Author: Aren Cambre

The AIG bonus revolt is political buffoonery.

The Obama administration should have said:

Yes, the bonuses are bad, but they were contractual obligations that were reinforced by my administration and my democrat friends in the House and Senate (link). We’re not changing the rules of civil contracts; that would destroy the confidence in American economic system, which is still quite sound.

This is not time to make political hay. AIG has to pay this round of bonuses. But since the US now owns AIG, we’ll stop this from happening in the future.

Instead, the Obama administration and Congressional democrat fiends friends acted like spoiled children caught with their hands in the cookie jar–excuses, whining, and threats.

That’s not leadership. That’s liberalism.

“The whole aim of practical politics is to keep the populace alarmed and hence clamorous to be led to safety by menacing it with an endless series of hobgoblins, all of them imaginary.”

-H.L. Mencken

Texas Watchdog has a short piece about how former Texas Rep. Fred Hill suddenly switched from legislator to lobbyist. In it, the Watchdog blames Hill for a state HR screw up.

Legislative terms ended on Jan. 13, when the new guy is sworn in. Hill resigned early, on Jan. 2 (link), and solicited lobbying work on Jan. 3 (link).

Even though Hill resigned on Jan. 2, the state kept him on payroll through Jan. 13. So let’s see, $600 per month legislative pay, 11 days of January, that comes out to $212.90 more pay.

The Watchdog wouldn’t have posted this if they didn’t think it’s Hill’s fault. Pish posh! Hill did all he needed to do by filing his resignation. State HR screw ups aren’t his fault!

The real controversy is the rapid switch from legislative service to (lucrative) lobbying gigs. Indeed, the Watchdog waxed about this in the prior article. But they got lost in irrelevant details with this follow up post.

I haven’t made up my mind on the revolving issue, but I prefer preserving rights of people in good standing, so I lean against banning the practice.