togafoot
I think we may see a change in the way bonuses are paid and regulated in the financial industry because it looks like its being demanded by the voter.
I can promise you if this passes in the US, then the talent will flee from public banks as fast as they can to set up a HF, PE shop, or Boutique bank.
I can certainly see how the voter would think its unfair to bail out Wall Street, but lets be realistic here, there are MANY, MANY people who are as guilty or moreso than Wall Street. Without Fannie and Freddie guaranteeing the credit on these "conforming" loans, then there never would have been a securitized market for Alt-A and subprime loans. Without mark-to-market acounting, the I-banks would never have had to write down their susecptible loans, and probably could have riden out the storm. Notice one of the main reasons GS and MS are becoming bank holding companies is to avoid mark-to-market.
Now I'm certainly not saying anyone is innocent, because they are not, but everyone from gov't to home lenders to Wall Street can pass the hat on this one. Unfortunately, its the politicians who get the microphone to yell the loudest on who to blame.