The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is taking action to promote greater investor participation in corporate elections. The Commission is hoping to “get the vote out” from individual or mom and pop investors.

As the SEC notes, investor participation in the elections of companies they own is c

Today, New York State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli announced that Wall Street paid out $20.3 billion of bonuses in 2009, up 17% from 2008. Bonuses at Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan and Morgan Stanley rose by 31%.

Given the lingering problems in the economy and high unemployment, one wonders what these executives could have done to merit these awards. Let's not forget that these are the same banks that had to be bailed out with taxpayer money in order to avoid collapsing.