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December 27, 2001 Alert Responses
http://www.leasingnews.org/Conscious-Top%20Stories/alerts.htm Response to Alerts--- I want to comment (on the record) on a couple of today's ALERTS. I very much appreciate the intent of posting these alerts and encourage everyone to do so, even if by "name withheld". I am compelled to comment so that we all might learn from these real life experiences and help pull our industry back up from its bootstraps. Re IKON side letter on the muni deal, "leaseapp.com" should strive to be a leasing professional and study for and take the CLP exam. This way they would know one of the most basic aspects of leasing ... governmental entities can only obligate themselves for one budget year at a time. "Name Withheld" (good call) is complicit in the SP&T alleged fraud by packaging a $38,000 deal as a $25,000 deal so they could get it approved as a corp only. This kind of behavior is what has led to the consolidation and loss of funding sources in our industry. Get wise! ... get honest! ... or get out! To quote some sage advice that applies here: "EXPECT
NOTHING, Brokers and discounters need to participate in the responsibility we all have in uncovering and avoiding fraud in our industry. Know the RED FLAGS of fraud and pursue them. Too many are turning a blind eye in pursuit of the almighty fee. There is a lot of good business out there to be funded if we all take responsibility for the health of our industry. PAUL MENZEL (The sender requested "name with held." He was known to us, thus had creditability. Often the sender may be involved in a legal dispute and believes it in the best interest to help win the case that he does not publicize it, as was this case. We appreciate the fact, as Paul Menzel does, that he warns others. editor ) --- PC Audio Fix--- (mentioned in one of the alerts) I'd be VERY interested to see what is up with this company, as apparently they have come to us SEVERAL times for various types of equipment leases - of which we have given them some financing for office furniture and also some sort of sound equipment. Any input, obviously, is greatly appreciated!!! Thanks,
Marlin
Leasing Corp. Leasing News Classified http://65.209.205.32/LeasingNews/JobPostings.htm We are pleased to report that the Leasing News Job Wanted works. Sometimes it is not direct, but referred from visiting our site, but the fact is, this section is not as long as it once was. Credit:
Hayward, CA.Versatile/ creative senior financial executive Operations:
Austin, TX5 years experience in leasing including processing Sales:
Los Angeles, CA.4 years experience in Leasing from start to funding.
Sales:
Atlanta, GAAdd pizzazz to your team! Highly motivated sales Sales:
Silicon Valley, CAVP level Business Development and Sales Manager, Sales:
New York City, NYEquipment & computer leasing marketing expert/ Sales:
Mission Viejo, CAAccount Sales Executive with 10 years of leasing Here is the site for "Help Wanted" http://65.209.205.32/LeasingNews/JobPostingsWanted.htm There are
twenty-nine companies, twenty-five seeking sales personnel, and Six in Outsourcing http://65.209.205.32/LeasingNews/JobPostingsWanted.htm None in Attorney http://65.209.205.32/LeasingNews/JobPostingsAttorney.htm This is a new site. We have not up-dated this since the beginning of last week as our web crew is on Vacation, one due back this week, another next week. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Best Congress that Money Can Buy By Nancy Benac, Associated Press, WASHINGTON (AP) The hour was late, the issue radioactive. Under cover of darkness, members of Congress let their third pay increase in four years go through. Come January, their pay will jump $4,900 a year to $150,000. Defenders say the raise is well-deserved too small, if anything. Critics call it excessive, not to mention ill-timed during recession and war. But on one thing, many on both sides agree: The way the raise came about stinks. Under a complex system approved in 1989, many congressional pay raises are automatic unless Congress acts to block them a debate that often plays out in the dead of night. ''It looks bad. It smells bad. It hurts Congress in the eyes of the public,'' said Paul Light, a Brookings Institution expert on government who nonetheless thinks legislators are underpaid. ''They are terrified of pay increases. They always have been.'' Not scared enough to suit Gary Ruskin, director of the nonprofit Congressional Accountability Project, one of a number of watchdog groups that opposes the raise. He points to the steady upward march of congressional pay in recent years, from $98,400 in 1990 to $150,000 come January. As for the coming raise, he says: ''This is an effort by some of the most greedy people on the planet to stuff more taxpayers' money into their own wallets. The bipartisan greed caucus is alive and well.'' Although statistics are hard to come by, pay-raise defenders say that legislators are paid considerably less than those who do equivalent work for private companies, yet lawmakers have many extra expenses, such as maintaining homes in both Washington and their districts. They also say that since congressional pay rates affect the salaries for federal judges and other senior government officials, pay for others in government also is being kept too low. Light called the system ''the worst of all possible worlds.'' The whole idea behind tying congressional pay to that of others in government was to give legislators some political cover to raise their own salaries, he said. But in reality, ''Congress still shies from needed pay increases and these other positions are lagging,'' Light said. Critics insist it's wrong to compare legislators' pay with their counterparts in business. ''The purpose of the private sector is to earn money for shareholders,'' said Ruskin. ''The purpose of the public sector is to do the public's will.'' Furthermore, critics point to congressional perquisites, such as a generous pension plan, that create a ''princely'' compensation package. And they argue that now is the time to forego a raise to show solidarity with struggling Americans. The National Taxpayers Union sent members of Congress a letter after the Sept. 11 terror attacks urging them to give up the raise, noting that Congress cut its own pay twice during the Depression and suspended its two-month-old pension plan and froze its pay during World War II. This time, Pete Sepp, a spokesman for the union, says: ''Apparently, they're having trouble paying the rent and buying groceries on $145,000 a year.'' Sen. Russell Feingold, D-Wis., pushed for a vote late Friday to block the pay raise from taking effect. But in a late-night maneuver, legislators used a 65-33 vote on a procedural matter to thwart Feingold's effort. Salary to the $136,700 he earned when first elected, says legislators are neither overpaid nor underpaid. ''I just
think the process of an automatic pay raise system is wrong,'' he said.
''If we deserve a pay raise, we should have to vote on it.'' Feingold,
who has been mentioned in some lists of possible Democratic presidential
hopefuls, also stood to get some publicity for his effort, which he
knew in advance was a lost cause. On the Net: Senate roll call site: http://www.senate.gov/legislative/vote1071/vote menu.htm l (Pensions
per government position, from cabinet to congress and senate, each get
full pension, plus other perks not listed. editor ) www.leasingnews.org
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