The second recommendation I would make with respect to external communications is that Liddy adopt more stringent measures than the government has insisted upon with respect to spending controls. The government has set out some measures, but AIG should be tougher than that. This would demonstrate a sense of culpability on the part of the company for the fact that the situation it is in is of its own making. A major component of the public's offense is that it feels cheated in the deal. Taxpayers, many of whom are feeling the sting of economic hardship themselves, are insulted that they have been called upon to bailout a company that then pays six and seven-figure bonuses to its executives. Most of the people contributing tax dollars to those bonuses will never see money like that in their lives. Liddy has the luxurious advantage of not being directly responsible for the...
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