Insights from MinionMonitor.com, an upbeat, offbeat poll for smart, savvy people who don't make six figures and speak their mind.
Wall Street Plays Tricks with Bonuses
Published on July 10, 2009 By MinionMonitor In Current Events

And the rich get richer, again. 

While Minions worry about money for Retirement (53%) and the next meal (42%), Wall Street/Greed Street is boosting compensation to near record levels.  Goldman Sachs will dole out an average of $700k per employee — twice the payout from last year.  And CitiBank, a TARP recipient, is boosting employees base pay by up to 50%.  But how can that be?  Didn’t the Obama administration impose pay limits on companies that received TARP assistance?  Yes and no.

The administration issued regulations in June that limited bonuses to no more than a third of annual salaries.  But it didn’t impose regulations on base salaries.  So bonuses are going down and base compensation is going up. 

So you run into Citi’s CEO at a BBQ.  Go ahead and dream for a minute.  Got any feedback you’d want him to hear? 


Comments (Page 1)
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on Jul 10, 2009

I have a suggestion - make yourself rich.  It's still possible, but for how long is open to question.

on Jul 10, 2009

Ok, I'll bite.  How?

on Jul 10, 2009

The rich get richer, hmmm, isn't that the whole point or am I missing something here?

While Minions worry about money for Retirement (53%) and the next meal (42%)

Not sure wher you get your numbers but from what I can see fast food and restaurants are not closing left and right so people do not seem to be having trouble finding "the next meal".

Well I say this, if a person can't be rich then we should take as much as possible, maybe up to 75% of what rich people make and just give it to poor people, no questions asked, no need to hold a job, no need to do anything anymore from there on. Plain and simple solution.

on Jul 12, 2009

Ok, I'll bite. How?
All anyone needs to do to get rich is to send me their name and address and I'll send them my *free* DVD describing how in three easy steps.

This amazing DVD is completely free! Just include $19.95 for shipping and handling.

Operators are standing by.

on Jul 12, 2009

  There ya go - nothin' to it.

on Jul 13, 2009

Minion, can't you people find another song to play? 

"The next meal"?

You're living in a country where obesity is considered a terrible epidemic among the very poor.  They can afford fast food, frozen dinners, candy bars, Pop Tarts, pork rinds and Cheetos, but can't afford gym memberships. Oh, the shame! We must help them!

Not so very long ago, Mother Michelle was raking in over $300,000 a year; to celebrate moving into the White House, Barry the Kenyan bought her a ring worth $30,000. 

Go hit her up.

on Jul 13, 2009

Minion, can't you people find another song to play?
*you people* ???

on Jul 14, 2009

Mumblefratz
Minion, can't you people find another song to play? *you people* ???

Aaah, y'know....a generality. Somebody had to write it. 

on Jul 14, 2009

Rightwinger
Aaah, y'know....a generality. Somebody had to write it.
No, I don't know. And no, someone did not have to write it. But at least you provided a glimpse of your true motivation.

on Jul 14, 2009

Minion, can't you people find another song to play? "The next meal"? You're living in a country where obesity is considered a terrible epidemic among the very poor. They can afford fast food, frozen dinners, candy bars, Pop Tarts, pork rinds and Cheetos, but can't afford gym memberships. Oh, the shame! We must help them! Not so very long ago, Mother Michelle was raking in over $300,000 a year; to celebrate moving into the White House, Barry the Kenyan bought her a ring worth $30,000. Go hit her up.

 

Hmm, this reminds me of something.... You ever meet those people who claim with one hand that people should earn their money, yet with the other hand, when they see someone who has earned their money....they get condescending and what not. Total BS.

 

Minion, can't you people find another song to play?

 

Care to explain? I think I catch your drift, but i'm still curious.

 

 

~Mumble~

 

Cool down will ya?

on Jul 14, 2009

[quote who="Mumblefratz" comment="9"]No, I don't know. And no, someone did not have to write it. But at least you provided a glimpse of your true motivation.[/quote

Goshgollygee, mumble!! You sure are one literal-minded SOB, ain'tcha? Mr. Spock to the Bridge!

That could be construed as arguing semantics.

My "true motivation"? Oooh, wait....please tell me you're not one of those types who looks for racism, and finds it, everywhere they look, regardless if it's there or not. Which it isn't, most of the time.

And if that's the case, this is one of those times. See, I'm hoping you're not like that, because I've been reading some of your stuff here and there, and you seem pretty intelligent. However, appearances CAN be decieving. Can't they? Say it ain't so, Joe!

[quote who="AldericJourdain" comment="10"]Hmm, this reminds me of something.... You ever meet those people who claim with one hand that people should earn their money, yet with the other hand, when they see someone who has earned their money....they get condescending and what not. Total BS.[quote]

I dislike it when exceedingly wealthy people complain about the "greed" and "disconnect" of other exceedingly wealthy people. It smells of hipocrisy; kind of like when the Global Warming czar dismounts from his private jet and enters a limo motorcade to take him to make a speech, so he can tell we the little people that we have to drive less, consume less and "go green".

Know what else is total BS? Taking money from people who did earn it, and giving it to people who didn't. When I do it, of my own free will, it's called charity; when the government does it, it's called Socialism, which what Barry the Kenyan wants.

 "Minion, can't you people find another song to play?"  

Care to explain? I think I catch your drift, but i'm still curious.  ~Mumble~ Cool down will ya?

I don't think it needs much explaination, really. But, I get tired of hearing how the poor have it so bad. Daiwa's right...this is still America; go find a way to make yourself a good living somewhere. My taxes go to provide free education for 12 years, and even grants, loans and scholarships for higher ed.

My wife's uncle and I got into it a while back here; he's a staunch unionist, and a liberal Democrat. He says no one deserves to be rich; he complained that his kids weren't able to get into college, because, as a simple working man, he couldn't afford to send them. The youngest one can barely read or spell, yet somehow graduated HS in 2005. For that, though, I blame the teachers.

So; well, maybe if they'd applied themselves a little more, they could have gotten scholarships? They looked into some "grants and stuff", he said, but they "came with catches". In other words, they weren't free.

Mysteriously, lots of people do it, however. All it takes is the ambition. Other people, however, sit and whine about the inequities of life, and want the government to punish those who are keepin' 'em down, when really, most of the time, it's themselves, who are keepin' 'em down.

The best part of our little debate was when he said people like Donald Trump "shouldn't be allowed to have all that money". I asked what he should do with it all. His reply was "share the wealth".

I said, "'share the wealth'....do you have any idea how many paychecks Donald Trump signs? How many people he employs? From the executives in the corner offices to the janitors who clean the shitters...." a lot of money is paid out for Trump, Inc. Know what he said?

"I don't care."

And that was the end of the argument; there just shouldn't be any rich people. How's that for an explanation, Alderic? Class envy is a bitter pill, yet the bottle is endlessly refilled by people like the creator of this thread.

Juat as a side observation, You didn't seem so offended by CharlesC's comment, #3; it was about the same in tone. Yet you jump on me. Why is that?

on Jul 14, 2009

Juat as a side observation, You didn't seem so offended by CharlesC's comment, #3; it was about the same in tone. Yet you jump on me. Why is that?

 

Two things: 1. I'm not jumping on you, or down your throat. So if that's how it came across, my bad. 2. I guess I just sort of spaced on it. Again, my bad.

 

~A

on Jul 14, 2009

Goshgollygee, mumble!! You sure are one literal-minded SOB, ain'tcha? Mr. Spock to the Bridge!

That could be construed as arguing semantics.

My "true motivation"? Oooh, wait....please tell me you're not one of those types who looks for racism, and finds it, everywhere they look, regardless if it's there or not. Which it isn't, most of the time.

And if that's the case, this is one of those times. See, I'm hoping you're not like that, because I've been reading some of your stuff here and there, and you seem pretty intelligent. However, appearances CAN be decieving. Can't they? Say it ain't so, Joe!
Methinks the lady doth protest too much.

on Jul 14, 2009

And if that's the case, this is one of those times. See, I'm hoping you're not like that, because I've been reading some of your stuff here and there, and you seem pretty intelligent

 

Wow, that totally came across as a comment worth the big asshole award. Geez.

 

 

on Jul 14, 2009

Mumblefratz

Goshgollygee, mumble!! You sure are one literal-minded SOB, ain'tcha? Mr. Spock to the Bridge!

That could be construed as arguing semantics.

My "true motivation"? Oooh, wait....please tell me you're not one of those types who looks for racism, and finds it, everywhere they look, regardless if it's there or not. Which it isn't, most of the time.

And if that's the case, this is one of those times. See, I'm hoping you're not like that, because I've been reading some of your stuff here and there, and you seem pretty intelligent. However, appearances CAN be decieving. Can't they? Say it ain't so, Joe!Methinks the lady doth protest too much.

Are you really that pretentious, or are you just trying to avoid explaining you position?

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