Why do my hard earned tax dollars support a bike team?



"Werehatrack" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]

[...]

> Recently, of course, the fact that Lance has been winning
> *in France* has been scoring points with some of the less
> intellectual Americans.

How could anyone be impressed by beating a bunch of cheese-
eating surrender monkeys? :)

--

A: Top-posters.
B: What is the most annoying thing on Usenet?
 
In article
<[email protected]>,
[email protected] says...

>I would like to see some proof that they are getting bang
>for their buck in terms of promotion and advertising. I
>doubt they are.

Ask the USPS. They have the numbers.
-------------
Alex
 
In article
<[email protected]>,
[email protected] says...
>But USPS does not pay taxes on the building or land it owns
>as does FedEx and UPS which is a big business advantage.
>Even with the monopoly it has, it cannot make money. Some
>people should be fired and the postal carriers union is
>part of the blame. Can anyone show proof that sponsoring a
>bike team increased their market share?

Other companies don't have to deliver to every single
address in the country.
---------------
Alex
 
In article <[email protected]>,
[email protected] says...
> "Werehatrack" <[email protected]> wrote in
> message news:[email protected]
>
> [...]
>
> > Recently, of course, the fact that Lance has been
> > winning *in France* has been scoring points with some of
> > the less intellectual Americans.
>
> How could anyone be impressed by beating a bunch of cheese-
> eating surrender monkeys? :)

I don't even know if there are any French in the race; the
top competition is Spanish, Italian, German and American,
with a few Aussies, Dutch, and Russians thrown into the mix.

--
Remove the ns_ from if replying by e-mail (but keep posts in
the newsgroups if possible).
 
David Kerber wrote:
> I don't even know if there are any French in the race

Didn't the French national champion almost win today's
stage?

Bill "no quips about quitting, either" S.
 
On Thu, 8 Jul 2004 12:46:05 -0400, David Kerber
<ns_dkerber@ns_ids.net> wrote:

>In article <[email protected]>,
>[email protected] says...
>> "Werehatrack" <[email protected]> wrote in
>> message news:[email protected]
>>
>> [...]
>>
>> > Recently, of course, the fact that Lance has been
>> > winning *in France* has been scoring points with some
>> > of the less intellectual Americans.
>>
>> How could anyone be impressed by beating a bunch of cheese-
>> eating surrender monkeys? :)
>
>I don't even know if there are any French in the race;
>the top competition is Spanish, Italian, German and
>American, with a few Aussies, Dutch, and Russians thrown
>into the mix.

There are lots. Today's Maillot Jaune is the French
National Champion.

The French are in an awful Tour de France slump, though.

-Luigi
 
In article <[email protected]>,
David Kerber <ns_dkerber@ns_ids.net> wrote:

> In article <[email protected]>,
> [email protected] says...
> > "Werehatrack" <[email protected]> wrote in
> > message news:[email protected]
> >
> > [...]
> >
> > > Recently, of course, the fact that Lance has been
> > > winning *in France* has been scoring points with some
> > > of the less intellectual Americans.
> >
> > How could anyone be impressed by beating a bunch of cheese-
> > eating surrender monkeys? :)
>
> I don't even know if there are any French in the race;
> the top competition is Spanish, Italian, German and
> American, with a few Aussies, Dutch, and Russians thrown
> into the mix.

Haha, man he has to be talking about the Green Bay Packers!

Dave in Minnesota
 
"DRS" wrote:
Q: What is the most annoying thing on Usenet? THIS REMARK:
How could anyone be impressed by beating a bunch of cheese-
eating surrender monkeys?
 
"Leo Lichtman" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]
> "DRS" wrote:
> Q: What is the most annoying thing on Usenet? THIS
> REMARK: How could anyone be impressed by beating a
> bunch of cheese-eating surrender monkeys?

You left out both the context and the emoticon. Your
criticism is ill-informed and pointless.

--

A: Top-posters.
B: What is the most annoying thing on Usenet?
 
The USPS is run as a private company. I am sure they get
help from the government and many many tax breaks but it is
(by the most part) a private org.

Biff

"Dave Jackson" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> In article <[email protected]>,
> David Kerber <ns_dkerber@ns_ids.net> wrote:
>
> > In article <[email protected]>,
> > [email protected] says...
> > > "Werehatrack" <[email protected]> wrote in
> > > message
> > > news:[email protected]
> > >
> > > [...]
> > >
> > > > Recently, of course, the fact that Lance has been
> > > > winning *in
France*
> > > > has been scoring points with some of the less
> > > > intellectual
Americans.
> > >
> > > How could anyone be impressed by beating a bunch of
> > > cheese-eating
surrender
> > > monkeys? :)
> >
> > I don't even know if there are any French in the race;
> > the top competition is Spanish, Italian, German and
> > American, with a few Aussies, Dutch, and Russians thrown
> > into the mix.
>
> Haha, man he has to be talking about the Green Bay
> Packers!
>
> Dave in Minnesota
 
( :< )

> Talk about a boondoggle. Since when is it the
> responsibility of any government to 'bail out' a
> corporation (Chrysler) or a city (New York)?
>
> Mike

( :< )

Consider this Mike:

What would happen if the NYC gov't or Chrysler collapsed?
Certainly more economically painful (short term)than
propping them up. Whether or not we are interfering with
governmental and corporate "natural selection", that is
another discussion. Look at the short-term political
consequences for those who chose to let the natural course
of things occur. In the case of NYC, you are talking the
shutdown of the world's largest financial center. Not good
at all for anyone making THAT decision, in addition to a
global shift in economic power. In the case of Chrysler,
tens, if not hundreds of thousands of workers suddenly and
painfully glutting the job market. They will drive down
wages, eat up resources (unemployment insurance payments)
without contributing and the cost of re-education/re-
training that many workers? Yikes!

Not necessarily advocating corporate and municipal welfare,
but if changes can be enforced as a condition of assistance,
is that not better than the alternative?

App, who believes in the social benefit of paying his
property taxes that fund schools despite his lack of
children.
 
DRS wrote:
> "Leo Lichtman" <[email protected]> wrote in
> message news:bGfHc.73346$OB3.35601@bgtnsc05-
> news.ops.worldnet.att.net
>> "DRS" wrote:
>> Q: What is the most annoying thing on Usenet? THIS
>> REMARK: How could anyone be impressed by beating a
>> bunch of cheese-eating surrender monkeys?
>
> You left out both the context and the emoticon. Your
> criticism is ill-informed and pointless.

But at least he didn't top-post it!!!

Bill "ya gotta try harder, Leo" S.
 
"Sam" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:<[email protected]>...

(snip)

> I would like to see some proof that they are getting bang
> for their buck in terms of promotion and advertising. I
> doubt they are.

I don't remember where I heard this, but I think USPS spent
about 60 million dollars to sponsor the team over the life
of the contract. Perhaps some industrious soul could confirm
or debunk that number. And I don't think it was so much
about ROI as improving their image. Remember that the USPS
has spawned more than a few shooting sprees. It's called
"GOING POSTAL" for crying out loud! They needed to do
something to change their image.

Roland
 
In article <[email protected]>, Appkiller wrote:
> ( :< )
>
>> Talk about a boondoggle. Since when is it the
>> responsibility of any government to 'bail out' a
>> corporation (Chrysler) or a city (New York)?
>>
>> Mike
>
> ( :< )
>
> Consider this Mike:
>
> What would happen if the NYC gov't or Chrysler collapsed?
> Certainly more economically painful (short term)than
> propping them up. Whether or not we are interfering with
> governmental and corporate "natural selection", that is
> another discussion. Look at the short-term political
> consequences for those who chose to let the natural course
> of things occur. In the case of NYC, you are talking the
> shutdown of the world's largest financial center. Not good
> at all for anyone making THAT decision, in addition to a
> global shift in economic power. In the case of Chrysler,
> tens, if not hundreds of thousands of workers suddenly and
> painfully glutting the job market. They will drive down
> wages, eat up resources (unemployment insurance payments)
> without contributing and the cost of re-education/re-
> training that many workers? Yikes!
>
> Not necessarily advocating corporate and municipal
> welfare, but if changes can be enforced as a condition of
> assistance, is that not better than the alternative?
>
> App, who believes in the social benefit of paying his
> property taxes that fund schools despite his lack of
> children.

I don't know what to think about welfare. I'm sure it is
justified in many instances, but how to be objective and
fair... still that's a different topic.

The comment about shutting down a financial center and shift
of global, economic power is valid and I'd not considered it
that way. However, letting Chrysler fail I don't mind. I
don't want people out of work, nor families hurt, etc., but
I don't like cars either. I do one one, two actually, but
all things being equal I'd prefer to use public transport or
my bike. Still, that's a personal stance and not necessarily
a political nor popular stance.

I like Microsoft less than auto manufacturers (Chrysler).

A side thought... government is for the people, to further a
national goal. Is it necessary for a government to keep its
national industry active (oil consumption (even though the
plastics industry consumes more oil than the automotive
industry)) or to let the citizens vote with their paychecks
by purchasing from another company and letting a behemoth(?)
die? (rhetorical)

Mike
 
On Fri, 9 Jul 2004 02:40:31 +1000, "DRS" <[email protected]>
wrote:

>"Werehatrack" <[email protected]> wrote in message
>news:[email protected]
>
>[...]
>
>> Recently, of course, the fact that Lance has been winning
>> *in France* has been scoring points with some of the less
>> intellectual Americans.
>
>How could anyone be impressed by beating a bunch of cheese-
>eating surrender monkeys? :)

The people involved are easily impressed. Many of them are
still in the process of catching up to the punch lines of
the whale oil lamp jokes.

--
Typoes are a feature, not a bug. Some gardening required to
reply via email. Surrealism is a pectinated ranzel.
 
Mike <[email protected]> wrote in message news:<[email protected]>...
> In article <[email protected]>,
> Churchill wrote:
> >
> > "Marty Wallace" <[email protected]> wrote in message news-
> > :[email protected]...
> >>
> >> "Sam" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> >> news:[email protected]
> >> .net...
> >> >
> >> > "Alex Rodriguez" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> >> > news:[email protected]...
> >> > > In article
> >> > > <[email protected]>,
> >> > > [email protected] says...
> >> > > >Hey, Why does the US federal Government support a
> >> > > >bike team in France? I work hard for my money, and
> >> > > >think the taxes I pay could be better used. What a
> >> > > >Boondoggle!
> >> > >
> >> > > Like any other company, you have to advertise to
> >> > > get more business.
> USPS
> >> > > wanted to get more customers in Europe to use their
> >> > > service, so they
> sponser
> >> > > a bicycle racing team. For the money they spend,
> >> > > they get an
> excellent
> >> > > return on investment. So they continued to do so
> >> > > until ignorant folks started to complain.
> >> > > -------------
> >> > > Alex
> >> > >
> >> >
> >> > I would like to see some proof that they are getting
> >> > bang for their buck
> in
> >> > terms of promotion and advertising. I doubt they are.
> >> >
> >> >
> >>
> >> My God you're an idiot. The fastest rider and the
> >> fastest team in the biggest race in the world! And you
> >> want proof? If you don't think thats good promotion and
> >> advertising then you tell us what is.
> >>
> >> Marty
> >
> > Speaking as a non-American I would never have heard of
> > the "USPS" if it wasn't for the Tour, so their marketing
> > worked in my case :)
> >
> > USPS is smart to do this, they are getting all of Europe
> > focused on their name, cycling 'I sense' is much more
> > popular in Europe than North America :)
> >
> >
>
> Also, I think the USPS is privatized and therefore not
> supported by the US government. Complain instead about how
> the US government does support the US automakers, US
> highways, and the US petrolium industry. Talk about a
> boondoggle. Since when is it the responsibility of any
> government to 'bail out' a corporation (Chrysler) or a
> city (New York)?

As far as Chrysler goes, it was in the countries best
economic interest, IMO. Chrysler was the 10th largest
industrial corporation in America at that time. It had
147,000 employees and 4,700 dealers. Those dealers had
150,000 employees. In addition, Chrysler had 19,000
suppliers, who themselves had 200,000 employees. Chrysler
received a loan guarantee from the U.S. government. It did
not receive a dime of the U.S. Treasury's money. The U.S.
government, in return for its loan guarantee, received the
entirety of Chrysler's assets as collateral. These assets
were carried on Chrysler's books at $6 billion and appraised
by the government as having a liquidation value of $2.5
billion. The U.S. government was in position to collect its
entire loan from the collateral before any other creditors.
Chrysler paid back every penny 7 years before the due date.
 
In rec.bicycles.misc Leo Lichtman <[email protected]> wrote:
> "DRS" wrote:
> Q: What is the most annoying thing on Usenet? THIS
> REMARK: How could anyone be impressed by beating a
> bunch of cheese-eating surrender monkeys?

ohh, i dunno, i kinda like wisconsin. they've got some
beautiful rural riding behind the cheddar curtain, they're
mostly nice folk & their 2am bar close & sunday sales kept
us minnesotans in after hours liquor for years until we
finally came to our senses (so to speak).

On Wisconsin say i.
--
david reuteler [email protected]
 
In article
<[email protected]>,
> [email protected] says... Hey, Why does the US federal
> Government support a bike team in France? I work hard for
> my money, and think the taxes I pay could be better used.
> What a Boondoggle!

They don't.

Since 1971 USPS has been a self-supporting corporation owned
entirely by the US government.

In 2003, they had revenues of $68,529,000 with expenses of
$63,902,000 for a $4.6 billion profit.

--
<a href="http://www.poohsticks.org/drew/">Home Page</a
 
Ronde,

If you're a domestic pro bike racer like you say you are,
then in all likelihood, you get to write the word "EXEMPT"
on your W4 forms. So you probably pay no taxes anyhow.

Nice try though.

[email protected] (Ronde Champ) wrote in message
news:<[email protected]>...
> Hey,
>
> Why does the US federal Government support a bike team in
> France? I work hard for my money, and think the taxes I
> pay could be better used. What a Boondoggle!
>
> Thanks, Ronde Champ
 

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