More égalité, less liberté

[lbj]

ON AUGUST 6th France’s prime minister, François Fillon, summoned the country’s most senior bankers for a scolding after it emerged that BNP Paribas, its biggest bank, had set aside €1 billion ($1.4 billion) for bonuses so far in 2009. Bonuses are back in vogue throughout the industry but are proving particularly contentious in France. The leader of the opposition Socialist Party said the bonus plan was scandalous and BNP’s lowest-paid employees protested outside its headquarters. France’s bank bosses will get another drubbing over pay in a meeting with the president, Nicolas Sarkozy, on August 25th.

http://www.economist.com/businessfinanc ... extfeature

its time for a socialist party at home. bring democracy to the usa and get rid of the 2 party system.

[Knun]

Nice Story about France. Guess they are not quite socialist enough for you since the bonuses are legal there. Don't have a clue what the picture of a beheading has to do with it since the bonus are to be paid as the law dictates.

But here we read this with our socialist ASSHAT grand poobah.




http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090819/ap_ ... onsultants

WASHINGTON – President Barack Obama's push for a national health care overhaul is providing a financial windfall in the election offseason to Democratic consulting firms that are closely connected to the president and two top advisers.

Coalitions of interest groups running at least $24 million in pro-overhaul ads hired GMMB, which worked for Obama's 2008 campaign and whose partners include a top Obama campaign strategist. They also hired AKPD Message and Media, which was founded by David Axelrod, a top adviser to Obama's campaign and now to the White House. AKPD did work for Obama's campaign, and Axelrod's son Michael and Obama's campaign manager David Plouffe work there.

The firms were hired by Americans for Stable Quality Care and its predecessor, Healthy Economy Now. Each was formed by a coalition of interests with big stakes in health care policy, including the drug maker lobby PhRMA, the American Medical Association, the Service Employees International Union and Families USA, which calls itself "The Voice for Health Care Consumers."

The story goes on......

[pippinwhitepaws]

yea...113 billion dollars for health care...what a bunch of socialists punks.
let those bastards go get a job an buy insurance like the real men.

http://www.va.gov/budget/products.htm

[Knun]

Pip,

Funny that you posted your article when this came out today. It clearly helps the point I'm trying to make. Thanks.


http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/feedarticle/8668233

Associated Press Writer= WASHINGTON (AP) — Outside the Veterans Affairs Department, severely wounded veterans have faced financial hardship waiting for their first disability payment. Inside, money has been flowing in the form of $24 million in bonuses.

In scathing reports this week, the VA's inspector general said thousands of technology office employees at the VA received the bonuses over a two-year period, some under questionable circumstances. It also detailed abuses ranging from nepotism to an inappropriate relationship between two VA employees.

The inspector general accused one recently retired VA official of acting "as if she was given a blank checkbook" as awards and bonuses were distributed to employees of the Office of Information and Technology in 2007 and 2008. In some cases the justification for the bonuses was inadequate or questionable, the IG said.

The official, Jennifer S. Duncan, also engaged in nepotism and got $60,000 in bonuses herself, the IG said. In addition, managers improperly authorized college tuition payments for VA employees, some of whom were Duncan's family members and friends. That cost taxpayers nearly $140,000.

Separately, a technology office employee became involved in an "inappropriate personal relationship" with a high-level VA official. The technology office employee flew 22 times from Florida to Washington, where the VA official lived. That travel cost $37,000.

The details on the alleged improprieties were in two IG reports issued this week. VA spokeswoman Katie Roberts said the agency was extremely concerned about the IG's findings and would pursue a thorough review.

"VA does not condone misconduct by its employees and will take the appropriate correction action for those who violate VA policy," Roberts said in an e-mail to The Associated Press.

The number of claims the VA needs to process has escalated, and the Information and Technology Office has a critical role in improving the technological infrastructure to handle the increase. President Barack Obama has said creating a seamless transition for records between the Pentagon and the VA could help eliminate a backlog that has left some veterans waiting months for a disability check.

Much of the IG's focus was on Duncan, the former executive assistant to the ex-assistant secretary for information and technology, Robert Howard.

In one situation, a part-time intern with connections to Duncan was allowed to convert to a full-time paid position even though the individual was working a part-time schedule 500 miles away at college, the IG said.

"We have never known of any other new VA employee provided such favorable treatment," the IG said.

The individual's name and relationship to Duncan was blacked out, as were many other names in the reports.

Investigators recommended that the employees who received the college money pay it back. The largest amount awarded was $33,000.

In addition to Duncan, three other high-level employees received $73,000, $58,000 and $59,000 in bonuses in 2007 and 2008, the IG said. In 2007 alone, 4,700 employees were awarded bonuses, on average $2,500 each.

Some employees were given cash awards for services that were supposedly provided before the employees started working at VA, the IG said.

A man who answered the phone at Duncan's residence in Rehoboth Beach, Del., said she was not available, and he said not to call back.

The IG also found that Katherine Adair Martinez, deputy assistant secretary for information protection and risk management in the Office of Information and Technology, misused her position, abused her authority and engaged in prohibited personnel practices when she influenced a VA contractor and later VA subordinates to employ a friend.

The IG also said Martinez "took advantage of an inappropriate personal relationship" with Howard to transfer her job to Florida. In the nine months after she moved, the IG said Martinez traveled to Washington 22 times "to accomplish tasks that she could easily do from Florida."

The relationship between Martinez and Howard started in April 2007 and continued several months after Howard left the VA in January of this year, the IG said.

Roberts' e-mail did not address a request from the AP to speak with Martinez. Howard could not be immediately located for comment.

Indiana Rep. Steve Buyer, top Republican on the House Veterans' Affairs Committee, urged quick action to fix the problems. "VA must appoint honorable individuals to these critical positions," he said.

The VA has faced criticism before in its awarding of bonuses. In 2007, the AP reported that the then-VA secretary had approved a generous package of more than $3.8 million in bonus payments in 2006, citing a need to retain longtime VA executives.

Guess that's where 28 million went! Beuro-weenies gaming the system. Can you imagine if the whole damn Country goes this way? The fraund and waste!

No wonder rational folks are yelling at there gov'mt employees.

[pippinwhitepaws]

you are too dense to understand...bet you didn't even look at the link...

guess that is what makes you a good republican...too stupid to educate, yet old enough to vote.

[Knun]

Folks,

THAT is a typical asshat non answer.

These clowns are such tools it's hard to watch. Just classic!

[pippinwhitepaws]

poor thing...

you never did look at the link, yet spew like karl rove.

social health care for veterans chump...good enough for veterans, but not for you.
got it now stupid?

[lbj]

knun,

THAT is a typical asshat non answer.

stop embarrassing yourself, though i got to admit your childish antics do make me laugh.

[lbj]

knun,

its interesting that you like that "joker" poster of obama that was created by a palestinian. what's even more interesting is that its creator firas alkhateeb would have preferred to have denis kucinich elected. are you a closet kucinich supporter?

[Knun]

poor thing...

you never did look at the link, yet spew like karl rove.

social health care for veterans chump...good enough for veterans, but not for you.
got it now stupid?

Sorry,
Your tripe no longer gets a pass. Your going to actually have to read and comprehend things from now on.

So let's go through this at a third grade level. You posted a link to the home page of the VA budget office website.

I understand that your handlers have told you to promote the VA system since it is a socialist system. Everyone understands what your handlers have told you to promote. We've all heard the montra.

But since your simply a tool you simply posted a link. You did not read the link. The front page of the VA site right now is an advertisement. They are trying to obtain a 15% increase over last year. They do not have the money yet. It says they have everything under control and are great stewards of our money.

What I posted is direct conflict with much of the advertisement on that page. People that worked in the VA stole 28 million dollars. They were a few of the many gatekeepers that the gov'mt employs.

Notice that over half of what they requested is discresanary. Why would any Gov'mt entity need that much discreasanary funds? are they simply to lazy to finish a budget? After all, they should know where the money will be spent.

At least try and come up with some rational points of discussion. I'm trying to help you here. You always come accross as a goof ball because you simply don't try. I want everyone to succeed and that includes you pippy.

Heck, there are some good lib points to be heard. I know a few myself. So do some research (away from your handlers) do it on your own and then come back.

Hey, you might get lucky and win one of these discussions. Every dog finds a turd or a bone or whatever it is.

[Knun]

knun,

its interesting that you like that "joker" poster of obama that was created by a palestinian. what's even more interesting is that its creator firas alkhateeb would have preferred to have denis kucinich elected. are you a closet kucinich supporter?

I have no idea who made it. I could care less.

It's really a powerful visual statement though. I hope who ever it was makes some money from it. I would have copy righted it as soon as it came off my photoshop program.

The socialism tag line was the icing on the cake.

I'm sure we'll see more of it.

[lbj]

knun

I have no idea who made it. I could care less.

exactly, you right wing mother fuckers steal everyone's work and claim it for your own.

no talent in the whole lot of you so you gotta go and steal our liberal art work. the saddest part of the affair is that you think you got talent. kindda like a monkey in a zoo celebrating his freedom. sad.. very sad.

[Knun]

lbj,
What happened? The shipment didn't show up on time and your jonesing big time?

Your making absolutely no sense at all.

exactly, you right wing mother fuckers steal everyone's work and claim it for your own.

Hey, I like it alot. It was posted without copyright. I said he should of copyrighted it since it was so good. He did not so he must want it to circle the globe over and over again...since the image tells such a pogniant story. Guess you'll have to learn to live with it.

no talent in the whole lot of you so you gotta go and steal our liberal art work.

Who the heck is we? The creativity you've shown here would slide of the tip of a pin.

the saddest part of the affair is that you think you got talent. kindda like a monkey in a zoo celebrating his freedom. sad.. very sad

I've got enough talent to make you look like the tool you are every single time I choose to. That's all I can ask for on this forum. I even make it look easy.

[lbj]

knun,

I've got enough talent to make you look like the tool you are every single time I choose to. That's all I can ask for on this forum. I even make it look easy.

you keep on proving you are the ape in the zoo celebrating the freedom of his cell. tis so sad and pathetic. i almost feel sorry for you.

[Knun]

You actually took the time to type that? It must be tough being a simple tool these days. I'm sure you thought life was going to be good about this time. Guess not so much.

What are your handlers telling you? I'll bet the instructions are starting to dry up and you asshats are starting to have to think for yourselves. How's that working out?

[lbj]

knun

Hey, I like it alot. It was posted without copyright. I said he should of copyrighted it since it was so good. He did not so he must want it to circle the globe over and over again...since the image tells such a pogniant story. Guess you'll have to learn to live with it.

no matter how many picassos, rembrants, and michelangelos a person steals, with or without copyright, doesn't make him an artist nor give him talent. i know its a little tough to grasp for ya but think about it for a few hours and it might sink through that thick redneck skull of yours.

[Knun]

Stop being a joker.

It was provided on the internet without restrictions.

Find something else to bitch about.

It is great though.

I will use it again, and again, and again. So stop gagging and just swallow it.

[lbj]

knun,

Stop being a joker.

have you forgot about your superheros? don't you remember that batman, superman and the rest were socialist do gooders helping the proletariat against the evil industrialists and their cronies in government?? the joker was a big businessman. thus your are the right wing evil joker my friend

[Knun]

You got this wrong as well.

Superman had a job, worked everyday, and helped folks behind the scenes. He did not protest for dying smelt in the arctic or buy into any socialist drival. He was obviously a conservative.

Batman, there is no question he was conservative. He was a weathy industrialist who was so rich from the work his father did and he as well, that he decided to rid Gotham of the evil marxists who wanted to take over everything.

You have been programmed well! It would take rational folks years to help you get your mind back.

[lbj]

knun, you obviously look at only the pictures in the comic books. anyone who has read the text in them knows that superheros fight for the little guy against the evil rich capitalists. no superhero ever beat up on a union member. marxism at its best. hell even the artwork is in the socialist realism genre. wake up and smell the coffee. all your life you been hoodwinked into admiring these maxist heros. shit now that i think of it, the greatest hero of the all, superman, is an illegal alien. superman better hide cause gilchrist and his minuteman project are gonna kick his illegal alien butt out of amerikkka.

knun, how does it feel having an illegal alien for a superhero??

[Knun]

Superman was adopted. lol Once that happened he was a citizen.

What of Batman.........