Sen. Mike Enzi has cosponsored S510

riday, November 19, 2010 12:00 am

Coverage is available f

Confidential, short-term outpatient counseling services are offered at no cost

at no cost to employees. Basic life insurance Business travel accident insurance Company paid accident insurance

Both plans allow employees to contribute up to $5,000 each year to each plan

nine paid holidays a year in the United States

20 days (160 hours) of paid time off per year, up to 80 days

for vacation, sick leave, personal time off, or religious observance.  

Company matching and profit sharing contributions begin after one year of service. Immediate vesting entitles employees to the full value of company contributions.

Additional Benefits Additional benefits include Bechtel

University online training

The plan also includes insurances for death coverage and income protection coverage

Confidential counseling services are offered at no cost to help

Additional benefits include

cholarship availability for children of full-time employees

offering financial protection for the employee and the employee and their families, both during the employee’s career

employees can change which funds the pension account is invested in. 

Long Term Disability insurance

at no cost. 

Employees will receive 50 percent of base salary from the scheme after six months absence from work. 

benefits including Bechtel University online training, mentoring and leadership programmes

The Well programme is offered to all employees at no cos

nutrition advise and guidance

breast cancer awareness workshops

provides a health manager who is on site every Thursday and Friday

all employees receive at the beginning of employment with Bechtel.

Confidential telephone and face-to-face counselling services are offered to all employees at no cost

Bechtel recognises that everyone needs some assistance in dealing with the changes and challenges in their lives.

a season ticket loan scheme for London office permanent staff

Loans will be based on the actual cost of second class rail season tickets and/or London Zone Travel Cards between the employee’s home and London office by the most direct route that does not impose undue travel restrictions on the employee.

mployees to sacrifice a maximum of £220 per month; in return, the employee receives childcare vouchers and savings in tax and National Insurance contributions.

emendous amounts of extra heat are added every summer to the region as more than 2.5 million square kilometres of the Arctic Ocean have been opened up to the heat of the 24-hour summer sun

takes much longer to re-freeze

emits huge volumes of additional heat energy into the atmosphere

Paradoxically, a warmer Arctic means "future cold and snowy winters will be the rule rather than the exception

average temperatures are now three to five degrees C warmer than they were 30 years ago

nderway is a rapid warming of the coastal regions of the Arcti

possibly eight degrees due to a series of processes and feedbacks called Arctic amplification.

spans 13 million square kilometres of the land in Alaska, Canada, Siberia and parts of Europe

But that has not stopped Crossroads and a raft of other nonprofit advocacy groups like it — mostly on the Republican side, so far — from becoming some of the biggest players in this year’s midterm elections, in part because of the anonymity they afford donors, prompting outcries from campaign finance watchdogs.

the money’s flowing,” said Michael E. Toner, a former Republican F.E.C. commissioner,

top spender on Senate races,

the leader on the House side;

United States Chamber of Commerce, which has been spending heavily in support of Republicans.

former I.R.S. officials say the agency has had little incentive to police the groups because the revenue-collecting potential is small, and because its main function is not to oversee the integrity of elections.

which will protect the Arab dictatorships from their own populations or any external threat.

what were called “cops on the beat” by Melvin Laird, Secretary of Defense

A part of the Nixon Doctrine was that the U.S., of course, has to control Middle-East oil resources -- that goes much farther back -- but it will do so through local, regional allies

Pakistan

Israel

that was sometimes called the periphery strategy: non-Arab states protecting the Arab dictatorships from any threat,

But, anyway, that “cop” [Iran] was lost and Israel's position became even stronger in the structure that remained.

the journal of the business community, and it reflects the support of the business world for Israel, which is quite strong

probably it's carried out terrorist acts, but by the standards of the U.S. and Israel, they're barely visible

Most Jewish money goes to Democrats and most Jews vote Democratic

Turkey

AIPAC, which is a very influential lobby

there's Christian Zionism

they're facing virtually no opposition. Who's calling for support of the Palestinians?  

here were free elections in Palestine in January 2006

recognized to be free

So they removed Iraq from the terrorist list because they wanted to support one of the worst monsters and terrorists in the region, namely Saddam Hussein.

Republican Party is much more strongly supportive of Israeli power and atrocities than the Democrats are

which would be a major competitor in Egypt's elections, if Egypt permitted democratic elections,

The Egyptian dictatorship -- which the U.S. strongly backs, Obama personally strongly backs -- doesn't permit anything remotely like elections and is very brutal and harsh

I mean, Europe, the non-aligned countries -- the Arab League, the Organization of Islamic States, which includes Iran -- have all accepted the international consensus on the two-state settlement

They chose expansion.  The crucial question is what would the United States do? Well, there was an internal bureaucratic battle in the U.S., and Henry Kissinger won out. He was in favor of what he called “stalemate.” A stalemate meant no negotiations, just force.

So, sure, if Israel continues to settle in the occupied territories -- illegally, incidentally, as Israel recognized in 1967 (it's all illegal; they recognized it) -- it's undermining the possibilities for the viable existence of any small Palestinian entity. And as long as the United States and Israel continue with that, yes, there will be insecurity

One way they con the American people is with averages

Another Con Game

This is because the wealthy benefit more from income tax reductions than reductions of other taxes.

The surpluses should have been allocated 50% to the income tax rates and 50% reduction in all other taxes.

everyone gets a crack at it

then the cost of fish and hunting license will be reduced

Not the surplus taken to the General Fund and spent on income tax reductions, other programs, new programs, or pork barrelling.

each regional organization (Caisse) is managed by a board composed 50/50 of representatives of labor unions on one side, employers associations on the other side, with the State playing the role of a referee

it is not accurate to call it a "socialized

minimal pension (in the range of 750 Euros/month) to any person who has worked 40 years

when a family is expecting a child, it gets approximately 2,000 Euros in three installments (the first two of them corresponding to a mandatory medical visit, the third to the birth) ; then the family receives a monthly allowance till the child is 20 (for two children or more, around 100 Euros/month/child) ;

For the French, it is just unthinkable that, if you lose your job, you also lose your health plan

all companies, whatever their size, must provide their staff with an annual visit to a doctor ; in big companies it is a in-house doctor, in small companies an external doctor who comes for the annual controls

(otherwise, you'll be reimbursed a little less)

SOS Medecin tel. 01 47 07 77 77 : very reasonably priced (around 70 Euros) and efficient, a doctor in your house in less than an hour

Basic tips for tourists you can see any doctor (they also make house calls for a small supplement) for a cost of around 22 Euros ($ 30) but you will not be reimbursed by Social Security if you are not part of the French Social Security system you can be treated by any French hospital in case of emergency (they will talk about money AFTER treating you...) you can buy certain drugs over the counter in a pharmacy but a lot of them require a doctor's prescription ; don't be surprised if you do not find US drug brand names, you are in another country ! If your French isn't good, there are two hospitals with English-speaking staff : the American Hospital, 63 blvd Victor Hugo 92202 Neuilly, Tel. 33-(0)1 46 41 25 25 ; Email : patient@ahp-paris.com the British Hospital, 3 rue Barbès 92300 Levallois Tel. 33-(0)1 46 39 22 22 Public or private ? For a serious case, it is often wiser to go to a public hospital, especially a CHU (Centre Hospitalo-Universitaire). In case of a (real) emergency call SAMU (this is a day and night emergency service tel. 15) or les pompiers (fire-brigade) who provide 24 hour-emergency service (tel. 18). Useful numbers for emergencies (other than 15) :

The World Health Organization (WHO) has ranked the health system of its 191 member countries and France tops the list for providing the best overall health care (UK ranks 18 and USA ranks 37) (source : International Herald Tribune June 21,2000).

Health coverage by Social Security ("Sécurité Sociale") is mandatory and paid both by the employee (1/4) and the employer (3/4).

In the USA the Emergency staff is a driver whose job is to take you as fast as possible to the hospital, whatever your condition, in a fast ambulance. In France, the SAMU team includes a MD whose job is to do as much as he can before taking you to the hospital in a more heavily-equipped ambulance. Both ways have their pros and cons, but dont be horrified if you see an ambulance NOT moving....

DID YOU KNOW THAT....? In France, the maternity leave is 16 weeks minimum (of course paid 100% of the salary!), plus one month minimum if the baby is breast-fed ; "paternity" leave is two weeks ; new mothers spend 3 to 6 days in the hospital.

French doctors are not very different from American doctors, except they make much less money (three or four times?) and are probably much more accessible, less protected by a dragon-secretary.

All expenses are paid by the company and of course the employee does not pay a cent. The 20-minute visit includes whatever check-up seems appropriate (heart, eyes, stress, depression...). The doctor cannot prescribe medecine but can prescribe a visit to the doctor is something new that is wrong or needs a more thorough check is detected.

You have to pay ONE Euro more (not reimbursable) for every visit to the doctor

The system is threefold : Health, Family and Retirement, each of them has different structures and financing ; each of them is financially autonomous (no taxpayer's money -

The system is threefold : Health, Family and Retirement, each of them has different structures and financing ; each of them is financially autonomous ( no taxpayer's money

But what we have found is that most governments have huge amounts of cash and investments on hand at the end of the fiscal yea

not being recycled back through the budget process the next year,

The budget only covers a small portion of the State's financial condition

The CAFR usually has four categories. Governmental FundsProprietary FundsFiduciary FundsComponent Units

Enterprise Funds, a component of proprietary funds,

charges for services or goods, assessments, fines, licenses, etc

are legally separated organizations for which the government is financially accountable.

The remainder of the Funds shown above are not part of the budget and are commonly called "off-budget" items

but should be

Although taxation is legitimate, running a government surplus isn't.

it exceeds the government's contract with the community

Excess taxation isn't what the people bargained for.

This system is covered in the CAFR Budget System. This system needs to be implemented in all governments. If the State holds the excesses/surplus, it will earn 4% to 5% on that money. If the State returns the money to the people it will receive 20% in revenue because of the increased economic activity. This is elementary economics.

Total Benefits...   2,282 9,129  

In FY 2002 there were 310,000 unemployed in Michigan, If the $10.13 billion is returned to the people 203,395 jobs are created. This is why it is disastrous for governments to hold excesses/reserves of the taxpayers money.

The business community suffers the most.

That is 5 times the amount the Federal government used to stimulate the U.S. economy

That represents 4 years of reserves.

Bottle Deposits Fund, another Special Revenue Fund had net expenditures of $3.3 million. But it also had cash and investment reserves of $125 million. The reserves represent almost 37 years of expenditures.

Michigan Unemployment Compensation Fund, an Enterprise Fund, had net expenses of $665 million. It also had reserves of $1.7 billion. That represents 3 years of reserves.

These only represent four of the 81 funds shown below that had cash and investment reserves not being used.

The following items are not included in the amount of surplus shown:

-Retirement/Pension Funds - only included are 1/2 of the actuarially determined excesses, the taxpayers portion. The other 1/2 is the government employees portion.