Author Topic: No waffle: Belgium's king says $1.3m not enough ...  (Read 7760 times)

Todge

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gooki

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Re: No waffle: Belgium's king says $1.3m not enough ...
« Reply #1 on: November 09, 2013, 12:14:36 AM »
Here's an idea. Sell your luxury yacht.

Ayanka

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Re: No waffle: Belgium's king says $1.3m not enough ...
« Reply #2 on: November 09, 2013, 04:12:43 AM »
It would indeed be a good idea to sell the yacht, especially as Prince Albert is in his eighties... so I doubt he will be on his yacht a lot of the time. I can understand it is a bit adaptation to live on 10% of your previous income, but as the Belgian people have had to cut back for the last 5 years, they are not going to feel sorry for you. On the other hand, the costs of the royal family are peanuts in comparison to the governments. No this is no typo, Belgium has 5? governments (I am Belgian and even I amn't sure, I think we went from 6 to 5 after a merge on the Walloon side of the country)...

HamhockHammock

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Re: No waffle: Belgium's king says $1.3m not enough ...
« Reply #3 on: November 09, 2013, 05:42:47 AM »
What a dildo.

SnackDog

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Re: No waffle: Belgium's king says $1.3m not enough ...
« Reply #4 on: November 09, 2013, 05:59:59 AM »
Perhaps you have lost sight of the fact he is a former king. K I N G.  Not an software jockey writing java scripts in Milwaukee.

wepner

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Re: No waffle: Belgium's king says $1.3m not enough ...
« Reply #5 on: November 09, 2013, 07:03:11 AM »
Perhaps you have lost sight of the fact he is a former king. K I N G.  Not an software jockey writing java scripts in Milwaukee.

I think your losing sight of the fact that he is completely dependent on people's charity. If people want to give him more money so he can keep his yacht then that's totally fine, but if not he doesn't really have any other choice but to spend less money does he?


Daleth

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Re: No waffle: Belgium's king says $1.3m not enough ...
« Reply #6 on: November 09, 2013, 07:34:26 AM »
Omg I feel his pain! What a jackass.

Crash87

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Re: No waffle: Belgium's king says $1.3m not enough ...
« Reply #7 on: November 09, 2013, 08:50:31 AM »
They should drop him down to whatever a normal pension in Belgium would be. It's crazy that someone can still be born into such a position of power.

oldtoyota

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Re: No waffle: Belgium's king says $1.3m not enough ...
« Reply #8 on: November 09, 2013, 09:46:48 AM »
Is this the same king who had an affair?

Albert

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Re: No waffle: Belgium's king says $1.3m not enough ...
« Reply #9 on: November 09, 2013, 12:31:53 PM »
They should drop him down to whatever a normal pension in Belgium would be. It's crazy that someone can still be born into such a position of power.

How much is a pension of former US presidents? He is in a similar position at the very least. Modern European kings and queens don't have any political power, but they do perform a lot of representative functions which in republics are done by elected officials.

Guizmo

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Re: No waffle: Belgium's king says $1.3m not enough ...
« Reply #10 on: November 09, 2013, 05:57:24 PM »
I believe pensions for US presidents are around $200k. And that is after having represented a country of 300 million. A retired king of a country of 10 million people receiving over 1 million in pension after having received 10 million as king? Total BS.

CommonCents

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Re: No waffle: Belgium's king says $1.3m not enough ...
« Reply #11 on: November 09, 2013, 08:05:17 PM »
(I am Belgian and even I amn't sure, I think we went from 6 to 5 after a merge on the Walloon side of the country)...

Thank you for Belgian beers.  Heaven on earth...  Someday I have to visit.

more4less

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Re: No waffle: Belgium's king says $1.3m not enough ...
« Reply #12 on: November 09, 2013, 08:25:40 PM »
I told 'em not to go for constitutional monarchy. First you give them right to vote, and then bam - you have to ask for money from your people.

lentilman

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Re: No waffle: Belgium's king says $1.3m not enough ...
« Reply #13 on: November 10, 2013, 03:03:53 PM »
US presidents @ $199,700 and their widow gets a $20,000 pension.  It's relatively recent - before 1958 they got no pension or benefits after leaving office.

NumberJohnny5

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Re: No waffle: Belgium's king says $1.3m not enough ...
« Reply #14 on: November 10, 2013, 03:37:31 PM »
A former king complains about 1.3 million a year not being enough. Does that make you angry, or perhaps you just laugh at the absurdity of it? Maybe a bit of both? With the salaries I've seen posted on here, that's an average of what...ten times what people here make? Over twenty if you're my family. That is a huuuuuge disparity.

I wonder what people in third world countries (who have to support a family on less than $1k/yr) think about people who whine about how hard it is to live on a mere $100k/yr. That's just ten...no twenty...wait...one HUNDRED times more. I bet they're dying with laughter.

Just saying. This is a story about someone who's used to a certain lifestyle, and is finding it hard to adjust down. I bet plenty of people used to $100k/yr salaries would find it hard to adjust to a mere $10k/yr, and we'd be more sympathetic to them. But the person living on $1k/yr would say to stop whining and suck it up, sell that luxury Ford Pinto and your fancy mobile home; you're not too good to walk or live in a tent.

oldtoyota

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Re: No waffle: Belgium's king says $1.3m not enough ...
« Reply #15 on: November 10, 2013, 07:12:14 PM »
US presidents @ $199,700 and their widow gets a $20,000 pension.  It's relatively recent - before 1958 they got no pension or benefits after leaving office.

This doesn't bother me--not that anyone here said it bothered them--because I'd rather a former POTUS get something rather than live in poverty. Also, I assume it would be hard for the sec service to guard a destitute former president. You need a lot of property or, it seems, a cattle ranch for the SS to guard you on a regular basis. Just thinking of Clinton/Bush/Reagan/Carter and their main abodes.


TygerTung

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Re: No waffle: Belgium's king says $1.3m not enough ...
« Reply #16 on: November 21, 2013, 08:17:06 AM »
I can't see it being fair that he should ask for more, on account of he isn't actually the king any more.

Ayanka

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Re: No waffle: Belgium's king says $1.3m not enough ...
« Reply #17 on: November 25, 2013, 07:38:10 AM »
Crash a normal persons pension would be less than 5% of that. Knowing that he is obligated to maintain some buildings out of his pension I can agree that wouldn't be enough to do whatever is attached to his title. The other members of the royal family also get an allowance (in return for keeping their mouth shut), so it is logically he gets it too.

Oldtoyota: this king has indeed had an affair, resulting in his daughter Delphine Boël. I am pretty sure you mean him as Baldwin was known for his religious ethics and he has no children. The father of prince Albert and king Baldwin has had an affair too however, resulting in at least one bastard daughter.

Guizmo: he hasn't been king for such a long time, and traditionally kings in Belgium don't 'retire', they sit on the thrown till death. The pension of the US presidents has to be paid out for years though. At this moment the only 2 people in the Belgian royal house are 'Queen Fabiola (married to king Baldwin) and prince Albert.  Fabiola has been Queen in service for 30 years or more. Now how many presidents does the US support?

Commoncents: let me know if you want some travelling tips :)

Josetann: I agree with you, just to give some ideas of thought: the average pension in Belgium before tax yearly, would be less than 10% of what he gets. And then I am really aiming high. For his age group I doubt they will average 5%.

oldtoyota

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Re: No waffle: Belgium's king says $1.3m not enough ...
« Reply #18 on: November 25, 2013, 03:31:38 PM »
Crash a normal persons pension would be less than 5% of that. Knowing that he is obligated to maintain some buildings out of his pension I can agree that wouldn't be enough to do whatever is attached to his title. The other members of the royal family also get an allowance (in return for keeping their mouth shut), so it is logically he gets it too.

Oldtoyota: this king has indeed had an affair, resulting in his daughter Delphine Boël. I am pretty sure you mean him as Baldwin was known for his religious ethics and he has no children. The father of prince Albert and king Baldwin has had an affair too however, resulting in at least one bastard daughter.

Guizmo: he hasn't been king for such a long time, and traditionally kings in Belgium don't 'retire', they sit on the thrown till death. The pension of the US presidents has to be paid out for years though. At this moment the only 2 people in the Belgian royal house are 'Queen Fabiola (married to king Baldwin) and prince Albert.  Fabiola has been Queen in service for 30 years or more. Now how many presidents does the US support?

Commoncents: let me know if you want some travelling tips :)

Josetann: I agree with you, just to give some ideas of thought: the average pension in Belgium before tax yearly, would be less than 10% of what he gets. And then I am really aiming high. For his age group I doubt they will average 5%.

I think the US is supporting Clinton, Bush and Carter. Am I missing any live former presidents?


FIPurpose

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Re: No waffle: Belgium's king says $1.3m not enough ...
« Reply #19 on: November 25, 2013, 03:39:53 PM »
The other Bush?

CommonCents

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Re: No waffle: Belgium's king says $1.3m not enough ...
« Reply #20 on: November 25, 2013, 03:40:49 PM »
Crash a normal persons pension would be less than 5% of that. Knowing that he is obligated to maintain some buildings out of his pension I can agree that wouldn't be enough to do whatever is attached to his title. The other members of the royal family also get an allowance (in return for keeping their mouth shut), so it is logically he gets it too.

Oldtoyota: this king has indeed had an affair, resulting in his daughter Delphine Boël. I am pretty sure you mean him as Baldwin was known for his religious ethics and he has no children. The father of prince Albert and king Baldwin has had an affair too however, resulting in at least one bastard daughter.

Guizmo: he hasn't been king for such a long time, and traditionally kings in Belgium don't 'retire', they sit on the thrown till death. The pension of the US presidents has to be paid out for years though. At this moment the only 2 people in the Belgian royal house are 'Queen Fabiola (married to king Baldwin) and prince Albert.  Fabiola has been Queen in service for 30 years or more. Now how many presidents does the US support?

Commoncents: let me know if you want some travelling tips :)

Josetann: I agree with you, just to give some ideas of thought: the average pension in Belgium before tax yearly, would be less than 10% of what he gets. And then I am really aiming high. For his age group I doubt they will average 5%.

I think the US is supporting Clinton, Bush and Carter. Am I missing any live former presidents?

The second Bush.  Moreover, since 1958, there have only been a max of 5, and a low of 1.  Here's an interesting article:  http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/RL34631.pdf

Crash87

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Re: No waffle: Belgium's king says $1.3m not enough ...
« Reply #21 on: November 25, 2013, 05:33:37 PM »
Crash a normal persons pension would be less than 5% of that. Knowing that he is obligated to maintain some buildings out of his pension I can agree that wouldn't be enough to do whatever is attached to his title. The other members of the royal family also get an allowance (in return for keeping their mouth shut), so it is logically he gets it too.

I meant his pension should be dropped as punishment for his extreme greediness. The man was born into an impossibly luxurious life and still complains.

gooki

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Re: No waffle: Belgium's king says $1.3m not enough ...
« Reply #22 on: November 25, 2013, 07:00:37 PM »
And why did he no save/invest his the money he received when he was king.

And why is the public, and not the current monarch not supporting him? (they're blood related right? and he surrendered the throne to them?)

Ayanka

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Re: No waffle: Belgium's king says $1.3m not enough ...
« Reply #23 on: November 26, 2013, 12:52:55 PM »
Apparently we are indeed overpaying our royal family. They are fixing things slowly though, at least what they are paid is going down instead of going up generally. And we are supporting less people every generation. They just get really old.

Gooki: the public is supporting him cause we can tell him to shut up then. All members of the royal family can not express a public opinion about politics. Belgium is a bit politically instable (remember we had the record of having no gov or maybe even still do?), so this is a still standing measure. But don't think the Prince/King has any power inhere. If they don't sign the law, they will just be considered not fit for reigning for a day.

 

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