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Caption Lance Armstongs New Helper Controlling Leftist Union Protests to Stop Tour De France
AP Wire ^ | July 17, 2003 | Eric Gaillard

Posted on 07/17/2003 9:37:27 AM PDT by ewing



TOPICS: Business/Economy; Culture/Society; Extended News; News/Current Events; Political Humor/Cartoons; US: Texas
KEYWORDS: lance; stage11; tour; visitor
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Ya know Lance Ive got a few weeks before this election thing in California starts up..
1 posted on 07/17/2003 9:37:27 AM PDT by ewing
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2 posted on 07/17/2003 9:39:30 AM PDT by Support Free Republic (Your support keeps Free Republic going strong!)
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To: Support Free Republic

3 posted on 07/17/2003 9:41:54 AM PDT by ewing
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4 posted on 07/17/2003 9:44:02 AM PDT by ewing
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To: ewing
Why do leftists want to stop the Tour?
5 posted on 07/17/2003 9:44:53 AM PDT by Portnoy (Fahrenheit 451...Today's Temperature is hotter than you think...)
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To: Portnoy
Because it's there?
6 posted on 07/17/2003 9:49:09 AM PDT by anoldafvet
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To: Portnoy
Why do leftists want to stop the Tour?

1 To protest the arrest of a nut sheep farmer.

2 Because out of work actors have to work 504 hours a year to get a years worth of unemployment.

PLEASE do not ask me to explain (I cannot), but these are the correct answers to your question.

7 posted on 07/17/2003 9:49:39 AM PDT by HoustonCurmudgeon (PEACE - Through Superior Firepower)
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To: Portnoy
Some French actors formed a barricade over government unemployment benefits and cost Lance 20 minutes, but the all the leaders were with him so it was okay.
8 posted on 07/17/2003 9:50:54 AM PDT by ewing
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To: ewing
Arnold is...everywhere.
9 posted on 07/17/2003 9:51:58 AM PDT by Registered (77% of the mentally ill live in poverty, that leaves 23% doing quite well!)
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To: Portnoy
Strike threatens Tour de France From correspondents in Gap, France

July 15, 2003 A REGIONAL group of performing artists has threatened to interrupt the Tour de France cycling race if the government does not abandon a plan to cut their unemployment benefits.

Group spokesman Laurent Eyraud issued what he called a "solemn appeal" to President Jacques Chirac to maintain the benefits that French performers, theatre workers and others still enjoy.

If Chirac does not comply, "the Tour will not come to Paris," Eyraud told France 2 television.

The Tour de France, cycling's premier race, is scheduled to end in Paris on July 27.

The remarks by Eyraud, who represents a group of performers based in the Haute-Alps region, were immediately disavowed by the national Communist-backed CGT union, which has spearheaded the strikes.

Protests and work stoppages have forced the cancellation of prestigious festivals and cultural events across France this summer.

"He (Eyraud) explained the position of the contract workers very well, the agony of professionals," said CGT spokesman Claude Michel, "But he then got out of control by saying that he wanted to block the Tour."

Directors of the Tour de France declined to comment on the threat.

France has a unique unemployment fund for artists that takes into account their downtime between shows. But the fund has a $US950 million ($1.45 billion) shortfall, and Medef, the powerful business federation that helps run the system, is pushing for change.

The group wants to reduce the number of performers who receive benefits.

And now for my comments... 1) France has a unique unemployment fund for artists that takes into account their downtime between shows.

Hey, our artists here in America have have their own between gig funding system; it's called WAITING TABLES!!!!! Maybe if Frenchie hadn't pissed off the American tourist so effing bad their brie bistros might be doing enough business to warrant hiring a few of these lazy-assed, B O infested, non-leg shaving, commie bastards.

2) Personnel working in the performing arts currently have to work 507 hours a year to qualify for 12 months of unemployment pay.

Under the new proposal, they would have to work 507 hours over 10.5 months to win benefits for eight months.

As always, doing the math helps clarify everything:

OLD PROPOSAL: 507 hours (including their "downtime" as stated above) equals about 13 weeks or 3 months and a week assuming Ze French work a 40 hour week, which they don't. Ze French work a 32 hour week which would work out to 16 weeks or 4 months.

That means that under their old deal Ze French "arteest" had to work only 4 months (including "downtime") to qualify for a full years worth of unemployment benefits.

NEW PROPOSAL: 507 hours over 10.5 months works out to a work requirement of 12 hours per week (including downtime). Ya do this, ya gets 8 months of paid vacation, er, I mean unemployment benefits.

AND THEY"RE THREATING TO STOP THE TOUR OVER THIS?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!

Yet another reason I hate Ze French.

10 posted on 07/17/2003 9:52:58 AM PDT by Zansman
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To: HoustonCurmudgeon
A Sheep farmer??
11 posted on 07/17/2003 9:53:08 AM PDT by ewing
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To: anoldafvet
The best explaination.
12 posted on 07/17/2003 9:53:17 AM PDT by MEG33
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To: ewing
The link does not work for me and I am having a little problem understanding the headline ....
13 posted on 07/17/2003 9:55:17 AM PDT by cinFLA
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14 posted on 07/17/2003 9:55:57 AM PDT by ewing
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To: cinFLA
See post #10
15 posted on 07/17/2003 9:56:35 AM PDT by ewing
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To: ewing
Look at that guy . . . doesn't he look like Gray "Squat" "Lights out" Dufus?


16 posted on 07/17/2003 9:56:46 AM PDT by w_over_w (A dollar's still a dollar at The Dollar General Store!)
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To: ewing
"Come with me if you want to live."
17 posted on 07/17/2003 9:56:52 AM PDT by Bloody Sam Roberts (®)
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18 posted on 07/17/2003 9:58:58 AM PDT by ewing
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To: ewing
A Shhep farmer?

"protesters, including three carrying banners in support of (Jose) Bove. He was jailed last month for destroying genetically modified crops and served about six weeks in jail in 2002 for ransacking a McDonald's restaurant construction site."

19 posted on 07/17/2003 9:59:20 AM PDT by HoustonCurmudgeon (PEACE - Through Superior Firepower)
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20 posted on 07/17/2003 10:02:10 AM PDT by ewing
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