AIG Bonuses

I don't think it is right for Congress to go back and try to tax money after the fact that you have already earned. There is a concept that the Constitution outlawed called an ex post facto law. That means that you can't create a law and punish someone for an act that was done before it was legal. And collecting 90% of someone's pay after the act seems to be punishing them.

In addition, this is a bill of attainder or a bill targeted at a group of people. A bill of attainder is illegal under the Constitution. (see Article I, Section 9, Clause 3) If Congress can target a specific group of people to tax, what is to keep them from picking another unlucky or unpopular group down the road? See this article under problems with the bill.

But wait, you may say, they are using our taxpayer money to give out these bonuses! Shouldn't we have a say in how they spend that money? Yes, you do have a say, a say at the voting booth. Your congressional Representatives and Senators represent you and they didn't see fit to put a restriction on bonuses up front. Besides, according to a government official that is in charge of making sure the money from the stimulus package gets spent how it is supposed to said that about 7% or 55 BILLION dollars will end up in fraud. So don't worry, we will have much better scandals and frauds to entertain us and make us furious and pass bills about. Those bonuses are small potatoes. They are just the warm-up of what is coming down the line.

I believe the real solution is to help America live within its means, let businesses go bankrupt, help your neighbors and move forward with hope and determination that we will pull through this. And not turn to the government to spend more money that it does not have.