Poll | 06/30/2009 1:00 am

Are you satisfied with Bernie Madoff's sentence of 150 years in prison?

Read more about: Bernie Madoff, crime, Politics, Ponzi Scheme

66 Reader Comments (so far…) Sign In or Register to comment

Bernie’s just a distraction.

By NP2 on 06/30/2009 1:52 am

We need to go after the CEO’s of Bear Stearns and Countrywide and the like. I wish Obama had gone in right away and said, "This is what’s going on and we need to clean it up right now." But he didn’t. Not that he wasn’t busy cleaning up so many other things. But, that was the time.And now it’s too late.

Because now we have this distraction - Bernie. I doubt we will go after the CEO’S that we should go after. You know that when Bear Stearns and Countrywide said they didn’t have a clue - they didn’t know what was going on - you can’t believe that. Of course they knew.

We need a complete overhaul of our financial system. As it is, shareholders are in name only. They have no say. These CEO’s don’t care what happens to the companies. They take their money and they walk. And the shareholders are left with no say, and no money. We can’t go after Christopher Cox, because he was just taking orders from Bush. The CEO’s were busy kissing each other’s a*ses. Our Securities and Exchange Commission is stuck. No funds. Not enough staff. Our system is a mess. We need to burn it and start over. So Bernie’s in jail. And he should be. But it’s just a distraction. And Bernie’s victims are just plain out. And life goes on.

By NP2 on 06/30/2009 2:29 am

NP, I do agree; what about the ceo’s — hang Bernie in effigy for them? Bernie’s cronies as well; lots of people were involved, not just his family…..and oh by the way, Ruth didn’t know? Puleeeze. And they all knew on some level that people were getting screwed.

By AndyC on 06/30/2009 7:47 am

Hi Andy,

Charlie Rose had a couple on last night that lost a million and a half with Bernie. Now they have to start over, as many other victims do. We just can’t let things end with Bernie. Take care,

By NP2 on 06/30/2009 9:32 am

Yup.

By FP2 on 06/30/2009 7:56 am

You know it, FP.

Say, the art here … really beautiful. Best,

By NP2 on 06/30/2009 9:34 am

Well said. They still have done nothing about executive compensation. There must be some kind of regulation, and how about those boards of trustees that let anything happen in order to make as much money as possible? Do you think what has happened has influenced them changing their ways? I doubt it. Bet they are just waiting it out and then it will be business as usual but with new packaging.

By FrannieEm on 07/01/2009 3:36 am

Hi, Frannie,

That’s what I’m afraid of: " … and then it will be business as usual … "

I think Obama knows what needs to be done. This is off the subject of Bernie, but take health care, for example. I think Obama is afraid he can’t get it through Congress. So he compromises a bill for the sake of getting it done. I guess that’s better than nothing. At least it’s something. But then, it depends on what the "something" is. Anyway, I share your views about Bernie M.

Good to see you. Hope you have a nice 4th.

By NP2 on 07/01/2009 10:54 am

Healthcare is such a boondoggle who knows what can happen there. Something has to but I don’t trust congress to come up with the right thing. To rush it would be insane because once they have done it, and if we switch over to a single payer system, it is done for the future. How can they do it with so many boomers heading into "those years" that could require more medical attention. Seems they think just passing bills without reading them is okay - we the people are responsible for every contract that we sign, and if we blow it for ourselves and others we are in trouble, it can ruin our financial future and/or our children’s. While on the other hand, congress people just get voted out and then get very lucrative jobs working for lobbyists.

I tell you, if the economic crisis and guys like Bernie Madoff don’t wake that congress up, I don’t what will. The thing that scares me is that there are probably, as we have seen, more actors like Madoff that are still out there scamming. More people are going to end up hurt.

By FrannieEm on 07/01/2009 12:21 pm

Frannie — We have another Bernie in Texas. A judge today revoked bond for financier R. Allen Stanford, whi is charged with swindling investors out of $7 billion. Haven’t heard much about him I guess because Bernie has been "the news". I must google and find out more about him.

They are coming out of the woodwork like termites!

By LadyGator on 07/01/2009 4:23 pm

You know, my parents worked hard to raise responsible citizens and I have tried to do the same as many others have. Where does it all start. Greed is such an aphrodisiac for so many. These people are sick criminals.

By FrannieEm on 07/01/2009 10:52 pm

Criminals have been executed for the same crime that Bernie Badoff committed. He deliberately, with malice intent, destroyed the lives of countless victims. No. He did not use a gun, knife, or other weapon to deprive victims of their lives. Yet, in my opinion, he is no better than a murderer. If I believed in the death penalty … Badoff would be on death row for the cold-blooded, premeditated assaults, which destroyed the lives of his victims.

By MaizieJames on 06/30/2009 2:12 am

I couldn’t have said it better Maizie!

By RebeccaG on 06/30/2009 9:22 am

Oooooo Maizie, you are on a roll. He was really a sick idiot. Heard one story of a victim in court that said that her husband died and she went to Madoff and he took her hand and assured her that she would be well taken care of, there was nothing to worry about. He had everything under control. That was two weeks before he was arrested.

By FrannieEm on 07/01/2009 3:41 am