[cnn-photo-caption image= http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2010/images/04/23/art.wallstreet.0423.gi.jpg caption=" SEC watching porn instead of Wall Street?."]
FROM CNN's Jack Cafferty:
As Wall Street brought the nation to the brink of financial collapse a couple years ago some of our so-called top government regulators were spending hours a day of agency time watching pornography on government computers instead of watching the investment bankers on Wall street who were going south with the economy.
The inspector general for the Securities and Exchange Commission says at least 33 employees were involved watching internet filth. Almost all of these cases occurred in the last two and a half years which would coincide with the near-collapse of the financial system.
More than half of these employees were at a "senior level" making up to $220,000.
And if you're not disgusted yet, let me continue:
One senior attorney at the SEC in Washington spent as much as 8 hours a day looking at and downloading porn. After running out of hard drive space on his computer, he burned the files onto CDs or DVDs and stored them in boxes in his office.
An SEC accountant was blocked more than 16,000 times in one month from trying to access porn sites.
Another SEC accountant tried to access pornography online almost 2,000 times in a two-week period. She had 600 pornographic images saved on her computer.
The SEC won't release the names of these people even though they work for you. They claim those involved have been disciplined, suspended or fired. They should all be fired end of discussion.
Meanwhile President Obama wants to create another new government bureaucracy to oversee Wall Street. What if the SEC just did its job instead?
Here’s my question to you: Should Pres. Obama be more concerned about the SEC watching pornography when they should have been watching Wall Street?
Interested to know which ones made it on air?
David in New Hampshire
Why in the hell aren't their names being released? That along with getting a pink slip. After all, like you said, Jack, they work for us. (I use the word 'work' for lack of a better term). I used to work for a major airline, and it was cut and dry, if you are caught accessing porn on company computers, either on the clock or not, you can kiss your job goodbye.
Mary
Our entire government is a sham. We are going broke paying taxes and for what – things like this… We, as a society, have declined in morals and integrity. I cannot wait until Nov. 2010 to vote these incumbents out of office and for Nov. 2012 to remove Obama.
David in West Virginia
Come on, Jack, those guys were under a lot of stress.
Micah
This is a perfect example of big government gone wrong. Who regulates the regulators? And let's not forget the government's hand in the financial collapse by putting programs into place that allowed people to buy homes they had no business buying in the first place. They love to blame Wall Street without accepting their own part in it.
Chris
Well, the SEC clearly has its priorities. Maybe just fire them all and create a new agency. But, just adding layers of bureaucracy to the bloated government of a broke country is not the solution. If something doesn't work, replace it! Don't create a couple new agencies to do the same redundant and ineffective work.
Dennis in North Carolina
Yes, but it is a typical government employee mindset. We owe them a living.
Nick in Detroit
You've got to admit though, that when the world is crumbling around you, nothing spells relief quite like 'P-O-R-N'!
Kyle in Washington
Jack, They were probably on those sites legitimately. Obviously they were doing research on how to perform the same acts on the average citizen.