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Faygo Kid

(21,477 posts)
Sun Oct 14, 2012, 05:53 PM Oct 2012

Koch Industries, other CEOs warn employees of layoffs if Obama is reelected

Source: Yahoo! News

Koch Industries, the Wichita, Kan.-based company run by the billionaire Koch brothers, sent a voter information packet to 45,000 employees of its Georgia Pacific subsidiary earlier this month.

In it was a letter, dated Oct. 1, from Koch Industries president Dave Robertson implicitly warning that "many of our more than 50,000 U.S. employees and contractors may suffer the consequences" of voting for President Obama and other Democrats in the 2012 elections, a list of conservative candidates the company's political action committee endorses and a pair of editorials: one, by David Koch, supporting Mitt Romney, and the other, by Charles Koch, condemning Obama.

"While we are typically told before each Presidential election that it is important and historic, I believe the upcoming election will determine what kind of America future generations will inherit," Robertson's letter--first published by InTheseTimes.com--begins. "If we elect candidates who want to spend hundreds of billions in borrowed money on costly new subsidies for a few favored cronies, put unprecedented regulatory burdens on businesses, prevent or delay important new construction projects, and excessively hinder free trade, then many of our more than 50,000 U.S. employees and contractors may suffer the consequences, including higher gasoline prices, runaway inflation, and other ills. This is true regardless of what your political affiliation might be." . . .



Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/ticket/koch-industries-sends-pro-romney-packet-employees-195709471--election.html



Evil people doing evil deeds. They are going to steal this election, along with Rove and the GOP governors in Wisconsin, Ohio and Florida. Mark it down.

62 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
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Koch Industries, other CEOs warn employees of layoffs if Obama is reelected (Original Post) Faygo Kid Oct 2012 OP
It's called extortion. Plain and simple. Raster Oct 2012 #1
This is true! defacto7 Oct 2012 #2
It sure sounds like a threat to me. Veiled, but a threat nonetheless. calimary Oct 2012 #3
Plus it's a bogus claim bjobotts Oct 2012 #34
Voter Intimidation...State and Federal Laws.... Evasporque Oct 2012 #52
It is time to eat the 1%. With some fava beans and a nice chianti. kestrel91316 Oct 2012 #4
I don't think the side dishes are that important FiveGoodMen Oct 2012 #58
faux gras? Raster Oct 2012 #59
If the Kochs hadn't blown that giant cash wad on a losing proposition (mittens), they could afford truthisfreedom Oct 2012 #5
bingo ...n/t rsweets Oct 2012 #9
You think Mitt will lose? The Kochs have other ideas. Faygo Kid Oct 2012 #13
How many hours did you campaign for Obama yesterday? JDPriestly Oct 2012 #22
Agreed! They can only win by stealing. bjobotts Oct 2012 #35
These assholes were laying people off when bush was president. They are liars and thieves still_one Oct 2012 #6
If they are the job creators, where are the jobs? The Wielding Truth Oct 2012 #29
exactly still_one Oct 2012 #31
Here KamaAina Oct 2012 #49
It's like a protection racket daleo Oct 2012 #7
If possible, it's a new low... ailsagirl Oct 2012 #37
"If we elect candidates who want to spend hundreds of billions in borrowed money on costly new leftyohiolib Oct 2012 #8
Showing their true colors ffr Oct 2012 #10
These companies are just begging for an heavy IRS audit. Starting with top down. Panasonic Oct 2012 #11
No wonder they feel comfortable sending jobs to China.. they act as if they ARE Communist China. progressivebydesign Oct 2012 #12
Can't speak for the Kock... Koch employees... bpollen Oct 2012 #14
Grrrr.... this is getting weird. But it's the Koch Roaches and I didn't expect anything less. Initech Oct 2012 #15
You folks do realize- ruffburr Oct 2012 #16
A new low for the filthy rich. SoapBox Oct 2012 #17
A good argument for nationalizing them DBoon Oct 2012 #18
Could happen! JDPriestly Oct 2012 #23
Nationalize them, and give them $0.01 for their properties Panasonic Oct 2012 #55
The "job creators" have become too expensive and they're not "creating jobs" anywa. aletier_v Oct 2012 #19
The Election of 1896 chuckstevens Oct 2012 #20
yeah, well that was also the good old-bad robber baron days newspeak Oct 2012 #60
So Obama's re-election is going to reduce demand for Koch products? krispos42 Oct 2012 #21
it certainly reduces MY demand for their products! lastlib Oct 2012 #38
I think it is time for a change in federal law. Liberal Veteran Oct 2012 #24
Laws may have already been broken awake Oct 2012 #26
Such law exists. It's called Racketeering Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Panasonic Oct 2012 #56
Well that is highly unamerican now is'nt it?? nt and-justice-for-all Oct 2012 #25
I hope the rich itch. aquart Oct 2012 #27
If Democrats hold the Senate bluestateguy Oct 2012 #28
... so many...suffer under a single tyrant who has no other power than the power they give him; jtuck004 Oct 2012 #30
They want you to think it's the John Galt strike. Turbineguy Oct 2012 #32
30.,000 drones over the U.S. lib2DaBone Oct 2012 #33
Charge them with election fraud!! lastlib Oct 2012 #36
So buying votes is legal in this country now Thrill Oct 2012 #39
Treason against hard working Americans!!!!! Pauldg47 Oct 2012 #40
The most amazing part of this is that they still think Romney can win. randome Oct 2012 #41
It must hurt to know that they wasted millions lovuian Oct 2012 #42
That's a pretty serious form of terrorism. Things like this can lead to serious violence. Zorra Oct 2012 #43
I figured this would start to get ugly in October Norbert Oct 2012 #44
x2 Smilo Oct 2012 #54
"Even my ass has standards." Brigid Oct 2012 #61
He sounds like us Democrats but in a 180 degree way. Kablooie Oct 2012 #45
Got voter intimidation? KamaAina Oct 2012 #46
I Thought BLACKMAILING was Illegal. Megahurtz Oct 2012 #47
Kick for Monday crowd. LeftinOH Oct 2012 #48
Here's a Juicy Tidbit Megahurtz Oct 2012 #50
tampering? Voter Intimidation? I think so....hello Feds!....nt Evasporque Oct 2012 #51
My boss is hinting Smilo Oct 2012 #53
Tell him to his face: BULLSHIT. Panasonic Oct 2012 #57
Fuck Koch tawadi Oct 2012 #62

Raster

(20,996 posts)
1. It's called extortion. Plain and simple.
Sun Oct 14, 2012, 05:55 PM
Oct 2012

And It is a crime. This is a prime example of the 1% attempting to overrule the will of the people by extortion.

 

bjobotts

(9,141 posts)
34. Plus it's a bogus claim
Sun Oct 14, 2012, 09:20 PM
Oct 2012

These are not "job creators"...they are job profiteers. Not one of them is giving people jobs out of the goodness of their hearts. The only time they give a person a job is if they are making money from that person's labor...period.

They hire just the amount of employees they need to make a profit. They will fire just the amount of employees that they are not making a profit from.

From now on correct anyone who uses the term "job creators" and tell them you really mean "Job Profiteers"...they are not a charity.
Pressuring employees with veiled threats of job loss is a bogfus threat since they will never have more employees than profits them...but they do take away employees free speech by making it well known they will make an example out of them and fire them...but they will also replace them if that job position is needed to gain profit. So screw these blowhards...your jobs are not in danger so vote how you want.

Evasporque

(2,133 posts)
52. Voter Intimidation...State and Federal Laws....
Mon Oct 15, 2012, 04:12 PM
Oct 2012

Voting Rights act of 1965

SEC. 11. (a) No person acting under color of law shall fail or refuse to permit any person to vote who is entitled to vote under any provision of this Act or is otherwise qualified to vote, or willfully fail or refuse to tabulate, count, and report such person's vote.

(b) No person, whether acting under color of law or otherwise, shall intimidate, threaten, or coerce, or attempt to intimidate, threaten, or coerce any person for voting or attempting to vote, or intimidate, threaten, or coerce, or attempt to intimidate, threaten, or coerce any person for urging or aiding any person to vote or attempt to vote, or intimidate, threaten, or coerce any person for exercising any powers or duties under section 3(a), 6, 8, 9, 10, or 12(e).

Any Koch employees in these states should consider contacting the State Attorney General's office.

more:

http://www.jdsupra.com/legalnews/time-off-to-vote-state-laws-for-employe-79115/

Kentucky

attempting to coerce, influence or direct an employee's vote for a political party, candidate, platform, principle, or issue through bribes, promises, favors, or other inducements;

Pennsylvania

threats, violence, intimidation or coercion to compel a person to vote or to refrain from voting at any election or for any person or question;

West Virginia

influencing an employee’s political views or actions;
depriving employment or threatening discharge from employment because the employee casts or refuses to cast his or her vote.


truthisfreedom

(23,108 posts)
5. If the Kochs hadn't blown that giant cash wad on a losing proposition (mittens), they could afford
Sun Oct 14, 2012, 05:56 PM
Oct 2012

to be the job creators they claim to be.

Faygo Kid

(21,477 posts)
13. You think Mitt will lose? The Kochs have other ideas.
Sun Oct 14, 2012, 06:13 PM
Oct 2012

I think they have already bought Wisconsin, Ohio and Florida. All with hard-core, right-wing GOP governors.

JDPriestly

(57,936 posts)
22. How many hours did you campaign for Obama yesterday?
Sun Oct 14, 2012, 06:55 PM
Oct 2012

If you get out and talk to voters or call voters, you won't feel so down.

The campaign is going well. I'm in California. Admittedly there are more Obama voters here than elsewhere.

But still, in six hours yesterday, not one person said they would vote for the Republicans. You see Green Party, Libertarians, anything but Republican. People very much blame the Republicans for the bad economy.

And if they aren't blaming them in your state, it may have to do with the lack of enthusiasm and volunteerism among Democrats in your state. You have to get out on a street corner and just hold up a sign if need be.

I don't mean to hurt your feelings, but there really is no reason to feel that the campaign is going badly. It is going very well. The slump in the polls is very minor, and it will pass.

 

leftyohiolib

(5,917 posts)
8. "If we elect candidates who want to spend hundreds of billions in borrowed money on costly new
Sun Oct 14, 2012, 06:02 PM
Oct 2012

subsidies for a few favored cronies" sounds like the gop

ffr

(22,636 posts)
10. Showing their true colors
Sun Oct 14, 2012, 06:03 PM
Oct 2012

They have an adversarial relationship with employees. We're just their dogs, to be put on top of their car when necessary.

 

Panasonic

(2,921 posts)
11. These companies are just begging for an heavy IRS audit. Starting with top down.
Sun Oct 14, 2012, 06:04 PM
Oct 2012

CEOs are not exempted, and they may have to answer to the shareholders.

Koch Brothers may have all of their assets seized by the U.S. Treasury for evasion, fraud, intimidation, RICO charges pending.

progressivebydesign

(19,458 posts)
12. No wonder they feel comfortable sending jobs to China.. they act as if they ARE Communist China.
Sun Oct 14, 2012, 06:06 PM
Oct 2012

Seriously. This shit smacks of the same North Korea and China bullshit. It's exactly the same. Their employees should unionize, after thousands of them file for stress disability.

The KochSuckers wont' be happy until they have ALL the fucking money, and they're John Bircher racists, to boot.

bpollen

(110 posts)
14. Can't speak for the Kock... Koch employees...
Sun Oct 14, 2012, 06:13 PM
Oct 2012

But I know that if management is pushing a candidate or even a slate of candidates, I will be heavily leaning the other way when I get to the ballot box. For the same reason that, when I encounter someone who says "trust me", I count my fingers after shaking their hands....

ruffburr

(1,190 posts)
16. You folks do realize-
Sun Oct 14, 2012, 06:30 PM
Oct 2012

That if the workers across the country would stand up together and say up yours to all these corps that in short order when they can get no product or move no product we would be able to demand fair pay universal health care and solve a myriad of issues.I realize that people are scared to take a chance with their job that they hate everyday,bills etc, But I must say it could bring about the changes that we need so badly,Just a observation

SoapBox

(18,791 posts)
17. A new low for the filthy rich.
Sun Oct 14, 2012, 06:40 PM
Oct 2012

They will no longer hide in the shadows, calling shots via their political puppets.

Now, they are going public and telling all the little people what to do...or else.

Well I say...FUCK OFF. Take your billions and shove it up your ass!

JDPriestly

(57,936 posts)
23. Could happen!
Sun Oct 14, 2012, 06:57 PM
Oct 2012

The government has to pay just compensation for properties taken but how do you figure that?

If the economy is going to be as bad as the Koch Brothers seem to suggest in that letter, then their factories here aren't worth much. The US could take them and pay "just compensation."

aletier_v

(1,773 posts)
19. The "job creators" have become too expensive and they're not "creating jobs" anywa.
Sun Oct 14, 2012, 06:46 PM
Oct 2012

Time to tax the shit out of them.

 

chuckstevens

(1,201 posts)
20. The Election of 1896
Sun Oct 14, 2012, 06:46 PM
Oct 2012

In 1896, primarily Eastern bankers and business leaders back William McKinley, while most of rural America backed William Jennings Bryan. Urban, blue collar workers were never really sold on Bryan and they became fearful when many factor owners across the nation told their employees not to bother coming in if Bryan won the election. Sadly, it worked.

Now I know Karl Rove fancies himself to be the Mark Hanna of today (McKinley's architect), but in 1896, they didn't have the internet and DEMOCRATIC UNDERGROUND! Go Obama Go!

newspeak

(4,847 posts)
60. yeah, well that was also the good old-bad robber baron days
Tue Oct 16, 2012, 01:05 PM
Oct 2012

where greed, corruption was a benchmark and labor had no rights. it looks like they are attempting to go backwards. I can just imagine the maniacal look of greed and lust when they think of basically "prison" slave labor. oh, those fences around the building is not keeping the laborers in-no, it's keeping those trying to get a job, out. and those nets we put around the building is not for those attempting to suicide, no, it's for safety in case someone falls off the building.

these sociopaths dream of the day when they can do business in america like any other third world country and they fully control the government-any old dictator will do. CEOs in this country are the highest paid in the industrialized nations. they value ever increasing profits over the welfare of the american people and the well being of this country. I do not consider them americans, and that includes mittens.

the eighties was a mindless greedfest, where healthy american companies in the black were raided and then sold to any foreign entity. the employers weren't even a second thought, some being generational employees. if this is the new SICK mindset, i want no part of it.

if these unamerican CEOs can "threaten" with fear and intimidate their employees to further enrich themselves, then this country is dead. might as well rename it "corporate states of america." oh, and yes, there is class warfare and WS, ceos, plutocrats started it when they began screwing labor, scamming, threatening and installing those wacko blowhards in the media to convince most americans to go against their own interest.

krispos42

(49,445 posts)
21. So Obama's re-election is going to reduce demand for Koch products?
Sun Oct 14, 2012, 06:54 PM
Oct 2012

And, I find it ironic that the Kochs, of all people, are complaining about "favored cronies".

Liberal Veteran

(22,239 posts)
24. I think it is time for a change in federal law.
Sun Oct 14, 2012, 07:02 PM
Oct 2012

Any business owner who threatens their workers in this manner or tries to sway the vote of their employees through intimidation or statements like this should be put away in a supermax facility with no possibility of parole.

Freedom of speech does not give one the right to threaten or extort a person's voting.

awake

(3,226 posts)
26. Laws may have already been broken
Sun Oct 14, 2012, 07:42 PM
Oct 2012

"federal law bans “intimidat[ing], threaten[ing], coerc[ing], or attempt[ing] to intimidate, threaten, or coerce any other person for the purpose of interfering with the right of such other person . . . to vote as he may choose."

http://www.trolp.org/main_pgs/issues/v16n2/Volokh.pdf

 

Panasonic

(2,921 posts)
56. Such law exists. It's called Racketeering Influenced and Corrupt Organizations
Mon Oct 15, 2012, 05:18 PM
Oct 2012

And Koch Brothers is an organization that is corrupt and trying to influence people.

aquart

(69,014 posts)
27. I hope the rich itch.
Sun Oct 14, 2012, 07:43 PM
Oct 2012

There is a fine old curse: May you have a mansion of a thousand rooms richly furnished. And may you spend every night going from room to room unable to get a night's rest.

Itching will accomplish that.

bluestateguy

(44,173 posts)
28. If Democrats hold the Senate
Sun Oct 14, 2012, 07:43 PM
Oct 2012

Hearings and subpeonas after the election.

And if Obama wins, a tax audit that will make their head spin.

 

jtuck004

(15,882 posts)
30. ... so many...suffer under a single tyrant who has no other power than the power they give him;
Sun Oct 14, 2012, 07:56 PM
Oct 2012

who is able to harm them only to the extent to which they have the willingness to bear with him; who could do them absolutely no injury unless they preferred to put up with him rather than contradict him ....
...
...You live in such a way that you cannot claim a single thing as your own; and it would seem that you consider yourselves lucky to be loaned your property, your families, and your very lives. All this havoc, this misfortune, this ruin, descends upon you not from alien foes, but from the one enemy whom you yourselves render as powerful as he is, for whom you go bravely to war, for whose greatness you do not refuse to offer your own bodies unto death. He who thus domineers over you has only two eyes, only two hands, only one body, no more than is possessed by the least man among the infinite numbers dwelling in your cities; he has indeed nothing more than the power that you confer upon him to destroy you. Where has he acquired enough eyes to spy upon you, if you do not provide them yourselves? How can he have so many arms to beat you with, if he does not borrow them from you? The feet that trample down your cities, where does he get them if they are not your own? How does he have any power over you except through you? How would he dare assail you if he had no cooperation from you?

... who could believe reports of what goes on every day among the inhabitants of some countries, who could really believe that one man alone may mistreat a hundred thousand and deprive them of their liberty?... Obviously there is no need of fighting to overcome this single tyrant, for he is automatically defeated if the country refuses consent to its own enslavement: ... it is not necessary to deprive him of anything, but simply to give him nothing; there is no need that the country make an effort to do anything for itself provided it does nothing against itself. It is therefore the inhabitants themselves who permit, or, rather, bring about, their own subjection, since by ceasing to submit they would put an end to their servitude.
...
Resolve to serve no more and you are at once freed. I do not ask that you place hands upon the tyrant to topple him over, but simply that you support him no longer; then you will behold him, like a great Colossus whose pedestal has been pulled away, fall of his own weight and break into pieces...


Unless, of course, one prefers the serfdom, the chains, the lazyboy and the SUV, the future you have at the hands of your Master, or the "uncertain hope of living" free.

La Boetie wrote this in 1548, for these people, for us. You can find the rest here.

Turbineguy

(37,127 posts)
32. They want you to think it's the John Galt strike.
Sun Oct 14, 2012, 08:03 PM
Oct 2012

But what it really is, is the the strike of the Looters.

 

lib2DaBone

(8,124 posts)
33. 30.,000 drones over the U.S.
Sun Oct 14, 2012, 08:40 PM
Oct 2012

Could this be why Homeland Security is deploying drones and millions of rounds of hollow point ammo in the Unites States?

lastlib

(22,895 posts)
36. Charge them with election fraud!!
Sun Oct 14, 2012, 09:27 PM
Oct 2012

Intimidating voters is a crime, and should be charged accordingly.

I HATE these evil fuckwad bastards!!!

May they burn in hell!!

 

randome

(34,845 posts)
41. The most amazing part of this is that they still think Romney can win.
Sun Oct 14, 2012, 10:01 PM
Oct 2012

They are not as smart as they think.

Zorra

(27,670 posts)
43. That's a pretty serious form of terrorism. Things like this can lead to serious violence.
Sun Oct 14, 2012, 11:58 PM
Oct 2012

You start messing with workers lives like this, you better make sure you have really, really good fire insurance.

Because some people might get really pissed off.

Honestly, if angry workers burned all the Koch Brothers shit to the ground because of this terrorism, the Koch Bros would totally deserve it, and would have no one else but themselves to blame.

You play with fire like this, you may literally get burned.

Selfish, thoughtless, dumbass rich people thinking they can walk all over anyone they want.


Norbert

(6,028 posts)
44. I figured this would start to get ugly in October
Mon Oct 15, 2012, 02:32 AM
Oct 2012

and it is.

It works both ways. I haven't bought Quilted Northern and Angel Soft in years. Even my ass has standards. Brawny, Marti Gras or Sparkle? No way. Bounty all the way. Dixie Cups are off limits to us. If anything has the Georgia Pacific logo on it I put it back on the shelf and buy the competetors brand, even if it is not on sale.

I've been looking at labels for the past 2 years in an effort to buy more Made in the USA merchandise. This plays into my buy non-GP products as well. I was surprised at the things I WAS buying was actually made by them.

Buy Georgia Pacific products and you are helping the Kochs and their vision of Amerika.

Kablooie

(18,547 posts)
45. He sounds like us Democrats but in a 180 degree way.
Mon Oct 15, 2012, 02:47 AM
Oct 2012

Many of us see this election as setting the direction of the country for years if not decades due to the Justices that are likely to be replaced in the next 4 years. If Obama wins the balance will probably remain about the same as today, leaning toward the right. If Romney wins the court will tip over to be irretrevably extremely conservative for years to come.

Democrats see this as a huge change for the country. Koch sees the status quo as a huge change for the country. As always, the right creates fantasies for themselves and then believes them.

Megahurtz

(7,046 posts)
47. I Thought BLACKMAILING was Illegal.
Mon Oct 15, 2012, 03:36 PM
Oct 2012

In any event, fuck Koch brothers. Then I would take my unemployment and go elsewhere. I would enjoy nothing more than to watch these overbloated corps. go down.

Did I hear a pun in there?

Megahurtz

(7,046 posts)
50. Here's a Juicy Tidbit
Mon Oct 15, 2012, 03:44 PM
Oct 2012

to show what lying Kochsuckers these greedy brothers are....

---------------------

"Revenue, employment continue to grow at Koch Industries"

....."In 2011, the company had its best year ever with revenue of $110?billion. It’s on track to exceed that this year"....

http://www.kansas.com/2012/09/13/2487352/revenue-employment-continue-to.html#storylink

--------------

The Kochs are lying sacks!

Smilo

(1,944 posts)
53. My boss is hinting
Mon Oct 15, 2012, 04:29 PM
Oct 2012

quite strongly - but only hinting and saying how the Obama administration has hurt his business - he is still doing very nicely, still raking in the dough and living high on the hog - so I really don't see him as being hurt by Obama.

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