For Once, I agree with Congress

Mass. Representative Barney Frank (D), was interviewed by CNBC yesterday after it came out that Northern Trust spent a retarded amount of money on "normal marketing practices" to send a bunch of clients and employees to LA where they had luxury hotels, performanecs by superstar musicians and retardedly expensive everythings lavished upon them for a few days. Frank called this ludicrious and said this was all dispicable. I agree. Because Northern Trust took a $1.6 billion bailout from TARP.

Northern Trust says it was forced to take a bailout it didn't need. Fucking fantastic. Here's something better to do with that money: give it back to the government. In recent legislation, a clause was included that allows TARP recipients that don't believe they need the money to give it back to the government with no penalties. Rep. Frank said, and I totally agree with, if Northern Trust doesn't believe they need the money, why not give it back? Why give yourself a PR black eye by giving it to Sheryl Crow, Chicago and Earth, Wind & Fire (the band that seems to forget Water was also one of the four essential elements in the ancient times)? I do believe the employees need rewarding if they do well. Give 'em a bonus or an extra week vacation. But don't shit all over the millions of unemployed, unsheltered and out-of-luck/hanging on by nothing people in this country. This is not "normal marketing." Normal marketing would be building a brand; advertising in print and on TV and the web; using social media or whatever kind of crazy stunts you should be coming up with to make yourself seem like a populist rather than a douchebag.

But, then again, why are we surprised? No one learned from AIG, the Detroit 3 or Citi or anyone else for that matter. Why would anyone stop? It's not like anything bad is going to happen to Northern Trust other than a whole bunch of politicians getting angry, some bad PR for about a week and a few bad Op-Eds. After that, it will all go away and they'll do it again next year. So all of this huffing and puffing is for naught, because it won't change a damn thing.