Give the bonuses back!

Lots of people are disgusted to find out that Wall Street banksters paid themselves almost $20 billion in bonuses at the end of 2008, shortly after many of them were bailed out to the tune of $350 billion (and counting) by the taxpayers. These are the very same people who are largely responsible for driving our economy into the ditch, causing millions of people (and still counting) to become unemployed. And they think they deserve bonuses? The level of greed is just unbelievable!

This bonus payout flies in the face of pay-for-performance strategies: these banksters lost billions upon billions of dollars of other people's money, and many of them should rightly be in jail. Not getting bonuses! You do not reward such behavior. I don't care if some divisions of these corporations were profitable. If the firm loses so much money that it needs a government handout, it should pay no bonuses. Period.

And don't tell me these companies will lose their best and brightest employees. Most of these financial firms are letting people go, like the rest of the industries are, so where would they jump to? We can put them to work on a chain gang, if they need employment.

President Obama called it shameful. That's not enough. Shaming only works on someone who has a conscience. We've gotta do more than shame these sociopaths, as they clearly have no consciences whatsoever.

So I propose that we simply take back the bonuses from all individuals working for any company that received money from the TARP program. We all know the law that authorized the program was written hastily. At the time, Congress was desperate to save our economy, which is still very much on the edge of an abyss. So pass a new law clarifying it. Make them give the money back to the taxpayers who bailed them out. Think that's unfair -- changing the rules in the middle of the game? Perhaps.

What about this, then: a temporary change in the income tax law, for tax years 2008 and 2009, that would levy a 95% income tax rate on bonuses paid by any company that received funds under the TARP program. You could exempt the first $5000 if you're worried about punishing the clerical staff.

However it's done, they need to give the money back. It's as simple as that.

I also have a good longer-term idea for how to rein-in outrageous executive pay levels in the future, but I have to get back to work now so I'll write about it later. Some of us actually have to work for our pay.

Welcome back to Texas!

Let me be the first to say it:

Welcome back to Texas, W!

Not that I really want you here. I just really, really, really, really don't want you there anymore. You've made such a disaster of things. Time now to step back, slowly back away from the presidency, and let a real man clean up your mess.

I know, by the way, that you're not really from here. You're from Connecticut or Maine or one of those states up there. But if it gets you to leave DC, I'll concede the point and make you an honorary Texan. Just get on that plane already!

Guess I'll have to retire the Impeach W web site. Sold more items to myself than anyone else anyway. Will have to scrape the stickers off my bumper too. But that's OK. Just come on home now!

Sincerely,
loyal citizen and patriot

PS- Thanks also for moving to Dallas. I never did like that city, and now you're giving me one more reason to stay away.

BCS stands for..

Let me see if I've got this straight..

Florida beat Okrahoma by ten points on a neutral field, and they did the victory formation down the stretch.

Texas beat Okrahoma by ten points on a neutral field, and they did the victory formation down the stretch.

Utah beat every team they faced, including several very good ones.
...

Texas had only one loss, on the road, while facing their fourth consecutive top-11 team.

Florida had only one loss. At home. To whom? Ole Miss. What was their ranking again? Oh.

Utah lost to, well, nobody.
...

So the national champion is.... Wait a minute. Who? Really?
...

time for a history lesson:

a Boot-licking Coin Scam was created to ensure equal chances at big money for all... I mean to arrange some kind of fair distribution of treasure among... Hold on, let me start over.

a Behemoth Collegiate Shakedown was designed to make sure the one school in the country that was the very best at hiding the fact that they compensate their amateur... I mean the very best at conning recruits into... Bear with me a minute, I'll get this right.

a bunch of smart people got together and planned a Bogus Cartel of Sport to certify that the very best ones in the country at convincing a handful of young men to become super-obese in the hopes that one day they will... Darn it, let me try again.

this Business of Colossal Stupidity has been in place for some years now, and every single year they have bestowed their fancy crown on an undisputed national... I mean everyone always agrees that the best college football team is... One more time; I'm sure I'll get it right.

the system of choosing a Bull$h!t Champion by Secret-ballot was deemed to be the most fair way to commandeer huge piles of cash from young athletes' celebrity before allowing them to... I mean of course educating them to ensure their futures after being all used up by... Um. OK, last time.

again, it is obvious to all who have at least two brain cells firing that the purpose of the Bankrolled Competition Syndicate... I mean the system for allocating Booty to Coaches by Show-of-hands... I mean the only fair way is to have a Ballot of Copious Song-and-dance to decide the... Well, clearly the Bigtime Copywriters Snowjob is the only way to...

Sorry, but I have absolutely no idea why the Bill-of-goods Challenge for Specie was created nor what its purpose is.