Boston Herald, January 22, 2010 - Chanting “Hey hey, ho ho, corporate greed has got to go,” dozens of activists demonstrated at Goldman Sachs’ office in Boston’s Financial District yesterday.
“Wall Street got what they want, now it’s time for Main Street to get what we want,” said Richard Rogers, executive secretary-treasurer of the Greater Boston Labor Council. Rogers joined members of the Massachusetts Jobs Coalition, representing labor, community and religious groups, demanding a meeting with Goldman executives to urge the financial services giant to help pay for a federal jobs measure under consideration in Congress. The $33.4 billion legislation would provide 1 million jobs in government and nonprofits similar to the Comprehensive Employment and Training Act in the 1970s and the Works Progress Administration of the Great Depression. Goldman declined the offer to meet. Lew Finfer of the Massachusetts Communities Action Network said Goldman distributed $16.7 billion in bonuses to its execs last year. If it contributed that amount to the feds, it would pay half the cost of the jobs bill, he said. “The bailout allowed Goldman Sachs to stay afloat financially and they made so much money they handed out bonuses,” Finfer said. “We’re asking them to consider giving the bonus money toward jobs for the unemployed.” The demonstration came as Goldman Sachs posted a better-than-expected fourth-quarter profit. The Wall Street investment bank netted $4.95 billion in earnings from October through December. A call to Goldman Sachs in New York was not returned.