The real reason the economy...

[jtyangel]

Name a major company in MA that offers domestic partner benefits, then we can take a look at how they are doing financially. Is Bear/Stearns based in MA? What about Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac. I recall DEC was a large employer there, bought out by HP. HP numbers may be OK for now, but that's because they are firing people in the US making six figures and hiring PRC workers in Shanghai for six dollars a day.  I am not the one using the broad brush here. There is one company that I believe took my advice and changed their benefit package. Maybe I will start a new thread and write about that company. Afterall, this is a discussion of economics...

Lilsson

What about, what about, what about. Come on now, you choose during a veritable recession to use a tinfoil theory you've likely been sitting on for years, even during some of the healthier economic times, and apply it now.

Ok, how about Charles Schwab? They have been offering domestic partner benefits since the early 90's and while affected like EVERYONE else by the financial pressures going on, they are not in the hole. They are a nice long term case study for you since they've been doing it for years and, if you want to use your modus operandi, they actually did very well AFTER they instituted domestic partner benefits.

And yes, this is a discussion about the economy so how about focusing on REAL things that affect it and companies. Oh, I don't know, like bad credit risks taken en masse ie the housing crisis(Freddie Mac's problem since they guarantee those loans). You brought up this premise so it behooves you to find information that supports it. Anyone worth their salt in a discussion on economics would like cold, hard figures, along with the dynamics of the market they are in and other players in the industry and their innovations at the time to make sure an assessment. So far, you have chosen to focus on a premise which YOU believe in and not address any of the other REAL information and facts that affect a company. If you are wondering, this is why I have and a few others chosen to stop addressing your absurd premise.

That said, this will be my last post in this thread. I encourage you to research the companies you mentioned(and the industries they are in) in greater detail and then reconsider your position. Good luck to you.

*The faith portion of this was previously addressed so I did not bring it up here. That was already dismantled.*

[MrsSmith]

Seriously, God does not reward all the faithful with worldly wealth...even companies.

He doesn't but the natural laws he has put in place work. That is why the Mormon Church, and for that matter most tithing Mormons or JDubs are better off financially. Deep down they want to believe that they are being blessed by God. They are not. God instituted the tithe and the offering, and it works regardless of whether or not the person is a Christian.  Again my initial point is that God is pro-family, and when companies put any other lifestyle on par with the nuclear family and fund that lifestyle, the company is going to take the financial roller coaster ride down, and they will not pull out until they change that policy. No comments on EMC in MA. Should I just go down the list? I did listen to the CEO of Freddie Mac yesterday. He sounds like he was born and bred in MA.

Lilsson

God does reward the faithful, just not always here.  "The rain falls upon the just and the unjust alike," you know.  McDonald's seems to be supporting some very unChristian values, and making tons of money doing so, for example.

[Chris_]

Seriously, God does not reward all the faithful with worldly wealth...even companies.

He doesn't but the natural laws he has put in place work. That is why the Mormon Church, and for that matter most tithing Mormons or JDubs are better off financially. Deep down they want to believe that they are being blessed by God. They are not. God instituted the tithe and the offering, and it works regardless of whether or not the person is a Christian.  Again my initial point is that God is pro-family, and when companies put any other lifestyle on par with the nuclear family and fund that lifestyle, the company is going to take the financial roller coaster ride down, and they will not pull out until they change that policy. No comments on EMC in MA. Should I just go down the list? I did listen to the CEO of Freddie Mac yesterday. He sounds like he was born and bred in MA.

Lilsson

God does reward the faithful, just not always here.  "The rain falls upon the just and the unjust alike," you know.  McDonald's seems to be supporting some very unChristian values, and making tons of money doing so, for example.

Some companies can get by for a long time based on two separate issues. One is that some companies have large cash reserves (Did anyone realize how much cash reserves RJ Reynolds had before all the lawsuits?), and they can buy other companies to show the purchased company profits on the balance sheet. I know of several companies that have done this and are doing this now. The other thing that is happening is related to mutual funds in general. They can keep dying companies alive for much longer than before there were mutual funds, because fund managers want to spread out the money they are managing: even if the company they are investing in is not profitable.  When I emailed Steve Jobs (Apple was trading at $11 share), I told him that the economy was going into the tank, because all major companies were following Apple's lead. It's real, and things need to change.

[MrsSmith]

Seriously, God does not reward all the faithful with worldly wealth...even companies.

He doesn't but the natural laws he has put in place work. That is why the Mormon Church, and for that matter most tithing Mormons or JDubs are better off financially. Deep down they want to believe that they are being blessed by God. They are not. God instituted the tithe and the offering, and it works regardless of whether or not the person is a Christian.  Again my initial point is that God is pro-family, and when companies put any other lifestyle on par with the nuclear family and fund that lifestyle, the company is going to take the financial roller coaster ride down, and they will not pull out until they change that policy. No comments on EMC in MA. Should I just go down the list? I did listen to the CEO of Freddie Mac yesterday. He sounds like he was born and bred in MA.

Lilsson

God does reward the faithful, just not always here.  "The rain falls upon the just and the unjust alike," you know.  McDonald's seems to be supporting some very unChristian values, and making tons of money doing so, for example.

Some companies can get by for a long time based on two separate issues. One is that some companies have large cash reserves (Did anyone realize how much cash reserves RJ Reynolds had before all the lawsuits?), and they can buy other companies to show the purchased company profits on the balance sheet. I know of several companies that have done this and are doing this now. The other thing that is happening is related to mutual funds in general. They can keep dying companies alive for much longer than before there were mutual funds, because fund managers want to spread out the money they are managing: even if the company they are investing in is not profitable.  When I emailed Steve Jobs (Apple was trading at $11 share), I told him that the economy was going into the tank, because all major companies were following Apple's lead. It's real, and things need to change.

Did RJ Reynold's offer domestic partner benefits before they lost all those law suits?  Or is your conjecture that they disobeyed some other law?

[Chris_]

Seriously, God does not reward all the faithful with worldly wealth...even companies.

He doesn't but the natural laws he has put in place work. That is why the Mormon Church, and for that matter most tithing Mormons or JDubs are better off financially. Deep down they want to believe that they are being blessed by God. They are not. God instituted the tithe and the offering, and it works regardless of whether or not the person is a Christian.  Again my initial point is that God is pro-family, and when companies put any other lifestyle on par with the nuclear family and fund that lifestyle, the company is going to take the financial roller coaster ride down, and they will not pull out until they change that policy. No comments on EMC in MA. Should I just go down the list? I did listen to the CEO of Freddie Mac yesterday. He sounds like he was born and bred in MA.

Lilsson

God does reward the faithful, just not always here.  "The rain falls upon the just and the unjust alike," you know.  McDonald's seems to be supporting some very unChristian values, and making tons of money doing so, for example.

Some companies can get by for a long time based on two separate issues. One is that some companies have large cash reserves (Did anyone realize how much cash reserves RJ Reynolds had before all the lawsuits?), and they can buy other companies to show the purchased company profits on the balance sheet. I know of several companies that have done this and are doing this now. The other thing that is happening is related to mutual funds in general. They can keep dying companies alive for much longer than before there were mutual funds, because fund managers want to spread out the money they are managing: even if the company they are investing in is not profitable.  When I emailed Steve Jobs (Apple was trading at $11 share), I told him that the economy was going into the tank, because all major companies were following Apple's lead. It's real, and things need to change.

Did RJ Reynold's offer domestic partner benefits before they lost all those law suits?  Or is your conjecture that they disobeyed some other law?

I was not picking on RJ Reynold's. I was just very surprised at how much money they had in their cash reserves that were handed over to the states after the lawsuit.  I guess that is why Chrysler, GM and Ford can continue to lose so much money and stay in business.

[MrsSmith]

Seriously, God does not reward all the faithful with worldly wealth...even companies.

He doesn't but the natural laws he has put in place work. That is why the Mormon Church, and for that matter most tithing Mormons or JDubs are better off financially. Deep down they want to believe that they are being blessed by God. They are not. God instituted the tithe and the offering, and it works regardless of whether or not the person is a Christian.  Again my initial point is that God is pro-family, and when companies put any other lifestyle on par with the nuclear family and fund that lifestyle, the company is going to take the financial roller coaster ride down, and they will not pull out until they change that policy. No comments on EMC in MA. Should I just go down the list? I did listen to the CEO of Freddie Mac yesterday. He sounds like he was born and bred in MA.

Lilsson

God does reward the faithful, just not always here.  "The rain falls upon the just and the unjust alike," you know.  McDonald's seems to be supporting some very unChristian values, and making tons of money doing so, for example.

Some companies can get by for a long time based on two separate issues. One is that some companies have large cash reserves (Did anyone realize how much cash reserves RJ Reynolds had before all the lawsuits?), and they can buy other companies to show the purchased company profits on the balance sheet. I know of several companies that have done this and are doing this now. The other thing that is happening is related to mutual funds in general. They can keep dying companies alive for much longer than before there were mutual funds, because fund managers want to spread out the money they are managing: even if the company they are investing in is not profitable.  When I emailed Steve Jobs (Apple was trading at $11 share), I told him that the economy was going into the tank, because all major companies were following Apple's lead. It's real, and things need to change.

Did RJ Reynold's offer domestic partner benefits before they lost all those law suits?  Or is your conjecture that they disobeyed some other law?

I was not picking on RJ Reynold's. I was just very surprised at how much money they had in their cash reserves that were handed over to the states after the lawsuit.  I guess that is why Chrysler, GM and Ford can continue to lose so much money and stay in business.

OK...but why did they lose their law suits, if they didn't offer objectionable benefits?

[Zeus]

I was not picking on RJ Reynold's. I was just very surprised at how much money they had in their cash reserves that were handed over to the states after the lawsuit.  I guess that is why Chrysler, GM and Ford can continue to lose so much money and stay in business.

Back a few yrs just before the Big Tobacco suits started the avg price of a pack of smokes was $1/pack now it is $5/pack. The tobacco companies had the reserves to cover the float and in essence pass the judgement costs on to the consumer.

The tort system in this country has turned into a lotto system. People clap & cheer when they hear about these outrageous jury settlements without giving a seconds thought to the effect on our overall cost of living.