CITI HOGS JUST KEEP PIGGIN' OUT

[MannyGoldstein]

From The NY Post: http://www.nypost.com/seven/11262008/news/nationalnews/citi_hogs_just_keep_piggin_out_140953.htm

Uncle Sam's $351 billion rescue of Citigroup isn't stopping the bank's top brass and board members from indulging in office renovations, first-class flights and pricey cuisine.

Insiders tell The Post that Citi is undertaking expensive remodeling of top officials' offices at the bank's tony headquarters at 399 Park Ave. even as the sprawling financial institution was on the brink of collapse over the weekend.

Those same executives also are making frequent use of a high-end executive dining area used by senior officials and managing directors to entertain high-profile clients at Citi's Manhattan digs.

One source notes that "executives of the bank enjoy an elaborate breakfast buffet every morning," and seafood and steak meals for lunch.

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How fucking stupid are we all for putting up with this shit? When will we demand - really demand - that it stop? "Welfare queens" were a figment of Ronnie Reagan's imagination - but "welfare plutocrats" are as real as can be.

Feh.

[Tandalayo_Scheisskopf]

1. Mobs.

We need more angry mobs. Perhaps they will understand angry mobs.

[Zhade]

3. Funny you say that, since they're acting like the mafia.

NT!

[BrklynLiberal]

2. "Welfare Plutocrats" suckling at the taxpayer's teat!!!

[ben_meyers]

4. Think we can get a refund of some of these expenses,

We own part of the bank now after all.

It would be interesting to know how the average New York voter would respond when told that during the past three years their Senator and her spouse personally received $2.1 million from such major banks as Goldman Sachs ($800,000), Lehman Bros. ($300, 000), Citigroup ($425,000) and Deutsche Bank ($300,000).

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/11/20/bills-speaking-fees-creat_n_145385.html?page=2&show_comment_id=18189671#comment_18189671


It's not much, but it's the arrogance of it all.

[aquart]

7. I'm sorry, but are you saying Clinton took bribes?

Whose arrogance are you referring to here? Do you have the basis for a court case? Have you referred it to the Attorney General? To the Majority Leader of the Senate? To the Ethics Committee?

Or are you just blithely throwing smears into the air hoping nobody looks too closely?

Put up or shut up.

[MannyGoldstein]

9. Bribing A Government Official Is Illegal

Quid pro quo is not.

Each of us can decide for ourselves the functional difference.

[ben_meyers]

10. While I certainly wouldn't deny someone the opportunity

to earn a little supplemental income, I do think that the Senator and her spouse should return the speaking fees as a goodwill gesture to the new owners, the taxpayers, of Citi. I'm not accusing anyone of a crime, it's just that I hardly think it would be possible to recover office renovations, first-class flights and pricey cuisine, none of which could be considered illegal either.

The arrogance I'm referring to is Citi's for extravagant expenditures.

Is that up enough for you? If not...

[madeline_con]

5. Why are we bailing out Prince Al Waleed's Saudi owned bank?! eom

[Selatius]

6. This is the kind of behavior that led the French to invent the Guillotine. nt

[unkachuck]

8. what serious progressive appointments....

....have we gotten from Obama to save and protect us from this crap and further corporate raping?....what have we gotten for our early strong and passionate support of Obama?

....news conference after news conference extolling the glory and virtues of tired old corporate Washington re-treads; appointments dedicated to working hand in hand with their criminal repug fascists buddies under the guise of 'we need our expert wall street thieves to console and coddle the thieves on wall street'....

....shameless, changeless change....you can always tell a man by the friends he keeps....