2008 Ends Here comes 2009

My final thoughts for 2008.
On Executive pay and parachutes. I would love to see a salary cap but that is really nothing that could be made into law. We have a hard enough time passing minimum wage laws that provides for a living above the poverty line how could we pass a law that restricts how much a person can earn.
What we can do is change the climate that promotes these excessive packages.
First reinstate the tax cuts for the rich. Next add more tax penalties and tax these large packages and salaries , close loopholes and limits on tax shelters. If you make so much that after giving to charities and paying all your bills, all your Yacht or private plane and crew expenses and your three mansions, you still have to shelter your left over money or find some way to avoid paying taxes you just make to much period...
3rd Provide tax breaks to companies who instead of supporting and paying these excessive executive packages and salaries divert or use these funds back into the company to further cover expenses including healthcare, pensions or retirement plans and employee salaries. I am amazed that the Airlines and Auto Industry as well as others complain that they have to cover all these pensions or provide insurance and are struggling to cover their funding but at the same time funds are there to pay the executives those needed millions they are so short on.

We have created and allowed the climate of greed to run rampant. Taxing the greed is probably the best way to curb it. White collar crimes also need to be prosecuted. They are doing just as much if not more to destroy the economy. Just because someone is rich, a sports figure, celebrety or politician should not give them any more priveledges that the middle classs have.
Bailouts... We as taxpayers are footing the bailout. If the banks that took the money don't want to open credit. Take the money back. They have no problem being part of the problem that caused this mess and continue to escalate it by ramping up interest rates to credit card holders, (The next sub prime bubble to burst).
If they only want to take the money but don't want to be part of the solution, take the money back and let them fail. People want to refinance and consolidate and get back on foot. The banks are preventing this and maintaining the environment to cause more failures and defaults to happen.
I Hope this next years sessions and the shift in controls can start doing things to shift us back into the great world leader and great economy that created this country.