The Democratic Presidential Debates
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cincybearcat said:ecdanc said:cincybearcat said:mrussel1 said:ecdanc said:0
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mrussel1 said:brianlux said:mrussel1 said:brianlux said:mrussel1 said:brianlux said:mrussel1 said:brianlux said:ecdanc said:
They don't need to do that- they get plenty fucked already by low wages and poor working conditions. And they and most of us pay all the taxes while Bezos pays none and buys his islands!I'm like a Republican that way- I'm only against something except for when I'm not. LOL Let me explain:I am the sole employee of my small part-time book and vinyl business which nets me less than minimum wage but I enjoy it and, because I have no pension or any other form of retirement income except social security, it helps. So what I'm saying here will relate to the bookstore business my wife and her business partner own and for which I help out part-time at a little over minimum wage:I am in favor of a living wage for workers who rely on their work related income. In other words- a working person who relies on their paycheck to support themselves and/or a family, that person should earn at least a minimum wage in order to do so. But many small businesses- my wife's is a good example- rely on part-time help to stay afloat. The bookstore has had a number of employees who work their either to supplement their income post retirement (people who only get social security and need a little extra to get by) or students who want a little extra income before they go off into the world of full-time work. I think there should be an exception to minimum wage for businesses that hire part-time help for those folks. Some small businesses- used bookstores are an excellent example- run on a thin margin. Some years it gets really close to the wire trying to stay afloat. If the minimum wage right now were $15 for all employees- we would have to let someone go- not so that we could live the Bezos life- but so that we could keep the business going. And that store is a big asset to our community. I cannot tell you how many times I've head customers say, "I hope you never close, that would be terrible." I'm sure there are other small businesses like that. I can think of several used bookstores and record stores that have gone out of business due to high cost of running a small business that I sorely miss. To name a few:Chimeras Book, Palo AltoWessex Used Books, Menlo ParkSunset Books, San FranciscoThe Beat (record and CD store in Sacramento)Cody's Books, BerkeleyThe Book Worm, FolsomKepler's Books (actually still in business but only due to a very large donation)
You make some good points and yes, there would have to be some way of preventing abuse of my proposed system. I'm honestly not sure how that would work. Maybe I'm looking at it backwards. Maybe there needs to be some way to protect small businesses from being run out of business by people like Bezos. I say this because I know from experience that small businesses add a lot of social and cultural value to small towns (e.g. The Bookery/ Placerville) and neighborhood in cities (e.g. Dog Eared Books in the Mission District of San Francisco). When those small businesses are unable to stay afloat, the community or neighborhood loses some of its quality as a place to live.
I'm very much down on Amazon for two reasons: Bezos' ambition to drive small businesses out of business, and Amazon paying zero taxes. It amazes me that more people are not outraged by that later point. I just don't get it. But I don't hate the idea of Amazon altogether. I'm not at all against on-line shopping. Were it not for on-line sources, much of the music I enjoy would not be available to me in my preferred format- vinyl. But I do strongly think Amazon should pay taxes, not make it a priority to close down small independent retailers, pay their employees a living wage, and improve their working conditions.
From what I've read, I think a Value Added Tax might be one solution.
"It's a sad and beautiful world"-Roberto Benigni0 -
cincybearcat said:ecdanc said:cincybearcat said:mrussel1 said:ecdanc said:
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ecdanc said:cincybearcat said:ecdanc said:cincybearcat said:mrussel1 said:ecdanc said:
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ecdanc said:cincybearcat said:ecdanc said:cincybearcat said:mrussel1 said:ecdanc said:
hippiemom = goodness0 -
mrussel1 said:ecdanc said:cincybearcat said:ecdanc said:cincybearcat said:mrussel1 said:ecdanc said:
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cincybearcat said:ecdanc said:cincybearcat said:ecdanc said:cincybearcat said:mrussel1 said:ecdanc said:
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ecdanc said:cincybearcat said:ecdanc said:cincybearcat said:ecdanc said:cincybearcat said:mrussel1 said:ecdanc said:
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=/= ?Is that equal divided by equal?Would that be the same as infinity or zero?MATH I'm good with but math is not my strong suit."It's a sad and beautiful world"-Roberto Benigni0
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mrussel1 said:ecdanc said:cincybearcat said:ecdanc said:cincybearcat said:mrussel1 said:ecdanc said:
Maybe just those that make billions in income but do not pay income tax?0 -
ecdanc said:cincybearcat said:ecdanc said:cincybearcat said:ecdanc said:cincybearcat said:mrussel1 said:ecdanc said:
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mrussel1 said:ecdanc said:cincybearcat said:ecdanc said:cincybearcat said:ecdanc said:cincybearcat said:mrussel1 said:ecdanc said:
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ecdanc said:mrussel1 said:ecdanc said:cincybearcat said:ecdanc said:cincybearcat said:ecdanc said:cincybearcat said:mrussel1 said:ecdanc said:
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mrussel1 said:ecdanc said:mrussel1 said:ecdanc said:cincybearcat said:ecdanc said:cincybearcat said:ecdanc said:cincybearcat said:mrussel1 said:ecdanc said:
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ecdanc said:mrussel1 said:ecdanc said:mrussel1 said:ecdanc said:cincybearcat said:ecdanc said:cincybearcat said:ecdanc said:cincybearcat said:mrussel1 said:ecdanc said:
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mrussel1 said:ecdanc said:mrussel1 said:ecdanc said:mrussel1 said:ecdanc said:cincybearcat said:ecdanc said:cincybearcat said:ecdanc said:cincybearcat said:mrussel1 said:ecdanc said:
Post edited by ecdanc on0 -
@mcgruff10 this is when you make a Gulag joke...0
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I'll ride the wave where it takes me......0
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I'll ride the wave where it takes me......0 -
I'll ride the wave where it takes me......0
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