126 responses to “Sandbox – 14oct14”

1. 

   Ben Emery

   19 October 2014

   Trying to connect progressive policies to the Reagan Revolution is rich. This most recent predator capitalism was reborn out of the Reagan Revolution when the incentives were flipped up side down. Does Trickle Down ring a bell?

   LikeLike

2. 

   fish

   19 October 2014

   Posted by: Ben Emery | 19 October 2014 at 08:48 AM
   ?????

   LikeLike

3. 

   fish

   19 October 2014

   Ahh…this must be it.
   I find your argument circular….if this is how it must be so people don’t suffer unduly then how can you criticize it? The predatory capitalist system is in ascendence. Enabled and maintained by progressive politicians and social policies. I don’t recall any of this coming to pass in what little leftist political literature I’ve read?
   Never mind.
   Good luck with your “radiant socialist future”…..if you ever manage to get there.

   LikeLike

4. 

   Bill Tozer

   19 October 2014

   Brother Benjamin. Let’s not confuse Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness with the guarantee of a livable wage and the inmates taking over the asylum. It’s the Pursuit of Happiness that brings so many of us (speaking for myself) grief, sadness, disappointment, and heartbreak. On the other hand, the Pursuit may result in the satisfaction of achievement, success in one’s endeavor, and contentment.
   The highest calling of our public servants (errand boys) is to defend and uphold the Constitution of these here United States while creating an atmosphere where the individual’s lawful and guaranteed Pursuit of liberty and Pursuit of happiness shall not be infringed nor alter the natural laws of cause and effect that results from the individual’s Pursuit. All such actions resulting from choices have consequences, be they good, bad, or indifferent.
   One could elect to work his butt off or work half heartily. The Pursuit and ensuing results fall on the individual. No one is guaranteed a beautiful family with healthy children or success in the labor force or a delightful personality. We do have minimum floors for those that fall through the cracks or face undue hardships due to their choices
   or due a chain of unfortunate events.
   I find your prescription for society’s ills conflict with the individual’s Pursuit and me thinks you need a different Constitution than the current law of the land to achieve your vision of America. Your vision, however pleasant, always ends up stifling the Pursuit.

   LikeLike

5. 

   fish

   19 October 2014

   Looks like “San Francisco values prevail”…just not in San Francisco so much anymore!
   http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/Death-of-Ted-Gullicksen-and-Bay-Guardian-blows-to-5832008.php
   There might be a book in that…..” Delusional Local Man Issues Pitiful Cry for Help on Blog”….maybe too wordy…..
   ….and as always LOL.

   LikeLike

6. 

   Bill Tozer

   19 October 2014

   The Double Whammy, death of The Bay Guardian and Ted Gullicksen. Poor class of 2000 well. Reminds me of the day when the hippies carried a casket down Haight to symbolize the Death of the Flower Child. Bye-bye flower power.
   Sweeping those two little events aside, the real double whammy broke this week. Of much greater importance than gulLicksen or the guardian is the shocking devastating news that Joan Rivers died from the Milk, the same Milk that took Michael Jackson from us. Two on the milk, two dead. Guess that is why California cows are happy cows.

   LikeLike

7. 

   Bill Tozer

   20 October 2014

   More BREAKING NEWS!
   First, Grass Valley made the news again in The Union.
   Second, there is always a silver lining:
   http://www.theonion.com/articles/hazmat-worker-sees-no-reason-to-throw-away-all-thi,37209/

   LikeLike

8. 

   Russ Steele

   20 October 2014

   We are all on Steven Frisch’s mind;
   stevefrisch says:
   October 20, 2014 at 6:37 am
   I almost posted on Todd’s web site this morning, then found this little ditty that really says it all about Todd, Fish, Bill, Walt, Greg, George, Russ, and sadly sometimes Barry. (Barry why do you enable them, you are smarter than that.) They are the dispossessed because they speak, and what comes out of their mouths, every single day, proves their worth. Some day, one of them will say something worthwhile and no one will notice.
   Poor Steven, we are always there on the back of his mind.

   LikeLike

9. 

   Bill Tozer

   20 October 2014

   Mr. Steele. Glad to hear we are getting free rent in the rent seeker’s head. My, Fish got himself omitted from the A list. Whatz up with dat?

   LikeLike

10. 

    Bill Tozer

    20 October 2014

    OOOooooppppps Mr. Fish is indeed on the A list. Need more coffee. Walt, we are moving up in the world.

    LikeLike

11. 

    Todd Juvinall

    20 October 2014

    Frisch has refrained from attacking McClintock since he may have to bend over and take it for the grant money. Too funny.

    LikeLike

12. 

    fish

    20 October 2014

    Speaking of “A” list William…..looks like “important” people in your community™ have taken note note of your resume!
    jeffpelline says:
    October 19, 2014 at 7:03 pm
    On Facebook, “Bill Tozer” lists his/her work experience is “Working on bowel movements.” Honest.
    Perhaps jeffy needs you for some consulting work.
    Honest!

    LikeLike

13. 

    Bill Tozer

    20 October 2014

    That’s Satisfying Bowel Movements, a excellent well paying company to work for employing people of every race, creed, and color throughout the known world. That Bill Tozer, unfortunately for BubbaBubba, is female and lives on the eastern coast of Africa. But, us Bill Tozers stick together and are rarely fat, a blessing bestowed upon Tozers through the world and beyond.

    LikeLike

14. 

    George Boardman

    20 October 2014

    Corporate CEOs are overpaid because they are part of a closed ecosystem where the rich take care of each other.
    A CEO’s compensation is set by the board of directors. And who’s on the board? Other CEOs and friends of the guy they’re supposed to be supervising. (If you’re looking for a real scandal, check out the compensation directors get for the little work they perform.)
    Since the company is owned by the shareholders, why don’t they object to the CEO’s pay? Because most of the stock is controlled by hedge funds, mutual funds and pension funds that are run by highly-paid executives.
    Occasionally, a big stockholder will complain and the company will make a change; Coca-Cola recently changed the compensation formula for its top executives when Warren Buffet said they were overdoing it. But as long as the CEO is producing the kind of numbers the big holders want to see, you won’t hear them complaining.
    But aren’t these big compensation packages a drag on earnings? Not really. Most of the compensation comes from stock options. That dilutes the value of the stock that’s already been issued, but it’s not a cost that impacts the bottom line.
    Such excess would be more palatable if there was an correlation between compensation and a company’s performance. Alas, that’s not the case. Regular readers of the business press see annual lists of the country’s over-compensation, under-performing executives.
    They don’t even have to worry when things are going bad. If the strike price for their options is underwater, the board just lowers to strike price and issues more option.
    And corporate American wonders why it has an image problem.

    LikeLike

15. 

    Gregory

    20 October 2014

    George B, there’s another facet of executive pay and perks… it’s tax deductible. As pay has increased so has the corporate income tax rates… so the rich pay more… except perhaps the two biggest results are that the actual cost to the corporation for out of control compensation packages are shared with the taxpayers, and the working classes who are stuck in defined contribution (401k or similar) retirement plans have their share of corporate profits heavily taxed before they see a penny in their accounts.
    Imagine if executive compensation packages and executive jets alike (for the record, I think the jets often make a lot of sense) had to be justified only by their contribution to the bottom line and not the smoke and mirrors after the tax lawyers structure the deal.
    The mob used to skim casino profits off the top (and maybe they still do). That’s what the corporate income tax does.

    LikeLike

16. 

    Bill Tozer

    20 October 2014

    Can’t disagree with Mr. Boardman’s last post. It’s a well deserved image problem concerning executive compensation packages.
    Much has been written about the corporate tax rate in America being the highest in the civilized world. True, but if any corporation ever paid that rate, I would be screaming bloody murder demanding all the accountants and CFOs be fired on the spot. No good company worth it’s salt would ever paid the top rate or if they did, they would be a laughingstock and be forced to sit in the corner wearing the dunce cap with their noses pushed against the wall.
    Our large corporations are wiser, smarter, and have more creativity
    than that. This is America and our companies can do better than ever paying the top rate, ever.

    LikeLike

17. 

    Gregory

    20 October 2014

    “Our large corporations are wiser, smarter, and have more creativity
    than that. This is America and our companies can do better than ever paying the top rate, ever.”
    The big companies do a great job of structuring for the lowest corporate tax rates; it’s the new kids on the block building better mousetraps that tend to pay full freight because they’re focusing on making good stuff and eating the big company’s lunch.
    Yet another argument against anything more than a nominal (if that) corporate income tax rate: it’s often an anti-competitive tool for the big companies who have already purchased their own Senators and Representatives to keep the tax code favoring big companies.

    LikeLike

18. 

    Bill Tozer

    20 October 2014

    Gregory, what would you prefer. Paying taxes or distributing dividends to the little poor widows and pensioners? Paying taxes or building capital assets? It’s the little guys who are make enough to have to file and pay, yet don’t make it into the top 20% that feel the squeeze the most. And you want my healthcare deductions moved from pre-tax to after tax? Boy, Mr. Gregory, you really know how to hurt a guy. If it’s any consolation, I feel your pain. I know I feel mine each and every pay period. They tax my bonuses at 40% four times a year to boot. Time to move everything into Roths as deductions go bye bye. Thanks goodness for catch up provisions.
    Soon I will be enjoying my coffee shop senior discounts until somebody sues and stops that practice as being unfair, just like they did to student standby back in the day.
    Obama did say in 2009 that we all must make sacrifices. The day of reckoning is at hand. Alas, woe am I. Where my Obamaphone?

    LikeLike

19. 

    Todd Juvinall

    20 October 2014

    Golly George Boardman seems to be spewing the same old socialist crap about corporations again )penis envy?). I could care less how much the CEO is compensated. America is about capitalism.
    The tax receipts this year so far are the greatest ever recorded in history and yet out government is still outspending that money. Corporate CEO compensation is between the Board of Directors and the CEO. When the balance sheet comes out the people holding the stocks can protest and picket if they don’t like it.
    If the business is illegal then I am all for policing that but for legitimate corporations, leave them alone. My goodness, they pay over 40% of their profits in taxes! Highest on the planet. If people want to make more money, start working harder, get educated show up for work and stop the incessant whining!

    LikeLike

20. 

    Gregory

    21 October 2014

    “And you want my healthcare deductions moved from pre-tax to after tax?”
    Bizarre.

    LikeLike

21. 

    Bill Tozer

    21 October 2014

    Sorry Mr. Gregory, confused you with somebody else on a long ago debate concerning taxing employer sponsored health care and tweaking pre-tax deductions. My mistake.

    LikeLike

22. 

    fish

    21 October 2014

    I was wondering what got you so worked up…..and then I saw Barry and Russ discussing your errors on the Meckler airport affair.
    …and in response, yet another overwrought jeffy diatribe. That’s not the important thing….what is important, and I’m sure that you overlooked it was the second sentence shown below.
    Grow up Barry. You sound like the “world’s biggest loser.”
    Have you considered applying….for “The Biggest Loser”™ I mean? After seeing that photo the KKKrazy Doug took of you at yet another food related event you might want to give it some thought. You don’t look well jeff….if you want to keep fighting the good purple™ fight you ought to start thinking about pushing back from the trough and thinking about your health a little more and Chili Fries a little less.
    Just saying……

    LikeLike

23. 

    Todd Juvinall

    21 October 2014

    I am certainly amazed that the FUE would say that about Barry Pruett. In politics if you don’t make it the first time many try again and some win, Nixon, Clinton (governor). If anyone needs ro be a loser it is the FUE. It is hard to take someone’s ideas and advice when they don’t take care of their own temple. Get a bigger mirror FUE and take a look. Barry at least does a lot of positive things for Nevada County and its citizens and is well liked. We don’t see much coming out of your cornr. What a hoot!

    LikeLike

24. 

    Gregory

    21 October 2014

    Tozer, you certainly were confused, as what I had discussed was tax neutral.

    LikeLike

25. 

    Gregory

    21 October 2014

    Stop the presses! Pelline has proof he isn’t left wing… he says has a Republican’s campaign sign in his yard!
    It’s telling the nominally Republican candidate he is supporting isn’t running to be Pelline’s Congressman (which is, and will be, LaMalfa): it’s Moore, who has become the darling of the left in NorCal because of their hate of the presumptive winner, McClintock. Jeff, as will Rogers noted decades ago, give the people a choice between a Republican and a Republican and they’ll choose the Republican every time… the Republican this time is McClintock and Republicans seem to have figured this out.
    Jeffy and the Lickspittles continue to criticize McClintock for his advanced age (58!) while their past and present support for septuagenarians Reid, Feinstein and Boxer didn’t seem to reflect their confirmed status as mortuary bait. What maroons!

    LikeLike

26. 

    Walt

    21 October 2014

    We all know how the Progressives despise the Tea Party. Now wait for them to go blind with rage on the news of minorities leaving the Democrat plantation and forming their own branch of the Tea Party.
    http://dailycaller.com/2014/10/21/african-american-tea-party-members-begin-2014-campaign/
    Hat’s off to them.

    LikeLike