good article for all the wall st haters

[RIJIMMY]

Originally Posted by Joe

Obama just announced salary and bonus restrictions for employees of companies taking TARP money. I guess he did not read anything RIJimmy wrote either.

Maybe next, he'll seize their property? I wonder what part of the constitution gives him the right to do that? Lets feed the fervor of the masses, it worked for Stalin.

Let the government take all the money, and redistribute it as it sees fit. Wall St is evil, you dont need their 401ks, you dont need their investments. The government will help you, the government will help you, the government will help you......... pretty soon it will be one shop town, the US of Obama will be the only source......

[Back Beach]

Originally Posted by RIJIMMY

My advice for Kevin is to get out of IT. Its a thankless job.

In my opinion, its the best move Kevin could make if the job isn't a good fit for him. Obviously there are drawbacks, but Kevin may want to consider something with a lower starting comp, but with a greater fit for his lifestyle. Is it difficult to do? YES. Impossible to do? NO.
I just attended a great leadership workshop where the presenter emphasized "getting out of your comfort zone" in order to realize your maximum potential. In other words, don't look for excuses not to do something, find a way to make the changes you need. Don't let age,routine, or the old "I've always done it this way" mentality stand in your way.

[RIJIMMY]

President Obama - Last year's "shameful" handout of $18 billion in Wall Street bonuses "is exactly the kind of disregard for the costs and consequences of their actions that brought about this crisis: a culture of narrow self-interest and short-term gain at the expense of everything else," Obama said to reporters at the White House.

This is a MORONIC and IGNORANT statement and backs up all my banter on a scapegoat and blaming wall st.

[RIJIMMY]

President OBAMA - We're going to be taking a look at broader reforms so that executives are compensated for sound risk management and rewarded for growth measured over years, not just days or weeks," Obama said.

Looks like he is reaching past TARP? So the President is goign to be decinding how executives get compensated? C-O-M-M-U-N-I-S-M

[The Dad Fisherman]

If I'm not mistaken both of those statements pertain to companies that took our Tax Dollars to bail them out.....not businesses that are doing things on there own

Damn Skippy there needs to be some regulations put in when they are dealing with our tax dollars.....

[Joe]

I see it as welfare reform.

[Fishpart]

You take Government money you get Government pay End of Story... You can't be a capitalist only when you are profitable..

[RIJIMMY]

I dont think you guys undertsand what "take government money" meant. This money was not meant to "keep the lights on".

Is the Big O also imposing the same on the big 3 automakres?

rememember, Im in the camp of let them fail and against the bailout.

[The Dad Fisherman]

Originally Posted by RIJIMMY

rememember, Im in the camp of let them fail and against the bailout.

I'm in the same camp as you.......

[RIJIMMY]

step one - the banks getting bailout

step two -
"Possible steps for the future include requiring compensation committees on all public financial institutions to review and disclose strategies for aligning compensation with sound risk-management."

Scary stuff.

[mosholu]

As I understand it the comp restrictions would apply to the auto companies that took federal funds. The concern about government getting out of their jurisdiction is understandable but they are acting no differently than a bank would if it was making a loan to a distressed entity. No bank would make such a loan to a company that was bankrupt without imposing stringent conditions and covenants on the company going forward until the debt was paid off.
I do however disagree with the admin on the restrictions they are placing on the banks because they are meaningless and do not address the underlying problem. The problem has two aspects. The first is that compensation at investment banks is too big a percentage of earnings. Currently I believe most of the banks pay over 40% of their earnings as comp (base and bonus). This was fine when they were private partnerships and it was their own money at risk. In a corporation their liability is limited. The second point is that the boards of these companies have no adequate way to supervise either their activities or their comp numbers since they are picked by management and they are solely dependent on management for information. This has resulted in the management of these entities having all the benefits of the upside and the downside has been sold to the shareholders. This is not a model that rewards prudent risk taking. What the president should do is to set a sliding scale to bring pay down by having a requirement that any entity licensed by the Feds as a B/D, CPO, IA or CTA etc., and any affiliated entities of their corporate family can not pay more than 40% (currently around 46-48%) of earnings as compensation. This would go down by 1.5% a year until it was at 35%. Shares received as comp would be held for a period of time say 3 years and then paid in tranches thereafter. There should also be a limitation on the top 25 people in any organization that their pay could not go above 20% over the previous year's comp. The money not paid out in comp could go back to the shareholders as dividends which would make the banks a more attractive investment while keeping the value of the workers deferred comp high.
Different point but I do not hear much about it is the number of jobs the banks sent overseas to be outsourced during the 15 years. These bankers were paid a bonus of component of which was based on the saving (earnings) of moving jobs from Americans and sending them overseas. At the very least as part of this bailout this practice should stop.