David Siegel and the billionaire’s sad lament

the-queen-of-versailles

The man above is David Siegel, owner of Westgate Resorts, allegedly the largest time-share company in the world, with his wife Jackie. After a financial setback during the recession, Siegel now brags that “we’re the most profitable we’ve ever been.” He and Jackie have resumed construction on a 90,000-square-foot home, called Versailles, that they are building in Florida. If and when it is completed, it will be the largest private home in the country.

According to the Wall Street Journal, when completed Versailles will boast “13 bedrooms, 23 full bathrooms, a 6,000-square-foot master suite (with plans in place for a bed on a rotating platform), a banquet kitchen plus 10 satellite kitchens, a 20-car garage, three pools, a two-story wine cellar and a grand hall with a 30-foot stained glass dome.”

With that background established, this is the email that Siegel sent to his employees yesterday:

Subject: Message from David Siegel
Date:Mon, 08 Oct 2012 13:58:05 -0400 (EDT)
From: [David Siegel]
To: [All employees]

To All My Valued Employees,

As most of you know our company, Westgate Resorts, has continued to succeed in spite of a very dismal economy. There is no question that the economy has changed for the worse and we have not seen any improvement over the past four years. In spite of all of the challenges we have faced, the good news is this: The economy doesn’t currently pose a threat to your job. What does threaten your job however, is another 4 years of the same presidential administration. Of course, as your employer, I can’t tell you whom to vote for, and I certainly wouldn’t interfere with your right to vote for whomever you choose. In fact, I encourage you to vote for whomever you think will serve your interests the best.

However, let me share a few facts that might help you decide what is in your best interest. The current administration and members of the press have perpetuated an environment that casts employers against employees. They want you to believe that we live in a class system where the rich get richer, the poor get poorer. They label us the “1%” and imply that we are somehow immune to the challenges that face our country. This could not be further from the truth. Sure, you may have heard about the big home that I’m building. I’m sure many people think that I live a privileged life. However, what you don’t see or hear is the true story behind any success that I have achieved.

I started this company over 42 years ago. At that time, I lived in a very modest home. I converted my garage into an office so I could put forth 100% effort into building a company, which by the way, would eventually employ you. We didn’t eat in fancy restaurants or take expensive vacations because every dollar I made went back into this company. I drove an old used car, and often times, I stayed home on weekends, while my friends went out drinking and partying. In fact, I was married to my business — hard work, discipline, and sacrifice. Meanwhile, many of my friends got regular jobs. They worked 40 hours a week and made a nice income, and they spent every dime they earned. They drove flashy cars and lived in expensive homes and wore fancy designer clothes. My friends refinanced their mortgages and lived a life of luxury. I, however, did not. I put my time, my money, and my life into this business —-with a vision that eventually, some day, I too, will be able to afford to buy whatever I wanted. Even to this day, every dime I earn goes back into this company. Over the past four years I have had to stop building my dream house, cut back on all of my expenses, and take my kids out of private schools simply to keep this company strong and to keep you employed.

Just think about this – most of you arrive at work in the morning and leave that afternoon and the rest of your time is yours to do as you please. But not me- there is no “off” button for me. When you leave the office, you are done and you have a weekend all to yourself. I unfortunately do not have that freedom. I eat, live, and breathe this company every minute of the day, every day of the week. There is no rest. There is no weekend. There is no happy hour. I know many of you work hard and do a great job, but I’m the one who has to sign every check, pay every expense, and make sure that this company continues to succeed. Unfortunately, what most people see is the nice house and the lavish lifestyle. What the press certainly does not want you to see, is the true story of the hard work and sacrifices I’ve made.

Now, the economy is falling apart and people like me who made all the right decisions and invested in themselves are being forced to bail out all the people who didn’t. The people that overspent their paychecks suddenly feel entitled to the same luxuries that I earned and sacrificed 42 years of my life for. Yes, business ownership has its benefits, but the price I’ve paid is steep and not without wounds. Unfortunately, the costs of running a business have gotten out of control, and let me tell you why: We are being taxed to death and the government thinks we don’t pay enough. We pay state taxes, federal taxes, property taxes, sales and use taxes, payroll taxes, workers compensation taxes and unemployment taxes. I even have to hire an entire department to manage all these taxes. The question I have is this: Who is really stimulating the economy? Is it the Government that wants to take money from those who have earned it and give it to those who have not, or is it people like me who built a company out of his garage and directly employs over 7000 people and hosts over 3 million people per year with a great vacation?

Obviously, our present government believes that taking my money is the right economic stimulus for this country. The fact is, if I deducted 50% of your paycheck you’d quit and you wouldn’t work here. I mean, why should you? Who wants to get rewarded only 50% of their hard work? Well, that’s what happens to me.

Here is what most people don’t understand and the press and our Government has chosen to ignore – to stimulate the economy you need to stimulate what runs the economy. Instead of raising my taxes and depositing that money into the Washington black-hole, let me spend it on growing the company, hire more employees, and generate substantial economic growth. My employees will enjoy the wealth of that tax cut in the form of promotions and better salaries. But that is not what our current Government wants you to believe. They want you to believe that it somehow makes sense to take more from those who create wealth and give it to those who do not, and somehow our economy will improve. They don’t want you to know that the “1%”, as they like to label us, pay more than 31% of all the taxes in this country. Thomas Jefferson, the author of our great Constitution, once said, “democracy” will cease to exist when you take away from those who are willing to work and give to those who would not.”

Business is at the heart of America and always has been. To restart it, you must stimulate business, not kill it. However, the power brokers in Washington believe redistributing wealth is the essential driver of the American economic engine. Nothing could be further from the truth and this is the type of change they want.

So where am I going with all this? It’s quite simple. If any new taxes are levied on me, or my company, as our current President plans, I will have no choice but to reduce the size of this company. Rather than grow this company I will be forced to cut back. This means fewer jobs, less benefits and certainly less opportunity for everyone.

So, when you make your decision to vote, ask yourself, which candidate understands the economics of business ownership and who doesn’t? Whose policies will endanger your job? Answer those questions and you should know who might be the one capable of protecting and saving your job. While the media wants to tell you to believe the “1 percenters” are bad, I’m telling you they are not. They create most of the jobs. If you lose your job, it won’t be at the hands of the “1%”; it will be at the hands of a political hurricane that swept through this country.

You see, I can no longer support a system that penalizes the productive and gives to the unproductive. My motivation to work and to provide jobs will be destroyed, and with it, so will your opportunities. If that happens, you can find me in the Caribbean sitting on the beach, under a palm tree, retired, and with no employees to worry about.

Signed, your boss,

David Siegel

The email does raise an interesting question or two, such as, if it’s true that “even to this day, every dime I earn goes back into this company,” where did all the money for that house come from? And if he made all the right decisions, why did he come so close to bankruptcy? Why does he blame government for the fact that he had to pull his eight kids out of private school? If he couldn’t support a family that large, why did he keep having children?

Under ordinary circumstances, I also wouldn’t think it necessary to pity poor Mr. Siegel. After all, he would seem to have more than enough pity for himself to fill all three swimming pools at Versailles, allowing him to wallow in that emotion to his heart’s content. But clearly, this is a man completely unfamiliar with the concept of “more than enough.” Judging from his email, the poor unappreciated soul wants and needs more pity still; he is a victim, you see, treated shabbily and unfairly, and he’s not going to take any more of it, by golly.

Attention, attention must finally be paid to such a person.

– Jay Bookman

636 comments Add your comment

josef

October 9th, 2012
8:04 pm

iRun

The MW definition…and much agreed with what you were saying…

Thanks for a report (however not good) from Uganda on that…

iRun

October 9th, 2012
8:04 pm

oh Kamchak, thank you for that.

For others, the false attribution to Thomas Jefferson is a mutilated paraphrasing of this:

“To take from one, because it is thought that his own industry and that of his fathers has acquired too much, in order to spare to others, who, or whose fathers have not exercised equal industry and skill, is to violate arbitrarily the first principle of association, —the guarantee to every one of a free exercise of his industry, & the fruits acquired by it.”

Thing is, that quote was about property rights.

Mr Siegel is certainly entitled to poop in all 23 bathrooms whenever he wants. Mrs Siegel, as well. Human nature an all that.

Jm

October 9th, 2012
8:06 pm

Well jamvat

Here’s a fact for you

54% of his money went to democrats. 46% to republicans. Sounds like a moderate to me.

http://www.campaignmoney.com/biography/bill_gates.asp

Jamvet you lost and look like an idiot as always

iRun

October 9th, 2012
8:09 pm

Jm – in addition, Bill Gates stance on education is far out of line with the standard liberal position. Correct me if I’m wrong but his stance aligns more with conservatives on that score.

Still, his Foundation does do very important work in developing countries (we don’t say 3rd World any more, except we do since there are now several 2nd World countries in Africa).

TaxPayer

October 9th, 2012
8:09 pm

That poor guy must really be pissed off after learning that Mitt only paid 13% in federal taxes, if that much.

Jm

October 9th, 2012
8:10 pm

Money talks BS walks

Your BS crawls

Kamchak ~ Thug from the Steppes

October 9th, 2012
8:10 pm

iRun

Several months ago, we had another to misquote TJ and I had much fun mocking that individual for many months with all sorts of made up TJ quotes. The snakes on a plane is a repeat and possibly the best one that I came up with.

It was worth a repeat.

TJ lives

October 9th, 2012
8:11 pm

“if we can but prevent the government from wasting the labours of the people, under the pretence of taking care of them, they must become happy.” – Thomas Jefferson to Thomas Cooper, November 29, 1802

Doggone/GA

October 9th, 2012
8:12 pm

“Mr Siegel is certainly entitled to poop in all 23 bathrooms whenever he wants. Mrs Siegel, as well. Human nature an all that”

I wonder if Jay ever keeps count of the people who miss the point of his posts?

RF

October 9th, 2012
8:12 pm

WOW- so this guy was apparently at the luncheon where the 47% comments were presented…and clearly he believes them. This, my fellow citizens, is what America is coming to, and it ain’t pretty (unless you have the opportunity to build a 90,000 square foot house). So, you guys still happy with Mittens and his plans for the economy?

ZoSo

October 9th, 2012
8:13 pm

That’s a really nice sweater she has on.

Jm

October 9th, 2012
8:13 pm

IRun

I thought of making the same point

He’s far in favor of education reform, more aligned with the republican position

Same on corporate taxes, business regulation (he loves his semi monopoly)

He may be in favor of higher personal taxes, but i don’t think he is on corporate

He also is very rigorous about payback on his philanthropic work, he’s not throwing his money away

Jm

October 9th, 2012
8:15 pm

Don't Forget

October 9th, 2012
8:16 pm

I wonder if Jay ever keeps count of the people who miss the point of his posts?

Naw, it’d be much easier to keep track of the ones who get it.

Elbonian

October 9th, 2012
8:17 pm

This email is complete B.S. The only driver for hiring and firing by any business is demand (or lack of demand) for the products and/or services of that business. If we raise Siegel’s tax rate to 75%, the government won’t get any tax money unless Siegel makes a PROFIT after paying for his employees to provide goods and/or services to his customers. Of course, people can still make political statements by firing people even if they can still be profitably employed. But such people are actually “cutting off their nose to spite their face” as this reduces their ability to make more profit.

The real issue is whether or not the economy will grow under Obama or Romney. We can be fairly certain that Obama will continue the slow economic growth we have at present. We can’t be certain of anything that Romney promises because Romney has come down firmly on both sides of just about every important issue. But if we presume Romney follows the Republican budget plan of his running mate, Paul Ryan, we can know that the economy will tank and millions of people will become unemployed. Meanwhile, billionaires like Siegel will just have more money to invest in their businesses because they will be taxed a whole lot less.

kayaker 71

October 9th, 2012
8:17 pm

ZoSo, 8:13,

That’s a fact that most of the liberals on this blog lose sight of. Loosen up liberals….. this is supposed to be fun.

Doggone/GA

October 9th, 2012
8:18 pm

“Naw, it’d be much easier to keep track of the ones who get it”

Yeah, makes more sense!

Kamchak ~ Thug from the Steppes

October 9th, 2012
8:18 pm

I wonder if Jay ever keeps count of the people who miss the point of his posts?

Hell, I’d venture to guess there’s a fair percentage that don’t even read what Jay writes, much less click on his supplied links.

iRun

October 9th, 2012
8:18 pm

Kamchak – I’ve seen other TJ parody quotes and I really get a kick out of them.

Desperation is like stealing from the Mafia: you stand a good chance of attracting the wrong attention.
- Thomas Jefferson

Baseball is a game where a curve is an optical illusion, a screwball can be a pitch or a person, stealing is legal and you can spit anywhere you like except in the umpire’s eye or on the ball.
- Thomas Jefferson

Any unattended children will be given an espresso and a puppy.
- Thomas Jefferson

Those are all mis-identified. By generations.

But, I’ve seen others that are just made up and quite pointed. Great fun.

TaxPayer

October 9th, 2012
8:19 pm

Westlake Gates Resort and Spa: Ranked #189 of 331 hotels in Orlando

Definitely not the sort of place I would stay at. Perhaps those 7000 people would do better applying at WalMart. I hear WalMart offers health insurance and above minimum wage pay too.

Don't Forget

October 9th, 2012
8:20 pm

I gotta admit that throne really cracks me up. Here’s this guy with a ton of money but not a single clue.

Jm

October 9th, 2012
8:23 pm

Hey jammies

You give up already?

That was easy. (courtesy of staples, partly built by Mitt Romney)

iRun

October 9th, 2012
8:23 pm

Jm – yes, I certainly agree with you here. Those are all positions of Mr Gates I disagree with. That does not cause me to throw away his contributions to those things with which I agree.

barking frog

October 9th, 2012
8:24 pm

Leverage is a way of life in
Real Estate.. If he cashed
out he probably couldn’t
buy a bus ticket.

RF

October 9th, 2012
8:24 pm

Holy Cow- I just added up the square footage of EVERY place I’ve lived in 48 years, and rounded up to be generous. The total- STILL under 10,000 square feet….and no thrones involved unless you count the porcelain one I have to clean every week. And this guy is whining… Lord grant me the strength to hold in my laughter!!!

td

October 9th, 2012
8:24 pm

Sounds like he has been listening to Boortz. Meal has been telling business owners to say this to their employers for months.

Good for him. Someone needs to wake the people up and let them know decisions they make have consequences.

Since we are talking about consequences for actions, it appears that we are going to have a lot more part time workers in this country soon due to Obamacare. There are about 185,000 workers that are about to have their hours cut to 29 1/2 per week.

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/business/os-darden-part-time-workers-20121007,0,1505128.story

Jm

October 9th, 2012
8:25 pm

DF

Oh he has a clue.

Maybe no taste, but that’s in the eye of the beholder.

He definitely has a clue.

RF

October 9th, 2012
8:25 pm

“If he cashed
out he probably couldn’t
buy a bus ticket”

A fleet of bus companies and some good oil stock, maybe. But then, he wouldn’t need the bus ticket anyway.

F. Sinkwich

October 9th, 2012
8:26 pm

Well, as Bill Clinton said about Jennifer Flowers, Jackie looks like she could suck a tennis ball through a garden hose…

Joseph

October 9th, 2012
8:28 pm

Poor Jay… I guess that debate debacle took a lot of steam out of you to resort to this tripe…….

barking frog

October 9th, 2012
8:28 pm

October 9th, 2012
8:25 pm
“If he cashed
out he probably couldn’t
buy a bus ticket”
A fleet of bus companies
and some good oil stock,
maybe. But then, he
wouldn’t need the bus
ticket anyway.
………..
Not familiar with the
Real Estate market i
guess.

Jm

October 9th, 2012
8:28 pm

Irun

Yep, you don’t have to love or hate someone based on a single issue or view

That’s for extremists. Like Jammie

RF

October 9th, 2012
8:29 pm

“Good for him. Someone needs to wake the people up and let them know decisions they make have consequences. ”

So, you believe Boortz and quote Heritage.org, breitbart.org, and twitchy.com. Yeah, you’re a realy Rhodes scholar there, td. Geez, doesn’t mom EVER let you out of the basement?

Bellbonne

October 9th, 2012
8:30 pm

eewwwwwwwwwwwww!!!!!!!!!!

barking frog

October 9th, 2012
8:30 pm

Jm
what do you think of
Connie Mack?

Jm

October 9th, 2012
8:30 pm

Frog

He could probably cash out now

But not 3 years ago

RF

October 9th, 2012
8:32 pm

frog: even if he lost every real estate holding he has, you can bet, just looking at the throne, that he wouldn’t end up homeless. It’s laughable that anyone with a brain would defend someone building a house the size of a small city and sitting on a gold throne. But then, you’re ready to elect a president from that clique, so it’s understandable…hysterical!!!! Keep on- I’m enjoying the laughs!

Jm

October 9th, 2012
8:33 pm

Frog

Connie Mack seems like dbag to me

Not senate material

F. Sinkwich

October 9th, 2012
8:33 pm

If I had a business and had to lay anyone off, I’d look for the idiot with an O’bozo bumper sticker to go first.

Don't Forget

October 9th, 2012
8:34 pm

jm

his taste is what I was saying he doesn’t have a clue about! So you refuted my point and then agreed with it, lol. But the larger point would be the fact that this guy who was clearly successful in a business has no awareness of his inadequacy in other areas. And that’s the problem with a lot of these guys. Their egos make them think they are good at everything because they are successful in something. It ain’t so.

Keep Up the Good Fight!

October 9th, 2012
8:35 pm

So it appears that our greedy SOB even had to “steal” his email and model it after a fake letter.

Fake letter: http://www.snopes.com/politics/business/valuedemployees.asp

But the SOB confirms he sent the email: In a bizarre twist, Siegel’s email was modeled after a fake letter that made the rounds on the internet during the last presidential election. He confirmed his own email’s authenticity in a phone call to Gawker, saying that “it speaks the truth” and gives employees “something to think about when they go to the polls.”

moonbat betty

October 9th, 2012
8:35 pm

That couple just don’t look right together.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dj_aMkOZYyE

Jm

October 9th, 2012
8:36 pm

Sinkwich

I saw my first Obama sticker yesterday

Seen dozens of Romney stickers

td

October 9th, 2012
8:37 pm

F. Sinkwich

October 9th, 2012
8:33 pm

I told my employees to not come into my parking lot with one of those bumper stickers on their car or I would hand them a pink slip before the end of the day. Is it not great to work in a right to work state:-)

Common Sense Lacking on the Left

October 9th, 2012
8:37 pm

You libs, including Mr. Bookman, just don’t get it. First, what right do ANY of you have to determine “how much money is enough” for ANYONE to make? If they’re willing to work hard and sacrifice, the sky should be the limit. If you don’t like it, move to a country that has socialistic or communistic ideals and economies.

Now, regarding Mr. Bookman’s comments at the end of his diatribe:

“even to this day, every dime I earn goes back into this company,”: Anyone with a modicum of common business sense would realize that he is talking about the NET PROFITS of his business, out of which has already come his salary, and THAT is what he is using to build his dream home, which apparently you believe he shouldn’t be allowed to do unless EVERYONE can. The only thing he is guilty of here is lack of clarity.

“And if he made all the right decisions, why did he come so close to bankruptcy?” It’s called “the poor economy”. You can make ALL the right decisions, but if the economy prevents consumers from purchasing your goods or services, you’ll come close to or have to outright file bankruptcy and/or close your doors forever. Critical thinking is clearly not a part of your mental faculties

“Why does he blame government for the fact that he had to pull his eight kids out of private school? If he couldn’t support a family that large, why did he keep having children?”. First, he never says HOW many children he has, just that he had to pull his “children” (at the risk of stating what should be, but obviously is NOT obvious to you, meaning at least TWO, but not necessarily EIGHT) out of private school. It IS the government’s fault for creating the economic uncertainty revolving around taxation levels of businesses, especially with the ACA (aka ObamaCare) about to come into full force. And again, what right is it of yours to dictate how many children he should be allowed to have? Have you never made plans based on where you are now, only to have to cut back down the road when conditions changed? If you’re going to have an opinion, Mr. Bookman, you should make sure it is an INFORMED opinion instead of just regurgitating liberal rhetoric.

http://blogs.ajc.com/health-flock/2012/07/20/tax-implications-of-the-aca-%E2%80%93-just-bad-timing/

Now let me explain how the “law of unintended consequences” all you liberals just can’t seem to wrap your heads around works… If Mr. Siegel takes your vitriolic advice and retires and/or shuts down his business because of the tax burden placed on him by the current administration (or simply by the “Bush tax cuts” being allowed to expire), that’s OVER 7000 MORE PEOPLE WITHOUT A JOB! Now consider what will happen if most of those other “evil rich guys” who own businesses that you people hate so much close their doors or move their businesses elsewhere for the same reason. You got it. TOTAL ECONOMIC COLLAPSE. That means no more i-Phones, internet, FOOD…

Another example: The “luxury tax” imposed in the early 90s. Luxury taxes ONLY hurt the middle class because the rich will simply not buy those items, or they will buy them out of country. Instead of raising tax revenues as the Democrats wanted you to believe, it actually had the OPPOSITE effect of putting all those middle class people making the yachts and private jets out of good paying jobs, thereby reducing the tax receipts from the wages they would have earned, while simultaneously increasing the amount of unemployment claims the government must pay out. End result: BUDGET DEFICITS!

http://articles.latimes.com/1991-01-06/business/fi-10780_1_boats-may-cost-boat-industry-boat-business

Stop whining and get off your lazy asses and go work like he did to make it, instead of wanting to take what he has EARNED away from him and give it to those who WON’T work. For the record, I’m not one of the 1%. I’m just a regular Joe who is trying to pay off debt incurred from MY OWN bad financial decisions over the years (for you liberals, that’s called PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY, something most of you refuse to accept). I am currently working 2 jobs, one of which is trying to get a commercial cleaning business going with a friend. While it probably will not make us as rich as Mr. Siegel, I hope it will someday enable me to have a better standard of life while providing decent paying jobs, and I won’t give up until I’m forced to let it go because government policies have deteriorated the business climate to the point no one can afford to pay a company to clean their facilities…

Oh, and regarding unemployment claims… nowadays most claims are granted, regardless of circumstances. I know, because a company I used to work for lost several cases that before Mr. Obama took office would have been slam dunk denials (I am friends with the office manager who informed me of such).

Jm

October 9th, 2012
8:37 pm

DF

Well he does generally have a clue

You made a pretty sweeping statement

Maybe next time be more specific

But I agree, I’m not a fan of his taste or class

getalife

October 9th, 2012
8:38 pm

jm,

Thanks to socialism, the 401k’s are back up.

Dave

October 9th, 2012
8:40 pm

I just have to say that I’m ashamed, ashamed, that I didn’t appreciate the plight of the super-rich. Gosh darn me for my insensitivity.

Keep Up the Good Fight!

October 9th, 2012
8:41 pm

And the irony:

“Encouraging kindness and supporting those in need are important functions in the business of life. Westgate’s spirit of giving, volunteering, and compassion will continue as the needs continue months and years ahead.”

- David A. Siegel, President and CEO
http://westgateresorts.com/about

barking frog

October 9th, 2012
8:41 pm

getalife

October 9th, 2012
8:41 pm

I suggest the old guy to wear a looser shirt.

You see this kind of picture at strip clubs.

Lots of old guys with cash but they don’t wear tight shirts.

Ahem

October 9th, 2012
8:41 pm

Excuse me, but what in the world made this claptrap loon worthy of your attention, Jay?

td

October 9th, 2012
8:43 pm

getalife

October 9th, 2012
8:38 pm

jm,

Thanks to socialism, the 401k’s are back up.

No thank the Federal reserve for pumping all that money into the stock market.

Kamchak ~ Thug from the Steppes

October 9th, 2012
8:44 pm

(I am friends with the office manager who informed me of such).

(I am friends with benefits with Candice Swanepoel.)

ski2xs

October 9th, 2012
8:44 pm

Wow. . . sounds like a bunch of butthurt crybabies here need to have a waaambulance sent.

I’m right with him. . .f all you crybabies who’ll be crap out of luck on jobs once you run more of our business owners in the dirt. I’ve ran my own business and know what freeloaders like you cost.

And I bet you nutcases think that if I pay you $25 an hour that that’s it. . it’s 25 dollars an hour for me. Bunch of out of touch losers! Thank God I don’t employ anyone anymore. I’m making more money now!!

barking frog

October 9th, 2012
8:45 pm

Jay is interested in the
wealthy for comparative to improve his arguments for
higher pay..

Thomas Heyward Jr.

October 9th, 2012
8:45 pm

Unlike the collectivist Federal thugs, David Siegel will never point a gun and force anyone to do anything.
.
THAT’s the big difference ………..Bookman.

Kamchak ~ Thug from the Steppes

October 9th, 2012
8:46 pm

I’ve ran my own business and know what freeloaders like you cost.

I’ve ran 250,000 of my own businesses.

getalife

October 9th, 2012
8:47 pm

I think it is dumb to pick a side in business to lose half your customers but opening yourself up for a lawsuit is a new form of stupidity.

Keep Up the Good Fight!

October 9th, 2012
8:48 pm

I told my employees to not come into my parking lot with one of those bumper stickers on their car or I would hand them a pink slip before the end of the day. Is it not great to work in a right to work state:-)

From the same clowns who cry out about CFA’s right to “free speech”…. and one too ignorant to know that he should be referencing a “employment at will” state. A “right-to-work” law is a statute in the United States of America that prohibits union security agreements, or agreements between labor unions and employers that govern the extent to which an established union can require employees’ membership, payment of union dues, or fees as a condition of employment, either before or after hiring.

getalife

October 9th, 2012
8:48 pm

td,

w was a socialist for our bankers.

No strings attached.

Facts.

barking frog

October 9th, 2012
8:48 pm

ski2xs
…another business failure.

Ahem

October 9th, 2012
8:50 pm

Barack Obama is not a good man. He is not trying hard. He’s not very good at this job.

Obama is not a nice guy; he is not very good at his job.

Obama is doing his best. His best just isn’t good enough; not even close.

Barack Obama can be a pleasant enough fellow. But, he’s just not very good at being President of the United States.

Even Big Bird wants nothing to do with him.

Big Bird, it seems, isn’t thrilled about his cameo in the presidential race.

The folks at Sesame Street are asking the Obama campaign to pull down a TV ad released Tuesday that mocks Mitt Romney for vowing to yank the subsidy to PBS.

BAWAHAHAHAHAHAHA Things are not going well for Oblunda these days.

bman

October 9th, 2012
8:50 pm

If Mister Bookman will highlight my business, I will gladly pull a rant on, not only the people who work with me, but my customers, too.

Moreover, I will listen to Rush Limbaugh and amplify his words.

In GA. This sort of publicity would be great!

what a wa$te of money to purcha$e a time$hare

October 9th, 2012
8:51 pm

This is one funny article. I will laugh myself to sleep…everything about this is just too funny..the picture…and the email…I needed the laugh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

RF

October 9th, 2012
8:51 pm

Common sense: 90,000 square feet??!!! Maybe I’m a simple-minded peasant, but I think anyone with that much money is quite fine and could do without at least a few kitchens. But that’s just me- don’t let realistic expectations get in your way. Just watch out for the freeloaders who will take your cardboard box under the bridge you’re given when this guy and his buddies get through with our country.

barking frog

October 9th, 2012
8:52 pm

bman
email jay a picture like the
one above, maybe he will
help.

B jeezy

October 9th, 2012
8:53 pm

So the old man don’t want us 2 vote for Obama so he can finish building his home wow just what a rich selfish person would say is he going 2 let any homeless people stay in any of them many bedrooms he will have no I think not thats why i say Obama for another four years so people like this old dude should pay more taxes 2 help the people who need it don’t forget rich old guy u won’t be rich without the blood sweat an tears from regular people.

JamVet

October 9th, 2012
8:53 pm

I’ve ran my own business, which is amazing considering that I could not pass seventh grade English!

Ahem

October 9th, 2012
8:53 pm

That chick has more plastic in her chest than that dude has biscuits in his belly.

getalife

October 9th, 2012
8:55 pm

td,

Also, unemployment is the responsibility of the fed so when your party blocked job bills that would work, the fed has no other choice but Qe1,2 and 3.

The gop built that and you give them a free pass.So, if you cons want blame, look in the mirror.

bman

October 9th, 2012
8:56 pm

Frog .. .. The closest I could possibly come to that would be me thumbing thru some magazine while sitting on my bathroom throne….

Gary Novak

October 9th, 2012
8:57 pm

Davis Siegel sounds like many greedy people past and present. For him to use his powerful position to intimidate his enployees into voting a certain way is appalling and sinful. Shame on David Siegel and all that he represents.

Gary Novak

Brosephus™

October 9th, 2012
8:57 pm

Kamchak @ 7:55

Thanks for making me spit water all over my shirt….

Vast Right Wing Conspiracy (aka "Knuckle-Dragger")

October 9th, 2012
8:58 pm

Jay, this is none of your business. This guy does not care what you think, nor should he. If his employees do not like him, they can find employment elsewhere (not a sure thing these days, however).

RF

October 9th, 2012
8:59 pm

Okay, while the absolute HILARITY of this debate is so much fun to witness, I’m just leaving it while the sensible can. I can’t believe anyone with any modicum of sense would defend this guy, but maybe you can hope for a job cleaning some of the multiple bathrooms he will build or polishing his throne. Evidently, he has polishing the crown covered, but enough about the golddigger on his lap.

getalife

October 9th, 2012
9:01 pm

The gop lost 9 million jobs and crashed your 401k’s.

It amazes me that half our country thinks so and will vote for it again.

It does not make sense and then the cons talk about logic.

barking frog

October 9th, 2012
9:01 pm

Wonder if he used Obama’s
refinance plan…

BRW

October 9th, 2012
9:01 pm

Let’s try this again dimwit Conservaturds: Voter Intimidation. Period.

moonbat betty

October 9th, 2012
9:02 pm

“I’ve ran 250,000 of my own businesses.”

geez. Kam.

You be krispe kreme?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=plPsnWFng0w

Ahem

October 9th, 2012
9:04 pm

And some want to raise an issue about Romney’s faith…

NEW YORK – As a student at Harvard Law School, then-bachelor Barack Obama’s practice of wearing a gold band on his wedding-ring finger puzzled his colleagues.

Now, newly published photographs of Obama from the 1980s show that the ring Obama wore on his wedding-ring finger as an unmarried student is the same ring Michelle Robinson put on his finger at the couple’s wedding ceremony in 1992.

Moreover, according to Arabic-language and Islamic experts, the ring Obama has been wearing for more than 30 years is adorned with the first part of the Islamic declaration of faith, the Shahada: “There is no God except Allah.”

The Shahada is the first of the Five Pillars of Islam, expressing the two fundamental beliefs that make a person a Muslim: There is no god but Allah, and Muhammad is Allah’s prophet.

Sincere recitation of the Shahada is the sole requirement for becoming a Muslim, as it expresses a person’s rejection of all other gods

Egyptian-born Islamic scholar Mark A. Gabriel, Ph.D., examined photographs of Obama’s ring and concluded that the first half of the Shahada is inscribed on it.

“There can be no doubt that someone wearing the inscription ‘There is no god except Allah’ has a very close connection to Islamic beliefs, the Islamic religion and Islamic society to which this statement is so strongly attached,” Gabriel said.

F. Sinkwich

October 9th, 2012
9:04 pm

I’m betting all those tradesmen he hires is lovin’ them all that tilework, plumbing, electrical, dry walling, etc.

what a wa$te of money to purcha$e a time$hare

October 9th, 2012
9:07 pm

“There can be no doubt that someone wearing the inscription ‘There is no god except Allah’ has a very close connection to Islamic beliefs, the Islamic religion and Islamic society to which this statement is so strongly attached,” Gabriel said.
____

Maybe he can talk David Siegel into trading one of those timeshares for the ring. Which would you say has the most value?

Brosephus™

October 9th, 2012
9:08 pm

Jay, this is none of your business. This guy does not care what you think, nor should he.

Yet another one who makes excuses for potentially illegal action under the guise of rich people get to do what they want to do. You may as well bend over and grab your ankles if you’re going to be so submissive towards someone screwing you over. If/When it happens to you, remember, your employer can do what they want to do.

TaxPayer

October 9th, 2012
9:10 pm

Do people really fall for those timeshare thingies.

Jm

October 9th, 2012
9:11 pm

Ahem

I disagree that he is not a good man

I think he is a good guy

However, I think he’s a very mediocre President

getalife

October 9th, 2012
9:11 pm

I gave my employees time off to go vote or not.

“Well, I’m not going to lay out a piece of legislation here,” he said

“I am not going to show you my taxes” mitt.

See a trend here?

The empty chair was mitt.

barking frog

October 9th, 2012
9:11 pm

the ring would not say
there is no god but Allah
if were true.

what a wa$te of money to purcha$e a time$hare

October 9th, 2012
9:11 pm

Do people really fall for those timeshare thingies.

___

a sucker is born every day.

They BOTH suck

October 9th, 2012
9:12 pm

Ahem

You are good with all these “bombshells”

keep them coming

Keep Up the Good Fight!

October 9th, 2012
9:12 pm

:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

No wonder Ahem is too embarassed to support his “story” with a link…. Its a World Nut Daily “exclusive”. http://mobile.wnd.com/2012/10/obamas-ring-there-is-no-god-but-allah/?cat_orig=politics

Birther nonsense

moonbat betty

October 9th, 2012
9:12 pm

I don’t know…Unless someone can come up with an illegal activity, I don’t know if you can easily persecute this man?

It’s all relative, folks.

Krystal'sBalls

October 9th, 2012
9:13 pm

@Gary Novak = drummer?

Brosephus™

October 9th, 2012
9:13 pm

Jm

October 9th, 2012
9:14 pm

Obama may be Muslim

I don’t care

He sucks as a President

What more does one need to know?

TaxPayer

October 9th, 2012
9:15 pm

I hope those poor 7000 people have enough sense to quit. WalMart or McDonalds would be better options for them. Hell, they could probably get together and buy their own buildings in Florida on the cheap and start up a resort to compete with that idiot.

getalife

October 9th, 2012
9:15 pm

He could always pull a mitt and say, that is not what I said.

Jm

October 9th, 2012
9:16 pm

Bro

This whole blog post is nothing but Hannity Spam?!

Jay, come on man…. :) :)

They BOTH suck

October 9th, 2012
9:16 pm

Ahem

td started the Rush Limbuagh’s groupie listening club

Maybe you can start the World Net Daily groupie reading club……….

Don't Forget

October 9th, 2012
9:17 pm

No thank the Federal reserve for pumping all that money into the stock market.

And the lack of jobs that followed pretty much blew Friedman’s “monetarism” out of the water.