Thanks Graham All the best, Joe In a message dated 12/14/2009 8:40:14 A.M. Pacific Standard Time, [log in to unmask] writes: Well said Joe. It seems that we (UK) do indeed share a "special relationship" with the USA - self same problems here! Regards Graham Naisbitt - KBO Email: [log in to unmask] Phone: +44 (0)12 5252 1500 Web: www.gen3systems.com On 14 Dec 2009, at 15:56, Joe Fjelstad wrote: > It seems that the tension between government and technology on RoHS is > similar to the difference between a mechanical engineer and a civil engineer > as was explained to me some years ago. The mechanical engineer builds > weapons and the civil engineer build targets... > > Some sage also suggested once that government's mess things up on purpose > to keep those not in government busy fixing things so that they don't > notice all of the shenanigans the government is pulling off in the background. > > Don't know if the story is the same across the various ponds relative to > the article below but this might be one of the reasons. Note that the fellow > complaining below is a first term representative. Wonder how long the > system will take to corrupt him... > > > > December 11th 2009 > > For feds, more get 6-figure salaries > Average pay $30,000 over private sector > By Dennis Cauchon > USA TODAY > The number of federal workers earning six-figure salaries has exploded > during the recession, according to a USA TODAY analysis of federal salary data. > Federal employees making salaries of $100,000 or more jumped from 14% to > 19% of civil servants during the recession's first 18 months — and that's > before overtime pay and bonuses are counted. > Federal workers are enjoying an extraordinary boom time — in pay and hiring > — during a recession that has cost 7.3 million jobs in the private sector. > The highest-paid federal employees are doing best of all on salary > increases. Defense Department civilian employees earning $150,000 or more increased > from 1,868 in December 2007 to 10,100 in June 2009, the most recent figure > available. > When the recession started, the Transportation Department had only one > person earning a salary of $170,000 or more. Eighteen months later, 1,690 > employees had salaries above $170,000. > The trend to six-figure salaries is occurring throughout the federal > government, in agencies big and small, high-tech and low-tech. The primary > cause: substantial pay raises and new salary rules. > "There's no way to justify this to the American people. It's ridiculous," > says Rep. Jason Chaffetz, R-Utah, a first-term lawmaker who is on the > House's federal workforce subcommittee. > Continues on line > > --------------------------------------------------- > Technet Mail List provided as a service by IPC using LISTSERV 15.0 > To unsubscribe, send a message to [log in to unmask] with following text in > the BODY (NOT the subject field): SIGNOFF Technet > To temporarily halt or (re-start) delivery of Technet send e-mail to [log in to unmask]: SET Technet NOMAIL or (MAIL) > To receive ONE mailing per day of all the posts: send e-mail to [log in to unmask]: SET Technet Digest > Search the archives of previous posts at: http://listserv.ipc.org/archives > Please visit IPC web site http://www.ipc.org/contentpage.asp?Pageid=4.3.16 for additional information, or contact Keach Sasamori at [log in to unmask] or 847-615-7100 ext.2815 > ----------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------------------- Technet Mail List provided as a service by IPC using LISTSERV 15.0 To unsubscribe, send a message to [log in to unmask] with following text in the BODY (NOT the subject field): SIGNOFF Technet To temporarily halt or (re-start) delivery of Technet send e-mail to [log in to unmask]: SET Technet NOMAIL or (MAIL) To receive ONE mailing per day of all the posts: send e-mail to [log in to unmask]: SET Technet Digest Search the archives of previous posts at: http://listserv.ipc.org/archives Please visit IPC web site http://www.ipc.org/contentpage.asp?Pageid=4.3.16 for additional information, or contact Keach Sasamori at [log in to unmask] or 847-615-7100 ext.2815 ----------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------------------- Technet Mail List provided as a service by IPC using LISTSERV 15.0 To unsubscribe, send a message to [log in to unmask] with following text in the BODY (NOT the subject field): SIGNOFF Technet To temporarily halt or (re-start) delivery of Technet send e-mail to [log in to unmask]: SET Technet NOMAIL or (MAIL) To receive ONE mailing per day of all the posts: send e-mail to [log in to unmask]: SET Technet Digest Search the archives of previous posts at: http://listserv.ipc.org/archives Please visit IPC web site http://www.ipc.org/contentpage.asp?Pageid=4.3.16 for additional information, or contact Keach Sasamori at [log in to unmask] or 847-615-7100 ext.2815 -----------------------------------------------------