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Booking.com gives €28m in bonuses to three top execs; Took €65m in State aid

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Re: Booking.com gives €28m in bonuses to three top execs; Took €65m in State aid

#62

I'm surprised anyone is surprised. Here in the US we've spent several trillion dollars on Covid relief so far, and there's more to come. When you're dealing with a torrent of printed cash of this magnitude, there's of course going to be a lot of it that ends up in the wrong hands for the wrong reasons.

>there’s more to come

??? How do you figure? There’s an infrastructure investment bill in the works which hopefully doesn’t pass if the Democrats get to write it. I certainly haven’t heard of any more COVID relief bills in the works though.

Re: Booking.com gives €28m in bonuses to three top execs; Took €65m in State aid

#63

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What does age/race/gender have to do with this?

If you replace "middle-aged white man" with "soulless corporate stooge" nearly anywhere this phrase is used, the replacement term will fit. The term "middle-aged white man" is a caricature of the extremely wealthy and powerful, even though (I believe) it is a misleading and inaccurate portrayal.

You say misleading caricature, yet all three of the people named in this article are middle aged white men.

Re: Booking.com gives €28m in bonuses to three top execs; Took €65m in State aid

#64

These "state aids" are coming from the mandatory unemployment insurance scheme that both employees and employers (in this case, Booking) are forced to pay in. It is silly to now blame companies and employees now making use of the insurance that they paid in for years. Imagine crashing your car and the insurance is refusing to pay you, arguing "but you just bought a second car! you don't really need the insurance mone…

From the article: The bonuses were paid because they were "concerned they could otherwise lose the three top executives."

Re: Booking.com gives €28m in bonuses to three top execs; Took €65m in State aid

#65
post #3

Directly via bailouts and indirectly via inflation, COVID was the biggest wealth transfer to the rich in history.

Most of the 99% are proud of being vaccinated, so they don't seem to have a problem with the situation.

Re: Booking.com gives €28m in bonuses to three top execs; Took €65m in State aid

#66

These "state aids" are coming from the mandatory unemployment insurance scheme that both employees and employers (in this case, Booking) are forced to pay in. It is silly to now blame companies and employees now making use of the insurance that they paid in for years. Imagine crashing your car and the insurance is refusing to pay you, arguing "but you just bought a second car! you don't really need the insurance mone…

That’s not how bonuses should work. Plus, if there’s no money to pay other employees, they shouldn’t pay executives.

Re: Booking.com gives €28m in bonuses to three top execs; Took €65m in State aid

#67
post #3

Directly via bailouts and indirectly via inflation, COVID was the biggest wealth transfer to the rich in history.

Not rich here. Wife's company got COVID loans. They were forgiven. Company had to prove money was spent on rent, salaries, benefits. Company didn't make money on it. Employees were able to keep their jobs. No bonuses involved there.

Re: Booking.com gives €28m in bonuses to three top execs; Took €65m in State aid

#68
post #3

Directly via bailouts and indirectly via inflation, COVID was the biggest wealth transfer to the rich in history.

How does inflation help the rich? Doesn't that devalue their net worth?

It's not going to help directly. But if the inflation was a) produced by printing money that b) disproportionately ended up in the pockets of a subset of the population, one way or another, then it amounts to a wealth transfer.

Re: Booking.com gives €28m in bonuses to three top execs; Took €65m in State aid

#69

The real error here is public money being given to private companies. Let them break Fund people, not companies

Not sure about "let them break" for a government-imposed lockdown, but I agree that giving support directly to employees to stay home from work would have been a better strategy since you cut out the middleman. (Use whatever method works. Via the unemployment infrastructure for example)

Re: Booking.com gives €28m in bonuses to three top execs; Took €65m in State aid

#70

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>Fund people, not companies it depended. large corporation like Apple don't need the money but mom and pop shop that is forced to close during the peak should receive money. the sad thing is corporation that clearly can make it thur covid is receiving the largest amount like https://www.npr.org/sections/coronavirus-live-updates/2020/0...

Or, instead of funding either corporation, just give mom and pop money. Instead of business bailouts, we should've done regular, recurring stimulus checks that would help business owners cover bills while they're businesses were closed, and help employees cover bills while they're unable to work.

Have you counted on how much this would have costed?
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