$1400 for a trashcan when your company is tanking.

[Uzybone]

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/2009/01/23/2009-01-23_president_barack_obama_bashes_financial_.html

In the grand scheme of things this is a small thing, but has it always been this way? Even with all the attention that other crooks have gotten because of their extravagance while asking for public funds, this guy could not help himself. I thought Enron was bad, but who knew that it turned out to be a guppy in the ocean.

One of Wall Street's biggest power players, Merrill Lynch CEO John Thain, was abruptly ousted Thursday after it became known he had spent $1 million to decorate his office - including a $1,405 trash can.

[Catshrink]

1. This totally pisses me off.

Our tax money was given to these crooks to stabilize our economy as the expense of real human needs like children's health care and education. Now education funds are getting slashed -- and this bastard gets a $1400 trash can and $88,000 rug. And they're laughing at us.

Congress was suckered or complicit in the agreement not to provide oversight. What is Obama doing to correct this? Can he or was the law written so that the oversight part can't be changed? Bush and Paulson belong in jail.

[Historic NY]

2. well they have to throw the garbage in something....

:sarcasm:

[TahitiNut]

8. Don't forget the $68,179 credenza.

Keeerist! That'd buy THREE new cars!

The decorating expenditures included: $87,784 for an area rug; $68,179 for a 19th century credenza; $35,115 for a commode on legs; $28,091 for curtains; $25,713 for a mahogany pedestal table; $18,468 for a George IV chair, $2,741 for six wall sconces.

Plus, a favorite: $1,405 for a parchment waste paper basket. The man does treat his refuse well - and everyone else like garbage.

In all, Thain blew $1.22 million decorating his office as his company, the financial industry and the U.S. economy teetered on the edge of disaster.

http://www.nydailynews.com/opinions/2009/01/23/2009-01-23_ousted_boss_john_thain_gored_merrill_lyn.html

[Maru Kitteh]

11. Wait. . .. . A commode on legs? Is that a toilet on a foot-stool or what?

my oh my

[TahitiNut]

12. Here's what a "commode on legs" could refer to ...

This is called a commode.




So is this.





But so is this ...

[Maru Kitteh]

13. Pop open a drawer and shit? Is that the idea? Where do you hang the T.P.?

All of that money, and yet they poop in the furniture. Shame, shame, shame. :P

[Nevernose]

3. That should be the entire hiring process - show the applicants a catalog of garbage cans

The ones with the best resumes look at a catalog of garbage cans. The ones who pay more than five dollars of company money are fucking morons who don't get hired at all; the first guy who says "I'll just bring in an old one from the garage" gets to be CEO.

[BrklynLiberal]

4. Balls! Brass Balls!!!. It should be deducted from his salary and given back to the taxpayers.

How many foreclosures would that money cancel...?

[rwheeler31]

5. Did he ever buy therapy?

[Raine]

15. Yeah he should've spent the money on some well needed

therapy than maybe he wouldn't have the emptiness in him that only a $1400 trash container can fill. :crazy:

[BuelahWitch]

6. Who the hell makes $1400 trash cans?

And what are they made of? Gold?

[nevergiveup]

7. Where in the hell

would you find a $1400.00 trash can? Does it have a built in sound system? I can not imagine a trash can costing this much.

[Amonester]

9. Video link here

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=385x264230

The crook's a big waster, but he's not the only one, sadly. Must be some kind of desease.

[TahitiNut]

10. That'd be $1.22 million. (See post #8) But what's $220,000 more or less?

:shrug:

[Raine]

14. The stores must of seen that morAn coming cause

he sure got taken, you can get a trash can at Big Lots for a few bucks! :silly:

[Jeanette in FL]

16. It has probably always been this way

Can you imagine the money we could raise if we went into all of their offices and had an estate sale.

I am sure that all of them have offices decorated like this. Un-freaking-real.

[elleng]

17. they've all been doing it.

i can't believe it. its like they live on another planet.