Sunday, September 21, 2014

Why Ordinary People Bear Economic Risks and Corporations Don't

Why Ordinary People Bear Economic Risks and Donald Trump Doesn't | Robert Reich

In America, people with lots of money can easily avoid the
consequences of bad bets and big losses by cashing out at the first sign
of trouble. The laws protect them through limited liability and bankruptcy.


Bankruptcy
was designed so people could start over. But these days, the only ones
starting over are big corporations, wealthy moguls, and Wall Street. Corporations
are even using bankruptcy to break contracts with their employees. When
American Airlines went into bankruptcy three years ago, it voided its
labor agreements and froze its employee pension plan.  After
it emerged from bankruptcy last year and merged with U.S. Airways,
America's creditors were fully repaid, its shareholders came out richer
than they went in, and its CEO got a severance package valued at $19.9 million.

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