AIG and the rest of the news...

Today on Air America, it was impossible to stay away from AIG, as it's the story on everyone's mind. The fact that "retention bonuses" are being paid to anyone in this economic climate is reprehensible enough, but when the bonuses are in the millions of dollars, and we find out that many of those receiving them aren't even with the company any more, the absurdity of the situation makes my brain hurt!

I salute NY's Attorney General Andrew Cuomo for attempting to unravel the web of deception, and for giving us the info he's uncovered thus far. We now know that there were 73 bonus recipients. The highest bonus was $6.4 million, and six other employees received more than $4 million, according to Mr. Cuomo. Fifteen other people received bonuses of more than $2 million, and 51 people received bonuses of $1 million to $2 million, Mr. Cuomo said. Eleven of those who received “retention” bonuses of $1 million or more are no longer working at A.I.G., including one who received $4.6 million, he said.

Mind boggling. But now I want names. As long as the "recipients" are anonymous numbers, there's not much more we can do but get mad as hell and vow not to take it any more, but that won't do us much good. We want the money back. And the best way to pressure these leeches into returning the money is by making their names public!

To be continued...

I've already told you that I attended the Talk Radio Seminar put on by Radio and Records in Los Angeles last week. The most contentious panel was on the prospect of the return of the Fairness Doctrine. In all fairness, no one is pushing to bring back this rule, which required that broadcast license holders "present controversial issues of public importance," and do so in a manner that was "honest, equitable and balanced."

Now, it must be stressed that no one has put forth any legislation to bring back the Fairness Doctrine, though I'd say 'not that there would be anything wrong with that.' Rush Limbaugh and his followers are throwing the threat of a return to the Fairness Doctrine around as a cause for fear, saying that the Democrats want to censor and shut down conservative talk radio. Do you see anything in that description of what the Fairness Doctrine was that hints of censorship? No, I didn't think so.

But on this panel last week were two (not one, but two) Republican Congressmen-- Greg Walden of Oregon and Mike Pence of Indiana, who together introduced a bill that would strip the FCC of any authority to bring back the Fairness Doctrine.

To my surprise, they both accepted my invitation to be on the show today. And they were both much more respectful of my and the audience on the radio than they were of the people at the panel who had a differing point of view. You can hear that hour of the show by clicking here! (runtime 37:49)

In the last hour of today's show, I was joined by Bob Rosner of Workplace 911, who gave lots of practical tips for the millions of unemployed Americans on the best way to find work, and for those who still have jobs he gave tips on how to hold on to them!

The entire show is podcast here, though I believe you have to be a premium member to download it. You can hear the first hour of today's show, the discussion on the Fairness Doctrine, here.

Tomorrow is the 6th anniversary of the war in Iraq. Not an anniversary to celebrate, but certainly one to note, which we will.