How do we narrow the income gap??

[dpvandy01]

So, if I choose to take the risk of losing my house and savings by putting them up to get a loan expand my business and potentially increase my income by 500%, then all of my employees, who choose to be employees, not business owners themselves, should also have a 500% income growth if my plan succeeds?

Not just your employees, but all of us! So get out there and make us some freakin' money:grin:

 

[Sorrento 25]

The only Ammo you need is Jimmy Carter.

Politics and the economy have never been of any interest to me. If they had I might be a millionaire right now eh? I was discovered to be non-democrat and ganged up on at work for rejecting some of the president-elect's proposals, and then challenged to come up with alternatives. I now have some points to argue thanks Mike!

 

[Four Suns]

I could write a whole paper on my views on this but this is not the place to do it. This is a multi-faceted issue and some people have touched on it.

Needless to say, I am waiting for a political candidate to stand up and say they are going to "spread opportunity" and not "spread the results of people that took advantage of opportunities they had". There are things our government can do much much better to spread opportunity... a quick example is the small business administration. What a busted and antiquated piece of garbage that is right now.... and the Venture Capital industry is probably more destructive on small businesses than it helps... and I speak from experience on these things. Oh yeah... and I can tell you Obama doesn't "get it" on that front either.

On the flip side, as Pirate mentioned, no one else can fix motivation by doing hand outs. Come sit in my wife's high school classroom for a day or two... The attitude of "I don't have enough and it's *that* person's fault because he has more" is amazing. That attitude applies to grades as well as physical property.

Anyway, like I said, I'll give you my platform when I run for office.

 

[AndersonAcres]

It's always nice to have someone else to blame. That's the beauty of our two-party (sometimes multi-party) system, it's always the other guy's fault that I don't have what I want.

Of course, blame is a useless and non-productive activity, but it continues to get people elected, and even re-elected.

 

[Turtlesboat]

Politics and the economy have never been of any interest to me. If they had I might be a millionaire right now eh? I was discovered to be non-democrat and ganged up on at work for rejecting some of the president-elect's proposals, and then challenged to come up with alternatives. I now have some points to argue thanks Mike!

Like you, I was never into politics. And my views change as I get older. What's the Churchill Saying "If you are under 30 and not a liberal, You don't have a heart. If you are over 40 and not a conservative, you don't have a brain". something like that.

I understand your angst when you are in a room full of people and they shove their candidate in your face while you're trying to enjoy a beer. And the shock and horror on their face when you say you're a conservative, like you just slapped their mother.
I love history and believe it's our greatest teacher. There aren't many "new" ideas that haven't been thought or practiced before. You can even go back into Greek and Roman governments and find a lot of our roots in them. But my greatest resource has and will be the older generations. As a kid, I loved sitting in a room full of my grandparents and their friends and just listen to them talk about old times, why their parents came to this country and what they sacrificed to get here.
My Father has been working on his family history for 20 years. He has over time researched and found family artifacts like civil war rifles, swords, discharge papers, police hand guns etc... buried in attics of old or dead relatives. There is nothing like holding a rifle, sword, hat, and discharge papers in your hand of a great ++ grandparent. Researching the battles he was in, reading the letters he wrote home. The ideas and beliefs he risked his life for. Holding in my hands a WWI German officers helmet a great grandfather brought home as a souvenir. Listening to my grandfathers recordings that he made on plastic records in the pacific during WWII and mailed home to his wife. Pictures of my father on a jet fighter during the Korean war. Listening to stories of escape from behind the Iron Curtain to freedom.
I have the courage to voice my opinions in a room full of people because I have hundreds of years of family history defending this country and the beliefs they stood for. Many people died or risked their lives so we can have these freedoms and voice our beliefs. So don't be afraid to stand up for what you believe in and why you believe in those things.

 

[tmhudson2]

Like you, I was never into politics. And my views change as I get older. What's the Churchill Saying "If you are under 30 and not a liberal, You don't have a heart. If you are over 40 and not a conservative, you don't have a brain". something like that.

I understand your angst when you are in a room full of people and they shove their candidate in your face while you're trying to enjoy a beer. And the shock and horror on their face when you say you're a conservative, like you just slapped their mother.
I love history and believe it's our greatest teacher. There aren't many "new" ideas that haven't been thought or practiced before. You can even go back into Greek and Roman governments and find a lot of our roots in them. But my greatest resource has and will be the older generations. As a kid, I loved sitting in a room full of my grandparents and their friends and just listen to them talk about old times, why their parents came to this country and what they sacrificed to get here.
My Father has been working on his family history for 20 years. He has over time researched and found family artifacts like civil war rifles, swords, discharge papers, police hand guns etc... buried in attics of old or dead relatives. There is nothing like holding a rifle, sword, hat, and discharge papers in your hand of a great ++ grandparent. Researching the battles he was in, reading the letters he wrote home. The ideas and beliefs he risked his life for. Holding in my hands a WWI German officers helmet a great grandfather brought home as a souvenir. Listening to my grandfathers recordings that he made on plastic records in the pacific during WWII and mailed home to his wife. Pictures of my father on a jet fighter during the Korean war. Listening to stories of escape from behind the Iron Curtain to freedom.
I have the courage to voice my opinions in a room full of people because I have hundreds of years of family history defending this country and the beliefs they stood for. Many people died or risked their lives so we can have these freedoms and voice our beliefs. So don't be afraid to stand up for what you believe in and why you believe in those things.

Mike, I'm in your Amen Corner here.

 

[comsnark]

Mike: +1

- - -

I would like to share another story of more modern grit; it's about my Boat Hauler.
Ok. . .a bit off topic. . .but boating related.

Since I got my SeaRay, I pay someone $150-$200 to bring it from my house and to launch it down a ramp. The hauler's use trailers with significant hydraulics so they can re-rig for different boats in a few moments, and can easily set the boat onto blocks.

The first person I used was a young kid. New to the buisness. Third time I used him, he was a half hour late. Fourth time. . . he didn't return a few calls I made to arrange and then failed to show up. Thus ended that buisness relationship. I hear he folded a few monthes later

My current hauler. . .I called that fine sunny Saturday afternoon and when asked for the pickup time, I said "Now!". He said "How about 20 minutes?". The guy is in his fifties, and here is on a Saturday afternoon responding instantly to a cold call. I paid him more than he asked in gratitude.

Next year. . he comes down with cancer. He is paying $12K a year and insurance. . and he still is hauling boats. I saw him today (to haul a boat). With scars up and down everywhere and a Trach tube. . .he is hauling boats and basically kicking ass. Full of *iss and vinegar. The only way he is slowing down is that he had to hire a helper to haul the concrete blocks around. Very down to earth.

His price went up slightly relative to the spring. . .but I still gave him more than he asked. He also returned a short step ladder I left on his truck in the Spring.. . I never even mentioned the ladder prior.

- - -

In my mind, it is these people that make America great.

 

[Woody]

Like you, I was never into politics. And my views change as I get older. What's the Churchill Saying "If you are under 30 and not a liberal, You don't have a heart. If you are over 40 and not a conservative, you don't have a brain". something like that.

I understand your angst when you are in a room full of people and they shove their candidate in your face while you're trying to enjoy a beer. And the shock and horror on their face when you say you're a conservative, like you just slapped their mother.
I love history and believe it's our greatest teacher. There aren't many "new" ideas that haven't been thought or practiced before. You can even go back into Greek and Roman governments and find a lot of our roots in them. But my greatest resource has and will be the older generations. As a kid, I loved sitting in a room full of my grandparents and their friends and just listen to them talk about old times, why their parents came to this country and what they sacrificed to get here.
My Father has been working on his family history for 20 years. He has over time researched and found family artifacts like civil war rifles, swords, discharge papers, police hand guns etc... buried in attics of old or dead relatives. There is nothing like holding a rifle, sword, hat, and discharge papers in your hand of a great ++ grandparent. Researching the battles he was in, reading the letters he wrote home. The ideas and beliefs he risked his life for. Holding in my hands a WWI German officers helmet a great grandfather brought home as a souvenir. Listening to my grandfathers recordings that he made on plastic records in the pacific during WWII and mailed home to his wife. Pictures of my father on a jet fighter during the Korean war. Listening to stories of escape from behind the Iron Curtain to freedom.
I have the courage to voice my opinions in a room full of people because I have hundreds of years of family history defending this country and the beliefs they stood for. Many people died or risked their lives so we can have these freedoms and voice our beliefs. So don't be afraid to stand up for what you believe in and why you believe in those things.

Another Churchill quote, "You can count on the Americans to do what is right after they try everything else first".

 

[JV II]

Nice