$18 billion in bonuses for Scamming the People
Posted on 31. Jan, 2009 by M.L. Zupan in Editorial Comments
Where can you get one of those jobs? GM, BofA, Citibank, AIG, Wallstreet?
We, the People, of Wall Street, Banking and Auto Industries; in order to ensure our domestic tranquility, and ensure the happiness of ourselves, while others suffer, get foreclosed on, and lose their jobs, cars and go hungry; do solemnly swear that as soon as we receive our bailout money we will give ourselves lavish bonuses, ensure our pension plans are beefed up and our retirement accounts are padded (in case we have to retire early if we don’t get away with this), and basically laugh at the gullibility of the American people and Congress.
In the words of the Russian antagonist in the movie “The Saint”:
Congress! “What are you doing with my money? Do you think it comes so easy?”
Did you know, or do you remember, that when King George III increased the tax on the American Colonist because he needed to beef up his stock brokerage firm and mismanaged banks, while the carriage industry was going into the crapper – the people did not blame the carriage industry or the loss of profits by cigar manufacturing companies that were burning away their profits with bad management, or the failing brokerage firms? The colonists blamed the king.
They blamed the representatives of the king and their own governmental bodies who were supposed to be representing their “redress of grievances” before the king.
What does that mean?
It means that if you people in Congress (including our newly appointed, illustrious President) do not get a handle on these companies that are receiving bailout money and using it for everything OTHER than what it was intended for – you may see your paychecks making up the difference. Or you may see your paychecks disappear completely. Because you will be looking for new jobs.
How many times do we have to see the same old news articles telling us about another company that has received bailout money and is using it inappropriately? Every other day! How many times do I have to read about members of Congress telling those companies: “Now you shouldn’t do that… that is tax payers money… (light slap on the hand), now don’t do it again”.
When am I going to hear every member of Congress demanding the removal of the person or persons who approved such idiocy if bailout money is used for everything other than bailing out the economy?
Congress needs to DEMAND the solution!
What is the solution to the troubled bank, auto industry, etc…?
I think that it is time we applied the “Las Vegas Method” to government bailout money and management!
Ax ALL upper and perhaps all mid-level management. I’m sorry, but that is just how it has to be.
When a casino buys up a failing casino (key word is “failing”, “troubled”, “losing money”) the new owners make a clean sweep through the house and get rid of all upper level management, and in some cases all mid-level management. Gone! Pack your bags! Clean our your lockers! You’re history! You’re archives!
Why? Because the casinos realize that you can not turn a company around with the same crew that ran it into the ground. They didn’t fire the regular level employees because they didn’t run the company into the ground. It was the MANAGEMENT! Get rid of the dead weight called BAD MANAGEMENT! And our elected officials need to demand it as part of receiving bailout money.
Come on people – get involved! This is your country too! This cannot be about the big guy protecting himself while all the hard workers of America suffer. BofA lays off thousands of people while the same management team that are driving BofA into the ground have squandered an additional $40 Billion Dollars in bailout money. What?
Citibank uses bailout money to order a $50 million dollar new corporate jet? Did I miss something? The President has to step in and tell them they can’t do that with bailout money, so Citibank decides to cancel the order. How generous!
Are you kidding me? The guy who made the order is still working for Citibank. Any company (in the real world), that has an employee who misappropriates funds, gets fired immediately without benefits.
The Big Three fly to Washington to beg for bailout money in their private, corporate jets? Does anyone see the irony? When they get reprimanded they decide to drive the next time they go to Washington. What a show of team spirit. NOT! They are still managing those same companies and they got their bailout money. All that equates to is BAD BUSINESS! And it is bad business that our elected officials, the officials who are representatives of our money – the peoples’ money – are not demanding these management teams be replaced – and if they don’t like it – I guess the company just doesn’t get bailout money.
In the casino industry, the entire management staff is removed because there is usually too much loyalty towards members of the old management that the new management would have to fight in order to get changes in policy implemented. It’s the same old “well that’s not how we used to do it” mentality. And the problem with “that’s not how we used to do it” is that you did it wrong, and that is why you now have new ownership.
So take some advice from the Las Vegas Casino Industry – get rid of the dead weight even before you give them bailout money. No exceptions! The Citizens of the United States are ultimately the new casino owners and we must demand accountability! There is NO room for debate on that issue. And we must demand it even before we give out OUR tax dollars to bailout companies that have mismanaged and misappropriated funds.
Hundreds of thousands of regular level employees are losing their jobs because of poor management just so the current management personnel can try to show a reduction in costs and greater profits. Yet it is only a cover-up for their ineptitude and failure to manage properly. And if our representatives with our money (our legislators and all elected officials) do not start acting in the best interest of the people - then they too, should be removed and replaced for mismanagement of their elected duties.
I welcome your comments and thoughts! Are you outraged, complacent, slightly put-out? Have you written your Congressmen lately? Let us know!
Editorial Comment by M.L.Z.
‘Nuclear’ & Oklahoma? Can You Really be Serious?
Posted on 28. Jan, 2009 by M.L. Zupan in Editorial Comments
This picture does not begin to depict the horror caused by this one accident
OKLAHOMA CITY – Supporters of a “Chernobyl type” nuclear power reactor are hoping to win support this year for their so-called “alternative energy” source.
Can you be serious Oklahoma?
Corporate Commission has turned down Oklahoma Gas & Electric three times, for three different energy power plants because they didn’t have enough carbon emission reduction systems built in to plan.
They were told “NO!” to increased energy, NO – to increased employment for the state of Oklahoma and the people who live here. They were told NO – because Oklahomans want cleaner air to breath and healthier lives above the decreased cost of a couple pennies for cheaper electricity.
So who in the world believes that the people of Oklahoma want a nuclear power reactor in their state – regardless the cost and maybe in 10 years the potential savings of a few extra pennies? Even so, the cost of living will have increase and the price of electricity will have risen by 20 – 30%, maybe more percent and the few pennies that were projected to be saved in the beginning are all but forgotten.
State Rep. Mike Reynolds and Sen. Brian Bingman, that’s who! Both Bingman and Reynolds have filed separate bills that would open the way for companies wanting to apply to build nuclear power plants.
They are using the soaring energy prices of this past year as a spring board for their “move-now-gotta-do-something while the people are outraged over the high cost of fuel” approach – but full disclosure to the people of the potential disaster and long term effects are slow in coming.
House Speaker Chris Benge and Rep. Scott Martin have bills regarding nuclear energy that Benge says allows lawmakers to decide “what direction we do want to go if we do pursue legislation.”
Opponents of nuclear energy say they’ve been waiting for this type of legislation and will be ready to educate the public about nuclear power.
I have several questions I would like to ask these legislators:
- Have you ever been to Chernobyl?
- Have you seen the effects of the devastation one accident has caused.
- Have you looked into the dying eyes of the deformed children that are being born in the region and barely live to be 10 years old? Then, tell the children of Oklahoma: “Don’t worry, it could never happen here?”
- Of the four reactors at the power plant – it was #4 that melted down – did you know that five years after the first meltdown, reactor #2 did the same (and they were not performing unregulated tests on this one).
- Did you know that over 20 years later, the reactor is still leaking down into the ground water?
- Did you know that the ground water seeps into the Peuotor River and the Peuoter River feeds into the Dniper River and the Dniper River flows through Kiev, which is home to over 4 million people? And did you further know that those 4 million people get their drinking water out of the Dniper River?
- Would you drink the Dniper River water?
- Would you give it to your children?
- 1/5 of the total farmland in the is still unusable today? Over 2 million acres! And that does not count the unusable land from Belarus all the way to Sweden!
- How would that effect Oklahoma?
No, we can not afford to take the chance of another Chernobyl or Three Mile Island. Would you put you children and our future at risk for a few saved pennies and a few billion dollars in cost and several years work down the road just because everyone is on the “alternative energy” bandwagon? I personally urge you to reconsider and withdraw the bill that would put our State and our Future at risk.
I can list at least 10 other viable, alternative energy solutions that are NOT dangereous and can do more for the economy than Nuclear! Take T. Boone Pickens for one example – and his “Wind Campaign”; or how about a Solar Energy Farms.
We have the means and the technology to make a change in today’s environment for the better. We also have the capability to make these new technologies safe, non-toxic, cheaper & efficient. Lets use those tools to build a clean tomorrow – for our children, and our children’s children. Our future depends on it.
Job Hunter: Mismanagement of Big Companies
Posted on 28. Jan, 2009 by M.L. Zupan in Editorial Comments
Employment Security – Mismanagement: A Growing Problem
Enron, AIG, the Banking System, Mortgage Companies, The Big Three – boom, boom, boom - falling, failing, or failed – all because of mismanagement! Management either misused funds, mismanaged assets, even misdesignated employee production/service task to get the proper job done. Poor Management is the reason there was a crash to begin with – poor management is the reason that so many people are out of work. Why? Because the first thing that poor managers do to is layoff low-level employees to make it look like the profit loss is not that bad and to cover for their own incompetence. The second thing they do is apply for bailout money and the third is they take extended vacations, treat themselves to spa treatments in Colorado, purchase new corporate jets, fly to Washington in private jets to ask for more money, pad their retirement accounts and bonus structure – and then they bail.
Solution
I think that perhaps it is time for employees to get 10 year financials from entire management teams. Maybe it is time for employees to do a little more serious interviewing of the employer and the managers of the company. Perhaps it is time for the employee to take the reigns and say:
“Hey, I need to know if you have the skills to manage. I want to know if you have ever been convicted of a felony, I want a complete background check and a 10-year work history. Oh! And by the way I will need to do a credit check before I decide to work for you – because if you are having financial difficulties at home then you may be just one step away from misappropriation of funds at work.”
Getting on the Hoof!
One article in the news read: “more than three job seekers for every opening”. And when I look at headlines like that I am truly saddened for America and for the fact that we are currently at 7.2% unemployment. CNNMoney wrote:
Going to Extremes to Land a Job
With more than three job seekers for every opening, it takes more than printing your resume on premium paper stock to get noticed.
The article portrays an ambitious woman riding a bike (taking time to exercise) with a hand-crafted “I need a job” advertised on her shirt. How sweet!
She’s got a big smile on her face (not usually a sign I see on most faces of people who are unemployed and in dire straights), palm trees in the background and life is grand.
Really? Where is the reality check here? Doing anything you can to land a job is like the 50 something year old man I saw, dressed in an Uncle Sam Costume outside a Tax Business in 8°F weather – probably working for minimum wage. Now that is doing whatever it take to have a job when things are tough and you need to put food on the table.
If you are really in dire straights – then get off the exercise bike and “get on the hoof” – start walking the beat and applying for jobs the old fashion way. Do not send your resumes (within your city) via fax, or email – anyone can do that. Show more ambition, demonstrate that you want the job, that you will go the extra mile to prove your worth and dependability because you were willing to get up and do something about it.
There are enough opportunities out there to offset the loss of jobs across the United States. However, it is time we get creative in finding out what the needs are and then filling in those holes. Perhaps this is just a good time for you to go after that dream of you own. While some markets are closing – new markets will be opening.
The only person who gets left behind is the one unwilling to change!
Upcoming articles:
A look at “10 ways to start making money on the Internet” and increase your revenue streams during tough economic times.
