CEO: Massive layoffs if Obama is reelected

[Cream Soda]

http://gawker.com/5950189/the-ceo-wh...obamas-elected

Subject: Message from David Siegel
Date:Mon, 08 Oct 2012 13:58:05 -0400 (EDT)
From: [David Siegel]
To: [All employees]

To All My Valued Employees,

As most of you know our company, Westgate Resorts, has continued to succeed in spite of a very dismal economy. There is no question that the economy has changed for the worse and we have not seen any improvement over the past four years. In spite of all of the challenges we have faced, the good news is this: The economy doesn't currently pose a threat to your job. What does threaten your job however, is another 4 years of the same Presidential administration. 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. 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.The current administration and members of the press have perpetuated an environment that casts employers against employees. They want you to believe that we live in a class system where the rich get richer, the poor get poorer. They label us the "1%" and imply that we are somehow immune to the challenges that face our country. This could not be further from the truth. Sure, you may have heard about the big home that I'm building. I'm sure many people think that I live a privileged life. However, what you don't see or hear is the true story behind any success that I have achieved.

I started this company over 42 years ago. At that time, I lived in a very modest home. I converted my garage into an office so I could put forth 100% effort into building a company, which by the way, would eventually employ you. We didn't eat in fancy restaurants or take expensive vacations because every dollar I made went back into this company. I drove an old used car, and often times, I stayed home on weekends, while my friends went out drinking and partying. In fact, I was married to my business — hard work, discipline, and sacrifice. Meanwhile, many of my friends got regular jobs. They worked 40 hours a week and made a nice income, and they spent every dime they earned. They drove flashy cars and lived in expensive homes and wore fancy designer clothes. My friends refinanced their mortgages and lived a life of luxury. I, however, did not. I put my time, my money, and my life into this business —-with a vision that eventually, some day, I too, will be able to afford to buy whatever I wanted. Even to this day, every dime I earn goes back into this company. Over the past four years I have had to stop building my dream house, cut back on all of my expenses, and take my kids out of private schools simply to keep this company strong and to keep you employed.

Just think about this – most of you arrive at work in the morning and leave that afternoon and the rest of your time is yours to do as you please. But not me- there is no "off" button for me. When you leave the office, you are done and you have a weekend all to yourself. I unfortunately do not have that freedom. I eat, live, and breathe this company every minute of the day, every day of the week. There is no rest. There is no weekend. There is no happy hour. I know many of you work hard and do a great job, but I'm the one who has to sign every check, pay every expense, and make sure that this company continues to succeed. Unfortunately, what most people see is the nice house and the lavish lifestyle. What the press certainly does not want you to see, is the true story of the hard work and sacrifices I've made.

Now, the economy is falling apart and people like me who made all the right decisions and invested in themselves are being forced to bail out all the people who didn't. The people that overspent their paychecks suddenly feel entitled to the same luxuries that I earned and sacrificed 42 years of my life for. Yes, business ownership has its benefits, but the price I've paid is steep and not without wounds. Unfortunately, the costs of running a business have gotten out of control, and let me tell you why: We are being taxed to death and the government thinks we don't pay enough. We pay state taxes, federal taxes, property taxes, sales and use taxes, payroll taxes, workers compensation taxes and unemployment taxes. I even have to hire an entire department to manage all these taxes. The question I have is this: Who is really stimulating the economy? Is it the Government that wants to take money from those who have earned it and give it to those who have not, or is it people like me who built a company out of his garage and directly employs over 7000 people and hosts over 3 million people per year with a great vacation?

Obviously, our present government believes that taking my money is the right economic stimulus for this country. The fact is, if I deducted 50% of your paycheck you'd quit and you wouldn't work here. I mean, why should you? Who wants to get rewarded only 50% of their hard work? Well, that's what happens to me.

Here is what most people don't understand and the press and our Government has chosen to ignore – to stimulate the economy you need to stimulate what runs the economy. Instead of raising my taxes and depositing that money into the Washington black-hole, let me spend it on growing the company, hire more employees, and generate substantial economic growth. My employees will enjoy the wealth of that tax cut in the form of promotions and better salaries. But that is not what our current Government wants you to believe. They want you to believe that it somehow makes sense to take more from those who create wealth and give it to those who do not, and somehow our economy will improve. They don't want you to know that the "1%", as they like to label us, pay more than 31% of all the taxes in this country. Thomas Jefferson, the author of our great Constitution, once said, "democracy" will cease to exist when you take away from those who are willing to work and give to those who would not."

Business is at the heart of America and always has been. To restart it, you must stimulate business, not kill it. However, the power brokers in Washington believe redistributing wealth is the essential driver of the American economic engine. Nothing could be further from the truth and this is the type of change they want.

So where am I going with all this? It's quite simple. If any new taxes are levied on me, or my company, as our current President plans, I will have no choice but to reduce the size of this company. Rather than grow this company I will be forced to cut back. This means fewer jobs, less benefits and certainly less opportunity for everyone.

So, when you make your decision to vote, ask yourself, which candidate understands the economics of business ownership and who doesn't? Whose policies will endanger your job? Answer those questions and you should know who might be the one capable of protecting and saving your job. While the media wants to tell you to believe the "1 percenters" are bad, I'm telling you they are not. They create most of the jobs. If you lose your job, it won't be at the hands of the "1%"; it will be at the hands of a political hurricane that swept through this country.

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.

Signed, your boss,

David Siegel

tl;dr
Guy will close down his business and simply retire if Romney doesn't win

[Ragnus]

http://www.bluegartr.com/threads/111...=1#post5429770

[Cream Soda]

can lock/delete whenever, lol.

[Correction]

More about this billionaire piece of shit

http://thinkprogress.org/wp-content/...3.04.09-PM.png

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB1000...LEFTTopStories

The Siegels' dream home, called "Versailles," after its French inspiration, is still a work in progress. Its steel-and-wood frame rises from the tropical suburbs of Orlando, Fla., like a skeleton from the Jurassic age of real estate. Ms. Siegel shows off the future bowling alley, indoor relaxing pools, five kitchens, 23 bathrooms, 13 bedrooms, two elevators, two movie theaters (one for kids and one for adults, each modeled after a French opera theater), 20-car garage and wine cellar built for 20,000 bottles.

At 90,000 square feet, the Siegels' Versailles is believed to be the largest private home in America. (The Vanderbilt family's Biltmore house in North Carolina is bigger at 135,000 square feet, but it's now a tourist attraction). The Siegels' home is so big that they bought 10 Segways to get around—one for each of their eight children.

After touring the house, Ms. Siegel walks out to the deck, with its Olympic-size pool, future rock grotto, three hot tubs and 80-foot waterfall overlooking Lake Butler. Her eyes well up with tears.

Of course, the trauma of giving up a Gulfstream or a yacht can't compare with the millions of Americans who have lost their only job or home. The Siegels will make do in their current 26,000-square-foot mansion.

Suddenly, in 1982, the wealthiest broke away from the rest of the economy and formed their own virtual country. Their incomes began soaring higher during good times. The top 1% of earners more than doubled their share of national income, to 20% as of 2008. Looking at another measure, the richest 1% increased their share of wealth from just over 20% to more than 33%.

Those surges were often accompanied by mini-crashes, even though the direction over time was always up. A top 1% that had once been models of financial sobriety set off on a wild ride of economic binges.

Basically, everything this guy says is a fucking lie, especially this:

The people that overspent their paychecks suddenly feel entitled to the same luxuries that I earned and sacrificed 42 years of my life for.

He is one of the motherfuckers that overspent his paycheck.

The Siegels show how the cycle of high-beta wealth plays out in the lives, values and economy of the rich. Before 2008, Mr. Siegel's company, Westgate, was earning hundreds of millions of dollars a year for the family. The Siegels poured $50 million into Versailles, which seemed reasonable at the time. When friends asked David why he wanted to build the largest home in America, he had a simple answer: "Because I can."

"I was cocky and I didn't care what the house would cost because I couldn't spend all the money I was making," Mr. Siegel says.

When Westgate couldn't roll over its debts, he had to bail out the company with hundreds of millions of dollars of his own. He fired half of his workforce of 12,000 people and sold off assets. Mr. Siegel says that today, Westgate is "highly profitable" and demand is strong, but revenues are still half their peak levels due to lack of financing.

The Siegels took their first hard look at their own lifestyle. They fired 14 of their 15 housekeepers and lost their private chef, named "chef Jeff." They pulled their kids out of private school and put them in the local public school.

Ms. Siegel has started a nonprofit called ThriftMart, a mega thrift-store that sells donated clothes—many from her own closet—and other items for $1.

She does miss one luxury—the Gulfstream. After they defaulted on the $8 million jet loan, the banks seized the plane. The Siegels can use it only occasionally, with the banks' permission.

Fuck him. And his wife.

[Correction]

JOB CREATORS ARE PEOPLE TOO OKAY?

An Orlando woman who won $5.4 million in a sexual harassment lawsuit against Orlando's 'timeshare king' spoke to Eyewitness News about her victory. Georgette Meyers worked for David Siegel for 14 years at Westgate resorts and claims he once offered her $1 million to have sex with him.Meyers said she didn't sue Siegel for the money. She said her lawsuit was the only way to stop him from harassing her both inside and outside of work.
"It's sad. It's sad it ever had to get this far," Meyers said of the situation.
Georgette Meyers worked for Siegel for 14 years at Westgate Resorts. She used to consider him a mentor until she claims he offered her $1 million for sex.
"Because of his wealth and power, he doesn't listen to anyone and he feels he can do whatever and is above the law," she said of Siegel.
Meyers said she had to fight off Siegel's romantic advances and groping all too often.
"You should be ale to work and not worry about someone grabbing you and doing inappropriate things," she added.

[Renzokuken]

Fuck him.

For what? The business this man has built has directly and completely funded the livelihoods of thousands of Americans. You can make a case for hating the exorbitant luxurious lifestyle that this man has created for himself, but in my opinion successful people are afforded that luxury if they want it. Are all millionaires/billionaires pieces of shit just because they have money? Do you hate people like Michael Jordan? He probably has nearly as much money and luxuries as this guy but he has had no where near 7,000 employees that he has had to support.

[Demosthenes11]

fuck him because he threatens to end thousands of jobs because he might barely continue to make record profit.

This letter if fucking offensive and I'd punch him in the face if I ever saw him. You think you know what it's like to be in the lower/middle class struggling because you had to temporary stop construction on the biggest motherfucking house in America? ya fuck you

[kuronosan]

For what? The business this man has built has directly and completely funded the livelihoods of thousands of Americans. You can make a case for hating the exorbitant luxurious lifestyle that this man has created for himself, but in my opinion successful people are afforded that luxury if they want it. Are all millionaires/billionaires pieces of shit just because they have money? Do you hate people like Michael Jordan? He probably has nearly as much money and luxuries as this guy but he has had no where near 7,000 employees that he has had to support.

I don't think anyone has issue with his luxury so much as they do his whiny attitude that he might not get to buy an extra jet this year. These people he employs likely can't afford luxuries of their own and he is complaining about a tax increase.

It's not because he cares about their well beings. He wants to finish his house and have money money money.

If he gave a shit about his employees he wouldn't have sent the email in the first place.

[ronin sparthos]

Money or not, writing a letter like the one sent to employees is a scumbag move.

It doesn't help this guy has a scumbag past and comes off as extremely arrogant and full of himself. He's a walking stereotype.

[Renzokuken]

fuck him because he threatens to end thousands of jobs because he might barely continue to make record profit.

99% more likely that he will sell the company to some other rich asshole that you don't like just because he has money.

You think you know what it's like to be in the lower/middle class struggling because you had to temporary stop construction on the biggest motherfucking house in America?

I did not take this away from his letter at all. Dude may no longer be making rational decisions grounded in reality anymore, but he obviously cares about his business.

If he gave a shit about his employees he wouldn't have sent the email in the first place.

This is a valid response.

[Weeks]

For what? The business this man has built has directly and completely funded the livelihoods of thousands of Americans. You can make a case for hating the exorbitant luxurious lifestyle that this man has created for himself, but in my opinion successful people are afforded that luxury if they want it. Are all millionaires/billionaires pieces of shit just because they have money? Do you hate people like Michael Jordan? He probably has nearly as much money and luxuries as this guy but he has had no where near 7,000 employees that he has had to support.

Fuck him because he made a fortune preying upon the stupid in an outright fraudulent business, maybe.

[kuronosan]

Huh?

[ronin sparthos]

Huh?

Timeshares.

[kuronosan]

Timeshares.

Oh. Gotcha.

[Gokku]

isnt it illegal to send a letter like that out? political pressuring like that has got to be sueable in some form in the USA.

[kuronosan]

It's probably why he was so mad the letter was leaked, since it was supposed to be "private".

[Athas]

lol jesus fuck

Corporate wide e-mails are supposed to be private? How diluted is this guy?

[mallister]

i think the word you were looking for was deluded, but, yeah, he's kinda nutso.

[GentaiShinigami]

I don't understand the line "work hard and get rich yourself". If that was the case, and it was that simple, then rich would just be average. Rich can only ever exist as small quantities of the whole by its nature. There's not even enough jobs for people currently looking, much less for every single person (and children if some Republicans had their way) capable of working. There are certainly not enough very-high income jobs to support the demand (which, honestly, is almost everyone in the workforce). It is impossible for everyone to "make themselves rich" through dedication, determination, and hard work. Only one person in an office can be the head boss. There is a limited amount of existing businesses and potential start-ups that would have a shot at runaway success. You can say "oh, well you have to be innovative and think of the next big thing!", but there simply isn't enough possible opportunities for that logic to work. There will always be people who luck out and end up a super success story. I'm sorry, but regardless of how awesome an entrepreneur you think you are, having a truly successful business is equal parts business-savvy and lady-luck. Telling people "work harder" when they complain that being at the bottom of the totem pole sucks ass is retarded. Besides, someone has to do those lower-rung jobs or the whole system comes crashing down. Still, someone is going to get fucked over in the end.

To say he funded peoples livelihoods by being a "job creator" is a bit one-sided. They also funded his livelihood too by being wage sla... employees. He didn't get ultra-wealthy doing everything alone. He had an army of employees/contractors that enabled the large-scale of operations that he built his wealth on. You don't get ultra-rich running the single mom&pop store on the corner after all. It looks like when the shit went south he kicked plenty of them to the curb as thanks. Additionally, he wouldn't have been so mega rich if people didn't overspend and buy things they didn't need. Nobody needs a timeshare, and if they hadn't convinced that they did, he wouldn't be a filthy-rich codger now. The entire goal of a profitable, publicly-traded business, is to make as much money as possible and to persuade people to buy things they don't need using any means/methods available. He's basically complaining that they made him rich, and that he hates them because of it.

Don't get me wrong there are plenty of slackers and good-for-nothings in the world who want anything for nothing, and will scam and abuse the system anywhere possible (though this would be called having great business sense in the corporate world).

His entire email is straight bullshit though. I would think it amounts to some form of extortion/bribery/duress/hostile work environment (everyone is going to hate you if you say your totally gonna vote Obama since you're all but assuring their loss of a job lol...), but I'm using common sense so we must assume the courts will see it differently. Doesn't help that tons of things civilians would have their lives ruined for or spend life in jail over have corporations getting a small fine and waved off.

:nekodead:

[Avinor]

There is a real and growing entitlement problem in this country, and this guy is the poster boy for it.