putting them to print is another matter.

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  Stickman on March 19 at 8:38 p.m.

  Another thought Brand X; I have been keeping many journals of late, as I want my children and their children to know my thoughts. If you want them to know how you feel and how your life has been, then write. I miss my parents, and they never wrote. I am writing, and someday, all that comes after me will know how I feel about everything. It just makes sense.

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  Me on March 19 at 9:22 p.m.

  Stickman - that is EXACTLY why I started my blog. My Mom passed away and I felt I didn’t REALLY know her. I wanted my Son to have some way to find out about me. BTW - I did tell him I started a blog and why. At this point he has no interest in it (he’s 20). He says he knows me. I think someday he will change his mind.

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  JIMMYMAC on March 20 at 2:04 a.m.

  Anyone still up? JBelle, you still working. I knew that couch of mine in the office would come in handy :)

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  marmitetoasty on March 20 at 2:37 a.m.

  Me, that is the same reason I do me blob….. so that me lads will one day know the side of me that they sometimes dont always get to see :)

  Dont know what they will make of it LOL but I wont be here to find out, so I aint bovvered …

  x

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  brandxranch on March 20 at 8:58 a.m.

  Our personal histories are important to those who come after us. And… Just think what a great book it would be if all the blogsphere members had a chapter to bio themselves. We are so different and yet here we all are, a unique family of sorts. I just bet we each have some facinating history!!

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  JeanieSpokane on March 20 at 9:01 a.m.

  I started my “blob” for the same reason - it’s kind of a journal, not kept daily, but frequently enough. I especially love to tell tales of my children when they were young. Now, in their 30s, they love to read the memories. I’m also writing more about myself - and my sons are my best fans! It’s all good!

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