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Suck It Up and Pay Those Bonuses

Keeping employees at AIG is paramount, says Sorkin

By Jason Farago,  Newser Staff

Posted Mar 17, 2009 9:30 AM CDT

(Newser) – Everyone from President Obama down has been stung by the unfairness of AIG's planned $165 million in bonuses. But as Andrew Ross Sorkin writes in the New York Times, the best thing to do is shut up and pay. "As unpalatable as it seems," he writes, "taxpayers need to keep some of these brainiacs in their seats."

Working for AIG these days is, frankly, a terrible job—and its employees are reportedly being heavily recruited. But having built "complex derivatives that then wormed their way through the global financial system," they need to unwind them from within AIG rather than jump ship and trade against them. "In the end," writes Sorkin, after paying out $165 million "we may actually be better off."

A man enters an AIG office building Monday, March 16, 2009 in New York.
A man enters an AIG office building Monday, March 16, 2009 in New York.   (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan)
A man enters an AIG office building Monday, March 16, 2009 in New York.
A man enters an AIG office building Monday, March 16, 2009 in New York.   (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan)
A woman enters an AIG office building Monday, March 16, 2009 in New York.
A woman enters an AIG office building Monday, March 16, 2009 in New York.   (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan)
People leave the American International Building, home to AIG's world headquarters, Monday, March 2, 2009 in New York.
People leave the American International Building, home to AIG's world headquarters, Monday, March 2, 2009 in New York.   (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan)
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COMMENTS
Showing 3 of 4 comments
Rob
Mar 17, 2009 4:07 AM CDT
Like it or not, this is a Democrat sponsored bailout, written by a Democratic congress under Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid, and signed by a Democratic President, Obama. Did Bush dig us deep? Hell yes. Did the current pack of Dems dig us deeper? Hell yes they did!
Thinker
Mar 17, 2009 4:02 AM CDT
Wrong answer, Sorkin. Those AIG "professionals" did not earn their bonuses (merit pay) and, therefore, breached their contract. Proof? AIG took more tax money as a bailout for financial distress than any other business in the history of our country. Furthermore we, the taxpayers, own AIG and we say NO BONUSES. And, I'm really sorry those poor AIG Brainiacs are getting threats and feel scared. Really sorry.
Forderon
Mar 17, 2009 3:32 AM CDT
Did Henry Paulson and GW Bush not realize that financial companies have bonuses structured into their employee contracts? That if they rolled out a 700B bailout with no rules or regulations, the banks would use the money improperly? What am I saying, of course they didn't know that. We're talking about Henry Paulson and GW Bush after all.

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