Treasury's Bailouts Are Getting Us Chumped

Although it's true the funds AIG wants to release is money its employees have earned, the timing and appearance are horrible.

"I'm just wondering how you feel about an AIG giving $503 million worth of bonuses out of one hand, and accepting $154 billion from hardworking taxpayers," Cummings, getting visibly agitated, asked Kashkari.

But it's not just about AIG, Cummings said. More companies are lined up to get a government handout.

Will they be thinking, "Is Kashkari a chump?" Cummings asked.

Kashkari explained AIG's compensation decision, although he said he was not defending the company's actions. He testified he was told by his staff that the money was going to be released as an incentive to retain certain AIG employees.

"We need them to keep working, so that they can sell off the assets and pay back the taxpayers," Kashkari said.

To which Cummings responded: "We need them to keep working, but guess what? There are a whole lot of people that could replace them, because there are so many people losing their jobs. . . . I guarantee you there are people who are lined up saying, 'Please quit so I can get a job!' "

I hollered again.

There's no question that we, the Treasury and Kashkari are being chumped. And it's not just by AIG.

Originally, Paulson pleaded for the $700 billion bailout money to buy up troubled mortgage assets. But Paulson said the Treasury realized this wasn't going to help fast enough, so it instead decided to pump money into banks and other financial institutions. However, we've learned that some of the bailout money can be used by companies to buy competitors.

Now the Treasury wants to give some of the bailout funds to credit card companies to help get credit flowing again.

That is definitely a chump move.

It's ridiculous to give money to companies that for years have been collecting double-digit interest rates on card purchases. That is on top of previous years of record earnings that included revenue from fees when customers went over their limits or paid late.

It's ridiculous when not enough is being done to directly help individuals who are losing their jobs and their homes.

Just this week, the National Foundation for Credit Counseling (NFCC) reported that the calls for housing guidance it is getting are setting new records each week. The most recent data show those requests up 63 percent year over year.

And an increasing number of consumers taking NFCC's Mortgage Reality Check are falling into the red danger zone, indicating they are in imminent risk of foreclosure. The self-assessment test, which determines one's risk of foreclosure, is located at http://www.HousingHelpNow.org.

What was so great about Cummings's questioning was that he called on Kashkari and others in the Treasury to stop acting so desperate to help the economy that they just throw money at companies.

We can't "afford to be chumps," Cummings said. "We can't afford it!"

· On the air: Michelle Singletary discusses personal finance Tuesdays on NPR's "Day to Day" program and at http://www.npr.org.

· By mail: Readers can write to her at The Washington Post, 1150 15th St. NW, Washington, D.C. 20071.

· By e-mail: singletarym@washpost.com.

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