I agree with most of that.

"Let me tell you how it will be,
There’s one for you, nineteen for me,
‘Cos I’m the Taxman,
Yeah, I’m the Taxman.
Should five per cent appear too small,
Be thankful I don’t take it all.
‘Cos I’m the Taxman,
Yeah yeah, I’m the Taxman.

(If you drive a car car), I’ll tax the street,
(If you try to sit sit), I’ll tax your seat,
(If you get too cold cold), I’ll tax the heat,
(If you take a walk walk), I’ll tax your feet.
Taxman.

‘Cos I’m the Taxman,
Yeah, I’m the Taxman.
Don’t ask me what I want it for
(Ah Ah! Mister Wilson!)
If you don’t want to pay some more
(Ah Ah! Mister Heath!),
‘Cos I’m the Taxman,
Yeeeah, I’m the Taxman.

Now my advice for those who die, (Taxman!)
Declare the pennies on your eyes, (Taxman!)
‘Cos I’m the Taxman,
Yeah, I’m the Taxman.
And you’re working for no-one but me,
(Taxman).
"

:-)


>>>Sure, and deservedly so. What happened with the sanctity of contract?
>>
>>I don't know. The last time a company tried to honor their contract, the president and the politicans started to play good-cop/bad-cop and started to beat their chest in outrage claiming they didn't know.
>
>So, contract with the CEOs and contract with the workers(' union) have the same weight - a contract is a contract is a contract. If some of it can't be paid out, then IMO everybody gets the same proportion. If there's now money left for only a quarter of it, so be it - everybody gets a quarter (and owns a piece of paper theoretically worth the remaining three quarters), regardless of who's who.
>
>Yet in all these negotiations - last two years, mind you, not just this - I've heard this tired argument that it's the labor cost that's killing the company (each of the big three, IIRC), and if they could just get the workers to sod off, give up on their unreasonable caprices and just take a dignified stand while suffering a loss, everything would be back to normal... while, of course, promising that the new manager, paid dozens of millions, will save them. His millions are somehow guaranteed and he's never told to take a dignified stand while suffering a loss nor is he told to pick the week's pay on his way out. His contract is, of course, more equal, comrades, we must protect our cadre.
>
>BTW, last time I looked, if all the retirement funds debt and future debt would vanish momentarily, that would influence the price of Detroit cars by about 1%. May need to get fresher numbers from somewhere - or maybe someone already has them? Total cost of this, that and the rest.