Posted on 03/17/2009 5:41:45 AM PDT by Libloather
Dodd calls for retribution tax for AIG
Published: March 17, 2009 at 8:07 AM
WASHINGTON, March 17 (UPI) -- U.S. Sen. Christopher Dodd , D-Conn., called for an individually targeted tax to strike back at American International Group Inc. (NYSE:AFF)'s bonus pay plan.
The company, 80 percent owned by the government and the recipient of billions of dollars in bailout funds, has said the $165 million it plans to hand out in bonus pay is mandated by contract. In retribution, "we'd write a tax provision specifically targeted to that audience," Dodd said in a CQ Politics report Tuesday.
U.S. Rep. Gary Peters, D-Mich., said he was drafting a bill that would tax bonuses of mroe than $10,000 by 60 percent, specifically limiting the bill to companies in which the government owns 79 percent or more -- in other words, just AIG, CQ Politics said.
U.S. President Barack Obama has pledged to pursue legal action against AIG. On Monday 79 House of Representatives members urged him to honor that pledge.
In another tact, House Financial Services Committee Chairman Barney Frank, D-Mass., said the government should simply assert its right as majority shareholder to take such measures as replacing AIG executives.
AIG Chief Executive Officer Edward Liddy is scheduled to appear before a House subcommittee Wednesday.
Then its the government's fault. Have Dodd and Frank appear before a House subcommittee.
no problem, write out the checks for $9,999.99 each and call each a separate bonus (showing up on time bonus, leaving late bonus etc..). that way, it's not one huge bonus for one thing..tax is bypassed..
Article I, Section 9, paragraph 3: “No Bill of Attainder or ex post facto Law will be passed.”
“Bills of attainder, ex post facto laws, and laws impairing the obligations of contracts, are contrary to the first principles of the social compact, and to every principle of sound legislation. ... The sober people of America are weary of the fluctuating policy which has directed the public councils. They have seen with regret and indignation that sudden changes and legislative interferences, in cases affecting personal rights, become jobs in the hands of enterprising and influential speculators, and snares to the more-industrious and less-informed part of the community.” James Madison, Federalist Number 44, 1788.
From Wikipedia:
A bill of attainder (also known as an act or writ of attainder) is an act of legislature declaring a person or group of persons guilty of some crime, and punishing them, without benefit of a trial. The United States Constitution forbids both the federal and state governments to enact bills of attainder, in Article 1, Sections 9 and 10, respectively. It was considered an excess or abuse of the British monarchy and Parliament. They were abolished in the United Kingdom in 1870.[1]
Smokescreen.
Dodd should have shown the door long ago..Let’s see if Ct. can wake up in 2010
I know honor is a foreign concept to Dodd and Frank but that is where we stand, fulfill the contracts and move on.
The Constitution of the United States, Article I, Section 9, paragraph 3 provides that: “No Bill of Attainder or ex post facto Law will be passed.”
“The Bill of Attainder Clause was intended not as a narrow, technical (and therefore soon to be outmoded) prohibition, but rather as an implementation of the separation of powers, a general safeguard against legislative exercise of the judicial function or more simply - trial by legislature.” U.S. v. Brown, 381 U.S. 437, 440 (1965).
“These clauses of the Constitution are not of the broad, general nature of the Due Process Clause, but refer to rather precise legal terms which had a meaning under English law at the time the Constitution was adopted. A bill of attainder was a legislative act that singled out one or more persons and imposed punishment on them, without benefit of trial. Such actions were regarded as odious by the framers of the Constitution because it was the traditional role of a court, judging an individual case, to impose punishment.” William H. Rehnquist, The Supreme Court, page 166.
“Bills of attainder, ex post facto laws, and laws impairing the obligations of contracts, are contrary to the first principles of the social compact, and to every principle of sound legislation. ... The sober people of America are weary of the fluctuating policy which has directed the public councils. They have seen with regret and indignation that sudden changes and legislative interferences, in cases affecting personal rights, become jobs in the hands of enterprising and influential speculators, and snares to the more-industrious and less-informed part of the community.” James Madison, Federalist Number 44, 1788.
Maybe Chris can explain why over $90B is going to Euro banks?
We like your corporation: here, have $100B.
We don't like your corporation: we've going to create a special tax, just for you. You owe us $100B.
All captains of industry will gleefully support whomever is in power, or else go to Galt's Gulch.
Constitution?? Surely you are aware that mouldy old piece of paper means nothing anymore.
Of course, when you don't attach any strings, or read any bills, isn't this what you get?
Have we found our first tenants for the FEMA crisis living quarters? They used to be called gulags when the governments didn't care if you knew the truth.
It’s looking more and more like the people are going to have to take a stand on that ...
If they want to do a “Claw-Back” on scoundrels, where is the disgorgement of Frank, Dodd, Raines, Gorelick etc. the orgininators and enablers of the bad paper that AIG then turned into instruments?
I have no problem picturing this crafty populist as a brown-shirt standing in his office batting around a balloon globe of the world all by himself.
Notice how he doesn't suggest much anymore, he dictates. And if someone or some entity doesn't take to his dictates, he threatens to "take care of them" on his show. His arrogance and dictatorial leanings will be his undoing one of these days.
Leni
I watched last night & you are wildly exagerating what Bill Oreilly said - again.
Why don’t you actually try LISTENING and hearing what he said, not what you THINK he said.
Maybe so, but the constitution also has some vague language about the candidates for president being natural born citizens. Perhaps they should have added the clause that said “and prove it”.
This is a joke. It is a shell game, point at the 165 million but keep their eyes off the 170 billion the G sent to this company so they could bail out foreign banks and the like. This is bigger than the Marshall plan and all done under the cover of darkness.
Vince
Our current Socialist Government failed to do their due diligence and understand that contractual obligation that AIG had with its people.
This is not AIG’s fault or problem,it is the Obama Administrations for being the morons that they are.........
Sorry if you disagree.
Leni
Yes, I figured you would say that because anything different would force you to actually think.
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