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Comparing Value v. Worth (Dick Durbin on money, comparing hedge fund managers and U.S. Navy SEALS)
Canada Free Press ^ | November 29, 2012 | Richard J. “Sarge” Garwood

Posted on 11/29/2012 9:41:35 AM PST by Perseverando

I value anybody working to make this country I love and honor, America, as great as it has been and so much greater than it is now.

Senator Dick “Dimples” Durbin pulled the earnings gap out of the Democratic Party closet and pummeled hedge fund managers for making too much money in comparison to Navy SEALS.

He feels there’s an immoral disparity between what this nation pays its warriors and what hedge fund managers earn in private industry. This proves a point: the Democratic Party leadership is composed of wealthy people saying “don’t do as I do; do as I say!” That’s the mantra of every ineffectual politician and petty plutocrat ever elected to office. They feel they’re more intelligent, better looking, have smarter kids and more beautiful trophy wives than the rest of the world.

Democrats, as indicated by Durbin, are trying to hit a responsive chord by balancing the U.S. Navy SEALS against those dastardly devils of the immoral right: the Hedge Fund managers. Nobody can say they found Gordon Gecko (the villain of the movie Wall Street) was a warm, cuddly figure they’d like having as their kid’s nanny. He’d probably rent the kid for nefarious purposes a la Oliver Twist or something similar. Anything to make a profit because: “greed is good”.

Navy SEALS are warriors, quiet heroes doing a job they chose to do based on a desire to be the best in the world in that field. Hedge Fund managers aren’t heroic. They buy, sell and trade shares and companies and futures and all that Wall Street stuff we laymen only dream of. Navy SEALS work at a pay scale I admit sucks for the dangers they’re faced with daily while on the job. There’s NO way we can make

(Excerpt) Read more at canadafreepress.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Constitution/Conservatism; Culture/Society; Government
KEYWORDS: dickdurbin; durbin; hedgefund; hypocrisy; navyseals; rich; seals; turban

1 posted on 11/29/2012 9:41:52 AM PST by Perseverando
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To: Perseverando; Travis McGee

Heads up, Travis. I hope you will provide a little commentary on the subject. Thanks!


2 posted on 11/29/2012 9:43:55 AM PST by Perseverando (Gun control? It's the OBOTS who are filling up prisons for violent crimes, not the Tea Party.)
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To: Perseverando
Senator Dick “Dimples” Durbin pulled the earnings gap out of the Democratic Party closet and pummeled hedge fund managers for making too much money in comparison to Navy SEALS.

In a show of solidarity with Navy SEALS and all members of the military, Senator Durbin is proposing legislation that will change the earnings, healthcare coverage, and pension plans of all members of the House and Senate to mirror those of the military. /s

Put up or shut up Mr Durbin.

3 posted on 11/29/2012 9:53:13 AM PST by Sergio (An object at rest cannot be stopped! - The Evil Midnight Bomber What Bombs at Midnight)
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To: Perseverando

Are we unable to get the caliber of Seals we need for what we pay them? If so, we may have to pay them more, but my sense is that they are very, very good (I’ve one in my family), and we should instead by more careful and judicious of when we put them at risk.


4 posted on 11/29/2012 9:58:18 AM PST by 9YearLurker
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To: Perseverando
Since when did the government start paying hedge fund managers, Sen. Turbin? If you want the SEALs to make the same money as hedge fund managers, then put forward legislation that accomplishes this. Otherwise, shut your pie hole.
5 posted on 11/29/2012 10:01:05 AM PST by Major Matt Mason ("Journalism is dead. All news is suspect." - Noamie)
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To: Perseverando

Ok, DICK.

Pay the SpecOps guys more.


6 posted on 11/29/2012 10:07:11 AM PST by LegendHasIt
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To: Perseverando
He feels there’s an immoral disparity between what this nation pays its warriors and what hedge fund managers earn in private industry.

Tell you what Mr. Dumbo durbin: offer up what we pay you to the SEALS/military FIRST, you take a cut in pay. I will get behind that one.

Offer up what STARS are paid.

Offer up what any ATTORNEY is paid

Anyone entering a profession knows the pay scale and the DEAL, it's a choice. Your job is not essential to anyone. It is frankly none of your business what anyone in Private makes. I don't have to support any of them, BUT your pay is another story.

Coming for the Plumber, electrician, mechanic, accountant next are you?

7 posted on 11/29/2012 10:12:26 AM PST by annieokie
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To: annieokie

P.S. to my post#7: As a matter of fact each of the SEALS and all military, EACH ONE is worth MORE that we pay you.


8 posted on 11/29/2012 10:14:51 AM PST by annieokie
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To: Perseverando

Is there any doubt now that the Democrat Party elite is both Marxist and moronic? Immoral is having idiots like Durbin in power via vote fraud and generally corrupt political party machinations as we have witnessed this year. America... either we fight these statists or we succumb to serfdom, that is the choice.


9 posted on 11/29/2012 10:26:40 AM PST by Richard Axtell (Comming: The Abyss.)
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To: Richard Axtell

All that’s left when freedom fails
Good men rot in filthy jails
And those who cried, “Appease, Appease!”
Are hanged by those they tried to please.


10 posted on 11/29/2012 10:32:47 AM PST by Perseverando (Gun control? It's the OBOTS who are filling up prisons for violent crimes, not the Tea Party.)
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To: 9YearLurker

“Are we unable to get the caliber of Seals we need for what we pay them?”

Ever hear of Blackwater? We lose amazing amounts of talent because their skills are worth far more than they are paid in the Navy. Pay up into the 200k range is not unknown for them when they leave. Losing talent at such rates is not cool when we spent most of their first hitch in incredibly expensive training.
Add insult to injury by understanding that a SEAL at an E5 rate makes the same pay as some E5 working in the chowhall. Lt Col. Paula Broadwell makes more when on duty, than ANY operational SEAL.

But they are a small unique example. Grunts are a better example. We pay them nothing, and when we run critically short, we force people to do it against their will via draft, or by stop-loss which was a back door draft.
There is never any discussion of getting enough grunts by setting pay scales that we can attract enough.
We tell the grunts that it is their patriotic chore and explain that as the justification for their low pay.
(we used to be able to appeal to young males who thought it would make them look macho for the women. But now with homos and women all running around with M4’s we are losing that. Imagine a kid who is home, trying to tell a girl he was in Afghanistan, and she says “Ohhh, a girl from my school did that too! lol)

But anyway, Congressfools, defense workers, Lockheed execs, etc would all be horrified if we suggested that during wartime they all be integrated into the military pay scale with execs as generals, and welders as say an E6, and congressmen as an E2. If we told them it wasn’t right to gouge the government by letting the free market set pay their rates during wartime, they would start vomiting Milton Freidman all over us. (as they simultaneously sent out draft notices, and notices that the end of the enlistment contract was not going to be honored)

So i say yes, our SEALs are underpaid, and grunts often are too.
I know, i know,,,,


11 posted on 11/29/2012 10:52:44 AM PST by DesertRhino (I was standing with a rifle, waiting for soviet paratroopers, but communists just ran for office.)
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To: Major Matt Mason

Exactly. The government does not pay businessman. And Durbin is using the abuse of our fighting forces as a way to attack businessmen.

And suddenly he loves SEALs? I thought they were like Nazis, Soviets, or Pol Pots guys. Now he wants to attack businessmen, so now he’s a supporter?


12 posted on 11/29/2012 10:57:38 AM PST by DesertRhino (I was standing with a rifle, waiting for soviet paratroopers, but communists just ran for office.)
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To: annieokie

“Offer up what STARS are paid.
Offer up what any ATTORNEY is paid”

Funny how we never hear about overpaid actors and lawyers.


13 posted on 11/29/2012 10:59:28 AM PST by DesertRhino (I was standing with a rifle, waiting for soviet paratroopers, but communists just ran for office.)
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To: DesertRhino

I’d say the pay should match the market demand, and I think we get enough exceptional young men for the gig. Apparently, as you say, they are after their service set with high-paying job offers to generously compensate them through their private career.

So they leave too early? We should just extend the service commitment to reflect the level of training they are receiving.

Tell me that with a sufficient service commitment we can’t get enough talent, then I’d say you have an argument for paying them more. But apparently we haven’t seen that yet.


14 posted on 11/29/2012 11:07:16 AM PST by 9YearLurker
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To: DesertRhino
Funnier Still, how we never hear of any Congressman or Senator offering up their Salary. Let them take a cut FIRST. Lets put that on the Fiscal Cliff table as well.

You can bet after the FISCAL CLIFF fix is done, THEY WILL ALL BE GETTING A PAY RAISE, first thing, no doubt in my mind about that, along with all the Federal Judges.

15 posted on 11/29/2012 11:18:43 AM PST by annieokie
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To: DesertRhino
And suddenly he loves SEALs?"""""".....

Indeed. Do you think this has anything to do with BENGHAZI, quilt associated? See we do care about the SEALS, aren't we special.

I think it does. How else would he come up with SEALS for petes sake. Why not the CB's, or the Coast Guard or any one of our military forces. Very strange.

16 posted on 11/29/2012 11:37:25 AM PST by annieokie
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To: Perseverando

Several thoughts:

The Feds can give the Seals a raise anytime they want. I would support it.

No one sets the salary a hedge fund manager makes. If he isn’t a good one, he isn’t going to earn much of anything for very long.

What I want to compare is how much Richard Trumpka makes versus the average pediatrician or primary care doc.


17 posted on 11/29/2012 12:14:27 PM PST by RedElement
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To: Perseverando

Obama—since he started campaigning in 2006:

“I will level the playing field”.


18 posted on 11/29/2012 1:29:47 PM PST by ridesthemiles
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