AIG bonus payment

AIG bonus payment
19th March, 2009
http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2009/03/19/letter-aig-bonus-payment.html

"Ailing giant AIG to pay $165m in bonuses" screamed a headline in the Post (March 16, p. 15) stating that the AIG chairman had conveyed to Geithner that AIG had contractual obligations to make the bonus payments and could face the lawsuits if it did not do so. Poor helpless guy!
It would be interesting to find out how much he paid himself for his own bonus and with whose money!
These executives should be ashamed of even taking their regular salaries and should accept voluntary pay cuts until they bring their organizations back to health! The least they can do is not demand "bonuses" for their non-performances! Aren't they ashamed of what they have done?
Generally, politicians who enjoy power in public life, both in the elected category and those who usurp power, get used to its comforts and stick to it under one disguise or another. Barring some notable exceptions, politicians have a proverbial thick skin.
But professionals are expected to be a different breed, aren't they? Why are they also trying to squeeze their pound of flesh from companies on their death bed?
American TV channels reported the public outrage among US taxpayers who have (unknowingly) financed these bonuses! It is their hard-earned money, the outrage is natural!
I think President Barack Obama's administration should put its foot down and impose restrictions (including "stay" orders) on how and where this bailout money may and may not be used.
Legislation about the usage of public money given to such ailing organizations should be enacted, with retrospective effect if necessary, as was done by Indira Gandhi (albeit for a wrong cause).
Lining the pockets of the unworthy executives who killed the proverbial goose should surely be on the top of the "no-no" list.
K. B. Kale, Jakarta