Yes. A pile of dough with sugared-down sauce and processed cheese. Yum.

Speaking as a Coloradan, when you're...ahem...in an otherworldly state, there is nothing on the face of the earth better than $5 pizzas.

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Hey... Dont hate!

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I'm a small business operator in business for 20 years now. My lowest cost employee makes more than I make. There's this thing called competition where if I raise my prices to compensate for higher minimum wage I lose customers to my competition. I've lived it for 20 years. I have menu items which haven't been increased in price in 10 years despite 4 increases in minimum wage over that period. I just eat the margin losses.

 

Why do I do it? I'm retired from the corporate world and receive a pension. I don't rely upon my business profits to pay for our living expenses. I am paying off the mortgage on my business property and my payoff will come when I sell the property. I also do it because a person must have something to do. God didn't make these bodies to be sedentary and there is only so much golf and fishing a person can do. However, if I had to pay $15 per hour for a high schooler to wash dishes I would be forced to lay off people and raise prices on items I thought I could without losing too many customers. If the reduction in customer volume was too much I would be forced to close and go work for Walmart.

 

Regards......................the Chiefjag

 

I just read a similar story as yours this weekend Chiefjag.  I'll see if I can find it again and link it here.  The story was pretty similar.  It was about a start-up company that employs around 15 people.  The owner expressed the same thing as you in the article, that he actually earns less than his employees (he also pays them more than the current minimum wage).  He went on to say that his company is doing well, and with some time he might be able to expand and also raise the wages of his employees.  He also talked about one other thing that is very important.  He said that he has a high turnover of employees, but it's expected.  As people that work for him learn skills that could lead to a better opportunity, they end up leaving.

 

He stated that if minimum wage goes up much more, he would end up having to fold, laying off his employees and giving up his business.

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There are 10 kinds of people in this world.  Those who understand binary and those who don't.

I just read a similar story as yours this weekend Chiefjag.  I'll see if I can find it again and link it here.  The story was pretty similar.  It was about a start-up company that employs around 15 people.  The owner expressed the same thing as you in the article, that he actually earns less than his employees (he also pays them more than the current minimum wage).  He went on to say that his company is doing well, and with some time he might be able to expand and also raise the wages of his employees.  He also talked about one other thing that is very important.  He said that he has a high turnover of employees, but it's expected.  As people that work for him learn skills that could lead to a better opportunity, they end up leaving.

 

He stated that if minimum wage goes up much more, he would end up having to fold, laying off his employees and giving up his business.

According to me expert knowledge (I have seen a few episodes of Shark Tank) people running start ups should not take a salary so this is a moot point. 

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According to me expert knowledge (I have seen a few episodes of Shark Tank) people running start ups should not take a salary so this is a moot point. 

 

So starting a business, a person should not expect to make a salary?

 

Going by Chiefjag's story, he made it clear why he doesn't take much of a salary.  Should this be what start-up businesses do?  What would be the point of starting a business?  In Chiefjag's situation, it sounds to me like he does it just to "give him something to do".  Is that why all small businesses start up?

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There are 10 kinds of people in this world.  Those who understand binary and those who don't.

It gets tricky with small companies. For example the owner at my old shop would claim he makes less then everyone he employees, that's because on paper he only takes a 20,000 a year salary. Mind you his $800 car payment for the Acura mdx his wife drove was listed as a company car so the business paid it outside his salary, he had a business fuel card for his car his wife's car and his daughters car. The business sponsored his daughters college on a scholarship. The company card was used of they ever went out to eat it was a business meeting between ownership. Pretty much the only expense not covered by the business was his mortgage (he had two 300,000 houses at one point) even his alarm and lawn maintenance was rolled into the business expenses since it was the same companies they just upped his bill for the business and didn't charge for his personal use. I know some of that's a gray area he would probably get in trouble if his accountant wasn't top notch. What killed me was because he would only pay himself 20,000 he collected food stamps, obamacare and even bragged about a cheaper phone line. It's easy to hide personal expenses in business expenses so on paper an owner can claim poverty.

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So starting a business, a person should not expect to make a salary?

 

Going by Chiefjag's story, he made it clear why he doesn't take much of a salary.  Should this be what start-up businesses do?  What would be the point of starting a business?  In Chiefjag's situation, it sounds to me like he does it just to "give him something to do".  Is that why all small businesses start up?

It was a joke. 

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It gets tricky with small companies. For example the owner at my old shop would claim he makes less then everyone he employees, that's because on paper he only takes a 20,000 a year salary. Mind you his $800 car payment for the Acura mdx his wife drove was listed as a company car so the business paid it outside his salary, he had a business fuel card for his car his wife's car and his daughters car. The business sponsored his daughters college on a scholarship. The company card was used of they ever went out to eat it was a business meeting between ownership. Pretty much the only expense not covered by the business was his mortgage (he had two 300,000 houses at one point) even his alarm and lawn maintenance was rolled into the business expenses since it was the same companies they just upped his bill for the business and didn't charge for his personal use. I know some of that's a gray area he would probably get in trouble if his accountant wasn't top notch. What killed me was because he would only pay himself 20,000 he collected food stamps, obamacare and even bragged about a cheaper phone line. It's easy to hide personal expenses in business expenses so on paper an owner can claim poverty.

 

So where is the problem?  My first thought is the complicated tax laws.

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There are 10 kinds of people in this world.  Those who understand binary and those who don't.

So where is the problem?  My first thought is the complicated tax laws.

He's not paying the same taxes that the rest of us do.

 

Of course, a consumption tax would solve that problem...

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So where is the problem? My first thought is the complicated tax laws.

Absolutely agree he's exploiting legal or at least legalish loop holes. I would just roll my eyes when he would constantly comment the $600 bucks a week he paid me was more than he made.

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Absolutely agree he's exploiting legal or at least legalish loop holes. I would just roll my eyes when he would constantly comment the $600 bucks a week he paid me was more than he made.

Trump approves of your former boss's actions as do a lot of other people. 

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He's not paying the same taxes that the rest of us do.

 

Of course, a consumption tax would solve that problem...

 

 

Absolutely agree he's exploiting legal or at least legalish loop holes. I would just roll my eyes when he would constantly comment the $600 bucks a week he paid me was more than he made.

 

There is the problem, so what to do to fix it?

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There are 10 kinds of people in this world.  Those who understand binary and those who don't.

There is the problem, so what to do to fix it?

For me personally it was leaving the unethical employer. In the bigger picture only dismantling the tax code we have now and replacing it with a consumption tax is the best solution.

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There is the problem, so what to do to fix it?

I don't know, maybe a consumption tax that applies across the board to people and companies (with additional corporate taxes involved for companies), removing the ability of a business owner to make sub-poverty wages while living a six-figure lifestyle on his business' dime?

 

But that's drifting away from the minimum wage topic, and it makes way too much sense for the United States to ever seriously pursue such an idea.

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For me personally it was leaving the unethical employer. In the bigger picture only dismantling the tax code we have now and replacing it with a consumption tax is the best solution.

 

 

I don't know, maybe a consumption tax that applies across the board to people and companies (with additional corporate taxes involved for companies), removing the ability of a business owner to make sub-poverty wages while living a six-figure lifestyle on his business' dime?

 

But that's drifting away from the minimum wage topic, and it makes way too much sense for the United States to ever seriously pursue such an idea.

 

So here's a question, and TJBender you are right, we are getting off topic here and should perhaps move this discussion to a new thread.  You have been appointed.   :thumbsup:

 

So the question is, which political candidates have put forth the idea of a new tax code?

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There are 10 kinds of people in this world.  Those who understand binary and those who don't.

So the question is, which political candidates have put forth the idea of a new tax code?

That's a thread that will take some doing. I'll crack it open later tonight. 

 

Mike Huckabee was the first to push for the Fair Tax initiative, IIRC. I also remember Dr. Carson coming out in favor of it, but I believe those are the only two front-runners. I know Govs. Perry and Kasich have either come out in favor of it or alluded to liking it as a model. I'll dig a little more this evening and give you something to come home from work to tomorrow JIB, although I think that thread might wind up being a bit of an echo chamber.

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That's a thread that will take some doing. I'll crack it open later tonight. 

 

Mike Huckabee was the first to push for the Fair Tax initiative, IIRC. I also remember Dr. Carson coming out in favor of it, but I believe those are the only two front-runners. I know Govs. Perry and Kasich have either come out in favor of it or alluded to liking it as a model. I'll dig a little more this evening and give you something to come home from work to tomorrow JIB, although I think that thread might wind up being a bit of an echo chamber.

 

LOL.  One thing that is interesting to think about.  The candidates that you mentioned are all republicans.  What do the democrat candidates want to do?   :thumbsup:

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There are 10 kinds of people in this world.  Those who understand binary and those who don't.

LOL.  One thing that is interesting to think about.  The candidates that you mentioned are all republicans.  What do the democrat candidates want to do?   :thumbsup:

Raise taxes on the wealthy or give them more handouts depending on which one you are talking about. None have come out in favor of a total revamp of the tax code as far as I know because as much as some people may like it, it's not likely to happen anytime soon. To many gears and too many people that fund the political process making too much money off the loopholes for that to come close to happening. Changing the tax code is DOA IMO. 

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LOL.  One thing that is interesting to think about.  The candidates that you mentioned are all republicans.  What do the democrat candidates want to do?   :thumbsup:

Hillary wants to take all your money and give it to France. O'Malley wants to raise income taxes for those making $100k+ per year, and raise peripheral taxes (like sales tax) for everyone. Sanders wants to reach into your bank account, take all your money, combine everyone's money into one big account and redistribute it evenly amongst all Americans. Or something like that. Biden has yet to receive President Obama's blessing on a tax plan

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Hillary wants to take all your money and give it to France. O'Malley wants to raise income taxes for those making $100k+ per year, and raise peripheral taxes (like sales tax) for everyone. Sanders wants to reach into your bank account, take all your money, combine everyone's money into one big account and redistribute it evenly amongst all Americans. Or something like that. Biden has yet to receive President Obama's blessing on a tax plan

You forgot about taking away tax exemptions for religious institutions and giving the new influx of tax money to hippie resorts on the moon, ruled over by PP. 

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