FEB. 13 5:40 A.M. ET German public workers expanded their week-old strike to much of the country on Monday in a deepening dispute over plans to make them work longer hours.
Public workers in nine of Germany's 16 states were stopped work on Monday, compared to only two last week, making it the biggest stoppage in public services for 14 years.
The ver.di labor union, the country's biggest, is protesting plans to make some public employees work 40 hours a week compared to the current 38.5 hours.
Now to be fair it does not say if they are being paid hourly or salary. If it's hourly, then who cares if you work an extra hour or so. Your being paid. However if your salary, then you should be paid for the extra 1.5 hours of work. That's just common sense. (Still, tis a silly headline) -Ed.
Posted by Muddy at February 13, 2006 07:46 AMIf it's about the pay...pay them what they're due.
If it's about the extra 1 1/2 of work the employers are demanding...stop your whining and just do it! With as much time as they're taking to protest this, they could've worked the 1.5 hours a dozen times over!
There's gotta be more to the story than this...then again...
Why dont you ever post any real news? Why dont you post how your boy Cheney is going to be indicted by the federal prosecutor, then all of a sudden "accidently" shoots someone in the face. [Who just happens to be one of his lawyers]
The lawyer probably told Cheney hes in deep caca, then he "accidently" shot him. I find it intresting how the redneck sheriff said it was an "accident" so case closed. I cant wait till your boy Cheney is in hand cuffs. Hell probably be pardoned by Bush, but hell be forced to step down. No one cares about germany.
Posted by: mooseboy84 at February 13, 2006 01:42 PMYes, mooseboy, how right you are. Cheney purposely shoots someone just so he can also take a chance at going on trial for attempted murder. As Mr. Whittington didn't signal to Cheney that he was on the move, Cheney took great advantage of this opportunity to gun him down. I wonder what Cheney has up his sleve to eliminate the liberals?! I don't know about you but *I'm* on pins and needles waiting for his next move!
Posted by: mrs. muddy at February 13, 2006 02:16 PMBecause being peppered with bird shot (which btw, is not nearly as life threatening in most cases as the media is making it out to be, especially if the lawyer was wearing his safety goggles) is a good way to kill a man. Geez. And there is no evidence to any degree that even Scooter Libby committed a crime...how do you out an undercover operative who isn't undercover? On the other hand, if he did he should be prosecuted.
And tell me, just what makes the Sheriff a "redneck." Tell me mooseboy, what first hand experience do you have with rednecks?
Posted by: skywalker at February 13, 2006 09:54 PMYou people are laughable. The vice president kills someone, and you guys are playing it off as nothing. If Al Gore shot someone, would you be so easily dismissive of the situation? One it comes to "gun saftey" the person firing the gun is always responsible for where the guy is pointed, and when its fired.
I can recall a picture of John Kerry with a gun and how he was mocked unmercifully, for just point gun the in an awkward direction. Cheney shoots a man and practically kills him, and you guys play it off as if he was slightly grazed by the bullet.
Now, onto the coverup. Why did the VP wait so long to release this, if it wasnt for that woman, I bet they would have NEVER released it at all. They tryed to get away with it, but someone spoke to the media. And for you people who think its a minor issue and didnt need to be reported, what if that guy had "accidently" shot Cheney? You wouldnt want to know if that occured?
Oh and on the life threatning, I guess you spoke too soon. The non "life threatening" injury caused the guy to have a heart attack, because there was buckshot in his heart. If he has buckshot all over his face and enloged in his heart, then its far from "not serious." What if the man dies, will the redneck prosecutor then open an investigation, or will it still be case closed?"
Every Sheriff in texas is a "redneck" so that goes without saying. Their are rednecks in california as well.
Cheney leaked information out about a undercover CIA agent, in an attempt to smear her husband. The ONLY reason he did it, was to "get back" and for political reasons.The woman was undercover. Im glad you belive Cheney should be prosecuted now.
Posted by: mooseboy84 at February 14, 2006 04:03 PMThe vice-president hasn't killed anyone! He accidentally shot a man at 30 yards with freakin bird shot! it's like being shot with multiple pellet guns multiple times at point blank range.
Umm what makes every sheriff in Texas a redneck? I've been to Texas several times and have yet to run into a redneck there. And btw, Valeria Plame was not undercover, she was working a desk job at Langley when she was "outted." Anbd no one has proven Cheney did it, only that Scooter Libby has admitted to doing it.
BTW, THE MAN WASN'T SHOT WITH BUCKSHOT! He didn't even get shot int he face, his back was to the gun. He may have had a heart attack: if you were 78 and got the crap scared out of you, you might have one too!
Why did he wait most of a day? I don't know maybe to make sure his friend was getting medical care? I mean really, if he had released it 5 minutes later, there would be some conspiracy and cover up there too. Hell, he shot the man in front of a dozen witnesses, if it wasn't an accident, I am pretty sure someone would have said he shot him intentionally. And I didn't say it wasn't life threatening, i said it isn't as life threatening as it is made out to be. Really, what do you know about guns anyhow? Tell me? What is the difference between Birdshot, Buckshot and Slugs? What's the difference between .45 COLT, .45 GAP and .45 ACP? And can you tell me any of this without looking it up?
Posted by: skywalker at February 14, 2006 06:49 PMFirst off - I didn't realize the guy died. Oh, wait...he didn't!
Sexcondly, the only thing I cared about with this story was "Is the guy (victim) ok?". The answer so far has been "Yes".
Thirdly, if Al Gore was in the *exact* same situation and if it had been him in Cheney's place...I would say and feel the exact same way. However, I know you're not going to believe that so it doesn't matter anyhow. Besides, Al Gore does enough to shoot his *own* self in the foot anyway with his own words. He doesn't even need a gun for that accomplishment.
Cheney should have shown more responsiblity, maybe, however - *I* have NEVER been on any kind of a hunting trip myself so I can't say what the rules are for moving around a fellow hunter while hunting is in progresss. However, common sence would tell you that there would HAVE to be *some* kind of signal and according to earlier reports, the victim didn't give one. I was NOT there so *I* don't know.
Also, I personally could care less how long it took to release this story (no matter what administration was in power). Does it show lack of communication? Maybe. Irresponsibility? Perhapes. Maybe it was just that they cared more about getting this guy the treatment he needed and putting his needs first above the media. Heartless, I know.
It is quite unfortunate that the guy had a heart attack. However - and quoting what the doctors said:
"Whittington suffered a "silent heart attack" — obstructed blood flow, but without the classic heart-attack symptoms of pain and pressure, according to doctors at Christus Spohn Hospital Corpus Christi-Memorial."
Also, according to the doctors, "They said they are highly optimistic Whittington will recover and live a healthy life with the pellet in him."
But, I'm sure the evil Bush administration paid them to say that.
"Every Sheriff in texas is a "redneck".."
Really? My, my, you should try opening that closed mind of yours sometime and let things air out.
Posted by: mrs. muddy at February 14, 2006 07:14 PM