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

We are in an age of robber barons ... (0.00 / 0)

unfettered greed everywhere you turn, whether it is health insurance drugs, cell phones, mortgage lending ... it's gone crazy. Takes years for these things to correct themselves, and a whole lot more suffering, like the second dip in the 'W'. Brace yourself, honey.  

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by: Mark Tokarski @ Tue Dec 15, 2009 at 17:40:39 PM CST

Hmm? (0.00 / 0)

The fact that they keep recurring pretty much clarifies that these things don't "correct themselves".  And what's with the "honey"?  I'll admit that Jay's kinda cute, but do you have something to clarify here, Mark?

;-)

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by: Wulfgar @ Tue Dec 15, 2009 at 18:00:28 PM CST

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The wheels turn so slowly ... (0.00 / 0)

The 1890's weren't resolved until the nineteen-teens, if then. It took a depression and a war to create the somewhat stable 50,s, 60's, 70's.

Honey - I call all my guy friends honey.  

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by: Mark Tokarski @ Tue Dec 15, 2009 at 19:25:04 PM CST

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Jaybird has assure me that things are going to get better; (0.00 / 0)

but I see little or no sign--or hope--of that.  This last bubble to burst was a credit bubble; and credit is all this nation has produced since 1981.  

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by: jed @ Tue Dec 15, 2009 at 19:58:42 PM CST

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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 @ Tue Dec 15, 2009 at 20:21:24 PM CST

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 15:32:36 PM CST

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 17:42:00 PM CST

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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: Wulfgar @ Wed Dec 16, 2009 at 18:23:53 PM CST

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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 @ Wed Dec 16, 2009 at 19:35:02 PM CST

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George Bush spoke of compassionate conservatism. (0.00 / 0)

I suspect he would also have referred to the beneficence of Smurfit-Stone's board of directors...

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by: jed @ Wed Dec 16, 2009 at 17:51:58 PM CST