Saturday, February 15, 2014
TOM PERKINS' BIG IDEA: THE RICH SHOULD GET MORE VOTES
By Charles Riley @CRrileyCNN February 14, 2014
"The Tom Perkins system is: You don't get to vote unless you pay a dollar of taxes," Perkins said.
"But what I really think is, it should be like a corporation. You pay a million dollars in taxes, you get a million votes. How's that?"
The audience at the Commonwealth Club reacted with laughter. But Perkins offered no immediate indication that he was joking. Asked offstage if the proposal was serious, Perkins said: "I intended to be outrageous, and it was."
Perkins seemed to be aware that he was courting controversy, saying that his voting proposal would "make you more angry than my letter to the Wall Street Journal."
That letter, published last month, compared the supposed assault on the wealthy to a wave of Nazi attacks on Jews ahead of the Holocaust.
The letter sparked a public firestorm, and the venture capital firm he co-founded -- Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers -- distanced itself from his comments. Perkins has since allowed that the comparison went too far, but has not apologized for the overall message and his warning about anti-rich "radicalism."
The Perkins plan for determining who should be allowed to vote is likely to give his critics further ammunition.
For his part, Perkins shows no signs of backing down from his argument that the rich in America are under attack. Perkins said Thursday that the trend has grown since the election of President Obama -- who he described as an "amateur."
Pressed for examples of how the rich were being demonized, Perkins said that he feared higher taxes.
"The fear is wealth tax, higher taxes, higher death taxes -- just more taxes until there is no more 1%. And that that will creep down to the 5% and then the 10%," he said.
http://money.cnn.com/2014/02/14/investing/tom-perkins-vote/
HONG KONG (CNNMoney)
Tom Perkins suggested Thursday that only taxpayers should have the right to vote -- and that wealthy Americans who pay more in taxes should get more votes.
The venture capitalist offered the unorthodox proposal when asked to name one idea that would "change the world" at a speaking engagement in San Francisco moderated by Fortune's Adam Lashinsky."But what I really think is, it should be like a corporation. You pay a million dollars in taxes, you get a million votes. How's that?"
The audience at the Commonwealth Club reacted with laughter. But Perkins offered no immediate indication that he was joking. Asked offstage if the proposal was serious, Perkins said: "I intended to be outrageous, and it was."
Perkins seemed to be aware that he was courting controversy, saying that his voting proposal would "make you more angry than my letter to the Wall Street Journal."
That letter, published last month, compared the supposed assault on the wealthy to a wave of Nazi attacks on Jews ahead of the Holocaust.
The letter sparked a public firestorm, and the venture capital firm he co-founded -- Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers -- distanced itself from his comments. Perkins has since allowed that the comparison went too far, but has not apologized for the overall message and his warning about anti-rich "radicalism."
The Perkins plan for determining who should be allowed to vote is likely to give his critics further ammunition.
For his part, Perkins shows no signs of backing down from his argument that the rich in America are under attack. Perkins said Thursday that the trend has grown since the election of President Obama -- who he described as an "amateur."
Pressed for examples of how the rich were being demonized, Perkins said that he feared higher taxes.
"The fear is wealth tax, higher taxes, higher death taxes -- just more taxes until there is no more 1%. And that that will creep down to the 5% and then the 10%," he said.
http://money.cnn.com/2014/02/14/investing/tom-perkins-vote/
Friday, February 14, 2014
ABBOTT: WE ARE ALL ISRAELI
Appearing as a special guest as part of Central’s ongoing “Studio Central” youth program, Abbott spoke about the contribution Jewish Australians have made to our nation, before noting the similarities between Australia and Israel.
“In so many ways, [Israel is] a country so much like Australia, a liberal, pluralist democracy,” he said, “A beacon of freedom and hope in a part of the world which has so little freedom and hope.”
He added that Australians “can hardly begin to comprehend” the existential threat Israelis live under. “It is so easy for us in Australia to get moral qualms, if you like, when we read about Israeli actions in – on the West Bank for instance – or Israeli involvement in Lebanon.”
“And yet, we are not threatened in the way Israel was and is, and if we were threatened in the way Israel was and is, I am sure that we would take actions just as strong in our own defence.
“When Israel is fighting for its very life, well, as far as I’m concerned, Australians are Israelis. We are all Israelis in those circumstances.”
On a more local front, Abbott noted that Australia was the only the country in the world after Israel to have had a Jewish head of state, a Jewish Chief Justice and a Jewish Commander of the Armed Forces.
He was also full of praise for the Central Synagogue congregation and the wider Jewish community. “I am immensely encouraged to see the strength and the vigour of Jewish culture and Jewish faith here in Australia.”
Central Synagogue shaliach Hillel Fried said the successful evening heralded a re-invigoration of the Studio Central program.
“There’s a young community that’s being developed in the Central Synagogue that’s more and more vibrant, and that is growing in numbers,” he said. “We’re appealing to that crowd again so it’s a very positive development and we’re looking forward to many more events.”
Rabbi Levi Wolff expressed his gratitude to Kooyong MP Josh Frydenberg, who was also present, for his role in securing Abbott’s attendance for the event, noting that when the Opposition Leader mentioned there were “three future prime ministers in the room”, it was a testament to Frydenberg’s potential and ability.
Wentworth MP and shadow minister for communications and broadband Malcolm Turnbull also attended the event.
GARETH NARUNSKY
Tony Abbott (left) with Central Synagogue president Danny Taibel (centre) and vice-president Bob Rosen. Photo: Henry Benjamin.
http://www.jewishnews.net.au/abbott-we-are-all-israeli/25335
Thursday, February 13, 2014
CAMPBELL NEWMAN SAYS HE HAD NO KNOWLEDGE OF $30M PITCH BY WIFE'S FAMILY COMPANY
AAP September 28, 2011
Mrs Newman was secretary of the company - initially known as Invictus Solutions and now trading as Majella Global Technologies Asia Pacific - for its first three weeks.
The company was registered on January 21, a day after it offered its services to the Bligh Labor government, The Australian newspaper reported.
The company made an unsolicited pitch for up to $30 million a year from the Queensland Reconstruction Authority to provide disaster recovery expertise after the January floods.
Majella has not won any work with the authority, the paper reported.
Mr Newman, whose financial interests have come under intense scrutiny in recent weeks, has previously said neither he nor his wife had any financial interest in the company.
In a fresh statement to the paper, Mr Newman said he had no knowledge of the $30 million a year pitch and that he and his wife had no financial interest in the venture.
"This was a proposal put to the Labor state government by Seb Monsour that I had no knowledge of and took place while I was Lord Mayor of Brisbane," he said.
"I am not a state government decision-maker nor am I an elected member; therefore there is no conflict of interest.
"I can categorically state that Lisa and myself have not received any financial benefit and will not in the future receive any financial benefit from the operations of Frank and Seb Monsour's company."
After Mrs Newman resigned as secretary of her brother's company, she remained a director of its shareholder, Frank Monsour Family Investments, a family trust headed by her father.
She's no longer a director of that trust but is still a potential beneficiary, a fact she has disclosed, an LNP spokeswoman told AAP on Wednesday.
Earlier this month, Mr Newman was forced to defend his wife's role in her brother's company at a time when he was still Brisbane Lord Mayor and was yet to take over the LNP leadership.
He accused Labor of trying to smear him by suggesting he'd somehow tried to profit from Queensland's flood disaster.
Soon afterwards, Mr Newman bowed to pressure and revealed the LNP was paying him $12,000 a month, or $144,000 per year, to lead the party to the election from outside parliament.
That revelation handed Labor more fuel.
Mr Newman had said he was being paid less than a backbencher, which carries a base salary of $134,000.
Mr Newman is currently on leave.
Opposition deputy leader Tim Nicholls said on Wednesday the attacks on Mr Newman weren't helping Labor.
Nor are they helping openness, transparency, honesty and fairness. Nicholls is protecting Newman. There is no choice in politics.
He pointed to a Newspoll, published in The Australian on Wednesday, showing Premier Anna Bligh is facing a landslide defeat.
Labor's primary vote has slumped to almost half that of the LNP, and Mr Newman's LNP now leads Labor 61 per cent to 39 per cent after preferences.
The poll also shows Mr Newman is ahead of Ms Bligh in the preferred premier stakes, 48 per cent to 34. But his dissatisfaction rating has risen five points to 27 per cent.
"This desperate mud-slinging that's been going on for the last couple of weeks is not having an impact," Mr Nicholls told ABC Radio on Wednesday.
http://www.foxsports.com.au/other-sports/campbell-newman-says-he-had-no-knowledge-of-30m-pitch-by-wifes-family-company/story-e6frf56c-1226148869015
CONTROVERSY: Campbell Newman at home with his wife Lisa. Pic Jamie Hanson
Source:
The Courier-Mail
QUEENSLAND'S would-be premier says he didn't know about a
pitch for up to $30 million a year in disaster recovery expertise by a
company set up by his wife's family.
Liberal National Party leader Campbell Newman also says
neither he nor his wife Lisa received any financial benefit from the
operations of the company, headed by Mrs Newman's brother Seb Monsour.Mrs Newman was secretary of the company - initially known as Invictus Solutions and now trading as Majella Global Technologies Asia Pacific - for its first three weeks.
The company was registered on January 21, a day after it offered its services to the Bligh Labor government, The Australian newspaper reported.
The company made an unsolicited pitch for up to $30 million a year from the Queensland Reconstruction Authority to provide disaster recovery expertise after the January floods.
Majella has not won any work with the authority, the paper reported.
Mr Newman, whose financial interests have come under intense scrutiny in recent weeks, has previously said neither he nor his wife had any financial interest in the company.
In a fresh statement to the paper, Mr Newman said he had no knowledge of the $30 million a year pitch and that he and his wife had no financial interest in the venture.
"This was a proposal put to the Labor state government by Seb Monsour that I had no knowledge of and took place while I was Lord Mayor of Brisbane," he said.
"I am not a state government decision-maker nor am I an elected member; therefore there is no conflict of interest.
"I can categorically state that Lisa and myself have not received any financial benefit and will not in the future receive any financial benefit from the operations of Frank and Seb Monsour's company."
After Mrs Newman resigned as secretary of her brother's company, she remained a director of its shareholder, Frank Monsour Family Investments, a family trust headed by her father.
She's no longer a director of that trust but is still a potential beneficiary, a fact she has disclosed, an LNP spokeswoman told AAP on Wednesday.
Earlier this month, Mr Newman was forced to defend his wife's role in her brother's company at a time when he was still Brisbane Lord Mayor and was yet to take over the LNP leadership.
He accused Labor of trying to smear him by suggesting he'd somehow tried to profit from Queensland's flood disaster.
Soon afterwards, Mr Newman bowed to pressure and revealed the LNP was paying him $12,000 a month, or $144,000 per year, to lead the party to the election from outside parliament.
That revelation handed Labor more fuel.
Mr Newman had said he was being paid less than a backbencher, which carries a base salary of $134,000.
Mr Newman is currently on leave.
Opposition deputy leader Tim Nicholls said on Wednesday the attacks on Mr Newman weren't helping Labor.
Nor are they helping openness, transparency, honesty and fairness. Nicholls is protecting Newman. There is no choice in politics.
He pointed to a Newspoll, published in The Australian on Wednesday, showing Premier Anna Bligh is facing a landslide defeat.
Labor's primary vote has slumped to almost half that of the LNP, and Mr Newman's LNP now leads Labor 61 per cent to 39 per cent after preferences.
The poll also shows Mr Newman is ahead of Ms Bligh in the preferred premier stakes, 48 per cent to 34. But his dissatisfaction rating has risen five points to 27 per cent.
"This desperate mud-slinging that's been going on for the last couple of weeks is not having an impact," Mr Nicholls told ABC Radio on Wednesday.
http://www.foxsports.com.au/other-sports/campbell-newman-says-he-had-no-knowledge-of-30m-pitch-by-wifes-family-company/story-e6frf56c-1226148869015
Monday, February 10, 2014
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