The President has failed us

[La Santa Muerte]

Report: Treasury approved excessive pay for executives at bailed-out AIG, GM and Ally

By Associated Press,

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Treasury Department disregarded its own guidelines by allowing large pay increases for executives at three firms bailed out during the financial crisis, a report released Monday says.

The Special Inspector General for the Troubled Asset Relief Program said Treasury approved all 18 requests it received for executive raises at American International Group Inc., General Motors Corp. and Ally Financial Inc. Of those requests, 14 were for $100,000 or more. One raise, for the CEO of a division at AIG, was for $1 million.

[Freespirit8]

Jaxxon wrote:

<quoted text>
pssssst...<whispers>...i t's Jax.
:p

Oops, sorry Jaxx (don't you think the double xx's are kinda sexy?)

:P
:P

[---Wild Irish Rose---]

Hell on Hee1s wrote:

<quoted text>
Brought forward to show the ladylike manner in which you posted. All this pretty talk you do, yet you want respect from a respectful person. When you give it, it will be given in return, not until I'm guessing. I may even get banned for saying such, but these words should be directed towards you, because they fit you better than him. It should be VERY hard to ban someone for telling the truth! Though I've seen some become that way for it! Shows how screwed up this country is.

And yet again, I wasn't posting to you but you insist on seeking my attention.

I don't want respect from the likes of you and your crew of ignorant dolts.

What was posted regarding my brother was malicious lies and personal harassment, and I will deal with it anyway I choose, and I don't need your permission or approval to do so. That person deserves no respect or civility from me.

Now butt out and mind your own business. Doesn't concern you in the least, trouble making twit.

[NTRPRNR1]

Oaky wrote:

<quoted text>
I am quite confident that Jeep has considered the transportation and other costs of bring that product to the USA NTR. I really think this issue is beyond your comprehension if you think otherwise.
However, if you really feel you must try to understand you will need to be able to comprehend two ideas at the same time in order to understand the solution to the problem. Do you have a working understanding of the phrase "a carrot and a stick"?

Food for thought:

With wages, only a handful getting richer
January 27, 2013|Jim Stratton, BUSINESS

A while ago, I heard an economist say something startling about wages in America.

In the last decade, he said, the only people who saw real wage growth were doctors, lawyers and MBAs. He was exaggerating, but not by much. Over the past 30 years, a wage gap has taken root in Florida, driving up the incomes of the best-paid workers, while leaving those near the bottom scrambling for scraps. The numbers are much worse than I'd imagined.

http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/2013-01-2...

Since 1979, Florida's top earners, those in the top 10 percent, have seen wages grow by almost 34 percent. That's three times the 11 percent growth experienced by the bottom 20 percent. As for the lowest-paid workers (those in the bottom 10 percent), well they saw no increase at all. Their wages, adjusted for inflation, actually declined.(cont.)
.....

The working poor - scrambling for scraps and accepting of food stamps. They work. They just want to eat enough to be able TO work.

[---Wild Irish Rose---]

Hell on Hee1s wrote:

<quoted text>
I'm embarrassed about you. You make me ashamed of my own gender. Glad you do not represent us all.

And here you are again. What's your problem? If you're embarrassed and ashamed of your own gender, that's YOUR issue. I had nothing to do with it.

You've been baiting and hassling me now nonstop over posts that were not even directed to you or about you. You don't like my posts to other people, then either scroll on by or use FEEDBACK and report them to Topix. You're nothing but an instigating troll as far as I'm concerned. Stop posting your stupid comments to me.

[---Wild Irish Rose---]

Hell on Hee1s wrote:

<quoted text>
I'm embarrassed about you. You make me ashamed of my own gender. Glad you do not represent us all.

By the way, dolt there was nothing offensive or embarrassing about that post. You lie and instigate just to get attention and join the other harassing thugs here. It's YOU who's an embarrassment to intelligent, strong women.

Read it again:

---Wild Irish Rose--- wrote:
<quoted text>
Hi V. I really know nothing about gzeena's gender or sexual orientation, but then I don't care about such a wicked person in the first place, and I also don't gossip or lie about other people's personal business.
I'm just disgusted by the level of hatred that some of these people exhibit and their obsession with abusing and trying to hurt others. They're an embarrassment to America and all this country stands for, but they get the right to be evil because this is America and it's the Internet besides where cowards like them feel brave.

[NTRPRNR1]

muslim love wrote:

<quoted text>
that is a BAD thing indeed. They need to come to America the LEGAL way and get in the back of the line, no matter what or how long they have lived in America illegally.

See what "no compromise" gets ya'? Never consider any reasonable compromise. Always make demands that won't or can't be met.

[NTRPRNR1]

La Santa Muerte wrote:

Report: Treasury approved excessive pay for executives at bailed-out AIG, GM and Ally
By Associated Press,
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Treasury Department disregarded its own guidelines by allowing large pay increases for executives at three firms bailed out during the financial crisis, a report released Monday says.
The Special Inspector General for the Troubled Asset Relief Program said Treasury approved all 18 requests it received for executive raises at American International Group Inc., General Motors Corp. and Ally Financial Inc. Of those requests, 14 were for $100,000 or more. One raise, for the CEO of a division at AIG, was for $1 million.

Guess whose driving the bus? Beep, beep!!(Please close your eyes and don't pay any attention to the screams as the bus rolls over "the little people" standing in the path of greed gone wild.)

[jackson]

NTRPRNR1 wrote:

<quoted text>See what "no compromise" gets ya'? Never consider any reasonable compromise. Always make demands that won't or can't be met.

Sounds like our president.

[---Wild Irish Rose---]

X -Man- wrote:

<quoted text>
Every morning that we wake up in one piece is a good one Jaxx! That's my story and I'm sticking with it. ;)

LOL! Hey X, and good afternoon.

[Rico from East Los II]

La Santa Muerte wrote:

<quoted text>
They also chose taxes...don't forget the higher taxes.

California seems to suffer from Sacramento controlled by public-sector unions hell-bent on protectionism of the status quo, no matter what that means for the state's finances and public services.

[Jaxxon]

NTRPRNR1 wrote:

<quoted text>See what "no compromise" gets ya'? Never consider any reasonable compromise. Always make demands that won't or can't be met.

I've been singing that tune for almost a year now and the "no compromise" crowd still doesn't get it.

They've "no compromised" themselves right out of the equation.

[NTRPRNR1]

Oaky wrote:

<quoted text>
I have really not had time to follow that issue. Is that on the table at this time or is it only for manufacturing vehicles for use in China?

Jeeps are only being manufactured in China for the China market. They continue to be manufactured here for this market.

Nevertheless, business economists have recently gone on record as saying that businesses are over rating the costs of labor (here in the USA) versus other business costs which frequently more than offset those higher American labor costs. In brief, what they are trying to point out to businesses which outsource for cheaper labor is that there are offsetting costs that they're failing to consider which make offshoring a WASH in terms of profits but which also deprive America of jobs. Basically, "Can you guys please look at ALL of your numbers, NOT just your labor costs, before you toss out all those American workers?"

[---Wild Irish Rose---]

X -Man- wrote:

<quoted text>
Well, I think many of our generation have lost our connection with the earth and what it means to be human in relation to the earth and really the Universe as a whole. I'm not trying to just sound deep or whacked out but that's as simply as I can put it.
Our ancestors studied and valued the stars. Our knowledge of our environment and the universe has compounded but it doesn't really seem like anyone cares. We rely a great deal on machines, so much so, that many are detached. Look at the things happening like the shootings in Newton. These kind of "depressions" and impulsive aggressions are becoming more and more common. People are detached, desensitized, disillusioned, from humanity itself. Make sense? Kind of?

The Internet has caused people to become less humane toward one another. It's the anonymity for one thing and the sheer technology that has altered how people communicate with one another. Not in a good way in my opinion.

[NTRPRNR1]

Rico from East Los II wrote:

<quoted text>
California seems to suffer from Sacramento controlled by public-sector unions hell-bent on protectionism of the status quo, no matter what that means for the state's finances and public services.

Does that mean conservatives control the state? Nobody is willing to change anything? LOL I support unions. I have problems with the degree of power and the extent of that power. We're crippling the middle class as unions fall by the wayside. But, excessive and unreasonable demands are blocking progress too.

Everybody has to sacrifice. Nobody goes unharmed. The working poor have already paid. The unemployed can't pay. Follow the money. Who got it and who did not, and why?

[Pok Guy]

La Santa Muerte wrote:

Penalties for bad habits in ObamaCare
A new debate is emerging over provisions of the Affordable Care Act that are set to be implemented in the near future [2014].
These new rules would allow for insurance companies to add additional charges on premiums for smokers and the obese.
++++++++++
Is the government over-stepping its authority here?
Will too much freedom be blamed for costly medical issues?

Nothing new. Nearly every private and public medical plan not associated with ObamaCare ask if a person smokes and asks for height/weight to calculate BMI to determine obesity. It then uses that information to charge higher premiums for such individuals. Such individuals have made a choice to live an unhealthy life, which is fine, the only thing is that their unhealthy life choice affects the rates of everyone. So health insurance companies charge smokers and fatties more. This way of doing business came about by urging of the policy holders who got tired of paying for the unhealthy life choices of these folks.

ObamaCare just continues what's being practiced.

[NTRPRNR1]

Oaky wrote:

<quoted text>
You know we are on the same page on this issue but your figures just don't add up. Inflation since 1979 have been 316% according to this government CPI calculator http://data.bls.gov/cgi-bin/cpicalc.pl... Furthermore, we have had many increases in the minimum wage during that time that had to raise the income for the lowest (legal) workers where Federal Minimum wages were $2.90 in 1979 and are now $7.25 and in Fl while there was no minimum wage in 1979 other than the Federal they now have one of $7.79 http://www.dol.gov/whd/state/stateMinWageHis.... . Any ideas of what the discrepancies are?

Taxes on salary and wage income versus investment income return would be my guess. What do you think?

[NTRPRNR1]

Jaxxon wrote:

<quoted text>
I've been singing that tune for almost a year now and the "no compromise" crowd still doesn't get it.
They've "no compromised" themselves right out of the equation.

So, that brings me back to the proposal they "hated". Which would YOU prefer given the options?

We're being set up for the next wave of competition and stagnant wages.

[---Wild Irish Rose---]

NTRPRNR1 wrote:

lib·er·al
/&#712;lib(&#601;)r &#601;l/
Adjective
Open to new behavior or opinions and willing to discard traditional values.
Noun
A person of liberal views.
Synonyms
generous - bounteous - lavish - bountiful - free
.......
con·serv·a·tive
/k&#601;n&#712;s&# 601;rv&#601;tiv/
Adjective
Holding to traditional attitudes and values and cautious about change or innovation, typically in politics or religion.
Noun
A person who is averse to change and holds to traditional values and attitudes, typically in politics.
....
Looking at both definitions, neither is offensive, but particularly when you consider that, traditionally, "conservative" means CAUTIOUS about change. I can go for that. As to being liberal, I see nothing wrong with being open to new ideas. After all, we invented the wheel. The scientific method involves hypothesis followed by efforts to prove objectively. We dedicate ourselves to unlocking the mystery and discover new things, new ways, mind-boggling useful information for mankind - medicine, space, science, agriculture, technology. All good stuff.

That's why the majority of people, in my opinion, are moderates and don't hold to either extreme. They're conservative about some things and liberal about others. Extremism is necessary though in some arenas in order for thought and action to come back to center. And it usually does.

[Jaxxon]

---Wild Irish Rose--- wrote:

<quoted text>
The Internet has caused people to become less humane toward one another. It's the anonymity for one thing and the sheer technology that has altered how people communicate with one another. Not in a good way in my opinion.

I think it depends on the people involved too.

There are a few unstable personalities running around this place very unhappy because they can't control everyone else and there are a few that will go to almost any length to feel like they are in control or exact their idea of revenge on the people that defy their "authority".