Dokumentär som finns att se på SVT Play: http://www.svtplay.se/video/963056/drottningen-av-versailles
En dokumentär om en gigants uppgång och fall, kan man säga. Om han slutat på toppen så hade han fortfarande varit en mycket rik man. Men med billiga lån, fortsatte mångmiljondollar-investeringarna att hagla. Han tog även lån och intecknade huset. Dokumentären visar David Siegels reflektioner kring ekonomin, finanskrisen och den dåliga situation de plötsligt försattes i, när ekonomiska krisen slog till. Jacqueline Siegel hans fru, verkade helt oinsatt i familjens dåliga ekonomi då David inte diskuterade familjens ekonomiska situation med henne. Siegel själv skyllde den dåliga ekonomin på skattesituationen i USA. Han skrev följande brev till sina anställda innan Obamas omval 2012: http://jonathanturley.org/2012/10/10/billionaire-mogul-tells-workers-to-vote-their-conscience-but-he-may-fire-them-if-obama-is-reelected/
"To All My Valued Employees,
As most of you know our company, Westgate Resorts, has continued to succeed in spite of a very dismal economy. There is no question that the economy has changed for the worse and we have not seen any improvement over the past four years. In spite of all of the challenges we have faced, the good news is this: The economy doesn’t currently pose a threat to your job. What does threaten your job however, is another 4 years of the same Presidential administration. Of course, as your employer, I can’t tell you whom to vote for, and I certainly wouldn’t interfere with your right to vote for whomever you choose. In fact, I encourage you to vote for whomever you think will serve your interests the best. [...]
Now, the economy is falling apart and people like me who made all the right decisions and invested in themselves are being forced to bail out all the people who didn’t. The people that overspent their paychecks suddenly feel entitled to the same luxuries that I earned and sacrificed 42 years of my life for. Yes, business ownership has its benefits, but the price I’ve paid is steep and not without wounds. Unfortunately, the costs of running a business have gotten out of control, and let me tell you why: We are being taxed to death and the government thinks we don’t pay enough. We pay state taxes, federal taxes, property taxes, sales and use taxes, payroll taxes, workers compensation taxes and unemployment taxes. I even have to hire an entire department to manage all these taxes. The question I have is this: Who is really stimulating the economy? Is it the Government that wants to take money from those who have earned it and give it to those who have not, or is it people like me who built a company out of his garage and directly employs over 7000 people and hosts over 3 million people per year with a great vacation?
Obviously, our present government believes that taking my money is the right economic stimulus for this country. The fact is, if I deducted 50% of your paycheck you’d quit and you wouldn’t work here. I mean, why should you? Who wants to get rewarded only 50% of their hard work? Well, that’s what happens to me. [...]
Business is at the heart of America and always has been. To restart it, you must stimulate business, not kill it. However, the power brokers in Washington believe redistributing wealth is the essential driver of the American economic engine. Nothing could be further from the truth and this is the type of change they want.
So where am I going with all this? It’s quite simple. If any new taxes are levied on me, or my company, as our current President plans, I will have no choice but to reduce the size of this company. Rather than grow this company I will be forced to cut back. This means fewer jobs, less benefits and certainly less opportunity for everyone.
So, when you make your decision to vote, ask yourself, which candidate understands the economics of business ownership and who doesn’t? Whose policies will endanger your job? Answer those questions and you should know who might be the one capable of protecting and saving your job. While the media wants to tell you to believe the “1 percenters” are bad, I’m telling you they are not. They create most of the jobs. If you lose your job, it won’t be at the hands of the “1%”; it will be at the hands of a political hurricane that swept through this country.
You see, I can no longer support a system that penalizes the productive and gives to the unproductive. My motivation to work and to provide jobs will be destroyed, and with it, so will your opportunities. If that happens, you can find me in the Caribbean sitting on the beach, under a palm tree, retired, and with no employees to worry about.
Signed, your boss,
David Siegel"
Själv tycker jag mig se ett symtomatiskt beteende som inte bara gäller för USA och för de rika, utan för hela världen. Individer, Företag, Banker, hela Länder, överallt har man trott att de här goda tiderna skulle vara för evigt och att man kunde växa i den hisnande exponentiella ökningstakten. Man har förköpt sig, och många sitter i djup skuld. Många rika kommer också att tappa allt de äger, i den här ekonomiska nedgången.
Det här huset, som kallades "Versailles", sattes sedan ut på auktion med startpriset på 75 miljoner dollar.
En del i byggnationerna blev aldrig klara, som den här hisnande stora balsalen. På något sätt sorgligt och lite av ett monument av de fantastiska tiderna som varit.
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