Taxing Executive Bonuses Paid By Companies Recieving TARP Assistance

Floor Speech

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Mr. POLIS. The power to tax is the power to destroy. I will support destroying this creeping socialism imposed on us by the Bush administration before it takes over our entire economy. Executives and boards of private companies must know that to call in the Federal cavalry means that you will be run out of town when you misbehave.

Businesses beware. You do not want the Federal Government or the American people owning your business. We will hunt down your executives with pitchforks, we will subpoena your boards and haul you before Congress, we will use personal rhetoric to decry your greed, we will make life miserable.

And no, our cruelty will not be reserved just for your executives. Your workers will be bureaucratized, your competent managers squeezed out, your conferences and travel canceled.

I am proud to support this bill, and hope that it serves as a siren call to executives, shareholders, and workers to oppose nationalization of your companies.

In voting for this bill today, Mr. Speaker, we are demonstrating that there is a fate worse than death, and this is it. And if your business might be ``too large to fail,'' then, by all means, spin off divisions and downsize, because too big to fail seals a purgatory stay of abject misery.

Pillage not our public troughs yet ye be pillaged.

The power to tax is the power to destroy. I will support destroying this creeping socialism imposed on us by the Bush administration before it takes over our entire economy. Executives and boards of private companies must know that to call in the federal cavalry means that you will be run out of town when you misbehave.

I am reminded of Emperor Alexius I of Byzantium, who called forth the Christian kings of western Europe to help him hold off the Turks at his gates. Help us, he said, prevent the heathens from taking the holy land.

The Christian kings of the west responded in force. At first the crusades served Alexius's goals. But with time many crusaders saw a richer and easier target in Constantinople itself, and the hordes from the west looted the very emperor's domain who had called them forth.

Businesses beware, you do not want the federal government or the American people owning your business. We will hunt down your executives with pitchforks, we will subpoena your boards and haul you before Congress, we will use personal rhetoric to decry your greed, we will make life miserable. And no, our cruelty will not be reserved for your executives. Your workers will be bureaucratized, your competent managers squeezed out, your conferences cancelled, your work hours extended, your incentive structure turned upside down. I dare say that with a different party in the white house and congress as is unfortunately the case from time to time, your union will be busted and your jobs lost.

I will be supporting this bill, and hope that it serves as a siren call to executives, shareholders, and workers to oppose nationalization of your companies. In voting for this bill today, Mr. Speaker, we are demonstrating that there is a fate worse than death, and this is it.

And if your business might be ``too large to fail'' then by all means please spin-off divisions and downsize; because too big to fail seals a purgatory stay of abject misery.

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Mr. POLIS. Mr. Speaker, the power to tax is the power to destroy. Today I rise in support of H.R. 1586 and destroying the creeping socialism imposed on by the Bush Administration before it takes over our entire economy. Executives and boards of private companies must know that to call in the federal cavalry means that you will be run out of town.

I am reminded of Emperor Alexius I of Byzantium, who called forth the Christian kings of Western Europe to help him hold off the Turks at his gates. Help us, he said, prevent the heathens from taking the holy land.

The Christian kings of the west responded in force. At first the crusades served Alexius' goals, there were some initial ``bonuses'' such as the taking of Antioch and Jerusalem. But with time many crusaders saw a richer and easier target in Constantinople itself and soon the very forces that Alexius called forth looted his own capital and hastened the demise of the Byzantine Empire.

Businesses beware: You do not want the federal government or the American people owning your business. We will hunt down your executives with pitchforks, we will subpoena your boards and haul you before Congress, we will use personal rhetoric to decry your greed, we will make life so miserable that you will leave. And no, our cruelty will not be reserved for your executives. Your workers will be bureaucratized, your competent managers squeezed out, your travel and conferences cancelled, your work hours extended, your incentive structure turned upside down. I dare say that with a different party in the White House and Congress, as unfortunately happens from time to time, your union will be busted and your jobs lost.

I will be supporting this bill and hope that it serves as a siren call to executives, shareholders, and workers to oppose nationalization of your companies. By voting for this bill today, Mr. Speaker, we are demonstrating that there is a fate worse than death, and that this is it.

And if your business might be ``too big to fail'' then by all means, please spin-off divisions and downsize because ``too big to fail'' means that you will end up in this eternal purgatory of misery, blame and scapegoating.

Let your companies die quietly, silently, and call forth not the mighty crusaders from Washington DC lest we loot and pillage your company as the Christian crusader innocently called forth by Alexius I went on to loot the center of eastern Christendom itself.

Pillage not our public troughs lest ye be pillaged.

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