Bankrupt MF Global Could Give Execs Huge Bonuses

MF Global went into bankruptcy last October, but bonuses could go out to 23 employees for cooperating  with authorities in the bankruptcy proceedings.  Just as AIG Executives collected hundreds of millions of dollars in bonuses after the 2008 bailout, this is similar, though much smaller in size.  MF Global had about $1.6 billion of money that belonged to its customers that went missing.  Some of it has been recovered, but it may not ever be a total recovery.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/03/09/mf-global-bonuses_n_1334735.html

Law Firm Office Representing in GM in Bankruptcy Hosts Romney Fundraiser

Mitt Romney's campaign held a fundraiser last week in New York at the law firm office of Weil, Gotshal, & Manges, which got wealthy off of fees from GM to represent it in bankruptcy.  Even though Romney opposed the bailout of GM and Chrysler to save the auto industry, he could not pass up an opportunity to get his hands on more money for his campaign.  This lust for money can best be described as a type of personal profiteering that is more ruthless than the business practices of Wall Street Banks, since they invested nothing to bail out the auto industry.

http://thinkprogress.org/economy/2012/02/16/427288/romney-fundraises-office-gm-bankruptcy/

62% of Bankruptcies Come From Medical Bills (for 1/7/12)

People who got sick over the past decade risked going broke if they did not get healthy. People who got ill accounted for 62% of all 2007 bankruptcies. From 2001 to 2007, bankruptcies caused by illness soared 20%. These people were generally well-educated homeowners in the middle class and covered by health insurance. As a share of all bankruptcies during this time period, the share related to sickness doubled. It is likely that the deep economic recession and slow recovery of the past five years has worsened these problems, propelling the need for healthcare reform. Lobbying from healthcare companies prevented stronger reforms like a public option or single-payer healthcare that would have helped keep sick people from going bankrupt. http://www.dailykos.com/story/2012/01/05/1051848/-Medical-bills-cause-62-percent-ofbankruptcies

Doctors' Financial Problems (1/5/11)

Need to see a doctor and live in a poor community? Thought healthcare reform passed in 2010 helped increase access to healthcare? There are other problems to deal with to increase access to it. American doctors are under financial distress. Physicians practicing general medicine, cardiology, and oncology are all facing these problems. Fifty percent of America's doctors operate their own practices. Communities lose important health care resources when they go broke. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/01/05/doctors-going-broke_n_1186653.html

2010 CEO Pay in U.S. Up 27-40% (for 12/15/11)

American CEOs saw their pay rise between 27 and 40 percent in 2010. Meanwhile, inflation outpaced pay raises for most Americans. Median stock options profits increased from $950,400 to $1.3 million for CEOs. The ten biggest CEO paychecks amounted to over $770 million. Executives at General Growth Properties, even as this firm recovers from bankruptcy, received nearly $115 million in 2010 bonuses. http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2011/dec/14/executive-pay-increase-america-ceos