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5/14/2015 8:07 am  #1


Sympathy for the Devils?

This should bring tears to your eyes, and a great deal of sympathy for Chuck & Dave. An article from Bloomberg:



The Koch brothers lost more than than $1 billion yesterday. Each

Billionaire brothers Charles and David Koch each lost $1.1 billion on Tuesday, a drop that might devastate even the wealthiest of the one percent. For the Kochs, the fifth- and sixth-richest people on earth, it represents just 2 percent of their individual fortunes.

Some perspective for the rest of us? That's akin to the average 60-year old American losing about $3,400, according to Dean Baker, of the Center for Economic And Policy Research, in an interview on Bloomberg Television.

Yesterday's fall is the third such swing in the past 12 months and the fifth in the past three years, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index. Because the drops represent a loss of paper value based on market conditions that affect assets in their closely held Koch Industries, they are not likely to alter the Kochs' plans to spend $900 million to elect a Republican president in next year's election.

The brothers each own 42 percent of Koch Industries, the second-largest closely held company in the U.S. The company owns Georgia-Pacific as well as oil refineries, fertilizer makers, financial services firms, and dozens of other businesses. Overall, the brothers, each worth $50.5 billion, have added about $190 million to their fortunes in 2015.




I hope their favorite charities don't suffer too much. Oh, wait a minute, their favorite charity is to pile millions into Republican Party campaigns in order to elect politicians that will cater to their personal whims and increase their personal wealth. And Dave and Chuck have made it clear that their minor losses won't alter their campaign contributions. What a relief!

Last edited by Rongone (5/14/2015 8:08 am)

 

5/14/2015 9:35 am  #2


Re: Sympathy for the Devils?

NACDL Selected to Receive Significant Grant from Koch Industries, Inc. to Address Nation's Profound Indigent Defense Crisis

http://www.nacdl.org/NewsReleases.aspx?id=34848

Washington, DC (Oct. 21, 2014) – The National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (NACDL), the nation's preeminent organization advancing the mission of the criminal defense bar to ensure justice and due process for persons accused of crime or wrongdoing, has been selected by Koch Industries, Inc. to receive a major grant in support of NACDL's efforts to address the nation's profound indigent defense crisis.There are two components to this generous and critical initiative:

Significant expansion of access to training through an ambitious combination of scholarship support for indigent defenders, web-based training via the Internet, and targeted on-site training for indigent defense providers who lack adequate resources to provide comprehensive continuing education for line attorneys and supervisors.

Examination of state level indigent defense delivery systems in order to ascertain strengths that can be replicated elsewhere as well as weaknesses and the ways in which those can be rectified.

Both components will seek to achieve the goals set forth in the American Bar Association's Ten Principles of a Public Defense Delivery System, which are widely recognized as providing a comprehensive framework for the effective delivery of legal services for the indigent accused.

The Sixth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution provides that those accused of a crime have the fundamental right to an attorney, regardless of one's ability to pay. Indeed, some 80-plus percent of those accused of crime in America rely upon indigent defense systems to provide representation. Those systems are chronically underfunded and overburdened and, as a result, in many instances are unable to effectively deliver adequate representation. Koch has selected NACDL as the recipient of this funding in order to advance the Association's core mission of improving and ensuring the quality of indigent defense in America.NACDL President Theodore Simon said: "This funding will significantly enhance NACDL's ever-vigilant, ongoing efforts and capacity to elevate the caliber of representation available to those who cannot afford to hire a lawyer when they face criminal charges. No one – regardless of financial means – who faces a criminal prosecution, should be deprived of the guiding hand of experienced counsel.

This grant from Koch brings us closer to the day when that goal will be a reality. It is an important step to fulfill the promise of Gideon, the landmark U.S. Supreme Court decision upholding the Sixth Amendment right to counsel for the indigent.” NACDL Executive Director Norman L. Reimer said: "This is about a fundamental right set forth in the Constitution – the right to counsel – and the very sorry state of support for indigent defense this country. NACDL is delighted that there is such a convergence of interest and concern between NACDL's mission and that of Koch with respect to the critical importance of indigent defense and the Sixth Amendment right to counsel. And we are honored that while Koch is providing this significant funding to support NACDL's efforts, Koch is deferring to NACDL's expertise in this arena for the grant's effective deployment. We hope that the support Koch is providing to NACDL to expand efforts to address America's profound indigent defense crisis serves as a model and inspiration to others who are similarly situated to step up and join NACDL as we work to ensure the survival of the fundamental right to counsel.

"Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Koch Industries, Inc., Charles G. Koch said: "I am proud that Koch Industries is a part of this worthy project. All of my life, I have supported and championed the Bill of Rights, which is the bedrock upon which our free society was built. We are supportive of the NACDL's efforts to make the Sixth Amendment's guarantee of an individual's right to counsel a reality for all Americans, especially those who are the most disadvantaged in our society."According to Senior Vice President and General Counsel for Koch Industries, Inc., Mark V. Holden, "We unconditionally support the Bill of Rights, which is the blueprint for our free society, and the rule of law. As a result, we support NACDL and criminal defense lawyers because the Sixth Amendment specifically identifies criminal defense lawyers as a right and necessity for individuals accused of crimes. With this initiative, we hope to strengthen the Sixth Amendment and protect the freedom and rights of all Americans, including those who are most negatively impacted by lack of access to a competent defense lawyer."

Koch Industries has been involved with and supportive of NACDL's efforts for more than a decade. In 2011, Holden received the Association's Defender of Justice Leadership Award on behalf of Koch Industries in recognition of his and the company's ongoing support of NACDL's mission.
 

Last edited by Common Sense (5/14/2015 9:37 am)


 “We hold these truths to be self-evident,”  former vice president Biden said during a campaign event in Texas on Monday. "All men and women created by — you know, you know, the thing.”

 
 

5/14/2015 9:44 am  #3


Re: Sympathy for the Devils?

David H. Koch Charitable Foundation and Personal Philanthropy
http://www.kochfamilyfoundations.org/foundationsdhk.asp

A long-time philanthropist, Mr. Koch has given generously to a variety of organizations and programs. In his lifetime, he and the David H. Koch Charitable Foundation have pledged or contributed more than $1.2 billion to cancer research, medical centers, educational institutions, arts and cultural institutions, and to assist public policy organizations.


$100 million to NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital to help build the David H. Koch Center, a new ambulatory care center, plus $28 million to other research causes

$20 million to Johns Hopkins University for the David H. Koch Cancer Research Center

$66.7 million to support cancer research at the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York City

$26.5 million to the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston for the David H. Koch Center for Applied Research of Genitourinary Cancers and other causes

$26.2 million to The Hospital for Special Surgery in New York City for the 'Building on Success' campaign and other causes

$10 million to Jaffe Food Allergy Institute at the Mount Sinai Medical Center to create the David H. and Julia Koch Research Program in Food Allergy Therapeutics
Mr. Koch supports science-related projects including funding the long-running PBS documentary series, “Nova,” and a science and technology center at Deerfield Academy in Massachusetts.

In 2008, his foundation gave $100 million for the preservation and renovation of the State Theater of New York at Lincoln Center. Now known as the David H. Koch Theater, it is home to the New York City Ballet and New York City Opera.

 


 “We hold these truths to be self-evident,”  former vice president Biden said during a campaign event in Texas on Monday. "All men and women created by — you know, you know, the thing.”

 
 

5/14/2015 9:46 am  #4


Re: Sympathy for the Devils?

Yup they are true "Devils" ?? 


 “We hold these truths to be self-evident,”  former vice president Biden said during a campaign event in Texas on Monday. "All men and women created by — you know, you know, the thing.”

 
 

5/14/2015 9:58 am  #5


Re: Sympathy for the Devils?

They're gods!
Thanks so much, common, for reminding us.


We live in a time in which decent and otherwise sensible people are surrendering too easily to the hectoring of morons or extremists. 
 

5/14/2015 9:59 am  #6


Re: Sympathy for the Devils?

Per Lawrence Goldman past president of NACDL:

fleetingly whether the group should take a major grant from Koch Industries. “I’m alive, so I know who the Koch brothers are. I do not agree with them politically,” Goldman said. “The question went through my mind, but I dismissed it pretty quickly.”

In the end, said Lefcourt and Goldman, what matters is NACDL’s ability and freedom to execute its agenda, whether funding comes from George Soros or Charles and David Koch. "We will take money pretty much from whoever offers it,” Goldman said. “I have lost no sleep over this.”




Also, curiously, the amount of the grant to this organization was not identified. Also, the individual charitable donations to the other groups are minuscule when compared to Dave & Chuck's check writing to republican candidates. Plus they receive a tax deduction for their charitable contributions and their political contributions are protected by the supreme court's bogus Citizens United decision. Chuck & Dave have an ulterior motive for all financial decisions they make, and that motive is to personally enrich Chuck & Dave.

Please allow me to introduce myself, I am a man of wealth and taste.
I've been around here for a long, long year, stole many a man's soul and fate.
Pleased to meet you, hope you guess my name, oh yeah.
But what's puzzling you is the nature of my game.

The Rolling Stones, Sympathy For The Devil

Last edited by Rongone (5/14/2015 10:37 am)

     Thread Starter
 

5/14/2015 3:58 pm  #7


Re: Sympathy for the Devils?

Rongone wrote:

This should bring tears to your eyes, and a great deal of sympathy for Chuck & Dave. An article from Bloomberg:



The Koch brothers lost more than than $1 billion yesterday. Each

In reality they actually lost nothing (unless they sold), but by that same reasoning they likely made it all back plus another billion or so today ! 

 


"Do not confuse motion and progress, A rocking horse keeps moving but does not make any progress"
 
 

5/14/2015 5:11 pm  #8


Re: Sympathy for the Devils?

So the Koch's donated 200 million for charitible causes.  Great.  They are spending about 900 million on upcoming elections.  I wonder why?

Common, I really need you to study history and understand what's going on here as this formula has been repeated over and over and over again throughout history.  In a nutshell, they (the members of the 'family') do philanthropic things to gain the confidence and support of the masses.  That's step one.

Step two, they go as far as they can spreading their influence throughout the marketplace.

Step three, since the regulator of the marketplace is the government, they buy the government to pass laws and ease regulations that impact their desire to continue to build their empire.

And so it goes, and so it has gone on for centuries.  The real professionals were the Medici in Italy.  They ran the place for two hundred years and never held a political office.

I'm probably telling you something you already knew if you had a decent history teacher or professor.  I'm just asking that you look at what the Koch's are doing objectively.  Forget political tribalism and/or loyalty for a moment and look at what's going on with an open, critical, objective mindset.

 

Last edited by Just Fred (5/14/2015 5:16 pm)

 

5/14/2015 6:48 pm  #9


Re: Sympathy for the Devils?

What about the devils Gates, Buffett, and Soros who use their evil philantrophy to bedevil the markets and bamboozle the public ? 

 

Last edited by tennyson (5/14/2015 6:48 pm)


"Do not confuse motion and progress, A rocking horse keeps moving but does not make any progress"
 
 

5/14/2015 7:51 pm  #10


Re: Sympathy for the Devils?

What about the devils Gates, Buffett, and Soros who use their evil philantrophy to bedevil the markets and bamboozle the public ? 

I would have to know what they inject into the political process buying politicians to help them control the marketplace. 

There are only two things that can put the brakes on turning this country into a plutocratic oligarchy .............. unions and government.  Corporatists have done a pretty good job demonizing unionization in the private sector.  Unionization in the public sector is the next target and that is part of the reason why controlling government is important.  I'm not sure how Gates, Buffet and Soros feel about unions and the ability of the worker to engage in collective bargaining.

 

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