Fascism in America.... Thanks Henry Waxman!!!
 

http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/po...-89347127.html

Does this smell like fascism to anyone else? Bascially if you say something within your company that the government does not like, or disagrees with, you will be hauled up before congress to explain yourself.... This is INSANELY scary!!!!

"To assist the Committee with its preparation for the hearing," he wrote to Stephenson, "we request that you provide the following documents from January 1, 2009, through the present:

(1) any analyses related to the projected impact of health care reform on AT&T; and (2) any documents, including e-mail messages, sent to or prepared or reviewed by senior company officials related to the projected impact of health care reform on AT&T. We also request an explanation of the accounting methods used by AT&T since 2003 to estimate the financial impact on your company of the 28 percent subsidy for retiree drug coverage and its deductibility or nondeductibility, including the accounting methods used in preparing the cost impact statement released by AT&T this week.

Waxman's request could prove particularly troubling for the companies. The executives will undoubtedly view such documents as confidential, but if they fail to give Waxman everything he wants, they run the risk of subpoenas and threats from the chairman. And all as punishment for making a business decision in light of a new tax situation.

Its been that way forever, its not just companies it could be labor unions, baseball players on the junk, mafia members, porn peddlers, etc...

Well, you could also look at it this way. These are publicly owned companies. By announcing that they could lose up to a billion dollars due to this health care change they could grossly effect their stock price as well as the stock prices of other companies. They also may be saying this as a political tool. Waxman is calling them out. If they are going to publicly claim they can lose this amount of money he wants them to prove it.

Could it be that the investigation may be to garner information to possibly amend the health care bill?

True, but for one VERY important difference.

In this case, there is nothing in ANY way illegal about the companies making decisions about what to do with their benefits packages or their accounting, and there isn't even an allegation that there is anything illegal. Congress simply wants to intimidate anyone that does not back up their policies or causes them embarassment over their shiny new law.

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HENRY WAXMEN???? LOL I really doubt it. I think this is just a way to get companies to shut up.

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So you are saying that AT&T, Verizon, Caterpillar, Deere, Valero Energy, AK Steel and 3M are all trying to scam the stock market at the same time in the same way....?


Is that really your theory on this?


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No necessarily. But they are claiming that this bill will cost them billions or that because of it they may have to cut some benefits to retired workers. Announcing new debts of billions for your company very well could effect the stock price. They could also be using this as a way to dump some of the benefits for retired workers and blame it on the health care bill.

I'm simply saying that if you own a big, publicly owned company and you make a statement that a new bill/law is going to cost you billions and have a very negative effect on you, I don't see it as being unreasonable for lawmakers to call you out and make you prove your allegations.

:1orglaugh

I guess that should read, "If you run a big, publicly owned company." :)

Quoted for truth. :2 cents:

:thumbsup :winkwink:

If that was the case, then this would be under investigation by the FTC, not a senate subcommittee for a show trial...



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Well let's see did Hitler have guys go in front of their version of Congress? No. You were shot to went to a concentration camp. So no it's not fascism. This doesn't even compare to when Congress forced thousands of people to testify in 1950's to see if they were communists.

You need to learn the definition of fascism... because this ain't it.

:2 cents: It's not like they could short sell their own stock or anything... right? Some people say that Apple did the same thing.

You're right it doesn't compare. In the 50s, the USSR was our enemy, Stalin was slaughtering tens of millions of people, and we were in a nuclear stalemate with them. Mao was an even more prolific and brutal killer and we were in a proxy war with China in Korea.

Today, a bunch of company's make business decisions based on a new tax law and they are hauled up to explain themselves... It's a big difference. (And one of the definitions of fascism is the government control of private business.... look it up)

see people have made up their minds who they like and who they dont so for example if you like obama and his abmin you will justify anything and if u hate him u will hate everything

and that is where things get scary and i mean that on both sides

So what does that have to do with asking AMERICANS if they are communist which is and was LEGAL according to the US Constitution? Doesn't matter if we were at war if an American wanted to be a communist he had every right to be one.

On this side of the world if you operate a public company and don't disclose information about possible losses and forecasted costs you get in trouble, and depending on the severity of your secrecy you might go to jail.

The point is that these companies DID disclose the possible losses and forecasted costs... the reason that they are being hauled up before congress is that their announcements made the new health care law look bad.


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