Text 27621, 83 rader
Skriven 2009-02-18 10:03:54 av Robert Bashe (2:2448/44)
  Kommentar till text 27589 av Michiel van der Vlist (2:280/5555)
Ärende: Retainment bonuses aka competition clauses
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Michiel van der Vlist wrote to Robert Bashe on Tuesday February 17 2009 at
14:14:

MV>>> The economy is in ruins, thanks to the money grabbers.

RB>> And the incompetence of excessively-paid politicians.

MV> Pliticians are paid handouts compared to the money grabbers in Wall
MV> Street.

Wall Street is neither in Berlin nor in Amsterdam. How much extra income do
_your_ politicians get (in addition to their high basic salaries - set by
themselves - and their tax-free subsidies for presumed "expenses")? Ours regard
their political work as a part-time job and are otherwise busy with their
"real" businesses, such as an attorney partnership, a company or a large
agricultural operation. And NO!!! the income from those jobs is NOT!!! either
reported to the public, nor is it in any form offset (much less 1:1) with what
they get as a "representative".

You may think such things are perfectly OK, but I'm not the only one in Germany
who doesn't.

MV>>> Joe the Plumber looses his job and does not know how to pay his
MV>>> mortgage, while the money grabbers at the top get away with millions
MV>>> in bonusses. Explain that to Joe the plumber. Especially when it is
MV>>> TAX money that pays for it.

RB>> If Joe the Plumber had screamed earlier, and had less sympathy with
RB>> the moneygrabbers who make up "his" government, I would have a great
RB>> deal more sympathy,

MV> Now you rae riding your hobby horse again...

My conviction, you mean. If you like to donate your money to people who
couldn't drive a cab unless they were elected to public office, that's your
business.

MV> While the politicians are not free of blame, I would not call them
MV> money grabbers. Our prime miniters earns only a fraction of the obscne
MV> salaroies and bonussen that are collected by the bank managers and
MV> other finanial institutions.

Who have to pay taxes and have no time for lucerative "part-time jobs" in
addition to their main occupation. There's a lot of comparing apples with
oranges when it comes to politician's salaries. They have a LOT of privileges
you, I AND the bank managers can only dream of.

Can you deduct 30% of your income, without receipts, as "business expenses" on
your income tax? I can't either. Bundestag representatives can. Can you earn
unlimited income from "part-time jobs" without your employer screaming and
prohibiting that? Bundestag representatives can.

RB>> Unfortunately, the people really responsible for keeping the economy
RB>> on track with realistic "Rahmenbedingungen" (basic rules and
RB>> conditions) are most rarely the ones actually made responsible for
RB>> failures in case of catastrophes - as in this case.

MV> Indeed. The bank managers got away with millions in bonuses....

Which, after taxes, are a good deal smaller than on paper. But we won't mention
that, will we?

RB>> P.S. Now people here are calling for Opel to be taken over by the
RB>> government to "free" it from GMC. God help Opel if that happens.
RB>> Politicians are no auto manufacturers, as the takeover of VW by
RB>> Porsche should have demonstrated, and the fact that both Saab and
RB>> Volvo in Sweden were taken over by "real" auto conmpanies should have
RB>> shown. The professionals may and do make mistakes, but the
RB>> politicians exceed those by miles and generally manage to bring
RB>> companies into bankruptcy inside of a very short time.

MV> I disagree.

Doubtless. Someone who has never run a business, much less an auto
manufacturing business, is _doubtless_ better qualified to run one than people
who have grown up in the industry.

Man, where did you grow up? In a politician's family?

Cheers, Bob

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