Millionaire Ex-Presidents Can Pay Their Own Way

Townhall.com ^ | May 26, 2015 | Jeff Jacoby

[etcb]

Many people like to speak ill of President Nixon, but as far as I know, he is the only President in modern history to renounce his pension, secrete service protection, and other benefits provided for former presidents. I believe he did this after publication of his second book.

[I want the USA back]

They talk about equality but don’t practice it. For true equality the clintons would have to give me as much of their money as necessary to make us equally rich.

[i_robot73]

The LEAST they could do is wrangle it in to where the State they represented gets the ‘honor’ of paying for their pensions.

Why do the other 56 (/s) States’ Citizens need to pony-up $$ when for someone who didn’t represent them; not saying their own rep ACTUALLY represented anyone but themselves...

[GrandJediMasterYoda]

That’s what it is isn’t it, it’s bribery and nobody does anything about it.

[generally]

Excellent questions. I’d sure like to know.

My bet: Payment are for services already rendered that we know little about. Contracts already steered to the company. Protective legislation already passed. Etc.

[generally]

Zero pensions.

If these people are really interested in “serving” it should not be a financial bonanza for them. If there is a financial incentive, it just encourages corruption.

Let them save money in a 401(k) like most Americans do. If these people had to live like normal Americans, there would be no need for “listening tours” because they wouldn’t be so out of touch.

The US was founded on the idea of self-rule. The point was to eliminate the aristocracy, not to create a new one which is what has happened.

[9YearLurker]

Agreed.

[Stosh]

Any and all retirement programs for government workers (including elected officials) should be defined contribution in nature, NOT defined benefit. That approach would do much to alleviate many looming budgetary problems at the state and local level, and one way to encourage that approach is to start at the very top.

Presidents, VP’s, senators, representatives get a fixed amount towards retirement while they “serve” in office; once they’re out, that’s it. The amount they get to put towards retirement can be relatively lavish - within reason - since most only stay less than 10 years, but no defined benefits.

[GrandJediMasterYoda]

That’s exactly what it is, the speeches are just a ruse, an excuse to hand over that money. I mean seriously, what kind of nut would hand over a quarter of a million bucks to these two crooks just to hear them jabber on? If I was an investor in that company or an employee I would flip out, I would go nuts from such a waste of money. But it isn’t a waste because it’s bribe money. It’s unreal how these two can stay out of jail.

[skeeter]

I remember Reagan going to Japan once immediately following his retirement. He did it once and that was it. He was gone from public life.

There is no comparison between what he did and the money machine the Clintons have built. NONE.

[kabar]

No doubt that Clinton carried it to extreme, but all the politicians, including Reagan, cashed in on their Presidency. And these Presidential libraries should be abolished. They are built by private donations, but the taxpayers pick up the operating costs.

Back in 1989, the Fujisankei Communications Group in Japan paid this former president a cool million per speech to come to the country and tour. Reagan gave two speeches while there as well as speaking at media outlets and giving interviews. Still, Reagan didn’t make out too shabby with $2 million (in 1989 dollars) under his belt for sharing his business and presidential experience with the company desperately in need of public relations help. The Reagans created a national sensation in Japan, boosting the company’s profile.

In a bit more than two hours, Reagan has earned his private-sector speech price of $50,000 (no charge to charities or schools), less a commission of about 20% to his lecture agents, Washington Speakers Bureau Inc. At sunny resorts from Palm Springs to the Bahamas, where he spent his birthday Feb. 6 as a luncheon speaker for Sara Lee Corp., Reagan does "a couple or three a month" of these unpublicized Fortune 500 appearances, Weinberg says. Reagan is grossing as much as $1.8 million a year from this source alone.

Reagan's health problems contributed to his dropping out of public life when he was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease.

[Liz]

At first glance, the Clinton’s lucrative speeches seem to provide the bulk of the couple’s income. Bill's honorariums increased dramatically---earning some $50 million during Hillary's four-year term as secretary of State....including an Irish scholarship fund, a Korean conglomerate, and, a Nigerian newspaper company......each of whom paid Clinton more than half a million dollars for a single speech.

The Wash/Post reports Hillary earned $11.7 million for 51 speeches since Jan 2014.....she pocketed an astonishing $625,000 for two speeches in one day!

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But the calculated Clintons have also sought to branch out into other business activities......though little is known about the exact nature and financial worth of Bill Clinton’s non-speech business interests.

Recent reports indicate the Clintons were party to multi-billion dollar Mideast arms deals....Kazakhstan uranium mines....and Haitian gold mines...and other lucrative business interest which they cunningly intertwine w/ their Foundation do-good activities.

Clinton made a big show of do-goodism in earthquake-ravaged Haiti.

Bill and Canadian mining tycoon Frank Giustra in Haiti June 2014.

That day, the "Clinton Giustra Enterprise Partnership"
launched the Acceso Peanut Enterprise Corp. (Hector Retamal/AFP/Getty Images)

REALITY CHECK Then-Secy Hillary supposedly gave Haiti $3.1 billion tax dollars for Earthquake Relief.

But Haitian-American protesters claim that American aid to Haiti was a cover-for foreign governments to funnel kickbacks of hundreds of millions of dollars to The Clinton Foundation.

For example, gold expert Giustra "gave" the Foundation $100 million....after Bill helped him make billions off uranium deals. Hillary's brother mysteriously got a gold mining license in Haiti.

[Liz]

Donatimg $100 million, and more, Canadian mining magnate Frank Giustra is apparently one of the Clinton Foundation’s largest donors. Giustra's contributions go directly (1) to the tax-exempt Clinton Foundation, and, (2) to the Canada-based "Clinton-Giustra Enterprise Partnership," which in turn sends money to the Clinton Foundation......(according to Canadian tax records researched by "Clinton Cash" author Schweizer).

DATA Sources: Clinton Foundation, CGEP (Canada);
Canadian tax records; compiled by Alberto Cuadra and
Rosalind Helderman May 3 at 8:11 PM

ARTICLE LINK http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/wealthy-canadian-helps-fund-the-clinton- foundation/2015/05/03/f855ea22-f1ea-11e4-90bc-afe06f530791_graphic.html