Wednesday, March 09, 2005

Boring, but important business.

The bankruptcy bill, which was written by and for credit card companies, is morally bankrupt. The reasons: I and II

A list of Democrats who disgraced themselves by voting to let this awful bankruptcy bill go to the floor, where it will pass, is here.

And the last word:
...the bill does nothing to limit the ability of wealthy debtors to take advantage of the system's numerous loopholes, such as shifting assets into property holdings or trusts. Nor does it deal with the ability of scandal-wracked firms to enter bankruptcy to protect themselves from legal claims, a tactic employed by Enron, WorldCom, and many other companies. This sets up a perverse situation: Not only is it already easy for companies in dire straits because of financial misdeeds to file for bankruptcy, thereby absolving them of requirements to pay their employees' wages and health insurance, but the bill also makes it harder for those employees, were they to be hit by high medical costs, to apply for the same relief.