Thursday, October 20, 2011

It looks like the wrong folks got the emails (or tweets) about joining the Occupy Wall Street protests.

On one hand, the questionable activities on Wall Street have had a major impact on shareholders and those with retirement plans. The exorbitant salaries and bonuses have likely reduced company profits and therefore, also reduced the dividend payout and value of the companies involved for investors and retirement plans.

On the other hand, governments (federal, state and local) take about half of those outsized salaries and bonuses in taxation. That taxation directly supports the government activities the current crop of demonstrators seems to favor.



If the demonstrators were regular investors and retirees, the demonstrations would make more sense.

DWIGHT HARRISON

Vienna, Va.

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