This story in Bloomberg is quite disturbing yet revealing about the United States in 2020
An excerpt:
Free money.
That’s the enticing prospect hedge funds and other trading firms are pondering after realizing they too might be able to participate in a historic U.S. stimulus package to keep small businesses alive through the coronavirus pandemic.
Since early April, law firms have hosted Webinars and sent out alerts, and accounting firms have reached out to clients, all with the goal of explaining how they might be able to tap into the Paycheck Protection Program. The $349 billion package administered by the Small Business Administration provides loans to cover payroll, rent and utilities for up to eight weeks. The loans can convert to grants if recipients retain or rehire their workers.
Some hedge funds already have applied, filling out forms to show they have fewer than 500 employees and certifying the “current economic uncertainty makes this loan request necessary to support the ongoing operations.”
Ironically, hedge funds are designed to employ as few people as possible so star traders don’t have to share millions of dollars in fees. The industry gets its name from the premise it can generate gains even when markets fall.
The question of whether to partake in the program is dividing members of the money management community. Some traders have called it morally corrupt, while others insist they are small businesses -- just like hair salons, restaurants and dry cleaners -- that could use a helping hand after global markets tumbled and cost them money. Given that the program is first come, first served, some managers were quick to submit their paperwork, according to market participants, even if eligibility remains unclear.
As we move ahead when governments and probably union leaders try to guilt teachers by saying that they are lucky to be alive and have a job, please don't feel any remorse about expecting to be made whole financially after the pandemic abates. The big guys aren't feeling any shame and neither should you.
UFT members have already worked seven extra days in exchange for four days in sick banks by giving back spring break. That is not a very good trade. Also, the grievance process has been suspended so administrators can do what they like and the only recourse is to try to work it out. I could never understand why people just accept whatever status quo there is. Teachers should not accept things as they are.
My advice as usual: Grow a spine!
There is and will be tons of fraud when govt pays out this type of money. We have all heard people are making more not to work.
ReplyDeleteWait James- you mean it's ok not to be a spineless wuss and say loud and clear "I want my raise and I expect my retro and no, I'm not willing to defer them to save jobs"? Because so many of the teachers think that it's perfectly fine to do to both- hell, some of them are literally clamoring to do so. Just read the FB teacher DOE page. "Oh please take my money and save jobs". I fell for that scam once- not again.
ReplyDeleteYes because NOW is the time to grow a spine. Not only has your and your family's life been potentially placed in danger, money is now involved. Now is the time to grow a spine.
ReplyDeleteWe can save jobs and not defer anything. The money is flowing from DC. Wait till you see the next stimulus.
ReplyDeleteCall me old fashioned, but I was raised to serve my administrators. I was taught to tweet in their honor, work til i’m sick, be ready for any task they will assign me, & be grateful that I am exploited. If I die because I went into an infected building and got sick, it’s all on me. I will apologise if I survive . I am a NYC teacher.
ReplyDeleteSpines? No time soon. Concessions? They're coming.
ReplyDeleteSo I don't have to feel guilty about wanting per session? Or summer school?
ReplyDeleteThank you for the four days in the CAR. I want monetary compensation for working the seven days of Spring Break and everything else that is coming in terms of upcoming compensation. They should also throw in a certain amount of compensation for all the extra hours worked to get remote learning off the ground with hardly any input from the DOE. Tons of administrators and when the going got tough, it was not the administrators that pulled it off now was it.
ReplyDeleteBackbone=Peter Zucker. Yes folks, that is his real name.
ReplyDeleteBy the way, I did the math. Teachers were scheduled to work 185 days this school year. Take away two for March 16 and March 20. Then add seven for giving up spring break. That comes to 190. This is the longest work year ever.
ReplyDeleteJames, OK?? ;)
ReplyDeleteBy the way, they owe me, according to my calculations, $4,588 for those 7 days.
BTW, there are what, 300 lawyers working for the DOE? Figure they are making around $90k? That is a savings of $27,000,000
7:49 is the typical commenter here I'm afraid.
ReplyDeleteSo, because the hedge funds are run by greedy,
ReplyDeleteSoulless pricks we are justified in acting that way?
We are asking to be kept whole. Nothing more, nothing less. That is neither greedy nor selfish. If cuts are coming, we need to be properly compensated for sacrifices.
ReplyDeleteFor example, the city was broke in the 1990-1991 recession. The city asked us to loan them a major part of our 5.5% raise. We agreed. In return, the city paid us back with interest by 1996. The city also agreed to no layoffs, a generous retirement incentive; the city waived the one to two year commitment to stay after a sabbatical and we got the midwinter recess. Deal saved my job. So many veterans hated that deal but it was fair. No getting fleeced now when they cry poverty.
I will take a buyout, if fair. They could stop paying me altogether. For the record, I have less than 20 years, so dont tell me I would get a huge pension.
ReplyDeleteMaybe if Janella Hinds stopped retweeting chris hayes, msnbc and CNN, things could get done for us. All uft does is flaunt political affiliations and disrespect teachers. I'm not paying for them to go on Twitter and write how much thru live the democrats.
ReplyDelete*AMERICAN AIR TO GET $4.1B DIRECT SUPPORT, $1.7B LOAN
ReplyDeleteShares are up more than 6%.
WE ALL NEED BETTER CALL SAUL AS OUR LAWYERS, SCRAP THE 300 MORONS AND SAVE THE MONEY.
ReplyDeleteAlso, cut down all the coaches or former principals or asst principals who got removed and making great money sitting around.
If we as teachers just complain on the computer and not rally to get justice, our demands, money it will never happen.
Every chapter leader from every borough should be in communication to pull something together.
@10:00 PM - That would be wonderful for every chapter leader to gather membership, but for that to occur, the UFT needs to start that engine. I am ready... It has to be a collective effort.
ReplyDelete