Chucktown_motown Member Username: Chucktown_motown
Post Number: 10 Registered: 09-2006
| Posted on Tuesday, October 10, 2006 - 9:54 am: | |
Finally he is gone....Bill Ford. As long as the Fords control anything example, THE LIONS! They will not be a winner. Ford needs this. I mean they got the guy from Boeing-I can't remember the dudes name I saw it on clickondetroit.com this morning. But I think if he can make waves at Boeing I think he can in the D too. Now if we can just get the Fords to give up control of the Lions and that idiiot M. MILLEN....what a stupid choice he was, Lions 0-5 again and they say they are building a winner....REHIRE FONTES.... |
Rjk Member Username: Rjk
Post Number: 531 Registered: 11-2003
| Posted on Tuesday, October 10, 2006 - 10:04 am: | |
Who are the Lions? It sounds somewhat familiar, but it's just not registering with me. |
Bobj Member Username: Bobj
Post Number: 1184 Registered: 11-2003
| Posted on Tuesday, October 10, 2006 - 10:45 am: | |
Aren't the Lions some sort of club that raises money for charitable causes?? |
Lowell Board Administrator Username: Lowell
Post Number: 3079 Registered: 10-2003
| Posted on Tuesday, October 10, 2006 - 11:37 am: | |
The Lions are those ornamentations ripped off from Lee Plaza and recycled in yuppie housing in Chicago. Right? Talk about fabulous ruins of Detroit! The Fords are starting to resemble the Stroh family where generations of golden-spoon offspring progressively bring down what the genius of their forebearers created. IMO, one way to bring down the deficit and inject energy into the economy is greatly decrease the limit of how much money can be passed on by inheritance, forcing suceeding generations to have to work a little bit like the goose that laid their golden eggs. How about a twenty million limit indexed for inflation? If you can't pull it together with that kind of start in life, what good are you? |
3rdworldcity Member Username: 3rdworldcity
Post Number: 305 Registered: 01-2005
| Posted on Tuesday, October 10, 2006 - 11:55 am: | |
Lowell, with all due respect, the movement to increase inheritance taxes has persisted for years. IMO nothing would be worse for the economy and "working people" in particular than to increase them. The rich people I know spend tons of money just to survive under the present system. I know a lot of rich people and I don't know any that have $20 million lying around to pass on to heirs. Wealthy people pay huge amounts for insurance to cover death taxes so the businesses that generated the fortunes don't have to be sold off to pay the taxes; when that happens it's usually the grave dancers, the vultures that buy the businees, restructure them, sell off pieces, and otherwise liquidate the businesses at a profit who benefit. It happens all all too frequently and the workers are usually the losers. |
Lilpup Member Username: Lilpup
Post Number: 1396 Registered: 06-2004
| Posted on Tuesday, October 10, 2006 - 11:59 am: | |
I've asked this in other venues and have never gotten an answer so maybe someone here has thought about it ~ What is a moral justification for wealth? Don't all three Abrahamic religions preach against it and for taking care of others as one's brother? |
3rdworldcity Member Username: 3rdworldcity
Post Number: 306 Registered: 01-2005
| Posted on Tuesday, October 10, 2006 - 12:15 pm: | |
Who said there has to be "moral justification" for wealth"? What do you mean by the term "moral justification"? What do you mean by "wealth"? To someone in Africa who makes $1,000 a year, someone making $10,000 must appear "wealthy." Is it "morally unjustifiable" for Warren Buffet to acquire over $40 billion dollars? Does it make a difference that he's giving it all away to benefit mankind? What you appear to be espousing, Lilpup, is communism. We all know how viable a political/moral concept that is, don't we. Or, do we? Maybe you've never gotten an answer to your question is because there isn't one. A rational one, that is. |
Steelworker Member Username: Steelworker
Post Number: 759 Registered: 02-2004
| Posted on Tuesday, October 10, 2006 - 12:19 pm: | |
never been an example of communism. what they had was "STATE" capitalism. |
Lowell Board Administrator Username: Lowell
Post Number: 3081 Registered: 10-2003
| Posted on Tuesday, October 10, 2006 - 12:28 pm: | |
3rdWC, the other side of that coin is that massive passing of intergenerational wealth creates, in many cases, an effete royalty whose inferior skills lead to the destruction of their companies and with results, as we see with the Fords, just as negative for their working employees, or should I say former employees. Sure there will be difficulties in what I propose but why shouldn't the scions of the rich be forced to prove their worth in the real economy just like their employees, just like you and I have to? To be able to pass along $20 million tax free is far more generous than current law and it they can't succeed with that kind of lift in life, what good are they to the economy and working people? Lilpup, you are totally correct. Islam still obeys restrictions against charging interest - 'usury' as the Bible puts it. Then again, the Christian Bible teaches against war and for 'turning the other cheek' [as we have recently seen so dramatically in the Amish reaction to the school shootings]. The scriptures are more for picking, choosing and bending scripture to created justifications for one wants to do and believe rather than following it to the word. Otherwise we would all be Amish. |
Jams Member Username: Jams
Post Number: 3873 Registered: 10-2003
| Posted on Tuesday, October 10, 2006 - 1:28 pm: | |
Lilpup Came across this site, a long article with a lot to digest, but might be a starting point for yor answers. http://www.g-r-e-e-d.com/GREED .htm |
3rdworldcity Member Username: 3rdworldcity
Post Number: 307 Registered: 01-2005
| Posted on Tuesday, October 10, 2006 - 2:34 pm: | |
Lowell: Reasonable people may differ on the wisdom of increasing/decreasing the inheritance tax. But re: Islam and interest, like most religions, Islam says one thing and does another, especially when it comes to charging interest. There are many mortgage companies specializing in making loans to Muslims, for compensation, which is disguised as something analogous to interest but termed something else. The largest shareholder of J.P. Morgan Chase is a Saudi sheik, a staunch Wahabiist and a Muslim fundamentalist, and a substantial portion of his return on his investment is generated by the bank's interest income. |
Zephyrprocess Member Username: Zephyrprocess
Post Number: 66 Registered: 08-2006
| Posted on Tuesday, October 10, 2006 - 3:51 pm: | |
3WC: "The rich people I know spend tons of money just to survive under the present system." I know; I lie awake nights worrying about them too... |
Gistok Member Username: Gistok
Post Number: 2921 Registered: 08-2004
| Posted on Tuesday, October 10, 2006 - 4:07 pm: | |
OK, I haven't read today's paper yet... so unless Bill Ford has stepped down as Chairman of Ford... I hardly think he's gone.... he's just gotten someone else to swing the ax! But he's still in charge. |
Exmotowner Member Username: Exmotowner
Post Number: 40 Registered: 06-2005
| Posted on Friday, October 13, 2006 - 8:47 am: | |
If my memory serves me correctly, the four Ford Grandchildren each received $300,000,000 when Elenore Ford passed away. Which is of course an obscene amount. But, put your self in their shoes. Would you turn it down, or think you dont deserve it just because other people think its an obscene amount? I sure as hell wouldnt! LOL, I'd be like "poor people bite my ass" LOL. The rich are going to keep their money! and as one poor ass guy who envies the hell out of em, I dont blame them. |
Lilpup Member Username: Lilpup
Post Number: 1401 Registered: 06-2004
| Posted on Friday, October 13, 2006 - 9:02 am: | |
A lot of that wealth is probably company stock anyway. |