Hartmann: Corporate CEOs have a secret they don't want you to know about...

[ZatDudeOnline]

I hope we have a nuclear war, then perhaps the world can get the reboot it desperately needs. Currently there is NO way to reboot this horrible system we have built around wealth and its pursuit.

[Lightmane321]

AWESOME Thom. Now if only we had a real Progressive President who would fight against this evil. I'm not holding my breath

[dwschultzfla]

Unemployment increases again. Better news the Bureau of Labor Statistics has changed the way numbers are reported so the current unemployment of 9.2% should be at 9.4%. No more Obama!!!!!

Help fight poverty. Vote Obama out in 2012!!!

[cmfluteguy]

Thom Hartman is working for the LIE PIG li CONS and his own pocket book

He sells gold 100 times a day and whores his own books at every chance.

His "debates" with neocon types are pathetic.

Hi expounds on all sorts of subjects with no knowledge whatsoever.

[CLEVELTECH]

“These CEOs are not job creators,” he said. “They’re stealing from the people who are the actual job creators: people like you and me, who actually buy stuff.”-quote

[briperez]

I'm on the fence on this.... Is it right for the government to force people to disclose how much money they make?

[harveybirdmannequin]

@briperez

CEO pay should already be publicly disclosed if it's a publicly traded company.

[SpencerMoseley]

@harveybirdmannequin already is by law. private companies do not need to disclose.

[SpencerMoseley]

@harveybirdmannequin CEO Pay is already disclosed by law. the compensation package is voted on by the shareholders.

[SpencerMoseley]

But - it is not your money. It is the money of the corporation, it is the money of the shareholders. Who are you to question how much a company pays its employees - any employee?? If you do not like how much people are paid - buy stock and vote on the compensation package. Or better yet, start your own company, create jobs and pay people what you want to pay them.

[JennJenification]

@SpencerMoseley It matters b/c comps. (like walmart) pay so little, their employees DO have to depend on soc. progs. to fill in the gaps....& that IS OUR $...AND the $ of walmart employees that pay their taxes too, so if that isn't a boot on the neck of the underclass, I don't know what is. Meanwhile, corps like G.E. bitch about U.S. tax rates & then it's revealed they didn't even PAY TAXES last year. But getting their taxes paid by sales tax is supposed to count,.. & THATS THE PPLE"S $ AGAIN!!!

[SpencerMoseley]

@JennJenification Please put down the bong before typing. I am not sure anyone can make heads or trails of your argument.  Which is probably a testament to a public school education led by unions. If Wal-Mart pays so little, then don't work there. You are not a victim in this economy unless you choose to be. Go out and create a company and hire workers and pay them a "living wage".

[Textynn]

@SpencerMoseley Hey Spinny, the Heritage Foundation called, they want their ass kisser back. Denial of the understanding of a living wage is no excuse for inhumanity and slavery. As for creating a company, that's about the only option people have since all our jobs went to China thanks to your heroes, Walfuck, buying everything from them and the elite paying people so little they can't do anything but scrape by with no health care.

[SpencerMoseley]

@Textynn What is a Living Wage? How much, who decides.... You are avoiding a simple question with a lot of hate speech. Also why would a company pay a living wage?

[JennJenification]

@SpencerMoseley Nice jab, but I don't smoke pot. Back to the point(s)...r u telling me working class tax payers DON'T pay into soc. progs. that keep the working class afloat? r u saying min. wage has risen to any degree even CLOSE to inflation in several years? Are u saying CEO's DON'T make exponentially more than before, non proportional to their employees, who keep their businesses going? r you saying G.E. DID pay taxes last year?? r u saying corp taxes AREN'T passed on through sales tax??

[TruthSeeker905]

What and the democrats don't do the same? Give me a break! Both parties are working for private special interest!

[Textynn]

We have a system in which businesses are allowed to pay their employees less than a living wage and the difference is made up by taxpayers in the form of food stamps and other services. In other words, Walmart employees don't make enough to live on so they must be helped. This system means taxpayers are subsidizing Walmart's bottom line. Our government should be demanding living wages but they would rather serve Walmart.

[SpencerMoseley]

@Textynn Please define a "living wage" I know there are many thousands (if not hundres of thousands) of people that work at Wal-Mart their entire working years and love the company, are paid well, and retire well off. If your aregument were true then no one would choose to work there, no one would continue to work there for long, and no one would choose to shop there. All evidence so far proves you incorrect.

[Textynn]

@SpencerMoseley Yeah right.. What a bunch of bull. Everybody knows that Walmart is a slum boss. Helllllllllllllo. Do you pay attention to any news but FOX. They do have Internet in Bentonville, right?

[SpencerMoseley]

@Textynn And your proof is what? I can show the people that work there receive a very good wage and are happy there. Here's the deal I will agree with you if can show that every single person that works for Wal-Mart or as ever worked for Wal-Mart receive a year pay below the poverty level in the US.

And please define a "Living Wage" and why any company should pay that amount.

[Textynn]

@SpencerMoseley Go to college if you want an economics lesson on the destructive forces of Walmart or unscrew your head from your right wing bubble and open your glazed over eyes. I was a teacher for 25 years but since I am unemployed I don't have to teach assholes anymore and certainly not for free. Haaha.  You like unbridled capitalism, well there you go.

P.S. A freebie: A living wage is defined by the words "living" and "wage". Try dictionary(dot)com.

[SpencerMoseley]

@Textynn I have a degree in Econ, an MBA and an advanced degree. So I would say that I know what I am talking about... Wal-Mart currently pays its employees: 401K retirement, Medical, Dental, Optical, 10% discout on all purchases, discounted drug purchases, advancement in the company, college tuition assistance and so on. Still waiting for you to define a living wage. How much is that an hour, who sets it, and why any company would pay a living wage. This is a simple question.

[Textynn]

@SpencerMoseley Well Mr. MBA, I told ya, a living wage is defined by the words "living" and "wage". You sure seem to know a lot about a company whose name you spell incorrectly. Not that I'm the spelling police, cuz I'm off duty but it is weird. I'm sure there are some people in the Walmart Empire that have all of that but it certainly would not be the majority of the people that work there. You have heard of the Internet? You know that it is common knowledge how Walmart operates.

[SpencerMoseley]

@Textynn ALL Employees receive: Matching contributions to your 401(k) up to 6%, Associate Stock Purchase Plan with a company match of 15% up to the first $1,800 purchased each Plan year, Associate Discount Card for 10% discount on all items in the store, Retirement account rollover, Military differential pay

Paid time-off including: holidays, vacation, personal, bereavement and jury duty.

Now how about medical: Medical insurance, dental insurance, optical insurance, life insurance...

[SpencerMoseley]

@SpencerMoseley And the starting wage is $10 - $12 per hour for untrained new workers. Most make well over $20/hr.

And you still can not answer the question - What is the living wage, who sets it, how much is it. Once you can answer this simple question we can go to the follow up question. We'll see if you can think logically...

[Textynn]

@SpencerMoseley Officials at the Dept.of Labor and Industries contend that Wal-Mart mistreats its injured employees in WA. According to a state order issued Nov 30, over the last 7 yrs WalMart has "repeatedly and unreasonably" delayed giving injured workers the benefits they were owed under workers' compensation laws, and, in some cases, WalMart employees were not allowed to file workers' comp claims at all.

WA state wants to take over the superstore's workers' comp.

[SpitfireOFatj]

I find it amazing that there are still people who claim the Republicans are the party of the working class and Democrats are the party of "the elite" and "welfare".

[Louloe]

July 4th, I hear theres a picnic at every states capital building! With Fireworks!

[bonnevie9]

@Louloe i wish

[oldrnwhyzer1]

Well, while the rest of you are spending you time typing insults or comments that are irrelavant to actually making any changes to how things are being done, maybe we should focus on why they keep being able to do all this stuff, to US? Is your neighbor, family member, co-worker, church member, or anyone else you come in contact with voting for these idiots? Then, start talking to them.  Change happens when we change our communities way of thinking. Teach the children well...

[davidmacneill1]

interesting... im sure thom did the research on how much george clooney, matt damon, and sean penn made relative to the average boom operator stunt man. or maybe he has some research on how much the guy sweeping the stadium isles after a miami heat game while lebrom james takes home tens of millions... interesting!

[whitestar111]

middle class this rich class that what about the poor class do they ever have a say so

people who think either the middle class and the rich class are better than the poor make me sick its the poor class that keeps everything running without them u wouldn't have a economy

[fais555]

@whitestar111 We have a winner!

[whitestar111]

@fais555 is that sarcasm

[fais555]

@whitestar111 No I meant it. I'm the one who thumbed you up. You expressed my thoughts exactly.

[whitestar111]

@whitestar111 o lol sorry i get alot of sarcasm

[Textynn]

@whitestar111 If all the lower income working people stayed home, this country would grind to a halt. One thing for sure, the upper classes couldn't and wouldn't do the work themselves.

[whitestar111]

@Textynn lol so true

[foresam]

We need to seize all of the corporations, even the little ones, and make them all employee owned coops.  Pay caps for CEO's.

[ziger123456]

gluttony, greed, take from the poor and give to the rich has been the way of the American world - it MUST stop and we, the people, are the only ones who can make it happen. Get involved or watch our world be destroyed by greed.

[Jbarrtndrsr]

I guess you can take one of the two sides if you choose too, but both houses of congress, whether it be republicans or democrats, in this day and age are all corrupt. Mr. Hartman apparently wouldn't expose both hypocrisies as one overall corruption, but would try and bounce us from one horrible side to the other instead. Ron Paul would have ran independent if he would have stood a chance at winning, but going republican would actually give him more votes. See, there is no choice anymore...

[tomlpl]

@Jbarrtndrsr Exactly!

[nuzjunkie1]

@Jbarrtndrsr both houses of congress would be the House of Representives & the Senate. the two parties are the democrats & republicans. and what the hell are you saying, try making short, concise statements.

[messengercouriergirl]

Take away the CEO's and see how many fucking jobs you have!

[seiferganon]

@messengercouriergirl No one is saying take them away.

[Willett6945]

How much the CEO of the corporation I work for makes in a year is none of my business. I agreed to work for the wage I get; if I don't like it I should look for another job.

[seiferganon]

@Willett6945 Why isn't it your business? Also, with the economy the way it is, you can't just leave and look for another job. Also, you didn't really "agree" so much as you were told how much you were worth. You know, you actually sound slightly like a slave arguing for their master to me.

[AllianceOfJerkOffs]

@Willett6945 spoken like either a ceo fascist or a brainwashed peon

[Textynn]

@AllianceOfJerkOffs Those two descriptions are polar opposites. Maybe you better consult your Heritage Foundation textbook of snappy comebacks.

[Textynn]

@Willett6945 Oh don't worry, when your business moves to China, you'll get to join the club. They are even outsourcing lawyers now. Im sure your occupation is outsource-able or maybe a computer can do it soon enough.

[Willett6945]

How much the CEO of the corporation I work makes in a year is none of my business. I agreed to work for the wage I get; if I don't like it I should look for another job.

[TexasBeaner214]

if ya dont like what your getting payed or the way you are being treated by a certain company quit and move on to a company youll be happy with. CEO's can pay themselves anything they want its their company your just an employee you were hired to do a certain job that is it nothing more you agreed to work for whatever pay rate yall agreed on you agreed to work for so many hours so many days of the week no one else did so no one is forcing you to stay you choose to stay if you dont like it quit.

[seiferganon]

@TexasBeaner214 The "if you don't like it then quit and find a new job" line of reasoning is a myth.

[TexasBeaner214]

@seiferganon i do it all the time with part time jobs i mite keep them for a few months then quit. at the moment my part time job is with UPS the problem is some people just wont take whats out there sometimes you have to do what you have to do to servive if the only job thats out there is working in fast food take it dont let pride keep you from feeding yourself and your family

[Textynn]

@seiferganon Thank you. Like people have no obligations to anyone or anything... just waltzing off to greener pastures any time they like. These people are so obviously coddled know-nothings it's like arguing with a toddler.

[TripleSpeak]

Wow, Thom will stop at nothing to keep the football team mentality going...even dragging out Truman, who, amongst other things, brought us terrorist Israel.

Also, although I understand the "same old" theory of economic growth, perhaps it's time for humanity to think beyond "making stuff" & "buying stuff" as a model.  Starting with ending corporations as we know them.

[rickbar123]

What has changed is that many Dems belong with the ReScum. We need a workers party.

[rickbar123]

The good old GOP, fucking the worker anyway they can.

Keep them office stupid America. Stupid has a price.

[microglyphics]

@rickbar123 Watch your language. Could you please refrain from mentioning GOP in your posts.

[vechorik]

The only 2012 presidential candidate that won't cut food stamps?

Ron Paul “I Don’t Think Cutting Food Stamps For The Poor Is The Right Priority”

Check him out!

[MUDSHARK111]

@vechorik it does not mean he wont cut food stamps it just wont be his top priority .ron paul looks good in little sound bites but the more you scrutinise him the more you realise he is a hard core conservative.and conservatives are never ever good for all .