I wrote this a day or so ago to the good members of the Congressional Black Caucus and thought I'd pass it along to you here at the AVA.

Pass the financial rescue plan. The Wall Street executives and their compensation is a matter for their boards of directors and their Chief Human Resources Officers. Stay out of it--government must NEVER get into the business of dictating the operations of other businesses.

Executive compensation is a very complicated matter which all-but requires large packages to prevent defections or poaching of leaders who are very difficult--and expensive--to continually replace. To cap executive pay in this industry would hamstring these companies in their ability to retain their top talent. They'll see greener pastures and leave...in very expensive droves. Suggesting that these execs must not make more than the president attempts to equate salaries in government with those in publicly-traded businesses. One would have to be crazy, a business illiterate or a craven political operative to think these salaries are at parity with one another.

Executive compensation is simply none of your business.It irks me that we're still being distracted by such things as executive salaries. Sure, corporate greed exists, but we didn't get here because execs were greedy. We got here because of an Administration that sought to deregulate business to the point where there were few safeguards while at the same time, we were being bankrupted by a ruinous war we couldn't afford without raising the debt ceiling )and raiding the Chinese piggy bank). Nice, that we're "winning," but it will take decades to pay off Bush's Folly.

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