This'n'That;October 22nd[Hatch;Promises;Compensation]

At Least SOMEONE Gets It!! [Senator Orrin Hatch said this during a recent interview with TeleprompterReader Andrea Mitchell, NBC:] Hatch: Now by the way MoveOn.org is a scurrilous organization. It's funded by George Soros. He's about as left wing as you can find in this country. And they're up to just one thing, and that is to smear good people. And frankly, they're not gonna smear me without getting kicked in the teeth by me.

Another "Promise" Ignored

Remember that "Fluffy-ism" from obama's "Campaign of Fluff?" The one about "proposed legislation would be posted on the internet FIVE DAYS BEFORE the Fluffer signed it into law?" Remember that one?? Well, it's about to go by the wayside, with obama's approval.

Remember that porkulus package? That porkulus package that put us under nearly $1Trillion in additional debt? That porkulus package that, on Feb 12th was made public at 10:45PM and voted on just 13 hours later, at 11:45AM?? That porkulus package that-at 1,100++ pages-was impossible to read and digest in the time allotted? That porkulus package that "had to be passed by Friday or the world as we know it, would collapse," but has thusfar, dispersed less than 10% of said $787Billion? Yea, that one!!

Several republicRATs in the House have referenced that same porkulus package in "suggesting" speaker nancy porklosi post the upcoming FluffyCare legislation at least 72 hours before the house votes on it. She's "all for it!!" EXCEPT, she's not gonna back any legislation that forces her to do just that!!! Can you spell "a-r-r-o-g-a-n-c-e?!?!?!"

Rep Brian Baird [d,Wa] and Rep Greg Walden, [r,Or] are trying to force their '72 hour' resolution to change house rules, to the floor with a "discharge petition." This is an unusual procedure that the leadership dislikes; it challenges their control of the process!! It takes 218 'ayes' to force a house vote; currently 182 'warm, breathin' bodies' are lined up.

Senator Max Baucus [d,Mt], the author of the latest attempt at "taxpayer- rape-via-FluffyCare" had said this on that: he urged everyone not to worry. "It's all good faith, it's based on comity.* We work together. We trust each other. And that's worked very,very well."

*COMITY: In law, comity specifically refers to legal reciprocity—the principle that one jurisdiction will extend certain courtesies to other nations (or other jurisdictions within the same nation), particularly by recognizing the validity and effect of their executive, legislative, and judicial acts. The term refers to the idea that courts should not act in a way that demeans the jurisdiction, laws, or judicial decisions of another jurisdiction. Part of the presumption of comity is that other jurisdictions will reciprocate the courtesy shown to them.

As for Baucus: Now here's a guy that seems experienced with the same "smoke-and-mirrors" that Fluffy whines about!! Since when... IN THE LAST 25 YEARS or so, should the taxpayer not worry?!?!?! How stupid does he think the taxpayer is...... a healthcare plan that costs $856Billion and will REDUCE the deficit... who's the "dumb-ass, here....???

Where Will It Stop.....??

"Compensation Control" started with the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 [plus amendments] with a minimum wage of 25cents/hour. Here again, if FDR's policies had not EXTENDED both the length and the disasterous affects of the "Great Depression," market economic forces would have taken care of wage problems. The minimum wage is currently $7.25 an hour, plus any state mandated increases. Why $7.25....? Why not $10.00....? Why not $20.00....? Why not $50.00 per hour?? How does the government determine what's an adequate wage?? Market forces are far better than some government pay slug in a broom-closet somewhere, in making that determination.

• One way it works is this: A company, say Eastman Kodak, needs a CEO. They interview candidates with an offer of $20,000 annually; no takers!! They keep interviewing with increasing offers, say to $75,000. Given that the current CEO-Mr Perez-got $11.7Million in 2007; $1.1Million in 2009, what is that hypothetical $75,000 going to "buy??" Mediocre management skills and accomplishments, at best!! See where we're goin', here?? The farther below "market levels," the lower quality of the applicant.
• The government has no business in the "pay determination" business.

They have little or no knowledge of the particular industries they might deal with; most of them have only "suckled at the federal 'teat' ;" most of them have NOT A CLUE that the money that's paid out by the various companies HAS TO BE EARNED-as opposed to raising taxes to ALMOST cover the expenses!!

Government's forcing wages upward does little but reward poor performance, much like waitresses forced to "pool" tips.

Now we have the pay czar Feinberg hammering Wall Street and the auto companies over the head on their pay rates.

The Treasury Department is expected to formally announce a plan to slash annual salaries by about 90 percent from last year for the 25 highest-paid executives at the seven companies that received the most from the Wall Street bailout.

The seven affected companies are: Bank of America, American International Group, Citigroup, General Motors, GMAC, Chrysler and Chrysler Financial. Under the plan, at the financial products division of AIG, no top executive will receive more than $200,000 in total compensation.

The administration also will warn AIG that it must fulfill a commitment to significantly reduce the $198 million in bonuses promised to employees in its financial services division.

The American taxpayer will long remember the day they let this "camel's nose under the tent flap!!" You and I are really naive if we think this will stop with the "bankers and stock brokers!!" This will eventually be inverse evolution-that being; The executive staffs will be "dumbed down" to the point that any executive with managerial experience will go to another company that can compensate him equal to his value-either in the U.S. or China, or India, or England, or .....!!!

Til Nex'Time....