Thursday October 11, 2012, 2:06 pm
These "people" so amaze me - a billion dollars isn't enough for him? What would be? A trillion? Two trillion?
Just what does he propose to do with his money - other than being a total greedy jerk, that is?

Thursday October 11, 2012, 2:46 pm
We need to find a way to swamp that guy with emails telling him what a jerk he is. It is outrageous!!!

Thursday October 11, 2012, 3:33 pm
To David SIegel:

Your laughable diatribe finds a much needed source of humor in a humorless world. You think so squarely that people are supposed to respect your past hard work and just accept their fates because they didn't succeed like you did. You are wrong, and most of those people you speak about and to just don't give a crap about your devotion to the business. You were justly rewarded, and besides that is why they pay you the big bucks, so stop whining so loudly about how burdensome your life is and stop pretending how you're just like everyone else--you aren't.

Thursday October 11, 2012, 4:22 pm

What is this? It seems all of the corporate FAT CATS are threatening their employees. I have read about quite a few just this week. This guys are wealthy beyond comprehension and that is not enough, they must wield political power and dominance over their employees as well? Prices are increasing while pay is dropping, that smacks of slave labor.

I know this is misquoted but it does seem to fit: "Let them eat cake...." Better yet, let them try to live on the salaries they pay. Oops! What an a wakening.

Thursday October 11, 2012, 7:04 pm
Versailles.....Let them eat cake! .....now we just need Mme La Farge. Doesn't this "voting advice" break some law?

Thursday October 11, 2012, 8:00 pm
C2 seems to be messing up tonight. If you can't open site, this is the story on this link.
Billionaire CEO to fire 8,000 employees if Obama Wins

Well it should Olivia, but this is one of those Right to Work States so maybe he can get away with it. They can fire you here for the color of your shirt if they don't like it. Also maybe he covered himself by writing, " Of course, as your employer, I can't tell you whom to vote for, and I certainly wouldn't interfere with your right to vote for whomever you choose."

But then after saying he will fire the employees if Obama wins.....he goes on to say.

"In fact, I encourage you to vote for whomever you think will serve your interests the best."

"However, let me share a few facts that might help you decide what is in your best interest."

Ya right, you have the right to vote for whomever, but let ME tell you what is in YOUR best interest.

Thursday October 11, 2012, 10:09 pm
I guess he's afraid he might lose some of those luxuries he's worked so hard for --like the largest home in America and a flashy and much younger wife with huge, surgically enhanced breasts and God knows else. I wonder if the people he employs earn a living wage? He's in the resort business, so I would imagine he employs a lot of cleaners, servers, groundskeepers, laundry staff, cooks, etc. He has a lot of nerve to ask them to vote against their own best interests to help him feed his ego and excesses...

Thursday October 11, 2012, 11:13 pm
Thank you, Dandelion, for sharing this story and bringing this story to my attention.

Friday October 12, 2012, 12:08 am
Personally, I think his employees should vote for who will best serve their interests too - anyone but Romney. When Romney looses this election and this 1%er sells his business, they won't have to work for such a selfish jerk, and their money just might go farther once the elitists start paying their fair share. They just might see how much nicer it is to have health insurance, and a future that will include the Social Security "entitlement" they worked their whole life for, instead of being offered a "voucher" that most likely won't cover the cost the greedy Insurance industry will charge them for the same thing. Yes, they should vote their best interests :-)

Friday October 12, 2012, 12:14 am
Another thing.... no one should worry about this $$Billionaire$$ worries about loosing any of his precious money, you can bet HIS sweet ASStronomical Wealth it is safely tucked away in secret bank accounts in the Cayman Islands, just like his pal Romney.

Friday October 12, 2012, 12:56 am
Mr. Siegel is forgetting that without his employees there'd be no company at all for him to run or make threats from. He didn't get to where is all by himself contrary to what he probably believes. There was a cast of thousands helping him. Maybe he should spend more time counting his blessings instead of his money and tryharder to live within his means. It would be much easier to cut profit margins than to cut staff but when dealing the super wealthy and their super egos it just wouldn't mak sense to them. Thanks Dandelion.

Friday October 12, 2012, 2:11 am
What a jerk.

Friday October 12, 2012, 5:26 am
I hope the workers vote for Obama anyway. No one knows who they vote for, hope they realize that this jerk will never know who they voted for. Meanwhile, I'm sure there is something illegal about threatening people for votes. The wealthy and Romney are willing to lie, cheat and steal to own this country. We need to make it clear that AMERICA IS NOT FOR SALE. We will prove it by voting straight Democratic. There are states that need cleaning out too.

Friday October 12, 2012, 6:06 am
Why he would send this letter around concerning Obama is interesting, because Siegel and his wife, 31 years his junior, recently told Reuters that they were resuming construction on their dream home — which at 90,000 sq. feet will be the largest private residence in the United States — because his company is ”the most profitable we’ve ever been.”

So his company is the "most profitable" but he can't pay extra taxes......nope that will just force him to close up shop.

He finishes his letter Robert with "You see, I can no longer support a system that penalizes the productive and gives to the unproductive. My motivation to work and to provide jobs will be destroyed, and with it, so will your opportunities. If that happens, you can find me in the Caribbean sitting on the beach, under a palm tree, retired, and with no employees to worry about."

You know what, if he sells off someone else will pick up his business and maybe these employees get a better boss. Someone like him in my mind can go to______well you know. Indeed with his Versailles he is building it is the "let them eat cake."

This isn't in the article but I found this on another link about him. This is what is said on why he takes credit for getting George Bush elected President here in Florida and ultimately the Country.

"Whenever I saw a negative article about Al Gore, I put it in with the paychecks of my 8,000 employees. I had my managers do a survey on every employee. If they liked Bush, we made them register to vote. But not if they liked Gore. The week before the election we made 80,000 phone calls through my call center—they were robo-calls. On Election Day, we made sure everyone who was voting for Bush got to the polls. I didn’t know he would win by 527 votes. Afterward, we did a survey among the employees to find out who voted who wouldn’t have otherwise. One thousand of them said so.”

This is what is wrong in this Country, it isn't about people making some money, it is about the excess of such and how they have used that money against the majority of the people in this Country and even has bought out our own Government.

Friday October 12, 2012, 6:13 am
You know the song "How Low Can You Go" it should be the theme song of the Republican Party.

Friday October 12, 2012, 6:25 am
Bill Maher "Some of us vote against our interests for the better of the country."

One wealthy man that understands, one with heart and not just $$$ in front of his eyes.

These other ones seem to go lower in their souls the more money they accumulate. The common people need to stand up to this type of excess and hurtful and hateful way of thinking.

Where this man is building his house of excess, dubbed the "largest home in America" also happens to be where there is a very high rate of homeless, in Central Florida. The contrast could not be any more clear, this is not the America of what most have in mind.

Friday October 12, 2012, 8:11 am
Jerks like Siegel give capitalism a bad name. Shame on him!

Friday October 12, 2012, 9:16 am
Indeed this is what un-regulated capitalism looks like. Most humans can not and do not self regulate.

Poor dear, he can't pay some extra in taxes but he can afford to spend money on himself to build the largest home in the USA.

He can't afford to pay taxes to keep our infracture going, to feed some poor children, help the Elders keep warm, and to pay off the wars that Bush got us into.

Friday October 12, 2012, 9:40 am
Greed knows no bounds
thanks Dandelion

Friday October 12, 2012, 12:22 pm
What a treasonous bastard! He should be stripped of his US citizenship.

Friday October 12, 2012, 12:58 pm
There is a 'smugness' that you can actually see in some people. I see it all the time whenever I watch Romney, and Paul Rand. I also see it in the photo above. It is really the perfect photo for this person to display his true self: Arrogant & excessive, sitting in his giant, golden throne with young, blonde 'trophy-wife' on his lap, huge mirror (probably many more throughout 'his castle' so he can view his own glory wherever he is), the color of gold is prominent, which also says 'entitlement', and the haughty look on both their faces tells everyone just how they feel about themselves, AND "others".
At least that's what I see in that photo.

Friday October 12, 2012, 1:23 pm
Is how I see it too Sue, his "largest" home in America he is building himself is also called Versailles and is why it is all the more agregious that what he has done to his employees. He wants to be King, he will tell you who you should vote for, if not, you can go hungry, not job. You know it was Marie-Antoinette who arrived at Versailles and is equated to the "let them eat cake." He truly IS sending a message. I wonder if he forgot the rest of the story.

Friday October 12, 2012, 1:50 pm
He covered his greedy ass just enough to not be charged with voter intimidation.
These are the type of 1%ers this world can do without. He has lost his soul to money. How vile. But don't worry, KARMA is coming his way. Great wealth is nothing more than a giant millstone around his neck.

Friday October 12, 2012, 2:55 pm
Well, Olivia and Kit, I'm a fairly accomplished knitter. In fact I'm not sure I could well slow down to Mme. DeFarge's speed. I guess I could try.

Friday October 12, 2012, 4:17 pm
This male-excuse-for-a-human-being is only half the problem. The other half is sitting on his lap. Does he really think she's sticking around because of her adoration for him? She must be taking her cues from the "Real Housewives" on Bravo. Although I've never seen any of these shows, how can anyone help but be aware of them due to mass media exploitation of them? They portray the ultimate of wealthy superficial materialism as aspirational.
I'm sure there are women married to wealthy men who live more of an existence of low-key humanitarians, rather than grotesque opulence. But, they're quietly hidden....most decent people are. The "woman behind the man" can have a strong influence over his decisions. (Do we really think Willard suggested his wife buy a horse worth millions to participate in the Olympics, just so she'd "be happy?")

Just wondering what would happen if his wife told Siegel that she was unhappy with their lifestyle, and wanted some changes made in the direction of selling some mansions and donating money to humanitarian causes. What if she used her influence to make their lives less about the money they have, and more about helping those in need? Many women do this--but, my point is that more and more are influenced by the media portrayal of gauche wealth. Somewhere along the line, this has to stop.

Friday October 12, 2012, 5:11 pm
Thanks Dandelion--fascinating post.

Friday October 12, 2012, 6:00 pm

Oh, Joanne if this keeps up we may need those knitting skills.

So this guys has followed the rules of capitalism, has or is building the "biggest" home in the US. Which has to be very large considering the size of Casa Grande, or the Biltmore estate. They were built in another time of our history and even than the wealthy did not grow wealthy without the skills of workers. This "nouveau riche" of our time does not make money from working or investing in ideas, they are those who "get in on" hedge funds, lie, cheat or steal by selling low end stocks.

There may not be a law against threatening employees that their jobs will end should candidate A or B be elected, but there should be; many principals are telling teachers if they vote for Obama, their jobs will no longer be supported. That is a lie, and does imply a direct threat.

Friday October 12, 2012, 6:41 pm
With unemployment and homelessness in most states, this man flaunts his wealth. He could be helping his community, he's in the position to assist all kinds of folks who could use food, clothing, and a roof over their head, not the overpass on some highway. What a shame. Passing this one on to friends also. Thanks, Dandelion for this post.

Friday October 12, 2012, 9:21 pm
This idiot is the epitome of what has happened to this country. All these gazillionaires have for years thought they were so wonderful they decided not to help fund their government. They use every trick in the book to hoard all their money and pay their employees diddly squat. Of course they are totally encouraged in their criminal ways by the Republican Party who do everything to protect them because they pay big bucks to them to preserve their con game. They should all be ashamed of themselves.

Personally I think someone should take Grover Norquist out in the middle of the ocean and dump him. He has the Repubs so in his grip that they actually believe his crap. They got our country in this mess and now they are planning to do the exact same thing they've always done and almost everytime they leave office they leave the country in worse shape than they found it. Unfortunately they've managed to con a lot of people into voting for them over and over again. They've never had an original idea but their little sheeple refuse to see it.

I hope everyone will stop and ponder the fact that Romney is losing in his own state. He tells the sheeple that he knows how to create jobs and yet when he left office Massachusetts was 47th out of the 50 states in job creation. Stop drinking the Koolaid folks. He has no idea how to create jobs. He only knows how to send them overseas while destoying the lives of our workers. He is NOT the answer to our problems!! Don't buy his drivel.

Friday October 12, 2012, 11:59 pm
So once he gets his 90,000 square-foot monument to greed built, what does he intend to do with it? Something that big would house a hell of a lot of homeless people or seniors (but of course he would never think of that).

Saturday October 13, 2012, 2:11 am
What a sad mis-use of power... They are so despairingly poor in spirit that they have become hungry ghosts where nothing can ever fill their emptiness......

Saturday October 13, 2012, 8:38 am
There are those in this county that have been successful like Bill Gates, Howard Hughes, George Sorros , the Clinton's, Lady Gaga, Oprah Winfrey, as well as many others, that have taken their success and have been true philanthropists. Not because they have to, but because they want to give back to the very country (or entire world in many cases) that has given them the opportunity to be successful. Perhaps through a student loan, a grant, small business low interest loan, or simply the support of the American consumer with the money in their pocket to spend it on their talent or product that allowed these people to reach the top 1 percent.
Then we have those like the Siegels, Trumps, Norquists, etc. that have also gained success by the same means, that seem to think that they should be treated like kings and are above the rest of humanity. I say go
Mr. Siegel, to your tropical island somewhere else in the world and retire as you should as you have obviously lost your mind. Free your employees, as this is America and there is surely someone else in line to take over this market that has made you so successful. Are you so pompous as to think that you are the only one that could be successful in this endeavor? No, as I'm sure your competitor would gladly give you a ride to the airport and hire your trained employees and more than likely treat them better (how could anyone be worse?) and be happy to pay the tax to a country that has given them the oppotunities and/or "leg up" that they needed to get where they are! I hope you get hit in the head with a coconut to knock some sense into your head! Or perhaps, three ghosts will visit you some Christmas eve to give you some insight into the bastard you,ve become due to your success. Either would be fine with me!

Saturday October 13, 2012, 8:52 am
Thank you all for commenting, applause to Pamela D. I couldn't agree with you more. Devon, in true native style a lot said in few words. ( I still can't get that down ) lol.....Nancy, Shan, Kit....thank you all even if I haven't mentioned your names, all gave good contributions.

Saturday October 13, 2012, 9:10 am
Siegel, just remember you can't take it with you when your time has come. Good deeds, and kind words are what stays behind, so you will only be remembered as a greedy, cruel, and vendictive man without either a heart or soul.
You would never have gotten as much as you have without employees (probably at minimum wages) working hard, and to intimidate them with your letter shows just how much power you think you have. Your kingdom will fall someday!!!

Saturday October 13, 2012, 11:23 am
That is what they all seem to forget Elizabeth, is it took many other hands to help him get to where he is now.

Saturday October 13, 2012, 7:08 pm
HE SHOULD BE FIRED

Saturday October 13, 2012, 8:01 pm
What a load of crap. What he lives with two ppl and he has the biggest home in the world? He may be rich but he sure is a poor person. Why doesn't he use that biggest home in the world to house all the employees he wants to fire.

Saturday October 13, 2012, 8:22 pm
David, he owns the business, he can't be fired. Just because one is rich beyond measure, does not make one a nice person.

Saturday October 13, 2012, 9:42 pm
Morally bankrupt

Sunday October 14, 2012, 10:55 am
Eat the rich.......

This insect is what gives 'being obscenely rich' a really....really bad name and/or image. Greed unleashed from any morality whatsoever = sociopath with money and/or power. They forget one simple thing........WE are the ones that make them so. We can unmake them so just as well.

WE are the power....that is what they fear. That we wake up and smell the napalm.....we make their millions/billions for them. They fear us waking up and unmaking their money or their poducts or whatever it is that they peddle to the masses. WAKE UP America. The time for sleeping in the Consumer Coma and the Work-Til-You-Die-Or-Get-Rich DELUSION is rapidly coming to an end. Vote or die trying. Yes, it really is coming down to that......

Monday October 15, 2012, 7:07 am
What a load of crap ! Now, this shows me once more how important it is to follow what's good for YOU. Follow your inner voice and vote accordingly. You have a right to vote, nobody can take it away from you.
Don't get your knickers in a twist because of folks like Siegel !
Obama - Biden 2012 !!! (that's my opinion).

Thursday October 18, 2012, 1:52 am
Good to know. Thanks.