David Siegel, Billionaire Whose Letter Promised Mass Layoffs After Obama Win, Gives Workers Raises

[sebastianj333]

Source: Huffington Post


David Siegel, Billionaire Whose Letter Promised Mass Layoffs After Obama Win, Gives Workers Raises

The private timeshare mogul and Mitt Romney supporter who swore mass employee layoffs if President Barack Obama won reelection has had a change of heart.

Earlier this year, David Siegel, the founder of Central Florida Investments and Westgate Resorts, emailed a letter to his employees warning them to vote for Romney or else. However, after Obama won the election on Tuesday, instead of firing some of his 65,000 employees, Siegel decided to give them raises.



Read more: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/11/08/david-siegel-westgate-letter-layoffs-firings-obama-win-victory-raises_n_2092582.html?ir=Politics&ncid=edlinkusaolp00000009

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thought he was full of it! (sorry for any duplicate posts)

[SheilaT]

1. I'm trying to decide if I should

complain because he's so obviously a hypocrite or praise him for giving raises.

[valerief]

13. He's screwing with people's lives with his games. He deserves NO PRAISE. nt

[sickwidit]

23. Absolutely NONE at all.

Just the sheer audacity to threaten employees should serve as a warning to anybody seeking employment at any of his businesses.

[sebastianj333]

20. me too

good question, i was thinking the same thing

[still_one]

26. Compared to others at least he is not as much of an asshole

[OKNancy]

2. He is afraid of backlash

I think he thinks his employees "disobeyed" him so he is doing some ass-covering

[DonViejo]

14. I think you're correct OKNancy...

Isn't he one of the business owners that reportedly phoned Romney HQ's in a panic because of the backlash to his threat? R's HQ told him not to worry "it happens all the time" or words to that effect. But, he's worried and goes to plan B anyhow: CYA.

[maddogesq]

15. Way to go Nancy...you knocked that one out of the park.

I will be keeping my eye out for lawsuits pertaining to worker intimidation. Pass the popcorn.

[HuckleB]

17. Someone had to have told him the stupidity of his statement.

Any employee who can find a better job elsewhere is bound to leave after the boss offers up a threat like that. The raise is his attempt to keep people on board.

[Scuba]

3. A hollow threat followed by the realization that he NEEDS his employees.

[lilithsrevenge12]

6. HERE, HERE!

[BouzoukiKing]

10. Because he is *not* a job creator.

...his employees are wealth creators.

Hence... unions.

[valerief]

8. But his employees mean nothing. After all, it's HIS business and HE built it.

[cyclezealot]

9. And to think we call this guy a job creator..

A Private Time Share Mogul. This is what passes for Capitalism in the US today.. Of course his side line is probably a hedge fund manager. ?. Pretty much , so many of the current US titans of industry are little more than Mary Kaye scams.

[HuckleB]

18. +1,000,000 ... 000

[leftyohiolib]

27. yea he threatens to fire people if potus wins and now that potus won he doesnt want his talent takin

off to other jobs. they should all just quit

[adieu]

4. His wealth and company is totally dependent on having a staff

of people getting customers to buy time shares (think Glengarry Glen Ross). The thing is, it's easier now for his employees to look elsewhere for work. They should consider going elsewhere to work and say a big, "F-U" to this guy.

[freshwest]

5. He sees America coming back to its senses and has decided to join in, maybe?

[global1]

7. Maybe He Realized It's Better Spent Money Than Donating It To The Repug Party & Rmoney....nt

[1StrongBlackMan]

11. I never understood how ...

this time-share mogul could support a romney president ... millionaires don't buy time-shares; upper-middle incomed, working class folks do.

Today's Owners**

Median age, head of household = 53
Median household income = $85,000
84% are married
95% own their home
46% attended college
30% hold a graduate or professional degree

http://www.bluegreenonline.com/explore/learnIndustry.aspx

[UtahLib]

12. My spouse and I were discussing this subject before the election.

I believe that the employees threatened by CEO republican thugs made a point of voting for President Obama. Even if I hadn't planned on voting Democratic in the first place, I know that if someone threatend me in that manner and tried to corrupt my voting rights, I would have voted in opposition to their directive if I had to crawl to the polls to do it. I'm so happy their disgusting threats backfired on them.

[progressivebydesign]

16. Perhaps even he could admit that the housing market is coming back strongly right now...

suddenly there is a demand again. His republican posturing was stupid, and i suspect it was more about his PERSONAL fortune, than his business. We have to remember that most of these guys have made their fortune already, and can just sell if things got bac enough, and still be filthy rich. The CEOS and owners that did this, like the Koch Bros, KNOW that the Democrats are great for business, etc. THey just want their PERSONAL taxes cut down to nothing.

Remember Siegel and his wife were on a reality thing about how they're trying to build the largest home in America.. the Queen of Versailles.

I long for the 80s when the billionaires paid their fair share, hell even the 90s would be fine!!!

[Baitball Blogger]

19. Boy, did we call his bluff.

[caveat_imperator]

21. I guess mr moneybags blinked.

[lovuian]

22. The rich Moguls better be nice to their employees

I think he got a reality check

this is a democracy and the people rule here not a 1%


the Occupy Movement won big

[defacto7]

24. He's covering his ass.

He made comments that could be damaging in court. Now he has to cover his ass so he can't be investigated over those remarks. If Romney had won, he wouldn't have given them the raise because there would be no repercussions over those same remarks.

Ironic, isn't it.

[JackN415]

25. we all know they bluff! n/t

[surrealAmerican]

28. Am I the only one here who thinks ...

... that these raises were probably planned all along, and he just delayed them until after the election so as not to "boost" the economy (which might make the president look better)?

[Javaman]

29. more than likely what happened...

after he put his foot in his mouth, his already failing business took a hit when people called him on his bullshit.

To paper over his colossal stupidity, he went into panic mode and not only gave them raises but made sure everyone knew about it.

This guy is a prick, plain and simple.

[Tx4obama]

30. Kick! n/t