Since it's such a hot topic in the news, I thought it'd be interesting to have a civil discussion about the Bonuses paid to the executives of AIG as it pertains to the huge wads of tax payer money propping up the company.

Here's an article I picked out of the google list for no reason other than the guy starts by saying he doesn't normally agree with some other guy, but in this case... etc.

http://scienceblogs.com/builtonfacts/2009/03/bonuses.php

Personally, I think the Government should have stipulated where this money was supposed to go.  I believe it's monumentally irresponsible to give carte blanche spending power to the people who so completely messed up the financial market in the first place.

Not that the government is better at money management, but I think it's clear what this money was INTENDED for.  If the company was solvent enough to afford the exec bonuses out of their own budget, and none of it was tax payer money, I'd have no problem.

Furthermore, I don't think any bonuses should be given to the decision makers of tanking companies.  I don't know about other industries, but in the Software industry it's pretty much standard that IF there's a bonus structure, it depends on company performance.

Update:  I've added a very appropriate comic from xkcd
http://xkcd.com/558/

Wow.  Just wow.  The US Taxpayer is now paying for AIG to sue the US Government, funded by the US Taxpayer.  Talk about takin' it from both ends!

AIG is suing the government, an 80% owner of AIG, for $300 Million in tax refund.  I love it!  Who needs fiction when the real world is so ridiculous!

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/20/business/20aig.html?_r=2

Just to continue talking to myself about AIG, I read an interesting comment on Slashdot that suggests these "Bonuses" were not what we commonly think of as bonuses.  The media could put a little more effort into clarifying that, if it's true.

http://yro.slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=1169063&cid=27272551

The GM head honcho, who was forced out by the Obama Administration, got $23 Million!

These guys are entitled to their entitlements... just like the grand river former CFO CEO or whatever who's gotten $700,000+ for two years without having done a single thing.