Crass Envy

I’ve been completely fascinated this past week with all the media references to the supposed rage that exists in the general public against those employees of AIG who received ginormous bonuses after the company took taxpayer bailout dollars.

First of all, I don’t think American citizens are as stupid as American politicians think we are. In general, I think we get it that many corporations defer the compensation of their key employees, in part in an effort to retain them for an extended period of time. Heck, anyone who’s ever seen Chevy Chase in National Lampoon Christmas has to feel for the guy when his entire year’s budget is dependent on a promised bonus that turns into a pitiful pittance.

Even in spite of the fact that tour buses have now taken crowds of envious folks to view the homes of the AIG employees in question, and to insist that those rich people ought to be paying the overdue rent of the touring masses who could have paid their rent if they hadn’t bought the bus ticket, I still believe most of us would side with Chevy.

One of the reasons we would side with Chevy is that it’s becoming really difficult at this point not to be suspicious when we’re told by our leaders that the citizenry is “enraged,” especially when we’re told that our fellow Americans are only enraged by one specific minor-in-the-grand-scheme-of-a-meltdown item of interest. It’s hard not to be reminded of Bill Clinton bombing, what? a baby-formula factory, or was it an aspirin factory? back when he seemed to be attempting to divert attention from his shenanigans with Monica Lewinsky.

If you’d like to read a resignation letter from an AIG employee whose bonus was retracted, take a look at this.

After I read it, I had a much better understanding of how certain members of our citizenry are taking the fall for those who have truly been party to grossly negligent fiscal policy. And I’ve pretty much decided that from now on, whenever I’m told I should be enraged, I’m going to take a closer look at why and not accept anything at face value.

Of course, I run the risk of finding myself enraged at the true culprits rather than the ones who are being made scapegoats. But that’s a risk I am perfectly willing to take.

Afterword: My commenter Suzan pointed out that the tour bus was hired by ACORN. It figures. Read all about it here.

Posted by Katy on 03/25/09 at 09:45 AM

Fallible Comments...

The tour buses were hired by ACORN. AIG is just a distraction to keep us from understanding the big picture of how the govt is morphing into a dictatorship/socialist state.
Posted by Suzan on 03/25/09 at 10:36 AM
Suzan---And, um...fascist, too.
Posted by Katy on 03/25/09 at 10:57 AM
Thanks for writing this, Katie. It is a smokescreen and there is so much hypocrisy going on and it is disgusting. We the people had better stay awake and speak out or we are going to find ourselves in a country we don't recognize anymore. Are guillotines next?
Posted by Karen on 03/25/09 at 11:08 AM
When I worked for Steelcase as a young women, we'd get bonuses at the end of the year based on the performance (read ours) of the company. So, if there wasn't much extra profit, guess what, we didn't get big bonuses. How we employees budgeted accordingly was up to us, and those who didn't rely on bonuses were, of course, the smarter people. So, if a company loses money, why should anybody expect a bonus? Hence the word bonus. B0-nus.

These bailouts were a bad idea to begin with.

Guillotine? Really? Maybe a little over the top?

Hey, my password was being39 Katy. How did they know?!
Posted by lisa on 03/25/09 at 06:57 PM
Karen--Smokescreens abound in every administration, I'm sure. And the good-cop, bad-cop game that seems to be being played, as well. Maybe I just don't notice it as much when I'm in closer philosophical agreement with the leaders? Mind you, I was no fan of the Repubs, either, especially last fall when.....

Lisa---The bailouts should have never happened!!!! Period. It's such a bad precedent to set, especially when it's rammed through at almost the first sign of economic difficulty. And THAT was Bush's deal. He said those infamous words, "I am abandoning my free market principles to save the free market." We can't have it both ways, unfortunately. BTW, when I worked at a major pharm co., I did not get cost of living raises EVER. ONLY merit raises. The thing that impressed me about the AIG guy's letter to the NYT was that he ran a consistently profitable division, and had nothing at all to do with the credit default swap stuff at AIG. Love your password "Being 39"! I should be so lucky.... :)
Posted by Katy on 03/25/09 at 07:42 PM
Yes, my comment was "over the top." It was meant sarcastically but I'm sorry if it offended anyone. I do think the bus tours were a bad idea.
Posted by Karen on 03/26/09 at 08:10 AM
What gets me about the bus tour article is the feeling of entitlement (we have a right to use your swimming pools and country clubs) that some people have and the whole attitude of "how dare these "filthy rich people live in big homes." I work for a non profit organization. We feed hundreds of people every day. Our economy is horrible here. I hear the stories and see the faces of their reality.

Despite that, I still don't understand why it is the fault of someone who worked hard and was wise with their money. I may not agree with buying a $150,000 car, or a multi million dollar home, but that does not mean they are evil because they chose to do it. That has always been the beauty of America - with hard work and determination and wisdom, you can accomplish your dream. Now, the age of socialism is upon us... and it is not even hiding any more. We need to level the playing field, make sure everyone is equal. I seriously shudder to think about living in this kind of society where creativity and dreams are crushed by "equality and fairness."

Sorry for the long winded rant here, but this issue fires me up! I am more irritated by the hypocrisy of Congress than I am with the AIG bunch.
Posted by Joshua on 03/26/09 at 02:48 PM
Sorry for the long winded rant here, but this issue fires me up! I am more irritated by the hypocrisy of Congress than I am with the AIG bunch

Right!
Posted by Olia on 03/27/09 at 10:30 AM
Did you also notice that there was a squabble this week about ACORN getting more money - so they can rent more buses, I suppose and divert attention away from their real mission. BTW, there were 8 people (Dems) arrested for buying votes in the Pres Election from Clay CO, KY. Wonder how many other places got away with it?
The worst is yet to come.
Posted by Sandi Thompson on 03/31/09 at 07:37 AM
Hello Katy, Wow really very nice info you share here. I read your entire post and here you share nice info on Crass Envy. Thanks for your nice info.
Posted by factory audit on 06/05/09 at 08:32 PM
So nice. Thanks.
Posted by Baby Shop | Baby Store | Shopping for Baby on 04/25/12 at 03:44 AM
Impressive! I'm so glad to read your entire post and here you share wonderful information on Crass Envy. Thanks a lot for nice sharing.
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Posted by Ashley Brendon on 04/27/12 at 09:56 PM
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Posted by WebsiteInfo on 05/02/12 at 09:18 AM
real bad stuff. i am glad that someone finally has said something about it. carry on the good work.
Posted by kevin coo on 05/14/12 at 04:27 AM

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Posted by kevin cooper on 05/14/12 at 04:28 AM

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Personal blog of christian writer & fallible mom Katy McKenna Raymond in Kansas City, Missouri Katy is represented by Greg Johnson at WordServe Literary Read more Katy at LateBoomer.net Follow Katy on Twitter Follow Katy on Facebook 123 Recent Posts Try Becoming Brenda Starr Off Beat Scattered That’s It So I’ve Finally Signed With An Agent. Now What? The Spoon Sciatica Sweetheart A Woman’s Train of Thought Has No Caboose However much we own, we are all still living on borrowed time After all, when restaurants shrink portions, they don’t shrink prices. As with everything in life, balance is key. Slow down, you move too fast… Yeah, I know. I have issues. Search Advanced Search Syndicate Login E me at katy @ ngenius.com	Crass Envy I’ve been completely fascinated this past week with all the media references to the supposed rage that exists in the general public against those employees of AIG who received ginormous bonuses after the company took taxpayer bailout dollars. First of all, I don’t think American citizens are as stupid as American politicians think we are. In general, I think we get it that many corporations defer the compensation of their key employees, in part in an effort to retain them for an extended period of time. Heck, anyone who’s ever seen Chevy Chase in National Lampoon Christmas has to feel for the guy when his entire year’s budget is dependent on a promised bonus that turns into a pitiful pittance. Even in spite of the fact that tour buses have now taken crowds of envious folks to view the homes of the AIG employees in question, and to insist that those rich people ought to be paying the overdue rent of the touring masses who could have paid their rent if they hadn’t bought the bus ticket, I still believe most of us would side with Chevy. One of the reasons we would side with Chevy is that it’s becoming really difficult at this point not to be suspicious when we’re told by our leaders that the citizenry is “enraged,” especially when we’re told that our fellow Americans are only enraged by one specific minor-in-the-grand-scheme-of-a-meltdown item of interest. It’s hard not to be reminded of Bill Clinton bombing, what? a baby-formula factory, or was it an aspirin factory? back when he seemed to be attempting to divert attention from his shenanigans with Monica Lewinsky. If you’d like to read a resignation letter from an AIG employee whose bonus was retracted, take a look at this. After I read it, I had a much better understanding of how certain members of our citizenry are taking the fall for those who have truly been party to grossly negligent fiscal policy. And I’ve pretty much decided that from now on, whenever I’m told I should be enraged, I’m going to take a closer look at why and not accept anything at face value. Of course, I run the risk of finding myself enraged at the true culprits rather than the ones who are being made scapegoats. But that’s a risk I am perfectly willing to take. Afterword: My commenter Suzan pointed out that the tour bus was hired by ACORN. It figures. Read all about it here. Posted by Katy on 03/25/09 at 09:45 AM Fallible Comments... The tour buses were hired by ACORN. AIG is just a distraction to keep us from understanding the big picture of how the govt is morphing into a dictatorship/socialist state. Posted by Suzan on 03/25/09 at 10:36 AM Suzan---And, um...fascist, too. Posted by Katy on 03/25/09 at 10:57 AM Thanks for writing this, Katie. It is a smokescreen and there is so much hypocrisy going on and it is disgusting. We the people had better stay awake and speak out or we are going to find ourselves in a country we don't recognize anymore. Are guillotines next? Posted by Karen on 03/25/09 at 11:08 AM When I worked for Steelcase as a young women, we'd get bonuses at the end of the year based on the performance (read ours) of the company. So, if there wasn't much extra profit, guess what, we didn't get big bonuses. How we employees budgeted accordingly was up to us, and those who didn't rely on bonuses were, of course, the smarter people. So, if a company loses money, why should anybody expect a bonus? Hence the word bonus. B0-nus. These bailouts were a bad idea to begin with. Guillotine? Really? Maybe a little over the top? Hey, my password was being39 Katy. How did they know?! Posted by lisa on 03/25/09 at 06:57 PM Karen--Smokescreens abound in every administration, I'm sure. And the good-cop, bad-cop game that seems to be being played, as well. Maybe I just don't notice it as much when I'm in closer philosophical agreement with the leaders? Mind you, I was no fan of the Repubs, either, especially last fall when..... Lisa---The bailouts should have never happened!!!! Period. It's such a bad precedent to set, especially when it's rammed through at almost the first sign of economic difficulty. And THAT was Bush's deal. He said those infamous words, "I am abandoning my free market principles to save the free market." We can't have it both ways, unfortunately. BTW, when I worked at a major pharm co., I did not get cost of living raises EVER. ONLY merit raises. The thing that impressed me about the AIG guy's letter to the NYT was that he ran a consistently profitable division, and had nothing at all to do with the credit default swap stuff at AIG. Love your password "Being 39"! I should be so lucky.... :) Posted by Katy on 03/25/09 at 07:42 PM Yes, my comment was "over the top." It was meant sarcastically but I'm sorry if it offended anyone. I do think the bus tours were a bad idea. Posted by Karen on 03/26/09 at 08:10 AM What gets me about the bus tour article is the feeling of entitlement (we have a right to use your swimming pools and country clubs) that some people have and the whole attitude of "how dare these "filthy rich people live in big homes." I work for a non profit organization. We feed hundreds of people every day. Our economy is horrible here. I hear the stories and see the faces of their reality. Despite that, I still don't understand why it is the fault of someone who worked hard and was wise with their money. I may not agree with buying a $150,000 car, or a multi million dollar home, but that does not mean they are evil because they chose to do it. That has always been the beauty of America - with hard work and determination and wisdom, you can accomplish your dream. Now, the age of socialism is upon us... and it is not even hiding any more. We need to level the playing field, make sure everyone is equal. I seriously shudder to think about living in this kind of society where creativity and dreams are crushed by "equality and fairness." Sorry for the long winded rant here, but this issue fires me up! I am more irritated by the hypocrisy of Congress than I am with the AIG bunch. Posted by Joshua on 03/26/09 at 02:48 PM Sorry for the long winded rant here, but this issue fires me up! I am more irritated by the hypocrisy of Congress than I am with the AIG bunch Right! Posted by Olia on 03/27/09 at 10:30 AM Did you also notice that there was a squabble this week about ACORN getting more money - so they can rent more buses, I suppose and divert attention away from their real mission. BTW, there were 8 people (Dems) arrested for buying votes in the Pres Election from Clay CO, KY. Wonder how many other places got away with it? The worst is yet to come. Posted by Sandi Thompson on 03/31/09 at 07:37 AM Hello Katy, Wow really very nice info you share here. I read your entire post and here you share nice info on Crass Envy. Thanks for your nice info. Posted by factory audit on 06/05/09 at 08:32 PM So nice. Thanks. Posted by Baby Shop \| Baby Store \| Shopping for Baby on 04/25/12 at 03:44 AM Impressive! I'm so glad to read your entire post and here you share wonderful information on Crass Envy. Thanks a lot for nice sharing. <a href="http://www.socialskateboarding.com/">Sector 9</a> Posted by Ashley Brendon on 04/27/12 at 09:56 PM In recent days, I am trying to understand it, and searched a lot from the internet.but I still can not find a reasonable one. This article gives a good description about it,and help me understand the issue which confused me a lot.Thanks for your sharing! <a href="http://www.statinternet.com/">WebsiteInfo</a> Posted by WebsiteInfo on 05/02/12 at 09:18 AM real bad stuff. i am glad that someone finally has said something about it. carry on the good work. Posted by kevin coo on 05/14/12 at 04:27 AM Get in touch with SEO specialists India to avail the best outsource SEO services. We provide the finest Search Engine Optimization (SEO) Services India. If affordable SEO services are what you are talking about then no one can beat this SEO Company India. Posted by kevin cooper on 05/14/12 at 04:28 AM Page 1 of 1 pages Commenting is not available in this weblog entry. Next entry: Ten Years And One Little Fallible Word Later Previous entry: Better Not To Mess With The Little Woman << Back to main


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Crass Envy

Personal blog of christian
writer & fallible mom
Katy McKenna Raymond
in Kansas City, Missouri