I especially am enjoying this period of "Change" with the squeaky clean people he's appointing to his cabinet positions! I mean, isn't it great how the country's in the hands of a great PROVEN leader who's changing the face of Washington with all his integrity, morals and fresh new people he's appointing to help "change the way Washington thinks and works!!!"

Maybe an old guy and a hot chick from the great white north wouldn't have been soooo bad?

It's another step toward socialism and a good way to run the most qualified candidates toward free market companies.

I am with you on this Chief, but can't the 'Lender' dictate the terms of the proceeds? This is a horrible grey area. I don't think anyone wins.

As always there are loopholes in this compensation cap. Many of the highly compensated officers are excluded from the targeted figureheads of these companies. The plan also includes stock compensation that vests when the taxpayers get paid back. That part makes sense and I understand that these companies are in a self-induced tight spot. I just wish that the boards of these companies were the ones tightening the screws instead of the government.

I guess in a 'perfect' world - it wouldn't be necessary for the gov't to step in and regulate. But, since many of the boards are just as corrupt as the BAD CEO's -- what else is left?

I guess it is a both/and situation. Both the boards AND the government need to do all they can do to ensure that things run correctly for the good of all.

Being a sinful and fallen species - we need plenty of checks and balances . . .

Eric:

It seems to me that the boards of these stressed companies had their opportunity to tighten the screws on these excessive salaries and bonuses. These boards of directors did not take that opportunity when it might have made a difference in their company's results. Now these financially stressed companies basically have to come to the government for financial help. I think the government is definitely within its rights to put terms to their financial assistance to these stressed companies that include restictions on excessive executive pay and bonuses until the money has been paid back.

I tend to agree here, if wanting govt. money for a bail out, then there needs to be govt. regs to that money. The problem is, the govt. has its hands in far more than many realize.

'The debtor is servant to the lender' is what the Good Book says. . . So, the gov't most definitely has the right to set as strict as terms as it wants. What's the alternative? For these over-paid jerks to get a real job like the rest of us . . . and for their over-priced, over-ran, over-managed company to go bankrupt... Such is life with a so-called free market.

If we are going to talk about being in debt as a nation to our government...then how should we feel about our nation being in debt to the rest of the world? This bail out money is not just printed money. The "stimulus" money we all got was borrowed. Our government is not setting a very good example.

I have quit paying all my bills, and when hassled by collection departments I simply tell them that I think I'm next on the goverment bail-out list. So far it hasn't worked. Guess I needed to have squandered someone elses money away, cost people their jobs, drive a Mercedes, and collect my multi-million dollar bonus than I would be bailed out - ya that right so I had the money to donate to someones campaign maybe?

Dean:

I have finished reading the book Enough. True Meaures of Money, Business, and Life by John C. Bogle, founder and former CEO of the Vanguard Mutual Fund Group.

I thought it was an extraordinary book for our times. I highly recommend this book. Better than my recommendaion, David F, Swensen, Chief Investment Officer, Yale University on the book cover says this about it, "Rarely do so few pages provoke so much thought. Read this book."

Bogle an extremely successful business person talks about how we can have more than enough in the financial and material things in life but how we can never have enough of professionalism, ethics both business and personal, development of character, values and principles. He challenges us to as a society, organizations and individuals to work professionally to achieve goals that add more in value to society than our own wealth. He challenges business leaders and workers alike not to just extract wealth from our society but to add value to it. He takes to task business leaders including those in his own mutual fund industry who are more worried about building massive wealth for themselves in the short run rather than long term value for the their business and the people their corporations serve.

For example here is one statement he makes in the book,



I found this to be an inspirational book and I plan to read it several times. Thank you for the recommendation.

Obamalism
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