They actually lost about $9.2 billion after selling all the stocks. (Bailout of the auto industry) This is certainly not for the common good, they are abusing their power to control what is done with our money when we could be helping each other or it could be used for better causes. it was still in our hands. St. Vincent Monastery actually had a similar case where in order for individual monks to obtain personal items such as clothing, soap, or other items, they had to speak to one of the abbots. Ultimately, this led to favoritism, minor benefit to the individual, and alienated many people from life. However, today, each monk is given a budget for the year they are responsible for instead of having to choose how their money is spent against their wishes. I'm not saying that individuals shouldn't pay taxes, but rather I believe that they should have more say in what is done with their money. For example, if there was a system such as the presidential/congressional election system where there is a popular vote, there was also a weight for a selected group to limit maximum funds. Note that this system is technically in place in Congress, but when you have a system that chooses when they get a raise, what their benefits are, and where the money goes, it can ultimately lead to a benefit to their career or career.