Mr. Hank Paulson, Mr. Ben Bernanke, and President Bush keep on talking about ‘confidence’ in the financial system.

But, confidence must be built, not demanded. Respect must be earned, not asked. How to build confidence? How to earn respect?
Yesterday, October 08, 2008, it was reported: The very next week AIG received 85 billion dollar taxpayer’s bailout from total collapse, AIG executives spent more than US$440,000 of company money on a week-long getaway at an exclusive California beach resort for a complete SPA treatments, banquets, etc…. included US$23,000 at the hotel spa and another US$1,400 at the salon. The daily rate for one room is minimum $425 per night up to $1,200 per night.
During the afternoon of 10/8/2008, AIG rebutted: The business expenses for this meeting was planned weeks before the bailout, only 10 executives went to this business meeting with some agents.
Whoever engaged in criminal activities should be in jail, not in an exclusive beach resort for so called “business meeting” paid by taxpayers? Whoever engaged in criminal conduct will be punished? Better sooner than later?

What I am afraid is the criminals will get away with huge amount of taxpayers money, move to some tax heaven, have a good time, laughing at the working stiffs who bail them out with their back breaking hard work, and become CEO of other company in a few years.

In my humble personal opinion, the root cause of all these is uncontrolled greed in all levels, may be fraud? Selfishness to a point of doesn’t care about other people’s suffering, etc….

I am using Mr. Dick Fuld as an example. Is it fair what he makes in one year, I have to work for 5000 years? During a congressional hearing, Dick corrected a congressman that he only made 350million, not 490 million. What difference does it make? Apparently, money is what he has in his mind? Is 350 million dollars for salary? Stock options? Bonus? Executive perks? Or his fee to be a board member of other company? How many houses is enough? How many private jets or helicopters is enough? How many vacations in exotic places is enough?

If our founding fathers, George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and Abraham Lincoln wake up from their graveyards, what would they think? Do they approve the current state of affairs?

If the borrower could not afford a loan for his home, why the financial companies approve the loan? Solicited the loan in the first place? There are all kind of advertisements on the radio, newspapers, television from loan brokers/banks all day long, even midnight hours on TV, advertise the loans with no down payment, no credit check, no income verification…. When financial systems all knew these loans will be problem, why credit agency still gives AAA ratings? When investment bankers knew these loans will not be paid, why investment bankers sell them as treasury bills to investors around the world? Why Lehman Brothers leveraged 35 times of their capital?

When average citizen as investors lost money in their investment, do they have bailout? When the CEO's of the Wall Street made hundreds of millions on questionable gambles, do they think about what might happen if they lose the gamble? When average person lost their gamble, they bite the bullet; suffer the bitter consequences, why the CEO's of Wall street still make millions of severance package, if they lost their gamble? And asking for bailouts form the taxpayers? Why the government agencies let things get out of hands?

When vast majority of taxpayers against the bailout, why the congress still pass it? Could it be the congressman added 150 billions of so called "sweeteners" in addition to 700 billion dollars bailout? Is government of the people? by the people? for the people? Do you think this is bribery? How much political contribution the congressmen receive from the company operating in American Somoa? The producers of wooden arrows? The run produces in Virgin Islands? The list goes on and on….Where is taxpayers other than election time?

Both John McCain and Obama said they are against earmarks, did they said anything when they voted “yes” to the 850 billion dollar ‘bailout’ bill? Sarah Palin said she refused the ‘pork’ of “bridge to nowhere”, did she? Who can we trust? Where is WMD in Iraq? Did Iraqi citizen welcome U.S. troops with flowers and candy? When Donald Rumsfeld said to Iraq insurgents “bring it on”, where is Donald? The list also goes on and on.

How come the CEO made hundreds of millions of salary, bonus, stock options, severances package, but, average salary for ordinary folks is only $40,000? Does it justify the difference? Who is bailing out whom?