Posted by Eleonore
on 21/10/2009, 21:21:01, in reply to "Re: Princess Máxima"
213.194.44.30
Henri, several observations:
1. First of all, you completely ignore the fact that the royals indeed GET social security, something you ignored in your previous post.
2. Second, I know you graduated from Eindhoven University so you must be an intelligent man ( I couldn't have done it: physics and me was never a happy combination 
) and yet you seem to be unable to recognize the not-so-small nuances or differences between the position of the Prince of Oranje and a regular civil servant. Or you DO see the difference and are playing the devils advocate here or just play dum to annoy me.
Anyway, the biggest difference between the many civil servants you mentioned (not 1.750.000 by the way, these numbers you mention are the amount of 'full time units' and about 20% of these units are filled by external personel from the many consultant and advisory firms) is that all these civil servants went to a whole selection procedure before they got their job.
No matter if they are a secretary, a specialist on health insurance or the secretary-general, they all have job-interviews, they have physilogical tests to determine if they are the right person for the job. They have yearly evaluations, they need to make developmentplans for themselves to evolve as a person in their position and beyond. And, although this is more difficult than in the private sector, if they don't perform well, they can get fired.
The Prince of Oranje did not have a job-interview with the employer (aka The people of the Netherlands), neither did Maxima. They can not get fired either, they don't have evaluation moments.
The Prince of Oranje, Princess Maxima (or Queen Beatrix for this matter) are not subjected to the Dutch Civil Servant Law (Ambtenarenwet).This law dates from 1929 (and was contra-signed by Minister Donner, the grandfather of the present Minister Donner) does not exclude them specifically by the way because back in 1929 it was thought too ridiculous to even think that anyone would consider the royals to be civil servants. The jurisprudence ever since has shown that neither the government nor the judicial branch considers the royals to be subjected. One very clear example was the decision of the government back in 1976 NOT to press charges against Prince Bernhard in the Lockheed-scandal. Had the government considered the prince to be a regular civil servant under the law they would have had to charge him with fraud and corruption as was clearly stated by the Ambtenarenwet (since 1994 removed with the new Algemene Wet Bestuursrecht).
Fact is that the Prince of Oranje is no regular civil servant and therefor has different duties, different responsibilities and different benefits.
You yourself recognize this everytime you start your rant against civilians in the Royal Family. Or do you rant against a regular civil servant Jonkheer Loudon marrying a Ms. Visser as well?
Anyway, this will be my last post since I will be off on vacation to South-Africa, Namibia, Botswana and Zimbabwe. All paid for by myself and no security detail needed 
Be back on November 16, but perhaps the three weeks of total non-royal peace and quiet will grow on me
--Previous Message--
: The fact that the Prince and Princess should
: not be free to purchase their own holiday
: estate with the argument that (part) of
: their capital is (indirectly) funded by the
: taxpayer is nonsenses.
:
: There are around 1.000.000 people directly
: and 750.000 indirectly paid by the taxpayer.
:
: Education and Sciences 422.000,
: Municipalities 178.000, The State 120.000,
: Armed Forces 86.000,
: Police 65.000, Academic hospitals 58.000,
: Sheltered Employment Act 25.000, Provinces
: 13.000, Water Unions 10.000, Judiciary
: 3.000, Research & Development 2.000
:
: Around 750.000 more people are indirectly
: paid by taxpayers like the UWV (social
: benefits, unemployment offices, etc.), the
: Netherlands Railways, housing companies, the
: 'sociale werkplaatsen', etc.
:
: None of these almosy 1.750.000 people would
: accept it when we would interfere in their
: right to buy a property or making an
: investment under the motto "it is
: taxpayer's money, you know".
:
: I sense from your post that you disagree
: with the Prince and Princess getting money
: for being the Prince and Princess indeed.
: But in the same time they are not allowed to
: find a normal job or start a business
: because the Government finds this
: "undesirable".
:
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