Wall Street bonuses shoot up 17 percent in 2009

Wall Street bonuses climbed 17 percent in 2009 to $20.3 billion as many of the investment banks that were bailed out at U.S. taxpayer expense reported blowout profits.

The announcement Tuesday by New York Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli was likely to outrage many Americans who are barely getting by. And it happened on the same day that private economists reported a plunge in consumer confidence _ a blow to hopes that spending by shoppers would help speed up an economic recovery.

"Wall Street is vital to New York's economy, and the dollars generated by the industry help the state's bottom line," DiNapoli said. "But for most Americans, these huge …