89.2%	Yes
9.96%	No

Comment: Yes, they should turn down the bonuses to show good faith and a willingness to work to make their company stronger and the econemy stronger. The money could go to a much better use. But, since the bonuses are part of a contact it is their decision on what to do with them. from Westbrook by Matt

Comment: Yes everybody should do their part especially now.If we all do just think what we can acomplish. from Jay by Todd

Comment: Yes they should! What makes them think they "earned" that money ? from Sanford by Ruth

Comment: The tax payers who have paid for their aid packages are getting laid off and at the very least not getting raises. Our Goverment should be demanding the money back. by Chad

Comment: "Bonus" is defined as giving someone money as a reward for a job well done. This obviously does not apply to any top level employee at AIG. As a good friend of my once said..."I never knew bonus was a compound word (bone us). from portland by jim

Comment: Well, they did work hard to lose $65-70 billion in 3 months! from Standish by Tim

Comment: How do I get a job there? from oobme by jim

Comment: Yes, the fools are taking tax payer dollars to line their own little greedy pockets. from Berwick, ME by Will

Comment: Enough already with bonus money being passed out. NO MORE MONEY FOR AIG. by Isabelle

Comment: Of my goodness YES! It's unconsciounable to even think about accepting a bonus when millions of Americans are unempoloyed in part because of them. I could not sleep or live with myself if I did that. from South Berwick by Cathy

Comment: Yes and if they don't we should take all the money back. Who do they think they are. This is tax payers money what makes them think they deserve to use that money to help themselves. from Lisbon by Tina

Comment: A bunch of crooks from Lewiston Me by JAC

Comment: maybe they should be allowed to claim them on income tax as a donation if they were in fact in their contracts. However they should definitely turn them down. from Bowdoin/ME by Lila

Comment: YES, I do think they should turn it down. It is just another example of how greedy Insurance co. are. from waterford maine by chris

Comment: Yes, its a no brainer! For this very reason, instead of "bailing out" a few certain companies that money should've gone back to the American taxpayers. It equals approx. $12,000 per person. The auto industry, insurance companies, banks, utility companies, local mom and pop stores, Department stores... EVERYBODY would have made out. NOT just these major companies execs. This was yet another slap in the face to us taxpayers. I'm at the point of asking the Government to please slap the right side of my face cause my left side is sore from the last round from Auburn by Don

Comment: AIG is a disgrace! Where are the bailout finds from overseas to help them (if they are an overseas company too). This whole bailout thing is useless. Free enterprise comes with risk..LET 'EM FAIL! Same with Bank of America, CITGROUP and AMEX! How dare them ask for our tax money after screwing everyone over with every nickel and dime tactic they can think of. How does it feel to struggle Bank of America, CITGROUP and AMEX! Cant stand on your own two feet but you sure can help your executives balance their own finances! DO BUSINESS WITH YOUR LOCAL BANKS!!! Diana Ichton for PREZ!!! from Portsmouth/NH by Robert

Comment: Yes they should turn down the bonuses or be terminated. The take taxpayer money and then still wany all the perks. talk about corrupt from Biddeford by Steve

Comment: It is greed that got us to where we are and until the greedy executives are reigned in this will never change. Multi-Million dollar bonuses for bankrupting a company is the most absurd thing I've ever heard. This MUST be stopped or there will never be an economic recoery!!!!!! from Topsham by Jim

Comment: I feel that if the government is going to bail them out, that they should cap their pay at a certain amount. Then they would have to live like the middle class does, with just one house, not two or three. from Portland, Maine by Jennifer

Comment: The people at the top of the pyramid continue to have no clue. Bernie is not the only one running a scheme. from Round Pond by Paul

Comment: if they are getting funds to stay a float then they should be willing to pass..on the bonuses.. from Casco,ME by Pearl

Comment: Bonus structures should be based on a measure of performance goals. What performance goal did they hit? Goal 1 - Get bailed out by the Tax Payers. from Windham by Mr. Black

Comment: This need to stop from lewiston, maine by brian

Comment: YES!!!!!!!! they did not get money from tha bail out to line their pockets!!!!!!! from waterboro by fed up

Comment: yes they should. i work for a company and if we don't make our numbers then we don't get a bonus!! if they get theirs then where's mine? from Lisbon Falls, me by Rob

Comment: They should either turn them down or donate the entire amount to a local shelter where people are living now because they can't afford their house payment because they lost their jobs! from Gray, ME by Christine

Comment: Absolutely. How much does me as a taxpayer have to pay for this outrageous spending. That is not what the bailout was for. from Portland by Donna

Comment: Yes, they should be happy they even have a job thanks to The tax payors-bonuses should not even be considered. It's morally wrong in this economy! from Buxton by Donna

Comment: i think if there was no bail out money they would be jobless anyways! so no bonus should come without saying... from arundel me. by steve

Comment: my company gave half its promised pay out and we all understood as evidence of the bad economy is everywhere. from lewiston, me by jennifer

Comment: I can't believe we even need to ask this question! Yes AIG may have been 'contractually obligated' to pay out bonuses, however, I'm sure their legal counsel could have come up with a plan to work around that, delay it, or avoid payment altogether. Their greed is just mind-boggling. from New Gloucester, ME by Theresa

Comment: My husband pays a large majority of our money in taxes every year and we are ready to lose our home and these jerks are using our money to have a lavish lifestyle. Our president needs to make this right and forbid these bonuses from saco by amy

Comment: Those executives who are getting their bonuses out of tax payer bailout money don't deserve them! It was their bad decions that put them and us in this horrible predicament in the first place they should by law not be allowed to profit from our bailout money! from Biddeford, ME by Irene

Comment: I think they should pay back the money and go to jail. They committed fraud by accepting the money that was given to them because they were going bankrupt! from Richmond, ME by Dorie

Comment: In this day and age when ordinary workers are receiving layoff notices or being told they will be working reduced hours, it is particularly obscene that a very small segment of society continues to wallow in excess. by Bud

Comment: That money was not given to AIG for bonuses! from Mechanic Falls, Maine by Sybil

Comment: Absolutely !! Makes me sick to think our cowardly liberal white house is sitting back and doing nothing about this !!!!! from Harrison by Kip

Comment: A government big enough to give you every thing you want,is big enough to take away everything you have-Barry Goldwater When ever the government gives to you, they will feel they own you. Say hello to socialism! from Biddeford, ME by Rev.Brian

Comment: Many Many workers are having to take cuts in pay and benefits today that would have been unthinkable a few years ago. Any company who takes bailout money should be required to re-write their executive pay-scale as well as loose the bonus's so they are at a reasonable percentage with what the hourly workers are paid. An hourly worker who refuses to go along with a pay cut would just loose their job and I don't feel the executives should be treated any different. To take government money under false pretense should be a jailable offense. If a woman needs help with her rent after her husband leaves her under the TANIF program she must sign papers stating she understands she can go to jail if she lies or uses the money for other purposes then intended. AIG said they needed help and the government gave them money so why are they any different? from Waterville, Me by Sheila

Comment: What is he thinking even giving these bonuses, especially after receiving a bail out. The President of the US needs to step and and let them know, if they give the bonuses they need to pay back the bail out money first. from Richmond by Robin

Comment: Executives at AIG did a poor job in the past they do not deserve any bonus.Any person in middle class that does a poor job gets fired not rewarded.We the people insist no bonus for AIG from westbrook Me. by michael

Comment: Absolutely!!!!! Why is it that the government allows the rich to get richer and the poor to get poorer? Any company that has received bail out money should not be allowed any bonuses at all. from Shapleigh by Carol

Comment: Yes, they should turn down their bonuses. They are using tax payers money to bail themselves out after they got themselves in a mess by giving themselves big bonuses and mismanaging other peoples money and putting it in banks overseas. If I can't have bail out money to save for my future why should they have it. That money should have been used for economic growth, not for greedy AIG executives. I hope President Obama makes them pay back bail out money that they should never have had in the first place. from Sebago,Me by Samantha

Comment: I'm not getting a bonus this year, and I have gotten one in the past. they are the ones who caused the problem from Freeport, Maine by Kathryn

Comment: most bonuses come when your company does good not when they lose this much. from Portland , Me by Michael

Comment: Am incensed and sad at the same time. How many John Q. Public workers under contracts have taken pay cuts and/or loose a week and/or have been laid off. And they wonder why people don't trust. YES, they should return the bonus. from Windham, ME by Sandy

Comment: this is about the worst thing to happen ,president Obama and the supreem court Must step in nOW!! from waterford,me by tony

Comment: heck ya thats tax payers money. not ment for bonuses if they take it they are crooks from westbrook by al

Comment: At my bank, when the bank does bad, nobody gets bonuses. Why should AIG? from ww by ww

Comment: Absolutely. There is no corporate conscience anymore. How many employees have been laid off from AIG??? and these execs are goign to take millions in bonuses??? They could forgo these bonuses and give a bunch of people their jobs back. from Gorham, Maine

Comment: I am all for anyone getting a bonus and earning all they can, but given the bailout, I feel they should not take a bonus until things are back on track. from Biddeford, ME by Lil

Comment: All of America suffers through tough times and these guys are taking a tax payer funded bonus....Wheres the justice for those who dont have enough to feed their families or pay their mortgages? from Biddeford by Tammy

Comment: Where the heck is everyone elses bonuses and stimulus packages? How about a stimulus package for hard working americans. from Gorham, ME by Beth

Comment: YES!!! how dare they give out those bonuses using taxpayer money, the feds need to put a stop payment to AIG demand the taxpayer money back, if there were contracts that AIG had to honor, the contracts should be null and void from the moment aig recieved the 180 billion dollars, from the government. this is outrageous, total greed, those executives do not deserve any portion of those bonuses, they all need to be fired. if not put in jail, and the treasury dept. needs their hands slapped hard for not making sure that would happen. i am very disappointed. politics and greed as usual from wells by Dean

Comment: If you are going to take my money, then put it to good use. Don't give it to someone who doesn't deserve a bonus. If I get a bonus it is because I have worked hard enough to keep the company running in the black not in the red. from Belgrade, Maine by Kris

Comment: Why don't they donate to all of the people who are unemployed now? from Scarborough by Tinamarie

Comment: It would seem to me that bonuses are based on overall performace of the company. So if the company did so poorly that it needed bail out money then those contracts with the employees are null and void. Just goes to show you that these big execs have no clue. Now we all are going to be paying for what ever luxuries they decide to spend our money on. from Limington by Diana

Comment: Either turn it down or, if they have to take it, give it back to the company. Pathetic business ethics. from Saco by Jeff

Comment: they difinitely should as the bailout was not for them from Sidney, Maine by Dana

Comment: Enough is enough. I'm worried because I have my life insurance through them , and they asssure me things are fine. from standish by janet

Comment: Here's the inherent problem with the government getting mixed up in the economy. AIG should be able to run its affairs as it sees fit. If it makes bad decisions and goes out of business, then so be it. How did it come to be that we now think we're entitled to tell businesses what they should do and how much they should pay their employees? New Englanders and Mainers in particular were known for their independence. Now it seems as though we all want government hand-outs. from South Portland / ME by Jim

Comment: I do not think that they should turn down thier bonuse it might be a good thing for them it also might help them out alot too. from Maine by Sophie

Comment: They should turn down their bonuses for years to come. The executives should know better. They are definitely not the best nor the brightest. from So Portland by Theresa

Comment: Of course. That is like Anthmen Blue Cross wants to raise there rates. They all rec'd big bonuses and during the year and expensive gifts. That is to all of them from Portland by Linda

Comment: That money should be spread, EVENLY, around not all in one's pocket. from West Newfield by Jennifer

Comment: It's the decent thing to do, a no brainer. Only the ultimate of greedy people would take it and their names and town of residence should be published. from Portland by Rob

Comment: This is very sick to think that they think they need bonuses don't they get enough money a week. They should be helping the people in need. from Auburn, Maine by TrishaMarie

Comment: Absolutely! How can these execs be rewarded for running a business into the ground and then begging for OUR tax money? We the taxpayers, as stakeholders in AIG, are not out of line to demand more. It's time to demand our president & congressional leaders to withhold all other money going to AIG and that they pay it back. If they can afford such bonuses, then they can afford to pay its other bills. from Standish by Stephanie

Comment: Absolutely. If they don't, they will prove the financial sector doesn't possess even one iota of an ethical compass. from Turner, ME by Fran

Comment: With people losing jobs and struggling to keep there homes, How dare these people be so pompous as to accept a "bonus" from Sidney by Karen

Comment: Absolutely!! And if they don't, here is a novel idea - how about the Feds withholding the amount of the bonuses from the bailout money? The American people want their money back! from Winthrop, ME by Gary

Comment: It's time to join the change from greed to positive aid to our country, in its desperate pain, which they have caused. from South Portland ME by Jeannette

Comment: We all know that this should never have happened!! Its a slap in the face of all taxpayers .... from South China, Me by Marc

Comment: Not only should they turn down their bonuses, they should also be fired for poor performance. from Cumberland, ME by Charlie

Comment: I can't believe it! from Harpswell by william

Comment: Not only should they give these bonuses back, but many of them should be brought up on criminal charges for their actions which lead to so much loss. from Turner, ME by Gary

Comment: After the Company has paid back all the taxpayers money then, the company can pay the bonuses with company profit. from Greene, ME by Nancy

Comment: Bonuses are meant for a job well done. Putting your company into bankruptcy is not a job well done. from Livermorre Falls, ME by William

Comment: they should refuse the bonus from Portland, Maine by Charles S.

Comment: Let them stand in line behind the American taxpayer. If there is any money left after paying us back they can sign up for benefits. from Wales by Gary

Comment: Why again are we bailing these companies out???? so they can pay out more bonus's so they ask for more money?  I don't even thing I will make in my lifetime what they made in just bonus's and why again do they deserve these bonus's by Susan

Comment: I think why should they get bonuses when we all are having a hard time trying to get by what makes them so special from Biddeford,Maine by James

Comment: yes because they dont need it. its supposed to go to the business so it wont go bankrupt. if they take the bonuses thats pretty selfish keeping the money for themselves and not putting it where it belongs in the business. from oxford by jcb

Comment: return the bonus or return the bail out money end of subject ! from Biddeford, ME by Roger

Comment: They should be prosecuted for deliberately destroying a company. by Ann

Comment: Its not right that they get bonuses. While half of the americans and in the united states are on welfair or living in motels. DO THEY EVEN THINK?! I think their bonuses should go to the people instead of into their pockets, or to their vacations. from sanford by Un happy American

Comment: they should turn them down but some people are just ridiculously greedy and ignorant... from gardiner by erin

Comment: They should suspend the payouts of all bonuses. Many other companies that fall on hard times eliminate or suspend the payment of bonuses and employees understand. What a slap in the face to the many Americans who are losing their jobs or their homes. The company is basically using taxpayer money to reward failure since many of the executives who received bonuses are to blame for the precarious position of the company. from Portland, ME by Kimberly

Comment: hell ya,if not everyone should boycott aig and let them sink,i got enoughjunk mail from aig to sink a battleship from buxton by gary

Comment: a Bonus is supposed to be for work well performed,and I guess if you think losinf billions of dollars is a job well performed then I've been confused for a long long time!! by Toby

Comment: I always thought a bonus was for something you did well. Like work over and above,and monies in excess. We the government had to loan AIG money to survive, no bonus was earned here from Oakland by Ann

Comment: It's a poor excuse to say the company will get sued for not paying out bonus money to their executives. Without bailout money from US taxpayers there would be no payroll, no jobs, no money, no bonus, no AIG. from West Bath, Me. by Rich

Comment: This is beyond ludicrous. The public bailed these people out allowing them to keep their jobs, while others are loosing theirs at an alarming rate. They should be fired not handed fat checks! from Waterville by Joe

Comment: I wish this was a dirty joke, but as we all to sadly realize, this is not a joke. I really feel sorry for our children due to the lack of intelligent, and ethical l leadership in politics current and the past 12 years or so!!! from Jay Maine by Gary

Comment: Some promises are made to be broken, and this is one case that it should apply! This is absolutely outrageous! The President should put a stop to it immediatly! from Harrison by Imelda

Comment: The executives and brokers, in particular, should all lose their jobs. Their actions and greed had a direct impact on the current economic crisis and they should be held accountable. from Saco, Maine by Rita

Comment: I don't understand how a bonus is separated from performance. If the country would not have bailed out AIG, these people would not have received a bonus, along with losing their job. I also don't understand why Congress, in their infinite wisdom would not have stipulated that no money could be used for bonus payments. This is what happens when govern"mental" officials have no grip on how business really works...make it part of the contract! by brenda

Comment: How can they loose so much money and still get big bonuses? That's not the way it works for most companies! from Lisbon, ME by Dick

Comment: Company bonuses were always predicated on the health of a company. AIG couldn't have been very strong in 2007, if their losses are so large. Any incentive bonuses should have been tied to profitability, not volume. from Brunswick, Me. by David

Comment: AIG chief executive said that the bonuses were needed to retain its best employees. Look where the top employees of AIG got the company. It might be time to look for better employees. from Falmouth, Me. by Bruce

Comment: YES with out the American people AIG wuold be bankrupt. Now were do they stand with their contracts? I am self employed and if I were to go bankrupt it would be my own fault .Why are they any different ? from naples me. by bill

Comment: a little common sense would be nice! from brunswick/maine by r

Comment: I wish I could be paid a hugh bonus for running my business into bankruptcy. They should be ashamed for taking taxpayer dollars. from bailey island ME by Ed

Comment: Contracts could and should have been renegotiated when it became apparent what was happening. They are responsible for this mess and should not be rewarded for it. They should be happy they still have a job, unlike many others. There are people in both the public and private sector that are forgoing contractural increases, at a time when they could use them just to get by. Others are taking hour and benifit reductions to avoid layoffs. They should sacrefice as well. It wouldn't be much of a sacrifice, for them, considering that they earn far more than the average person. The money should be returned to the taxpayers, who need it the most. from Westbrook by Steve

Comment: Fire the Democrats that are in bed with AIG. TODAY! from Harrison by Paul

Comment: i do i think they should give it back to there customer's or employee's from oob ,me by travis

Comment: oh YES..... were paying to keep them afloat and the business running and they truly believe they have this righ? when i was growing up they called them thieves brenda from saco, maine by brenda

Comment: Why should someone be rewarded for screwing up so badly. from Rumford by Fred

Comment: we have taken mandatory hour reductions and a freeze on wage increases over the last few years, and we are not even getting government bailout funds. Everybody needs to do their part. from Buxton, ME by Heather

Comment: Of Course they should. They didn't earn them. from me by james

Comment: what are u kidding? from gorham/me by Anthony

Comment: Currently over 90% of the people on this poll are saying "Yes." However, what percentage of those people responding would actually give the money back themselves if THEY were entitled to it? It's REAL easy to act all high and mighty when you're talking about what OTHER people should do with their money. It's a classic study in human psychology. from Portland by Mark

Comment: of course they should be fired and replaced by men who care from Watreboro ME by Dick

Comment: Of course they should; poor performance in losing billions of dollars should not be rewarded with big bucks !!! from naples by wilma

Comment: Congress is rewarded for poor performance. Maybe the way out of this mess is with mirrors.

Comment: Absolutely...this is exactly what is wrong with corporate america. (A.K.A. - corporate greed). Just SAY - NO from Raymond by Karen

Comment: The government should take the money and build enough prisons to hold these people. They are nothing other than crooks. I have more respect for an armed robber that points a gun and says "gimmy your money. They are honest (sic) thieves at least. from Lisbon, ME by Morgan

Comment: Why isn't the media reporting the real truth what about the fact that AIG controls the retirement programs for the congress and senate and other top agency's??? Why else would we bail them out but let the common man's retirements such as Enron go to hell??? The executives of Aig have done the same thing and are getting bonuses for it?? from Wells Me by Bill

Comment: Absolutely - YES! We all look forward to and hope for a bonus......but, at what expense? And, at what expense to innocent people? This is a no brainer. This is my first response to any sort of a poll such as this EVER (I am 69).....that is how strongly I feel about this subject. from Auburn, Maine 04210 by Dorothy Crowley

Comment: yes,no way should they get bonuses from portland by jack

Comment: I have read that AIG "insures" the retirement funds of the US Congress thus the reasoning behind the excessive bailout money being directed toward AIG to protect these funds. Is this really true? from East Boothbay/ME by Bill

Comment: after loosing confidence in AIG a few mo. ago icancelled my insurance with them and went else where , i think people should follow suit . maybr if prplr do so someone ,may pay attn.less money stings ask people we knpw from 1087 roosevel trail windham maine by rosemary

Comment: At the very least the names and photos of all the people who get this money should be publicly posted for ALL to see! That might scare them into declining the money.What a bunch of greedy people they are. from Lewiston by Joie

Comment: what about the idiots (senate) that voted for the bailout?no safe guards to protect us from these crooks? well ther is honour anong thiefs!after the dust settles dodd and frank will still be playing golf w/ aig execs and laughing all the way from the bank!the american people need to put this one on thier calenders and read it before the next election from LEWISTON by john

Comment: These people should go to jail for stealing the taxpayers money while jobs are being lost all over the country. Praises for the president for being outraged at these outlaws. from Saco,Maine by Dana

Comment: The economy is in crisis right now, bailout money should be used as a stimulus, not for bonuses. I hope the Feds are done bailing out this kind of behavior. from Buxton, Maine by Chris

Comment: Absolutly!!!Next I believe that you get rewards for jobs well done not for a poor performance.Besides what are they going to do with all that money if we put them in jail for crimes against humanity.YES.That is exactly what it is.So,call a dog a dog,and put it to sleep. from Dixfield/ME by Corey

Comment: Bonuses are usually given when companies are making profits not going under and needing help by the government to stay afloat. They wouldn't have a job if the company closed. To give bonuses is rediculous from Limington by Denise

Comment: Definitely...it's an outrage..considering the way the economy and the country is at this time. It's going to take a long time for this country to recover...I believe it will get worse before it gets better... from Buxton, Maine by Laurie

Comment: It's one thing to get a bonus for actually doing a good job. But this!?!? They took money to bail themselves out instead of going bankrupt. Wouldn't bankruptcy have negated the contractual obligation anyway? It seems like they wanted the bailout money just to get their bonuses. from Gorham, ME by Marie

Comment: AIG and its employees encouraged the lending of moneys far in excess of 21% of people's yearly income for mortgage purchases. They created this situation, and the borrowers who took their bait allowed it to happen. When I bought my home, I stuck to 21% of my family's income when I could have bought much more (I was offered up to 40% of my income by the bank). I showed moderation, and now the people who created this situation need to some as well. from Biddeford by D

Comment: Absolutely! What the heck did they do to DESERVE it??? from Oakland by Rachel

Comment: I don't believe that these Executives should be rewarded for the decline that the company showed in its last quarter. The company should not be giving these people money for doing a job poorly. from Scarborough, Maine by Kelley

Comment: turn them down? they shouldn't be offered the bonus in the 1st place. Where i'm from a bonus is reward for exceptional results. The company needs a bailout from the tax payers just to keep their doors open. once again the tax payers step up!!!Then to take our money and reward poor results with it? damn this is DISGUSTING!!! from Bowdoin by Harvey

Comment: The banks and car makers that have taken taxpayer money to stay afloat should not get any type of bonus from Windham by C

Comment: Yes, If the money is coming from bail out funds. from Marshfield, Maine by Cheryl

Comment: Should union auto workers be asked to work for less than the contract they signed? Should congress be asked to work for less because they caused this mess? Should the president work for less because he caused this mess? from Alna, ME by Rex

Comment: The money that was giving to AIG was not for bonuses from Lewiston,Maine by Theresa

Comment: no. if they can sleep at night after running AIG into the ground let them keep their retention bonus for a job well done. from bridgton by marty

Comment: Yes i feel they should turn down bonuses...... from Alfred , me by Elizabeth

Comment: If it wasn't for the bailout they would likely be in the unemployment lines now, along with many other people. by Marie

Comment: YES!This isContractual B.S.!!!How do these people sleep @ nite? Mr.President, please stop any future bailout $$$ to AIG from Portland,ME. by Gary

Comment: I do feel that they should turn it down, at least until AIG is able to repay the stimulus, and then accept their bonuses. from Standish by Dee

Comment: THERE IS TO MUCH BONUSES IN THE CORP WORLD THEY SHOULD FEEL HOW HARD IT IS TO LIVE DAY BY DAY LIKE SO MANY OTHERS MOST CORP ARE FOR PADDING THERE POCKETS NOT THINKING WHO IT INPACTS THE PUBLIC from maine by cathie

Comment: I was surprised the government bailed them out the second time after their abuse the first time. I dropped aig insurance after their first abuse with the money they were given. from poland me by yvonne

Comment: I was surprised the government bailed them out the second time after their abuse the first time. I dropped aig insurance after their first abuse with the money they were given. from poland me by yvonne

Comment: Ia it me, or are these people lucky to have jobs? In the real world, you get fired for poor performance, not rewarded bonuses! Money for failure? from Portland, Maine by Linda

Comment: Well yes I do,at this point the money really don't belong to the bank to give away. Talk about slight of hand. I think they weren't that bad off to begin with. from Cape Elizabeth, Maine by Lee

Comment: Well lets see, companies going under. Workers pay getting cut. losing benefits. Bailouts. working class tighten there belts. I would think they would be required to give up there bonuses from Auburn by Timothy

Comment: Nope...if I win the lottery today will the gov't decide to tax my winnings at 100% because of luck or good fortune. Is Congress turning down it's annual raise or giving back to the Treasury. The answer no...no...no! from Brunswick by Joe

Comment: I think the Government is safe to state that any business requiring money from the government to continue operating can have such decisions made for them. from Jay by Marie

Comment: AIG may be bound by contract to award a bonus, however like many others have said, a bonus is given for good work and making a company grow and profit. When a company has to be "bailed out", it's NOT growing or profiting. These so called bonuses should NOT be awarded, and the funds either be returned to the government or used for productive uses. from Naples by Gary

Comment: Of course they should! from Saco, Maine by Carrie

Comment: Other companies are worse off.Get real. I know of one person who is taking a 10% pay cut and another who has been reduced to 4 days work (32 hours) to help their companies. At least the companies don" have to lay-off, yet. from Westbrook, Maine by Freda

Comment: Out of taxpayers pockets and directyly into the Execs. pockets. If we had not bailed them out, they would have received nothing and would have to stand in line like all the other creditors to try to get their money. The top exes. do not deserve it. from Maine by Harold

Comment: yes, no profit, no bonus from oob by barb

Comment: I'd rather the taxpayers pay for the attorneys to defend the legal suit that the Executives file against AIG for failure to pay! Greed has no shame. from Scarborough by Penny

Comment: Why should they profit while the rest of the economy is suffering from Saco by Barbara

Comment: I believe they should turn it down. I work pretty hard as an individual at TD Bank. Our bank did not even ask for money. I got my bonus this year but i worked damn hard and had to work long hours to earn it. Not saying it was millions or trillions. Just a few hundred bucks but enough to bail me out of some bills. from Saco by Christine

Comment: The bonus must have been based on attendance at work, like grammar school, sure wasnt on performace. from Gorham, Me by Tom

Comment: The company received government bailout money. Therefore, it is not acceptable to use any money to pay for bonuses! from Shapleigh, Me by Knickcole

Comment: Thats our money, they make enough money as it is... from standish by stacy

Comment: In this economy shame on them for accepting them in the first place. Greed is no longer good, and I think that all of these executives and CEO/COOs should have to survive on what a family of 5 in Maine has to get by on. How did we get to this place where executives and sports figures make huge salaries and our public servents who place their safety on the line every day make a pittance. Children and elderly go to bed hungry in this country every day, and these people brag about their bonuses and company profits. I think they should not only refuse their bonuses but also be made to give up their yearly salaries for a couple of years to make up for the whole mess. They have made so much money in the past that a couple of years without a salary shouldn't hurt them in the least (given what they probably have invested and hidden offshore). And that money could be funneled to State programs helping children and the elderly. How about free food, electricity and heating oil for the elderly and families with small children. Just an idea. from West Paris, ME by Laurie

Comment: If the AIG execs managed their money better they would not have needed the bailout. That is throwing good money after bad. by Priscilla

Comment: ithink they should keep it then turn aournd and give it back to the people whomade them all of this money i guesse you would call it profit shareing and ohh ya but thats being greedy for them to be asked to do that from jay,maine by mike

Comment: It is criminal that monies to help the economy end up helping the wealths of already wealthy people from Wiscasset/ME by David