85% turnout in national French election

Queasy1

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France holds their elections on weekends. I've always wondered why we don't do the same in the USA.

On another note, the "American friendly" candidate won over the socialist candidate. Friendship Fries now?
 

Bama Torch in Pcola

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The left left parts of france looking like Columbus after a big Ohio State win. It will be interesting to see how the parliamentary elections go.
 

Queasy1

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The left left parts of france looking like Columbus after a big Ohio State win. It will be interesting to see how the parliamentary elections go.
They've looked that way for the last year or so. Car fires are a nightly occurrence in some neighborhoods in France. That's part of the reason Sarkozy was more appealing...the socialists in France haven't done much about them.
 
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NYBamaFan

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Not sure that I want more Americans who don't know or care about the issues and candidates voting. A higher turnout at the polls doesn't mean a better result...
 

jps1983

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I surely don't want to see more Americans at the polls who don't know what they are doing.
Agreed, but a high turnout doesn't mean people will remain ignorant of the issues Glad to see France is not continuing down their socialist path.
 

Queasy1

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Link

On election night, scattered violence was reported across France. Police reported that 270 people were taken in for questioning and that 367 parked vehicles had been torched. On a typical night in France, about 100 cars are burned.
Car insurance must be a you-know-what in France.
 

Queasy1

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Updated numbers on the violence in France

PARIS (Reuters) - Hundreds of people were arrested in France overnight in clashes between police and protesters angry over conservative Nicolas Sarkozy’s victory in Sunday’s presidential election, police said.

Official figures released on Monday said demonstrators set fire to 730 cars and injured 78 policemen across France, with 592 people arrested in the violent protests against the tough-talking former interior minister.

The tally was revised sharply upwards after an initial report appeared to downplay the clashes and was at odds with local police figures and eyewitness reports, which suggested widespread troubles in numerous French cities.
 

bayoutider

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This is what happens when you only have a 35 hr work week and lots of free time! :D
The 35 hour work week will soon be gone. Sarkozy wants to make overtime tax exempt. The reason for the 35 hour work week was to have more people employed and those already employed to have more time with their family. It didn't really work for the most part. People had more time off but it didn't solve the unemployment problem. One of the biggest problems was foreigners crossing the border to take French jobs. I'm an immigrant but I certainly wasn't looking for a job I employ two people. Royal wasn't a bad candidate and I backed her till the last debate then changed my mind and went with Sarkozy. Royal wasn't anti-American and Sarkozy's message to America is we can be friends but still have different opinions. Let that sift through your brain and see if you still have that warm fuzzy feeling about him. Do not look for France to do a 180 degree turn around in their policies.
 

Queasy1

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Based on the posting patterns of various board members (myself included), I'd say we're pretty close to an effective 35-hour work week. Possibly less. :wink:
Peter Gibbons: Well, I generally come in at least fifteen minutes late, ah, I use the side door - that way Lumbergh can't see me, heh heh - and, uh, after that I just sorta space out for about an hour.
Bob Porter: Da-uh? Space out?
Peter Gibbons: Yeah, I just stare at my desk; but it looks like I'm working. I do that for probably another hour after lunch, too. I'd say in a given week I probably only do about fifteen minutes of real, actual, work.
 

NYBamaFan

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The 35 hour work week will soon be gone. Sarkozy wants to make overtime tax exempt. The reason for the 35 hour work week was to have more people employed and those already employed to have more time with their family. It didn't really work for the most part. People had more time off but it didn't solve the unemployment problem. One of the biggest problems was foreigners crossing the border to take French jobs. I'm an immigrant but I certainly wasn't looking for a job I employ two people. Royal wasn't a bad candidate and I backed her till the last debate then changed my mind and went with Sarkozy. Royal wasn't anti-American and Sarkozy's message to America is we can be friends but still have different opinions. Let that sift through your brain and see if you still have that warm fuzzy feeling about him. Do not look for France to do a 180 degree turn around in their policies.
My understanding is that the biggest reason that this effort failed is the existence of laws that make it very difficult for companies to fire or lay off employees. The intent of the work week change was to drive up the cost of labor beyond 35 hours per week per employee, resulting in a decision by companies to hire more people to make up the labor difference rather than paying an overtime wage. But, because these companies know that they cannot lay off these additional employees during lulls, they decided to increase quotas instead.

Employees work harder for the 35 hours, so the companies did not need to hire more people...
 

Queasy1

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Another night of violence

Some 500 youths shouting “Sarko, fascist!” went on a rampage in the Bastille district of eastern Paris on Monday night, burning 10 cars, looting two stores including a supermarket and smashing windows, police said.

A total of 218 people were detained during four hours of clashes in which protesters threw stones, beer cans and bottles at police, one of whom was injured. Fifteen people remained in custody on Tuesday.

Anti-Sarkozy protests turned violent overnight in France’s second city of Lyon, in Lille, Toulouse, Nantes and Rennes.

More than 500 cars were set alight in cities and suburbs across the country, according to police reports gathered by AFP, many more than the 70 to 100 vehicles that are attacked on an average night in France.
 

Bodhisattva

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With all the cars being targeted and burned, I'm beginning to think that is not really immigrants or left wingers who are on the rampage, but rather radical members of the FBF, the Franco Bicycle Faction.
 

bayoutider

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My understanding is that the biggest reason that this effort failed is the existence of laws that make it very difficult for companies to fire or lay off employees. The intent of the work week change was to drive up the cost of labor beyond 35 hours per week per employee, resulting in a decision by companies to hire more people to make up the labor difference rather than paying an overtime wage. But, because these companies know that they cannot lay off these additional employees during lulls, they decided to increase quotas instead.

Employees work harder for the 35 hours, so the companies did not need to hire more people...
The companies increased the quotas each employee was required to meet. Instead of attacking the 35 hour work week Sarkozy should have attacked some of the labor laws restricting the companies. Royal wasn't addressing either of these issues and in the debate it was painfully apparent she was insufficiently briefed on many subjects especially foreign policy.
 

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