I like him to follow that by supporting increased power of workers to organize and bargain so they don't have to rely on noblesse oblige like his, but can win their own fights. That isn't a disparagement of what he's proposed, it's a hope for the future.

While that's definitely good, it's still a fucking pittance to pay the people who assure you a life in the clouds.

that income inequality is not good for anyone?

running out of customers

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aetna#Fines.2C_lawsuits_and_settlements

My family was too busy to join the class action law suit, dealing with the aftermath of their blantantly illegal actions. They caused us irreparable harm we are still living with, for the most part. The dead have no voice, those whose lives are ruined by these crooks, have little power.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aetna

They may have changed their ways, maybe not:

In 2005, the company had $1.1 billion in earnings. Aetna's 2007 revenue, reported in 2008, was $27.6 billion. Aetna's 2008 revenue, reported in 2009, was $31 billion. Aetna's 2012 revenue, reported in 2013, was $35.54 billion.

So they can afford to toss a few pennies. Those they robbed of their future aren't figured into those lawsuits.
The executives should be in jail, IMHO.

Yeah, it's 'personal.'

Last edited Sun Mar 1, 2015, 04:04 PM - Edit history (1)

The is no greater foe than a desperate soldier with nothing to lose. For the smart capitalist, there is an optimum point of desperation that people achieve where they will not fight back.

Bertolini became handicapped due to a skiing accident. It's possible that changed his perspective? He also read a book by Thomas Piketty about income inequality and then asked all his senior people to read it, so that likely helped as well.

But, despite being an insurance company, Aetna has had a long history of being friendly to women, minorities and gay employees. Back in the 70s, they caused a stir when they hired Arthur Ashe first as a consultant to the Board of Directors, and then actually naming him to the Board. The CEO before Bertolini was African American Ron Williams and supposedly the CEO to be after Bertolini is going to be a woman. Also, before Janet Reno was named Attorney General for Bill Clinton, his first nominee for AG was Aetna's top lawyer, Zoe Baird. However, she was derailed by nanny-gate, but I always wonder if she had gotten in there, if we would have gotten Hillarycare in 1993 or 1994 instead of having it derailed by Republicans at the time. They're usually rated as one of the best places for gay & lesbian employees as well.

Thanks, Scuba!

The conventional thinkers of the business world will respond with outrage: "You want to PAY workers MORE? You want them to be able to FEED themselves? Your membership to the US Chamber of Commerce is hereby REVOKED!"

And frankly, some of these highly paid CEOs would not really notice if they paid themselves a couple of million dollars less and their employees a couple of million dollars (spread over their employees) more each year. They really would not live any worse than they do now.

Millions of Americans are hurting financially. The lure of joining a union is gaining strength.

So glad Bernie is giving this more exposure!!! MSM sure didn't.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10026088340