Monday, November 10, 2008

AIG Hides Yet Another Luxurious Retreat

Executives at AIG were publicly shamed for holding a six figure retreat last month in Southern California. You would think they learned their lesson, especially with the billions and billions loaned by you and I (the taxpayers) to the insurance giant. It was bad enough they did it in the first place, but they were used to these things, so I can understand a little bit. Now there's no way they'd try that again, right? Wrong.

From ABC News:

Reporters for abc15.com (KNXV) caught the AIG executives on hidden cameras poolside and leaving the spa at the Pointe Hilton Squaw Peak Resort, despite apparent efforts by the company to disguise its involvement.

"AIG made significant efforts to disguise the conference, making sure there were no AIG logos or signs anywhere on the property," KNXV reported.

A hotel employee told KNXV reporter Josh Bernstein, "We can't even say the word [AIG]."

Really, keeping things on the down low. Hmm, I think there's a question here that needs to be asked:

"What do they have to hide," asked Congressman Elijah Cummings (D-MD) who said he had been promised by AIG CEO Edward Liddy that the company would stop such "junkets."

"They came to us and said they were drowning and needed help. A person who is drowning doesn't jump up and start partying," said Congressman Cummings.

Cummings said Liddy should resign as AIG CEO.

Liddy should definitely resign. He is a disgrace to what is left of the company he has helped run into the ground and should be blacklisted from the financial sector, along with every other high-priced suit that made idiotic long-term decisions for short-term gain. I don't care if the retreat costs $343,000 or $343.00, these people should go to work in the boardrooms within skyscrapers that cost obscene amounts of money to lease to begin with. The greed, it truly is sickening and to waste money while taking multi-billion dollar loans from the public should be criminal.