Welfare Queen

[marmar]

from TIME:







Report: Queen Elizabeth Tried to Use Public Aid Fund to Heat Her Palace
By: Madison Gray


Listen, from time to time everybody is strapped for cash and may not know how to pay their bills. Even the Queen of England!

In 2004, Elizabeth II, who is reportedly worth $551 million, had considered getting help paying the mounting utiliy bills at Buckingham Palace from a government fund intended to help low-income U.K. residents. British newspaper The Independent, found out royal aides were looking at tapping into the $94 million fund to help with bills that ran more than $1,000,000. U.K. government ministers turned her down, though, fearing it would be a public relations nightmare.

British taxpayers already pay $60 million to keep the royals living, well, royally. Still the government didn't mind the Queen taking more money from her subjects to pay bills at Buckingham and other official residences. But officials eventually turned cold to the idea citing that the purpose behind a fund aimed at low-income citizens was to give it to low-income citizens. Plus, if it ever got out that Elizabeth was so broke she needed money from the British version of welfare, it wouldn't be a good look.

"I also feel a bit uneasy about the probable adverse press coverage if the Palace were given a grant at the expense of say a hospital. Sorry this doesn't sound more positive," an official wrote.

So to reduce their costs, the Palace, came up with a plan to use a less expensive contractor that undercut what they were already paying by 6-8%, which could have saved them $227,000 if they had thought of it two years earlier, The Independent reported.

Man, what's next Donald Trump trying to move into the Marcy Projects?


http://newsfeed.time.com/2010/09/24/report-queen-elizabeth-tried-to-use-public-aid-fund-to-heat-her-palace/#ixzz10YL1FGDz

[Angry Dragon]

1. The rich and priveledged know no bounds to their greed

Just because an egg and sperm met they think they deserve everything

[Frustratedlady]

2. Disgusting! n/t

[Cirque du So-What]

3. Hasn't the antiquated notion of monarchy outlived its usefulness...YET?!?

Along with the RCC, another relic from the dark ages that should be relegated to the dustbin of history.

[Cal33]

12. Hey, don't you realize that the Neocons are exactly doing their best

to return to those "good old days" -- with themselves as Royalty and the privileged Nobility
of the days of yore?

I think that's exactly why they are trying to grab all that money and power by hook and by
crook. They want to be among the privileged few, and have the rest of us as their servants.

We did away with the British Royalty in 1776, but today we are dealing with Royalists of our
own, and many of us don't even realize that it is happening right here - in our midst!

[pokercat999]

4. They turned her down because of public relations? lol I hope

they go completely broke. The world's richest welfare recipients, the "royal" family.

[slackmaster]

5. I'm going to buy an old sweater at a thrift store, and send it to her for Christmas

Everyone feel free to join me!

[pipi_k]

17. I'll bet she'd look simply elegant in this...

[dkf]

6. Makes you wonder how much it costs to run the white house.

I bet Queen Elizabeth's expenses are piddlng compared to that.

The British people still have a bit of extra cache thanks to their royals. They are a big part of why I've always wanted to visit England. Besides that I hear the food is not so great and it's kind of a gray place.

[marmar]

7. London has some of the best food on the planet, thanks to its cosmopolitanism.....

.....It's not all bangers-and-mash and jellied eels.

[dkf]

9. Yeah I've always wanted to give it a whirl and good food is the bonus.

Maybe I'd have to try the traditional stuff just for the heck of it though. No sense going to England and eating only Eurasian fusion, French etc.

[Greyhound]

15. "The British Empire was founded by men in search of a decent meal".

London's cuisine might be wonderful, but none of it is British.
Yuck!

[valerief]

8. Eat the rich. nt

[maryf]

10. tax and expropriate first! nt

[Dappleganger]

11. Time to put royalty out to pasture.

Better still, time for THEM to do it themselves.

[Cal33]

13. But our American would-be Royalty and Nobility simply won't go away

on their own. What are you going to do about them? :)

[SalmonChantedEvening]

14. We are not amused.

Disgusted yes. Definitely not amused.

[Greyhound]

16. Why are people shocked when parasites openly act like parasites? n/t

[TK421]

18. Is that an alien pin on her sweater?

[aikoaiko]

19. Ugh, the Royals were doing so well for a while....

[Scuba]

20. Only $551 Million? She's a pauper by Koch standards.