Smurfit-Stone Execs Took $47 Million in Bonuses This Year

If this is the new trickle down from Wall Street (0.00 / 0)

Then perhaps they were about to ask Montanans to bail them out.  Or is that what the takings initiative does in disguise...  

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by: Montana Cowgirl @ Wed Dec 16, 2009 at 02:21:24 AM UTC

Bonuses ? (0.00 / 0)

Don't demonize the company execs for this closure -

Stone Container was our best customer in the Missoula area years ago when I worked for Safway Supply, and even back then this plant was high cost to operate/low profitability.

Blame the less-than-business-friendly rules in Montana, and the Obama recession for this one. I wonder how many people in Missoula would recast their votes today for Obama - especially the loggers, truckers, former employees, suppliers, and even the county employees, since their biggest taxpayer in the county was Stone.

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by: Eric Coobs @ Wed Dec 16, 2009 at 21:32:36 PM UTC

Fact checking you Eric... (0.00 / 0)

Smurfit Stone is a huge multinational corporation with over 150 facilities around the world. Over the past five years they have closed numerous facilities around the country/world. When they announced the closure of their Frenchtown Mill this week, they also closed another mill in Michigan. I'm guessing by your comment that the "less-than-business-friendly rules in Montana" were also to blame for Smurfit's closures Michigan and other parts of the country?  Could you please explain that one?

Also, hate to toss another fact your way, but Smurfit Stone was talking about filing for bankruptcy long before Obama took office...and the recession started long before Obama took office. I'm not even a huge fan of what President Obama has done over the past 11 months, but I'm just saying....

Besides, finger pointing doesn't put food on the table and won't bring the mill back or increase the demand for packaging products. Thanks.

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by: Matthew Koehler @ Wed Dec 16, 2009 at 23:42:00 PM UTC

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Matthew, seriously no offense meant, (0.00 / 0)

But Eric's life has remained blissfully fact-free for a very long time.  Nothing you respond to him will matter in the least, and I do mean nothing.  Notice please that regardless of how Missoulians cast their votes in 2008, McCain won the state, and Eric's postulation meant less than nothing before he even wrote it.  Facts do not penetrate the illusions of a believer.  Ever.  

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by: Rob Kailey @ Thu Dec 17, 2009 at 00:23:53 AM UTC

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Facts are cool - (0.00 / 0)

In my brief comment, I didn't say Stone was very profitable, but they were in a position to continue to operate.

Obama recession? Yes. In January of 2008 unemployment was at 4.9%

October 2008, 6.5%

Enter Obama - by January unemployment was at 7.6% -

Now it's currently said to be at 10%  - and rising -

President Bush left a huge deficit, which I didn't agree with, however President Obama has already quadrupled that figure.

And yes, Montana isn't big-business friendly, long travel distances, making fuel costs higher, and soaring energy costs.

Take the Obama recession, yes, he owns it, add to it the uncertainty of the Obama Cap & Trade tax increase, losing the blended fuel tax credit, and drop in demand for product, due to the lagging economy put the already struggling Stone plant into the grave.

Looks like I touched a nerve here with the talk of reconsidering your vote, didn't I?

I hope the Union BA over there keeps telling the guys to keep voting for Democrats - after all, the Democrats are for the working man - right -  LOL

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by: Eric Coobs @ Thu Dec 17, 2009 at 01:35:02 AM UTC

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