Wall Street Bonuses Hit Record $21.5 Billion; Cut Those Medicaid Benefits.

[Faygo Kid]

The Republicans control all, and all is well for the Deservedly Wealthy. In FReeperland, they lose their jobs, and try to make due in an economy that is increasingly controlled by Communist China absorbing Bush's incredible debt. But, all is well. More tax cuts, please. Damn.

January 11, 2006
Wall Street Bonuses to Hit Record $21.5 Billion in 2005
By REUTERS
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Wall Street bonuses are expected to have hit a record $21.5 billion in 2005 from $18.6 billion in 2004 as investment banks reaped record earnings, New York State Comptroller Alan Hevesi said Wednesday.

Last year's bonuses beat the record of $19.5 billion set in 2000 at the peak of the equities boom, Hevesi said during a conference call with reporters.

Booming merger and underwriting activity, as well as a stock market rebound, helped revenues rise by almost 50 percent in the first three quarters of last year.

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/01/11/business/11wire-bonuses.html?adxnnl=1&adxnnlx=1137030398-wDrdxDlHXsExYX48yQEl1w

[Occulus]

1. I want to kill corporate america.

LOWERCASE "a". corporate america (sic) needs to die, or at least be put into a publically controlled coma.

Revoke corporate personhood and we'll get exactly that.

CORPORATIONS DO NOT DESERVE RIGHTS. PERIOD.

[HysteryDiagnosis]

3. A couple decades ago, your average CEO had a salary around

40 times that of a WORKING man. Then in 91 it went to 90 something... and now it's like... ummmmmmm 432 times a "WORKING" man's salary.


Get pissed... feel the rage... and know that even though they make this sort of obscene dollar amount.... they will sell the American worker down the tubes in a second.

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2005/8/30/17949/7702
>>The ratio of CEO salary to average wages increased from 301-1 in 2003 to 431-1 in 2004. The current ratio is much higher than it was in 1990, when it was 107 times more than the average workers pay. It is much higher than in 1982, when the average CEO made only 42 times more than the average worker. The link for this can be found at:
CEO Salaries

While CEO salaries have skyrocketed, more people have dipped below the poverty level. 1.1 million more people dropped below the poverty level in 2004. The number of people below the poverty level increased to 37.0 million in 2004, up from 35.9 million in 2003. The percent of the U.S. population below the poverty level was 12.7% in 2004 at the end of 2004. The link for this can be found at:
Poverty Level

Over the last year, the average inflation-adjusted earnings of Americans declined 0.5%. In July, inflation-adjusted ("real") hourly earnings declined 0.1%. Real hourly wages have declined in 13 of the last 15 months. July's average hourly wage was $16.13/hour in 2005 dollars, which is less November 2001's $16.15/hour (in 2005 dollars.) Meanwhile, worker productivity has increased 12% since November 2001. Productivity has increased dramatically, while wages have actually declined. American workers are clearly VERY productive, but they are not receiving any increase in pay for their increased productivity. The link to this information can be found at: EconomicPolicyInstitute<<

[jimshoes]

2. I'm still waiting for that

trickle down phenomenon that's supposed to happen any minute now. Wait a minute, why is my pant leg wet?