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Comments

1. #1
   On February 25th, 2012 at 5:58 pm, sicoit said:

   “It looks highly suspicious,” said Paul Chesser, associate fellow for the National Legal & Policy Center. “It looks like they are trying to pad their top people’s wallets in case something really bad happens.”

   Sheesh, YA THINK?!

2. #2
   On February 25th, 2012 at 6:00 pm, sicoit said:

   …had a net loss of $172 million through the first three quarters of 2011.

   I’ll bet if someone looked in teh won’s reelection coffers they’d find that $172M…

3. #3
   On February 25th, 2012 at 6:10 pm, Hangfire said:

   I think I’ve seen this movie before.

   Reminds me of “Rio Bravo” and “El Dorado.” Same story, difference cast.

4. #4
   On February 25th, 2012 at 6:17 pm, Pasadena Phil said:

   Considering that political fallout from the bad “optics”, those raises look petty and foolish. What difference does it make people earning six-figure salaries to get raises from a company going out of business? So instead of earning a fraction of your $331,000 salary you will now get a fraction of your new $380,000 salary?

   One of the most damning facts about all of these solar companies is that the only private equity investment they attracted were from the politically connected cronies (hello George Kaiser, Al Gore, Warren Buffet, etal) who “knew” the taxpayer would cough up the money needed to fund the company long enough for them to score when the company went public and they would cash out “greatest fool” investors who ended up holding the bag for these doomed-from-the-start companies.

   These companies weren’t doomed for lack of capital but from being very bad ideas with no potential. They were scams created by the political cronysphere to rip off the taxpayer and small investors. So now, that jig has found its way into the crap pile with global warming “science”, cap and trade, and the latest WHO pandemic.

   Taking over the world via one-world government just isn’t as easy as they though. But we still have the central banks working on their angle.

5. #5
   On February 25th, 2012 at 6:19 pm, Pasadena Phil said:

   thought, not though. Stupid keyboard demons!

6. #6
   On February 25th, 2012 at 6:21 pm, drbage said:

   Maybe the raise was to cover the additional taxes that they would have to pay for the “privilege” of being an American according to Li’l Timmy Geitner.

7. #7
   On February 25th, 2012 at 6:29 pm, evilned said:

   I had no idea. I was about to apply for a job there.

   I’m not going to now.

   At least I’m currently employed so I’m not desperate…
   For now

8. #8
   On February 25th, 2012 at 6:49 pm, hawkeye54 said:

   On February 25th, 2012 at 6:10 pm, Hangfire said:
   I think I’ve seen this movie before.
   Reminds me of “Rio Bravo” and “El Dorado.” Same story, difference cast.

   Don’t forget “Rio Lobo”. We’ll be seeing this same story yet again.

9. #9
   On February 25th, 2012 at 6:50 pm, hawkeye54 said:

   “It looks highly suspicious,” said Paul Chesser, associate fellow for the National Legal & Policy Center. “It looks like they are trying to pad their top people’s wallets in case something really bad happensbecause that was the idea all along.”

   Yup.

10. #10
    On February 25th, 2012 at 6:58 pm, peteee said:

    the battery manufacturer that received $390.1 million in federal and state subsidies — the company has laid off 125 employees and had a net loss of $172 million through the first three quarters of 2011.

    ok obama, i have a deal for you! give me 300 million, i promise to only lose 100 million, and return the rest, ok?

11. #11
    On February 25th, 2012 at 7:10 pm, jsmiddleton4 said:

    I’m looking forward to the ad that list each one of these fiascos, gives the grand total, and pins it on Obama stealing from taxpayers.

12. #12
    On February 25th, 2012 at 7:29 pm, AlohaGuy said:

    Senator Debbie Stabenow

    Cue Rice Paddy Girl!

    “Thank you Debbie SpendItNow.”

    $2 billion for battery research? They run out of juice. Send the $2 to Hawaii, I’ll spread it around “fairly”.

13. #13
    On February 25th, 2012 at 8:01 pm, Flyoverman said:

    No different than the execs at Fannie and Freddie. T

14. #14
    On February 25th, 2012 at 9:51 pm, rambler said:

    The gov’s answer to everything is to spend more money. The solution to every problem is more spending and another gov program. The problem will never be solved until the gov spends even more money to get it to work. It seems more likely that the gov has no intention of providing any solutions which will solve the problem because the gov needs to perpetuate the problem in order to keep spending. The solutions to our problems are quite simple. Instead the gov and elected officials keep asking for more time and money to solve our problems. They are the problem.

15. #15
    On February 25th, 2012 at 9:52 pm, rightisright said:

    so unbelievable how corrupt, crooked and down right nasty in attitude our giverment has become, crooks everyone of the dems and a good share of repuks.

16. #16
    On February 25th, 2012 at 10:03 pm, Rogue Cheddar said:

    I know my math skills suck, but where is the rest of the money?

17. #17
    On February 25th, 2012 at 11:22 pm, Republicanvet said:

    Expensive retrofits?

    What do they care? I’m sure they will get free money from Urkels stash.

18. #18
    On February 25th, 2012 at 11:45 pm, gus said:

    Why did Geithner CHEAT ON HIS TAXES, if it’s a requirement for the privilege of being American.

    Unfortunately for all of “US”, LIBTARDS do not read Michelle Malkin.

    Michelle Malkin is THEEE best Conservative blog on EARTH.

    Her co-bloggers are fantastic too.

19. #19
    On February 25th, 2012 at 11:52 pm, tbear44 said:

    On February 25th, 2012 at 10:03 pm, Rogue Cheddar said:
    where is the rest of the money?

    If only I had a dollar for each time I have thought the same thing about this admin.

20. #20
    On February 26th, 2012 at 12:18 am, redgypsy said:

    tbear, I think we’d be well off if we had only gotten a dime each time we thunk it!

21. #21
    On February 26th, 2012 at 12:18 am, right_on said:

    Taxpayer Subsidized Clean Energy Company Losing Money and Laying Off Workers While Execs Get Raises

    Well of course! That’s how the liquidation of “taxpayer ‘investments‘”, AKA, “Obama Money,” (or NACHO money, if you prefer) occurs. It’s a primary function of American Socialism…to take from the many, and give to the few.

    Certainly they will get away with it…they’ve got a feckless Energy Czar, and a corrupt Attorney General, playing for their side.

    Socialist “investors” leverage their money by funding top-level Democrats, specifically Barack Obama. They seem to have a fail-safe way to get excessive returns on their investments, in exchange for a promise of financial support during election years.

    What quid pro quo? Nothing to see here…

22. #22
    On February 26th, 2012 at 12:45 am, Member-VRWC said:

    They were banking on being a supplier to Fisker????? Bwwwwwaaaaahahahahaha!!!!! Those clowns haven’t and won’t build a single car … ever. So laid-off auto workers hired at A123 Systems get laid-off again, while the suits in the corner offices get raises for running yet another crony company built on taxpayer money into the ground. I think they made a movie about this a few years ago, where the same thing happens day after day … Ground Hog Day or some such. Someday, people are going to get pissed about their money being pissed down a rat-hole and do something about it. Nahhhh. That won’t happen. That would be racist.

23. #23
    On February 26th, 2012 at 2:45 am, Hiraghm said:

    It’s so frustrating.

    How many jobs did this company create for the $390 million invested?

    I can’t even get a $390 loan from the gov’t to get my game company going. Yet these PoSes can get hundreds of millions to dump in the sewer pursuing these nonsensical and unnecessary “green” technologies. And they wonder why “greedy”, successful entrepreneurs are opposed to paying higher taxes.

24. #24
    On February 26th, 2012 at 2:47 am, Hiraghm said:

    Off-topic, but @adamsbaldwin retweeted this about an hour ago.

    @JamesOKeefeIII One last chance, @DavidShuster. Put in a correction today or legal action against you is imminent. I can and will prove you lied w/ malice

    Anyone have any more info on this story?

25. #25
    On February 26th, 2012 at 8:28 am, ChapBix said:

    #5. On February 25th, 2012 at 6:19 pm, Pasadena Phil said:

    thought, not though. Stupid keyboard demons!

    Maybe it’s time for an exorcism.

26. #26
    On February 26th, 2012 at 8:32 am, ChapBix said:

    #12. On February 25th, 2012 at 7:29 pm, AlohaGuy said:

    Senator Debbie Stabenow

    Cue Rice Paddy Girl!

    “Thank you Debbie SpendItNow.”

    $2 billion for battery research? They run out of juice. Send the $2 to Hawaii, I’ll spread it around “fairly”.

    $2 is not much to spread around fairly.

27. #27
    On February 26th, 2012 at 8:39 am, ChapBix said:

    This story is yet more material for an ad campaign against Barky this year. With so many failure stories, they could weave these into other ads for the remainder of the campaign season. The raises should tick off the OWS 99 per centers. Remind them over and over who is contributing to this nonsense.

28. #28
    On February 26th, 2012 at 8:58 am, Pasadena Phil said:

    On February 26th, 2012 at 8:39 am, ChapBix said:

    This story is yet more material for an ad campaign against Barky this year.

    It’ll never happen. “BOTH” parties are playing this game. Read “Throw Them All Out”. That’s how things are done in DC government these days.

    And do you know how most of it is funded? Earmarks. It’s not the “mere” $7-8 billion that would be saved by eliminating earmarks that is important, it is that most of them are payback for deals that the pols use to line their own pockets. Some even sponsor earmarks for pols in other states in exchange for committee chairmanships and other goodies.

    Like I keep saying and Michelle keeps documenting, Obama isn’t the main problem. It’s corruption that has gone viral. It’s the entrenched and hopelessly corrupt one-party establishment. By fighting over which party we will support, all we are doing is perpetuating the system by making sure than “our” crooks win this time. We need to stop voting for crooks. Period.

29. #29
    On February 26th, 2012 at 9:13 am, Pasadena Phil said:

    Here is the list of earmarks sorted to show how much went to contributors by House member in 2011 (FY10) by House member. You can also search by other criteria but there is not way to argue that it is not brazen corruption.

    Since much of this activity is related to items that the president requests in his budget that wouldn’t make the approved budget (whatever that is), it makes a strong case for NOT having a line item veto where the president would have the power to eliminate the “other” party’s earmarks. It would effectively strip Congress of most of its primary power, the power of the purse.

30. #30
    On February 26th, 2012 at 9:15 am, Pasadena Phil said:

    Eliminate the earmarks and you trim back much of the corruption that makes the president powerful far beyond what was intended by the constitution. Eliminating earmarks is not a trivial matter.

31. #31
    On February 26th, 2012 at 11:08 am, happyscrapper said:

    I am starting to think that Obama KNOWS he will be re-elected. How does he KNOW? I’ll tell you. The corrupted election process will not be fixed by November and in fact will be worse than ever. They have succeeded in stopping the push for voter ID’s. They will be able to get the illegal vote. They have hundreds of thousands of volunteers…the idiots who will be PAID to help with the fraud, and PAID with OUR money! We are being destroyed with our own money.

    Is it almost time for a mass “Go Galt” movement? Without THE PEOPLE’s money, they will lose their power.

    Anyway, I am starting to think that it isn’t going to matter who our candidate is. Obama has the power and a lot of power backing him. That is no small thing.

32. #32
    On February 26th, 2012 at 11:24 am, Hannibal said:

    #16 On February 25th, 2012 at 10:03 pm, Rogue Cheddar said:

    I know my math skills suck, but where is the rest of the money?

    Now, there’s a man that understands business. Powers is such a whiner. He never sees the rest of the story.

    They fired 125 people. At $10 per hour, they will free up $2,500,000. They gave themselves $150,000 right now and that still frees up $2.35 million for the bonus account. Before the doors are locked, the $2.3 million will be paid in bonus and the books balance. That’s why they go to Harvard Business School and we don’t. This is heavy stuff.

33. #33
    On February 26th, 2012 at 11:44 am, Collateral Damage said:

    You know, if all of Obastard’s minions would just clear away the thick veil of STUPIDITY, and added up all of these assinine losses, their welfare checks could have been a lot FATTER, instead of getting STIFFED by Obastard the last couple of years!?! Their inability to see that, underscores their blind STUPIDITY!?!?!

34. #34
    On February 26th, 2012 at 11:49 am, Regulus said:

    Great idea! If taxpayers pump money in faster than supported companies lose it, they’ll be able to avoid layoffs, hire extra workers, and Granholm, Stabenow and the Obama administration can declare the project a rousing success — again.

    That’s been the M.O. of the Obama administration’s over-arching approach to “economic recovery:” You can keep rolling on a flat tire as long as you keep pumping air into it. That’s why they keep on keepin’ on with 1+ Trillion Dollar annual deficits and keep calling for more “stimulus” funding. Not to make things grow, but to keep them from collapsing.

    The reason why rappers and hip-hop “artists” use non-stop, droning lyrics is because they know that if they ever stop jabbering for a second and give the audience a chance to even partially absorb what they’re hearing, the crowd will suddenly realize what a load of BS is being unloaded on them and start saying, “Hey — he’s just a great big cockroach!”

    Well, the mind-set of the “Hey, Big Spender” types in the Obama administration is the same as the rapper’s: The moment the tax-and-borrow pumps sputter to a halt, the whole smoke-and-mirrors “economic recovery” they’re jabbering about is going to implode, and people are going to start saying, “Hey…”

35. #35
    On February 26th, 2012 at 11:53 am, Pasadena Phil said:

    On February 26th, 2012 at 11:08 am, happyscrapper said:

    Before “Going Galt”, try LO3E first. That option is already on the ballot. Besides, how exactly do you “Go Galt” anyway? Surrender your social security check and go “off grid”? Seriously.

    It’s like all of these guys with “sgt” in their monikers whose answer to everything is to stick the barrel of a 50 cal up someones butt and pulling the trigger. What are we really going to do? Let’s try the ballot option again but this time doing something different.

36. #36
    On February 26th, 2012 at 11:55 am, Pasadena Phil said:

    BTW, “the people” are not funding the elections these days.

37. #37
    On February 26th, 2012 at 12:11 pm, rightisright said:

    I can’t even get a $390 loan from the gov’t to get my game company going. Yet these PoSes can get hundreds of millions to dump in the sewer pursuing these nonsensical and unnecessary “green” technologies.

    The answer is obvious, you haven’t contributed enough to der Führer’s war chest along with you need to apply for a lot more money to even be in the running for a giverment helping hand.

    Make sure you point out your games are sustainable…”green and sustainable”.

38. #38
    On February 26th, 2012 at 1:08 pm, right_on said:

    Liberals view America as a land of opportunity…opportunity to lie, steal, and cheat their way to the top 1%. When looking for “investment funding,” the easiest “seed money” to obtain comes from appointed political cronies, who have no accountability, who are in positions to dole out cash at the behest of the White House.

    Let’s not refer to federal funding of private companies as “investments.” It is nothing but political pay offs. Those with their hands out view the cash as risk free handouts from the “cookie jar.”

39. #39
    On February 26th, 2012 at 2:02 pm, happyscrapper said:

    On February 26th, 2012 at 11:53 am, Pasadena Phil said:
    On February 26th, 2012 at 11:08 am, happyscrapper said:
    Before “Going Galt”, try LO3E first. That option is already on the ballot. Besides, how exactly do you “Go Galt” anyway? Surrender your social security check and go “off grid”? Seriously. It’s like all of these guys with “sgt” in their monikers whose answer to everything is to stick the barrel of a 50 cal up someones butt and pulling the trigger. What are we really going to do? Let’s try the ballot option again but this time doing something different.

    Phil, I have read many of your posts on this subject (how could I miss them???) and I have considered what you have said. You have made some valid points and they aren’t entirely without merit. I just can’t bring myself to cast a vote that would, in any way, help get Obama re-elected. He is the most dangerous man in the world right now and 4 years of unchecked power with no worry of getting re-elected will be the end of our country. I truly believe that.

    If millions of people cast a “protest” vote when we could have defeated Obama and had more time to get our Tea Party Governors, Senators and Congresspeople into office, we will be toast. You must know that.

    By the way, we have a nice nest egg. But, we do “need” our SS each month. HOWEVER, if I knew there was a true, sincere Galt protest ahead, I would join in and give up the SS. Until then, I will continue to receive it gratefully, and with the knowledge that my hubby and I, between us, paid into it for a total of 80 years.

40. #40
    On February 26th, 2012 at 2:10 pm, happyscrapper said:

    It’s like all of these guys with “sgt” in their monikers whose answer to everything is to stick the barrel of a 50 cal up someones butt and pulling the trigger.

    Phil, do you think all those with “Sgt” in their monikers are joking? I kinda don’t think so. I think what they are saying is they would be willing to defend this country again!! I never did take it as threats of violence against individuals, just a promise that they are soldiers and they have our backs.

41. #41
    On February 27th, 2012 at 11:40 am, Jimmy Chowda said:

    For a second there I thought the sign in the back read “Lottery”, which would have been more appropriate.

42. #42
    On February 27th, 2012 at 1:32 pm, FirstSkirt said:

    Oh.My.Gosh. I thought I was having a “Ground Hog Day” moment. I’m pretty sure I’ve heard this story like a dozen times before. And…I actually was born on Feb 2nd – heh!

43. #43
    On February 27th, 2012 at 3:54 pm, drbulb said:

    Why would I want to
    

    …stick the barrel of a 50 cal up someones butt and pulling the trigger.

    when I can just use mine to take your head off at 1000 meters?

44. #44
    On February 28th, 2012 at 1:27 pm, X-Navy-SWO said:

    Now that the President has made a speach about the benefits of algae, I’m waiting for news that Pond Scum, Inc has declared bankruptcy

45. #45
    On February 28th, 2012 at 1:39 pm, X-Navy-SWO said:

    On February 27th, 2012 at 3:54 pm, drbulb said:

    Why would I want to

    …stick the barrel of a 50 cal up someones butt and pulling the trigger.

    when I can just use mine to take your head off at 1000 meters?

    With a Mk 42 5″ 54cal, I can separate heads, arms, legs, and naughty bits from bodies at 13 miles.

    They make a 68cal now, with even more range, but I prefer the Mk 42′s higher rate of fire.

    On station, ready for Call for Fire.

46. #46
    On February 28th, 2012 at 4:33 pm, X-Navy-SWO said:

    With a Mk 42 5″ 54cal, I can separate heads, arms, legs, and naughty bits from bodies at 13 miles.

    They make a 68cal now, with even more range, but I prefer the Mk 42′s higher rate of fire.

    On station, ready for Call for Fire.

    Ohh yeah, baby: It’s real! Navy test-fires first working prototype railgun