Text 27656, 106 rader
Skriven 2009-02-20 17:24:05 av Michiel van der Vlist (2:280/5555)
     Kommentar till en text av Robert Bashe (2:2448/44)
Ärende: Retainment bonuses aka competition clauses
==================================================
Hello Robert,

On Wednesday February 18 2009 10:03, you wrote to me:

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

 RB> Wall Street is neither in Berlin nor in Amsterdam.

I was using it as a figure of speech, but now that you mention it: ASD
(Amsterdam Stock Exchange) merged with Brussels and Paris in 2000 to form
Euronext. Euronext in turn was taken over by NYSE in 2006 to form NYSE
Euronext.

So Wall Street *is* in Amsterdam.

 RB> How much extra income do _your_ politicians get

Very little if any.

 RB> (in addition to their high basic salaries - set by themselves

The salaries are generous, but not excessive. As I said handouts compared to
what the money grabbers at Wall Street gobble up.

 RB>  - and their tax-free subsidies for presumed "expenses")?

None.

 RB> Ours regard their political work as a part-time job and are otherwise
 RB> busy with their "real" businesses, such as an attorney partnership, a
 RB> company or a large agricultural operation. And  NO!!! the income from
 RB> those jobs is NOT!!! either reported to the public, nor is it in any
 RB> form offset (much less 1:1) with what they get as a "representative".

Then the situation in Germany is totally different from that in The
Netherlands. Here politicians have to declare ALL side jobs and they are
publicly scrutinised for a conflict of interest. Even a chairmanship of the
local association of goat breeders is looked at very carefully.

And regarding expenses, if they submit even a bus ticket for re=embursment,
that will be scrutnised if it was really for the cause. Politicians have been
evicted from office for playing games with declarations, A one time mayor of
Rotterdam, former husband of Nelie Smit Kroes had to resing over just such an
issue.

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

I do not think everything is perfectly ok, but I think you are exaggerating and
doing them an injustice.

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

 RB> My conviction, you mean.

High taxes *are* your hobby horse. When was the last day you did not write a
messages that did not mention taxes?

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

No, and neither can the Dutch politicians.

I think you are doing them an injustice. Politicians are far from perfect, but
I think the vast majority are honest hard working people who are doing their
job as best as they can. They are well paid for it, but nothing compared to the
obscene amounts elsewhere. her you do not go into politics if you want to
become filthy rich.


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

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

Even after taxes, they STILL get away with millions, so why mention it?

 RB>>> have 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.

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

And you who has never run a government is better qualified to judge how to run
a country?

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

No politician no.

I had an uncle (in law) who was a diplomat though. His career was completed by
the post of Dutch ambassador in Washington. He died last year.


Cheers, Michiel

--- GoldED+/W32-MINGW 1.1.5-b20070503
 * Origin: http://www.vlist.org (2:280/5555)