Blame Your Government For AIG Bonuses

I know everyone likes to think that the big evil corporate monsters at AIG are to blame for this $165 million in bonus payouts. And, certainly, the executives at AIG a year ago were responsible for these decisions. Contracts were made that guaranteed certain valuable employees incentives for sticking around, during a time where they all knew the ship was sinking. The governement and the media wants you to think this was corporate greed gone wild, the government and the media thinks you are a sheep, and will follow them down whatever road they tell you to. Don't blame AIG, blame your governement!

I'll keep this relatively short and sweet, cause I know most people don't like to read, they just like hearing soundbites on CNN, so here's what you need to know:

• The government took AIG over more than half a year ago. When you take over a company, you do something called dilligence, which includes reading contracts. Instead of reading contracts, politicians have almost daily press conferences where they tear into corporate executives on national television, in hopes of keeping constiuents happy. They had six months to read these contracts, and they've failed. So now they continue to grandstand in hopes of allaying the blame. Don't be fooled by their rhetoric.

• AIG guaranteed these bonuses as a chance to survive an extra year. Without these people, they'd have lost experts in the field of very complicated derivatives, and sales people with long-term client relationships that would have been dissolved. It is likely that this $165 MM (only 0.1% of total taxpayer investment) has saved AIG and the taxpayers TRILLIONS OF DOLLARS in losses they could have seen after wiping out their good talent.
  

• The government's threats (Chuck Schumer, you thieving douchebag) of taxing all of the bonuses at 100% is STEALING. This is the equivolent of the owner of your company taking back 100% of your salary which they were contractually obligated to pay. Don't let these corrupt bastards steal from your fellow citizens. The government could have easily prevented this through dilligence, which they failed to do… why?...

Because democracy has resulted in a bunch of corrupt, greedy, incompetant politicians pandering to the needs of constituents in hopes of more years of power, money, and dillusions of grandeaur. Our governement doesn't get the simplest of concepts - Due Dilligence, Investment In Competent People, DO NOT STEAL!!! How on earth do people continue to cast blame on the corporations… cause remember, it was the government officials who took bribes and removed necessary regulations. Isn't that worse than greedy CDSs?

I'll leave you on this note - Here's the list of top AIG recipients for the 2008 campaign:

1. Sen. Chris Dodd (Senate Banking Finance Chairman), D-Conn., $103,100 

2. Sen. Barack Obama (President), D-Ill., $101,332 

3. Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., $59,499 

4. Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., $35,965 

Dancing With The Stars is a Democracy, what we're seeing is fat pigs playing poker on the farm. 

Home Depot - The New Nordstrom's of Customer Service!?

I cannot remember very many times when a company big enough to be a component of the Dow Jones has done something I'd consider remarkable. I guess it's remarkable that Citibank managed to depress their shares under a dollar last week. It's certainly remarkable that GM has lasted as long as they have with such a horrible product and business model. But at a time when business isn't exactly booming, Home Depot has become remarkable, for all the right reasons. Home Depot has completely revolutionized customer service at a hardware store, and is now offering the best customer service in all of retail.

"WHAT - are you CRAZY!?!?"

I know, I'm completely blown away as well. Less than one year ago, my wife and I decided never to go back there unless it was something we simply couldn't buy somewhere else. At a time when I was unemployed, we decided we'd rather spend money at the expensive local joint, than give money to the likes of Home Depot, a retail chain we were convinced was committed to having the worst customer service on earth. Never enough people working. The few employees who were there were miserable and surrounded by hoards of customers, awaiting an answer for the simplest of questions which would often time go unanswered. The prices were good, but at what cost? Every single time I went there, I got pissed. Often times leaving a full basket in the middle of an ilse and storming out with a flurry of curses blanketing everyone I saw on the way out (under my breath).

Now, the pendulum has swung completely the other direction… Now honestly, I'm not sure if this is a regional test, or a national effort. I'm hoping for the latter. Also, I've had this experience consistantly for the past few months at several area stores (DC), so I think it's legit. Basically, when you walk in, there is a greeter who can point you in the right direction. Yesterday, however, they didn't know the answer. But, they actually tracked down the person who could for me. That person then took me to the exact item I was looking for. And during the walk, instead of telling me "I hate you - die - I have real work to do" they instead said "How is your day?... Are you enjoying the weather?"… What?... Then they said, "what else?", offering to take me to whatever was next, which they happily did. Yes, Home Depot has given me the kind of customer service I'd only expect from a local shop, and really only by the owner… Oh, and they had plenty of registers open, so I didn't waste any time.

Home Depot will be getting all of my business, not only for any tools I need, but for ANYTHING I can buy there. Tools, garbage bags, light bulbs, whatever. I ask that if Home Depot is on your "no way, no how" list, you give them another chance. Offering this level of customer service takes a big increase in staff and training, meaning this is a big investment that can blow up on them if it fails. The only way that companies will treat us like this is if they make money doing it, so let's help them prove the business case for customer service. Maybe customer service isn't just a thing of the past, but the value differentiator of the future. Take that, internet retailers!