Thursday, March 28, 2024
Miles from the Mainstream
D. R. ZUKERMAN, proprietor
Observations
MARCH 24, 2004 --

The Lonely Pamphleteer Review CEO Payment Plan

Take the average annual weekly wage of the lowest level employee and multiply that weekly wage by x. (10, 100, 300, for example.) This is the CEO's base. Thereafter adjust this base -- weekly, monthly or quarterly -- by the AYEP-- or the BYEP, if the company is below year-ending price. This plan adjusts the CEO's pay strictly on the performance of the company. It does away with bonuses, options and compensation committees headed by CEOs at other companies. Let the bonus follow performance, with higher pay based on AYEP making possible the purchase of additional stock.

Additional Service to G.O.P. Convention delegates (and UFPJ demonstrators)

Roving New York Police Department checkpoints seem to be popping up with greater frequency. LPR here shows one such checkpoint at the Central Park 79th Street transverse road, near Central Park West, the morning of March 23. Earlier that morning, this roving checkpoint was located on the park's 86th Street transverse road, near Fifth Avenue. (Again, LPR saw no signs at the March 20 ABM protesting seatbelt summonses.)

Central Park Checkpoint.


MARCH 24, 2004 --Thank you.

Lonely Pamphleteer Review thanks Todd Gelineau of Blue Line Graphics and Terri Fassio and Skullco for the layout, design and posting of each week’s edition of the Lonely Pamphleteer Review.


MARCH 19, 2004 --

Is being a corporate head a full time job?

Reuters reported March 16 that Time Warner head Richard Parsons is chairman of the Citigroup personnel and compensation committee that bestowed "about $44.6 million" on Stanford Weill, chairman of Citigroup, Inc., for 2003. Anyone notice the Time Warner BYEP listed just above? Is the following assertion currently incorrect: company head, wearing other company's hat, approves tens of millions in compensation to execs at that company, while his own company declines in value?

Questions from LPR

If tax cuts actually result in increased revenue for government, how about price cuts resulting in increased revenue for oil companies, and other corporations?

If election of a Socialist prime minister in Spain, after that country's March 11 terrorist atrocity, can be seen as a victory for terrorism, is the stock market post - March 11 decline likewise a victory for terrorism, provided by craven investors?

LPR Recommends

"Memo to our pets," on "Pamela's Page of Stuff" -- February 8, 2004, and an old joke variation, same source, January 18, 2004. Go to: pamspage.blogspot.com. See also, on-line, Jackson Simon Review. LPR sent JSR a compliment and got a link, in return. JSR woulda been mentioned here even without that kindness.

MARCH 19, 2004 --

On Seatbelts Today -- and in the Future

Delegates who drive to the Republican National Convention, in New York City, late this summer, should beware of seatbelt traps throughout the city. Last June, for example, LPR got seatbelted on 47th Street, just a bit down from Broadway. This seatbelt summons rankled more than usual because LPR was approaching the officer who served the seatbelt allegation. LPR had spotted a crowd midway down the block and circled back to ask the police about the crowd. At a March 18 hearing, the administrative law judge upheld the violation, cutting the fine in half, to $20, plus the $50 surcharge. LPR plans to appeal, on various grounds including denial of equal protection.

There are still horse drawn carriages in the vicinity of Central Park. Are seat belts required in those carriages which go as fast as traffic down 47th Street?


One of the horse drawn carriages in the vicinity of Central Park.


Seatbelt Trap Warning: Beware of the northwest corner of 47th and Broadway.

Are passengers fined if they don't have seatbelts in taxis?

Are seatbelts required in the behemoth buses that are popping up in the Bronx and Manhattan, taking away from motorists precious parking space? Indeed, between those behemoth buses and "Law and Order" which is constantly on location on city streets (see photo accompanying "Future Law" article below) -- to the detriment of motorists, it is not difficult to imagine the day when cars will have no space left for street parking.


One of the behemoth buses now in use in the Bronx and Manhattan.


Battered by NYC's parking rules, LPR concluded that a sign on Central Park South (59th Street) called for an $800 fine for parking in a bus layover zone. It appears on further inspection that the sign warns of an $800 fine for idling bus engines in this location. (Was this agreed to by the bus union?) Still, how far off can $800 fines be for parking violations? What is the fine to a motorist who has his engine idling at this location? Perhaps motorists would be advised, stopping at Manhattan curbsides, to be accomapnied by their parking lawyers.

Watch out for this "Fine Sign" on Central Park South!


MARCH 12, 2004 --

Federalist 57 Commendation

LPR bestows its first Federalist 57 commendation to New York Times columnist Nicholas D. Kristof who, in his March 6 column criticizing wage overpayment to corporate heads, indicated "communion of interests and sympathy sentiments" with the people, PLUS opposition to those who seek the "ambitious sacrifice of the many to the aggrandizement of the few."

Calling All Opera Lovers

If I remember right, that was how Milton Cross addressed listeners to Metropolitan Opera Saturday Matinee broadcasts in the 1940s and 1950s -- "opera lovers everywhere." Well, it is time for us OLEs to pony up and save the broadcasts which, after more than 60 years, are losing their oil company sponsor, now Chevron Texaco -- after so many years of Texaco.

Beverly Sills told us OLEs March 6, during a "La Traviata" intermission that next season's broadcasts are secure and that $150 million would guarantee the broadcasts in perpetuity. Actually that isn't much. Just one million OLEs donating $50 a year for three years. LPR herewith pledges to the Met OLE Fund $50 a year for the next three years. Betcha we get another 999,999 faster than you can say "communion of interests and sympathy of sentiments" pursuant to Federalist 57, which is what the OLE Fund would, of course, be all about. What a terrifically populist message this fund will be. For the common good.

Better late than never?

Washington Post Executive Editor Leonard Downie, Jr. advised readers, March 7 that the paper will do a better job quoting people as to what they actually say.

Advice from a Democratic President not likely to be followed by the 2004 Democratic presidential candidate.

At a February 3, 1939 White House press conference, President Franklin D. Roosevelt said, "I had always supposed, and I still believe, that the foreign policy of the United States should not be involved in either legislative or party or newspaper politics." He added, "In other words, I do not think that the 1940 campaign should enter into the problem either on foreign policy or American defense in the year 1939."

Litigation Question

Which ice cream company will be the first defendant in an action for wrongful death brought by the family of a person alleged to have died of obesity?

Additional Questions

Will the Surgeon General post warnings on ice cream containers. Cake, candy and cookie boxes?

Will the state attorney generals demand payment from ice cream, candy and cookie manufacturers into an obesity fund?

Will state legislatures impose huge obesity taxes on ice cream, cake, candy and cookies?

Will Mayork Bloomberg establish an Obesity Violations Agency (OVA) in New York City, authorizing OVA agents to weigh pedestrians and give summonses to persons deemed obese?

A Word About the Martha Stewart Coverage

ENOUGH

A Suggestion for the Martha Stewart Prosecutors

Do you have a moment to check the way HUD and the City of New York handled the Dayton Seaside property taxes?

A Prediction on the Martha Steward Appeal

Reversal.



 

MARCH 5, 2004 --

Wisdom of the Founders

On the "Anti-republican" view of society, "The people are stupid, suspicious, licentious. They cannot safely trust themselves. When they have established government they should think of nothing but obedience, leaving the care of their liberies to their wiser rulers." (Kind of the view of anti-Republicans, today, n'est-ce pas?)

James Madision, National Gazette, December 22, 1792 (reprinted in James Madison: Writings, pp. 532-33. Selected by Jack N. Rackove. Library of America, 1999).

Back in October

At the Oscars, February 29, host Billy Crystal introduced Robin Williams as one of the presenters. Last October, Crystal and Williams were spotted going into Yankee Stadium by the press gate (used by VIPs and celebrities as well as players) for a World Series game. Mr. Crystal looked straight ahead, as did Mr. Williams and both were, remarkably, silent as far as LPR could tell.


Robin Williams and Billy Crystal.


Ahead to April

With Major League Baseball's spring training underway (before the end of winter) can amateur softball be far away? The Broadway Show League gets going with pre-season games April 15 at the Heckscher fields in Central Park, near Columbus Circle. Players include actors like Tom Cavanagh who was in, and played for, Urinetown, last summer. Mr. Cavanagh, who has the title role in "Ed" -- the NBC television series -- is shown here playing shortstop in a game against La Boheme. "Ed" is probably show in South Dakota over KSDK-TV, clearly admired by at least one person at the 2003 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. The parade route goes through Columbus Circle, now also the location of the towers of the new Time Warner Center


Shortstop Tom Cavanagh


Thanksgiving Day 2003 message.