(1) After Bernard Madoff was sentenced earlier this week to 150 years in jail for being a thieving scoundrel, USA Today reported that his victims are now turning their scorn toward securities regulators — you know, the people who are paid to make sure guys like Madoff don’t operate investment scams that go on for more than a decade. Those victims have reason to be upset: Despite a billion-dollar budget to ferret out bad guys, and despite being told years ago that Madoff was operating a Ponzi scheme, the Securities and Exchange Commission couldn’t be stirred into action. It’s funny that the federal government will invest $50 billion to prop up General Motors — a golden goose killed by its own management and union members — but there’s not a whisper about helping the ordinary people who were wiped out because regulators were asleep on the job.

(2) Others besides Madoff have some explaining to do. As Newsday succinctly put it: “Who helped him? There’s no way Madoff could have pulled this off by himself. Other people who profited from the scam — whether relatives or business associates — have a lot to answer for, too. They should be held accountable.” Madoff claims, unbelievably, that no one else was involved. Maybe this will help jog his memory: Tell Madoff that unless he gives a full and verifiable accounting of how the scheme worked and where the money went, whatever remains of his 150-year sentence after he dies in prison will be served by his relatives who worked at the firm and other top associates.

(3) If that doesn’t work, bring back waterboarding. Maybe we were too quick to set it aside as an “enhanced interrogation technique.”