Posted on 05/14/2004 9:21:40 AM PDT by KentTrappedInLiberalSeattle
Air America, the tottering monument to liberal hubris in the talk radio industry, may be about to change hands again, according to the Chicago Tribune. Its internal state of chaos is so great that employees, who had the cost of health insurance coverage deducted from their paychecks, were apparently never enrolled in a health insurance plan.
This must certainly be an oversight, rather than fraud. The devotion of liberals to health care coverage for all is so well-known that it is inconceivable that this could be deliberate. Incompetence, not criminality, must be at work.
Major hat-tip to Michael Nadler, who points out that while intent is critical to asessing criminality in a case like Air America's failure to pay for health insurance, if Air America also neglected to pay the I.R.S. the withholding taxes it deducted from employees' paychecks, as they did with health insurance, they would be "toast."
Having lost its two most important affiliate stations, bounced paychecks, laid off staff, closed advertising sales offices, and fired its two top officers, not to mention putting out an embarrassingly tedious and sophomoric programming product, the company may now return to the hands of its two original founders, Democrat donors Sheldon and Anita Drobny.
As a privately-held company, the public may never learn the details of the ownership odyssey which saw at least two changes in majority control after the Drobnys unloaded their controlling block of shares. According to the Tribune’s source, the Drobnys have an outside investor’s money to work with in their negotiations to re-assume control.
Strangely enough, the left-leaning press outlets like the New York Times, which devoted enormous attention to Air America when it was a pending venture, are curiously uninterested in the troubles being experienced in the actual operation of the business. Usually, liberal journalists take delight in business scandals. Imagine the headlines if an Enron or Halliburton pocketed employees’ health insurance deductions without actually covering them with health insurance!
"Or perhaps he's not invited any more."
Possibly the invitations stopped when Franken started begging for $$$$ to keep Air America afloat.
The really sad and tragic thing is that no matter how badly they fail they'll continue to agitate for the entire nation being run the same way they ran their pathetic radio enterprise.
Schedenfreude is right! Lately I'm getting my biggest laughs from the news about Err America! LMAO!
Shouldn't the Air America logo be changed to the cover art of the Beastie Boys' debut album, minus the call sign?
(musical intro)
I was listening to Hannity or Rushbo
When I tried another station...why?...I don't know
I heard someone and I said, man does this guy blow
Ooh-a-ooh
In no time I quickly reached the right conclusion
I determined that he needs a brain transfusion
The poor guy was really suffering delusion
Ooh-a-ooh...the guy was crazy...ooh-a-ooh...he's freakin' crazy
Liberals stunk my radio up...liberals stunk my radio up
Just 10 seconds...that's enough...now, it's in the trash can
CNN and Jennings spew the same old prattle
Those who watch them follow like they're sheep or cattle
In their heads we're sure we heard something rattle
Ooh-a-ooh...the guy was crazy...ooh-a-ooh...he's freakin' crazy
Liberals stunk my radio up...liberals stunk my radio up
Just 10 seconds...that's enough...and that decision had not been tough
Now, it's in the trash can...stuffed down in the trash can
(musical interlude)
I'll miss that old Grundig
Liberals stunk my radio up...liberals stunk my radio up
Just 10 seconds...that's enough...and that decision had not been tough
I won't put up with that stuff...always whining while in a huff
(musical interlude)
Liberals stunk my radio up...liberals stunk my radio up
Liberals stunk my radio up...liberals stunk my radio up
Liberals stunk my radio up...liberals stunk my radio up
Liberals stunk my radio up...liberals stunk my radio up
Liberals stunk my radio up...(fade)
(musical finish)
With Franken and Garaffalo invovled, how could anyone expect a better outcome. This is like putting a frat house in charge of the budget for the University of Chicago!
ops4 God Bless America!
Seems more like a short, quick slide to me.
I hope at least you charged a the highest rate of interest that would not legally constitute usury in your state!
I am twisted...I love wathching a train wreck.
Then she was a cheap-jack crook. A little reality check for mutts like her can never hurt.
Regards,
George Soros?
They certainly have their share of problems, but I find this possible. Most insurance companies that I'm familiar with require 3-6 months before allowing new employees onto a health plan. I'm not sure about a new business, but I could see that happening. Someone new at this could assume that they would be on immediately and begin to subtract their share from their paychecks. If they did not have a contract with ANY insurer, however, then this goes well beyond incompetence...
Franken, Gretchen Carlson and Keith Olbermann were on and I only caught the Final Jeopardy segment.
Franken had $8000, Carlson was a minus 1800 ( that's right, a negative $1800 on puffball answers), and Olberman was at $7800. (Yeah, I know, great totals for Jeopardy , huh?)
The Final Jeopardy was "Aaron Burr's daughter and newly wed husband vacationed here in 1801, and established an American tradition," or something like that.
Gretchen was allowed to play by having her negative total changed to a plus and got the right question. Olbermann went next and smugly, smirked when his question was also correct and he was in the lead. Even gave a dismissive, "Yes, I know," wave of his hand when Alex exclaimed he was in the lead. However, he spelled Niagara N-I-A-G-R-A.
Franken was last and his quesiton was right too.
BUT - Franken didn't stop there. Oh, no.
"HA, HA. And I spelled it right too. *pointing at Olbermann* You spelled it like Viagra. HA,HA,HA."
What a complete dork. Olbermann just stood there with a "Who $hit in my Easter basket look on his face that slowly turned to a "You want to step outside and say that a$$hole, look.
Wish I had seen the whole show to see just what kind of puffball trivia was given these doofi.
Please no. I like Waffle House and believe me, they don't need any more ill tempered waitresses!
Regards,
Attack them? He!!, they wanted them killed!
I am deeply saddened.
NOT!
That is true. But employers don't deduct health insurance premiums from your paycheck until you are eligible for the benefits!
Someone new at this could assume that they would be on immediately and begin to subtract their share from their paychecks. If they did not have a contract with ANY insurer, however, then this goes well beyond incompetence...
I would think that they would have hired someone with benefit administration experience, not some rookie off the street.
I am a bit surprised. We have lots of idiots in this country that will listen to anything.
Maybe I should say "watch anything" because AA's target audience would rather be sitting on the sofa watching soaps & Springer and eating potato chips than listening to AA's ship-of-fools. So maybe it's not surprising after all.
On another thread, someone said they hoped, that this being a liberal organization, that the laid off workers were given 60 days severance pay, health care benefits and other goodies that libs expect every one to get from the rich, corporations, government and on and on.
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