Why We Hate You Bastards

“you” being a CEO or other ridiculously over-paid figure head in any company that participated in the financial frenzy and subsequent meltdown of the financial market. A recent report has been leaked that former Merill Lynch CEO John Thain was cutting budgets, laying people off, and dumping business, back in 2008. At the same time, he spent a whopping $1.2 million on renovating his office.
Yes. Not his house. Not his ranch. His office. Sorry, you’re fired….but before you leave, can you tell me what you think of my $87,000 rug?

No, I am not kidding. Check this list out:
$2,700 for six wall sconces.

$5,000 for a mirror in his private dining room.

$11,000 for fabric for a "Roman Shade.”

$13,000 for a chandelier in the private dining room.

$15,000 for a sofa.

$16,000 for a "custom coffee table.”

$18,000 for a “George IV Desk.”

$25,000 for a "mahogany pedestal table.”

$28,000 for four pairs of curtains.

$35,000 for something called a "commode on legs.”

$37,000 for six chairs in his private dining room.

$68,000 for a "19th Century Credenza" in his office.

$87,000 for a pair of guest chairs.

$87,000 for an area rug in Thain's conference room

and another area rug for $44,000.

$230,000 to his driver for one year’s work.

$800,000 to hire celebrity designer Michael Smith, who is currently redesigning the White House for the Obama family for just $100,000.

That’s unbelievable. I guess when you pay yourself a few ten or twenty million a year, what’s 1% of that to remodel your office?

A guy I know is a client of mine at a company. He is the only guy working his particular department and is on call 24 x 7. They laid off the other guy to cut back on expenses. They also need to spend a little money on some network upgrades, but don’t have the budget. He asked for a raise and was denied. No money.

Yet, they manage to pay three consults $30,000 each, every month to do project management. That’s $90,000 a month in consulting….but there isn’t any money for the raise.

Then you look at companies like AiG and others and it just makes you sick. My favorite part? We bailed ‘em out. After all the bullshit and all the frivolous spending and the horrible management decisions we, the taxpayers, bailed ‘em out. The companies we bailed out are still squandering millions of dollars.

And speaking of the bailout….nice to see the banks extending credit lines so people and businesses can continue to do business. Oh? What’s that? They aren’t doing that? They are spending the money on investments and other business ventures? Gee…too bad we gave it to ‘em on silver platter without any provisions on how to spend it.

That’s why we hate you. We work hard for our money. We go to work every day and grind it out to have a nice living and an xbox-360. You spend it with disregard and respect for your fellow man and then the government hands it right back.