The parasitic executive scum thread

[Sava]

We should start a charity for these oppressed corporate execs and CEO's. The damn liberals want to oppress them. We should do our part and help these people in their time of need.

[Sandman]

Oh, and the Inland Revenue (the British government department which is in charge of collecting taxes) accidently sold 600 of it's buildings to a Bermuda-based company, and will now rent out the property from the company for the next twenty years, after which the company will own the buildings.

The mind boggles...

[MosesPresley]

Part of the problem comes from lobbyists. I have posted a list of a few prominent lobbyists and their relationships to politicians. This is from "Pigs at the Trough". Lobbyists first, their relationship, then the politician and lastly his position in the 107th congress.

Chett Lott, son, Sen. Trent Lott R-Miss, Senate minority leader.
Linda Daschle, wife, Sen. Tom Daschle D-S. Dak. Senate majority leader.
Joshua Hastert, son, Rep. Dennis Hastert R-Ill, Speaker of the House
Scott Hatch, son, Sen. Orrin Hatch R-Utah, Ranking member judiciary committee.
Phyliis Landrieu, aunt, Sen Mary Landrieu D-La, appropriations committee
John Breaux, Jr., son, Sen. John Breaux D-La, Chief Deputy Whip
Key Reid, son Sen. Harry Reid D-Nev, Majority Whip
Anne Bingamna, wife, Sen. Jeff Bingaman D-N. Mex, Chairman, Energy and Natural Resources Committee.

excerpt from Pigs at the Trough: page 92-93

"Chet Lott, a Domino's pizza franchisee, recently decided to give up the glamorous world of pepperoni and extra cheese and get into the lobbying game. Now, Chet Lott did not got to Washington to lobby in areas of his actual expertise--to propose stiff jail terms, for example, for pranksters who order a dozen pizzas delivered to a stranger. Instead he took up the causes of BellSouth, the National Thoroughbred Racing Association, Day & Zimmerman, a munitions maker, and Edison Chousest Offshore, a boat chartering company that has no connection to pizza except that its clients like it.

For BellSouth, Lott weighted in on one of the most intensely lobbied issues of modern times, the Tauzin-Dingell Bill, which would allow the Baby Bells to compete with phone companies to provide long-distanceservice. Because the bill is ideologically neutral (Democrats and Republicans don't fall neatly on opposite sides) and there was scant interest from voters, legislators could sell their votes (italics are mine) with little fear of the consequences. As a result, the interested parties spent more than $32 million in campaign contributions between 1999 and 2001. Since the bill has passed the House but not the Senate, senators, at least, can count on the phone companies reaching to touch them with fat checks for years to come.

On behalf of the Racing Association, Lott is keeping an eye on a pending bill banning Internet gambling, which track owners fear could start a horse race to regulate their own industry. For Day & Zimmerman, he and his partner, former Representative Larry Hopkins (R-Ky.), have been consulting on defense issues, and for Edison Chouest, Lott is doing his level best to make sure that Edison continues to be the government's number one supplier of special-purpose vessels. Don't ask me what the government needs so many speical-purpose vessels for.

And don't ask Chet Lott either.

Despite the protests of his clients, one suspects that young Lott has been hired not for his expertise in dealing with sophisticated legislative matters but because his dad just happens to be Senator Trent Lott. Both men deny any impropriety, of course, and a BellSouth spokesman says that the accident of Lott's paternity has nothing to do with his hiring. "They just have to accept my word," the spokesman said. which I guess explains the recent spate of job applicants at lobbying firms whose previous job experience was "pizza delivery guy."

But someone is definitely getting ripped off here. Either Lott's clients paid good money for access that the good consciences of Lott pere et fils forbid them to deliver or the public's interest has been trumped by the powerful bond between father and son. Either way, in a modern parable, it would be only just if Lott's son--rather than Lot's wife--were turned into a pillar of salt."

This is just one of many examples from the 264 page book. Is it any wonder that we cannot have meaningful reform in Washington? Corporate welfare, insider trading, back room deals, nepotism, CEO's raiding the pension funds, CEO's defrauding stock holders, legal tax evasion, last minute legislation made literally in the dead of night, etc. What's a poor working boy suppose to do? My vote is only worth so much, and judging by the last presidential election and is even worth doodly squat.

We need meaingful reform now.

[Sava]

When money takes over government, revolution is the only course of action.

[chequita guevara]

I could do that.

[Az]

hehe.

nothing bloody, mind you. I am watchin'.

[Provost Harrison]

Originally posted by Azazel
hehe.

nothing bloody, mind you. I am watchin'.

Sod that, I have a lamp post outside the factory specially reserved for Mr Brecht, and I'm sure I would get plenty of assistance from my colleagues getting him up there

You know, the Romanovs didn't get blown away like that for nothing - those people were pretty pissed off to have killed a whole family like that.

[Boris Godunov]

This thread is leading me to believe "parasitic executive scum" is a triple redundancy...

[Japher]

I have no problem with people exploiting the system, and would sooner fight to keep the system foulable then fixing it. Mainly beacuse, I hope to one day reap the benefits of doing nothing and taking home the lions share for it.


I agree with Sava that this is capitalism, deal with it. The only way to fight it is to infiltrate it.

IMO is any of you who are now complaining about it got to the point were you could successfully fight I am sure that your opinions would change drasticlly.

[Boris Godunov]

Yep, there's the first defender of this kind of behavior. Figures...someone will always show up to defend even the most disgusting of actions.

[Sava]

Someone agreed with my sarcasm... although they agreed literally...

[Sten Sture]

Overpaid parasitic corp execs are a stain that should be wiped clean.

(Interestingly most corporate organizational structures look like the old Russian communist party.)


I wouldn't want you all to infer, though, that corp execs in the States are self agrandizing arsewipes as a class. I have had a number of positive experiences in my career. Including senior execs that took $0 pay for more than a year to keep lower level employees, exec funded vacations for sick employees, and substantial personal gifts for needy employees. For every thief that makes the news there are several Robin Hoods that are using their skills to contribute to society.

[Provost Harrison]

Well I must say that my experience hasn't been like that Sten, bosses in the UK seem to be exceptionally stingy and there is a definite 'them and us' mentality in the British corporate hierarchy...

[Bugs ****ing Bunny]

Originally posted by Sten Sture
For every thief that makes the news there are several Robin Hoods that are using their skills to contribute to society.

...and many thieves who get away with it.

[Japher]

This thread is what's wrong with America. I mean, this is capitalism... come on, these people deserve the money they are making. You stupid liberals just want to oppress people and have a commie dictatorship.

This is sarcasm?!