Of course you joke but the reason we even tip waiters is so they can survive on what they get. Imagine if the restaurant owner actually paid them a decent wage and we wouldn't even need to tip! I know I know, why would they do that when we can just pay it for them?
My cousin pulled down around $300 a night in tips back in the 80's. She was poached by another restaurant as well because she was very good. It was not from her looks either, it was her professional standards and ability to wow the customers. Good waitresses can move to the better restaurants and increase their income.
What I tip is between me and the waitress and I am sure they have never been disappointed. Hope you do the same as you seem to think it is a chore to do so. If waitresses get paid more by their employers, it will just show up on your bill in increased food costs. Economics 101.
Of course you joke but the reason we even tip waiters is so they can survive on what they get. Imagine if the restaurant owner actually paid them a decent wage and we wouldn't even need to tip! I know I know, why would they do that when we can just pay it for them?
Tipping is a social reality more than anything and predates modern tax law. It supposedly rewards good service. Notably it comes from a time when restaurants or pubs where often family business. In the end tipping wasn't about the survival of waiters. Rather it is a rather old custom and reflects upon a time when such people did not earn a wage at all. If anything the minimum wages waiters earn today, are more about the cheapskate population that refuses to tip.
And us too right? Who likes taxes, especially when so much of it goes to helping military contractors get richer while killing people and also protecting business interests over actual safety?
You do realize that a lot of good can come from killing people. The reluctance of the left to do so is why things like ISIL can grow into such a menace that it is at the moment.
The only problem is they don't pay and we do, and then we pay more and they pay less and use the extra billions to BUY congress to pay even less.
The problem here is that corporations do pay and frankly pay big time.
And so it goes on and on until we are all slaves to them and they own the planet. It's so fun and it's working out great huh? Profits all time high, wages all time low. Ain't this great?!
Actually on this point I have to agree to some extent. The current abysmal state of the economy would be greatly improved if wages simply increased to match the inflation rate. What is really asinine here is that many corporations are actually suffering from low wages as people have little in the way of discretionary funds to spend on their products.
Yeah, the rich just need a little more, not quite there yet. The 1% only owns 99% of the wealth on the planet. They almost got it all, so let's keep defending them and help them get all the way there!
Again you return to bull shit here. The reason corporations can earn so much money is directly tied to massive increases in the human population. Even if you only make $0.50 on a product you can become extremely wealthy just selling to 1% of the worlds population. The only reason there is so much concentrated wealth is due to the feeding frenzy around success stories.
Think about this a bit. Most Americans use to have the option of dining out at independent owner operated restaurants. These days people instead line up at the newest chain store to buy its water down version of grub. It isn't the 1% that is the problem, rather it. Is the population as a whole that rewards their developments and ignores the local or independent merchant.
Think I'm wrong. Look at the Sunday newspaper in any major city. The majority of ads come from chain companies trying to save you pennies often on items that cost thousands. It doesn't matter what sor t of chain you are taliking about here, hardware stores, clothing stores, auto dealerships, electronics or whatever, people migrate to chains even if that means putting local businesses out of business.
So if you want to know whom is at fault here take a look in the mirror!!! If you really want to do something about concentrated wealth you have to stop giving those people your wealth.
Think I'm wrong. Look at the Sunday newspaper in any major city. The majority of ads come from chain companies trying to save you pennies often on items that cost thousands. It doesn't matter what sor t of chain you are taliking about here, hardware stores, clothing stores, auto dealerships, electronics or whatever, people migrate to chains even if that means putting local businesses out of business.
So if you want to know whom is at fault here take a look in the mirror!!! If you really want to do something about concentrated wealth you have to stop giving those people your wealth.
The point is that more often than not, it is tax breaks and other preferential treatments that allows chain stores and other large corporations to offer these penny savings which over time, result in an accumulation of wealth. Oh, and of course that ungodly artificial construct of the limited liability of corporations....
You're right. A loophole would be more along the lines of discovering a way to avoid taxes altogether by creating a series of companies and property transfers that results in not being tax resident anywhere in the world. That wouldn't be adhering to the "spirit of the tax laws" if it were to happen, right?
Which law is it that they aren't adhering to the spirit of? The universal worldwide tax law? Some other tax law I'm not familiar with?
You do realize that a lot of good can come from killing people. The reluctance of the left to do so is why things like ISIL can grow into such a menace that it is at the moment.
The problem here is that corporations do pay and frankly pay big time.
Actually on this point I have to agree to some extent. The current abysmal state of the economy would be greatly improved if wages simply increased to match the inflation rate. What is really asinine here is that many corporations are actually suffering from low wages as people have little in the way of discretionary funds to spend on their products.
Again you return to bull shit here. The reason corporations can earn so much money is directly tied to massive increases in the human population. Even if you only make $0.50 on a product you can become extremely wealthy just selling to 1% of the worlds population. The only reason there is so much concentrated wealth is due to the feeding frenzy around success stories.
Think about this a bit. Most Americans use to have the option of dining out at independent owner operated restaurants. These days people instead line up at the newest chain store to buy its water down version of grub. It isn't the 1% that is the problem, rather it. Is the population as a whole that rewards their developments and ignores the local or independent merchant.
Think I'm wrong. Look at the Sunday newspaper in any major city. The majority of ads come from chain companies trying to save you pennies often on items that cost thousands. It doesn't matter what sor t of chain you are taliking about here, hardware stores, clothing stores, auto dealerships, electronics or whatever, people migrate to chains even if that means putting local businesses out of business.
So if you want to know whom is at fault here take a look in the mirror!!! If you really want to do something about concentrated wealth you have to stop giving those people your wealth.
When 2,000 people own it all and offer no choice the pure BS of a 'free market' and choice become irrelevant and meaningless. I happily boycott Walmart and shop local, but small businesses can't and never will be able to compete with lobbying and 'buying' politicians.
I don't know maybe it's just me. I like giving my neighbors and fellow Americans a decent life. We all live together after all. I like knowing them and using their services, etc. I'll take that over 200 rich @^%# owning the planet and sending the jobs overseas all day long. I guess I like my fellow Americans and want everyone to have a shot at a good life and I don't think huge corporations need to have more money and power than half the countries on the planet and turn us all into slaves. I could care less how rich the rich are really. When they are then BUYING our government and passing laws that only benefit them and screw us however, thats where I think the forefathers would start planning a revolution and agree with me. And I think we are pretty much there.
Interesting move. So I wonder this is any connection to the recent EU attitude to Apple's tax set up there. Is this a possible way to mitigate potential higher taxes?
Yep! I am sure that is probably the reason. If US government is smart enough, they would provide a better treatment of the money and allow these companies to bring them back and also create some jobs in this country.
Yep! I am sure that is probably the reason. If US government is smart enough, they would provide a better treatment of the money and allow these companies to bring them back and also create some jobs in this country.
The last time the US government gave multinationals a tax holiday to get them to repatriate money, they did not use the money to increase investment or US based employment.
Quote:
This paper analyzes the impact on firm behavior of the Homeland Investment Act of 2004, which provided a one-time tax holiday for the repatriation of foreign earnings by U.S. multinationals. The analysis controls for endogeneity and omitted variable bias by using instruments that identify the firms likely to receive the largest tax benefits from the holiday. Repatriations did not lead to an increase in domestic investment, employment or R&D -- even for the firms that lobbied for the tax holiday stating these intentions and for firms that appeared to be financially constrained. Instead, a $1 increase in repatriations was associated with an increase of almost $1 in payouts to shareholders.
Irish incorporated companies should pay Irish corporate taxes, and US incorporated companies should pay US corporate taxes. Companies should also pay taxes in the country whose residents, businesses and agencies contributed the revenue. That's common sense and the spirit of tax policy.
What very smart people at Apple figured out are creative ways around all of that that, allowing them to bypass all corporate taxes and answering to no one. By very elaborate means they crafted a method of using US law against Irish law to create a no-man's land of specially-formed companies collecting tax-free earnings that neither country intended.
Speaking before Congress Tim Cook is quoted as saying “We not only comply with the (tax) laws, we comply with the spirit of the (tax) laws”. That would not be in the spirit of any tax laws. I doubt you honestly disagree but if so please explain. If no comment I'll take your silence as agreement at least in this instance.
Tell that to the Wal-Mart employees that still need food stamps to stay alive.
Again, it's because of the existence of these programs Walmart is able to pay wages that are essentially subsidized by taxpayers. If these misguided programs did not exist, wages would have to adjust to whatever the market would bear.
Again, it's because of the existence of these programs Walmart is able to pay wages that are essentially subsidized by taxpayers. If these misguided programs did not exist, wages would have to adjust to whatever the market would bear.
By coincidence, I came across this wonderfully written article that may provide a reminder of why we have these "misguided programs". (But I agree with your assessment of the specific Walmart salary issue).
What do you mean "get rid of it"? The U.S. isn't a democracy.
You really love saying this, don't you? The OP talked about democratically elected, not democracy. The USA uses a democratic system of elections nationally, and locally it is often more directly democratic.
Comments
Of course you joke but the reason we even tip waiters is so they can survive on what they get. Imagine if the restaurant owner actually paid them a decent wage and we wouldn't even need to tip! I know I know, why would they do that when we can just pay it for them?
My cousin pulled down around $300 a night in tips back in the 80's. She was poached by another restaurant as well because she was very good. It was not from her looks either, it was her professional standards and ability to wow the customers. Good waitresses can move to the better restaurants and increase their income.
What I tip is between me and the waitress and I am sure they have never been disappointed. Hope you do the same as you seem to think it is a chore to do so. If waitresses get paid more by their employers, it will just show up on your bill in increased food costs. Economics 101.
These people are looked down upon in Ireland.
Tipping is a social reality more than anything and predates modern tax law. It supposedly rewards good service. Notably it comes from a time when restaurants or pubs where often family business. In the end tipping wasn't about the survival of waiters. Rather it is a rather old custom and reflects upon a time when such people did not earn a wage at all. If anything the minimum wages waiters earn today, are more about the cheapskate population that refuses to tip.
Again you return to bull shit here. The reason corporations can earn so much money is directly tied to massive increases in the human population. Even if you only make $0.50 on a product you can become extremely wealthy just selling to 1% of the worlds population. The only reason there is so much concentrated wealth is due to the feeding frenzy around success stories.
Think about this a bit. Most Americans use to have the option of dining out at independent owner operated restaurants. These days people instead line up at the newest chain store to buy its water down version of grub. It isn't the 1% that is the problem, rather it. Is the population as a whole that rewards their developments and ignores the local or independent merchant.
Think I'm wrong. Look at the Sunday newspaper in any major city. The majority of ads come from chain companies trying to save you pennies often on items that cost thousands. It doesn't matter what sor t of chain you are taliking about here, hardware stores, clothing stores, auto dealerships, electronics or whatever, people migrate to chains even if that means putting local businesses out of business.
So if you want to know whom is at fault here take a look in the mirror!!! If you really want to do something about concentrated wealth you have to stop giving those people your wealth.
Ah now this is getting interesting. What do your recommend to do to get rid of it?
The point is that more often than not, it is tax breaks and other preferential treatments that allows chain stores and other large corporations to offer these penny savings which over time, result in an accumulation of wealth. Oh, and of course that ungodly artificial construct of the limited liability of corporations....
Which law is it that they aren't adhering to the spirit of? The universal worldwide tax law? Some other tax law I'm not familiar with?
http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irish_Travellers
How interesting. Never heard of this group before.
You've never watched the movie Snatch, I presume
If people couldn't make a living waitering, they'd not do it.
Tell that to the Wal-Mart employees that still need food stamps to stay alive.
You do realize that a lot of good can come from killing people. The reluctance of the left to do so is why things like ISIL can grow into such a menace that it is at the moment.
The problem here is that corporations do pay and frankly pay big time.
Actually on this point I have to agree to some extent. The current abysmal state of the economy would be greatly improved if wages simply increased to match the inflation rate. What is really asinine here is that many corporations are actually suffering from low wages as people have little in the way of discretionary funds to spend on their products.
Again you return to bull shit here. The reason corporations can earn so much money is directly tied to massive increases in the human population. Even if you only make $0.50 on a product you can become extremely wealthy just selling to 1% of the worlds population. The only reason there is so much concentrated wealth is due to the feeding frenzy around success stories.
Think about this a bit. Most Americans use to have the option of dining out at independent owner operated restaurants. These days people instead line up at the newest chain store to buy its water down version of grub. It isn't the 1% that is the problem, rather it. Is the population as a whole that rewards their developments and ignores the local or independent merchant.
Think I'm wrong. Look at the Sunday newspaper in any major city. The majority of ads come from chain companies trying to save you pennies often on items that cost thousands. It doesn't matter what sor t of chain you are taliking about here, hardware stores, clothing stores, auto dealerships, electronics or whatever, people migrate to chains even if that means putting local businesses out of business.
So if you want to know whom is at fault here take a look in the mirror!!! If you really want to do something about concentrated wealth you have to stop giving those people your wealth.
When 2,000 people own it all and offer no choice the pure BS of a 'free market' and choice become irrelevant and meaningless. I happily boycott Walmart and shop local, but small businesses can't and never will be able to compete with lobbying and 'buying' politicians.
I don't know maybe it's just me. I like giving my neighbors and fellow Americans a decent life. We all live together after all. I like knowing them and using their services, etc. I'll take that over 200 rich @^%# owning the planet and sending the jobs overseas all day long. I guess I like my fellow Americans and want everyone to have a shot at a good life and I don't think huge corporations need to have more money and power than half the countries on the planet and turn us all into slaves. I could care less how rich the rich are really. When they are then BUYING our government and passing laws that only benefit them and screw us however, thats where I think the forefathers would start planning a revolution and agree with me. And I think we are pretty much there.
I would say without a doubt yes. Follow the $ as always. And we all know corps pay as little as 'legally' possible no matter what.
Sometimes they pay a lot less than what is "legally" possible. Hopefully that's not the case with Apple in Ireland.
Interesting move. So I wonder this is any connection to the recent EU attitude to Apple's tax set up there. Is this a possible way to mitigate potential higher taxes?
Yep! I am sure that is probably the reason. If US government is smart enough, they would provide a better treatment of the money and allow these companies to bring them back and also create some jobs in this country.
Yep! I am sure that is probably the reason. If US government is smart enough, they would provide a better treatment of the money and allow these companies to bring them back and also create some jobs in this country.
The last time the US government gave multinationals a tax holiday to get them to repatriate money, they did not use the money to increase investment or US based employment.
http://www.nber.org/papers/w15023
http://www.heritage.org/research/reports/2013/10/impact-of-repatriation-holiday-on-the-economy-jobs-and-investment#_ftn7
http://forums.appleinsider.com/t/186123/eu-delays-judgement-on-apples-irish-tax-deal-as-discovery-proves-time-consuming/80#post_2720631
http://forums.appleinsider.com/t/186171/worst-case-scenario-from-irish-tax-changes-could-reduce-apples-annual-earnings-by-10#post_2721219
Irish incorporated companies should pay Irish corporate taxes, and US incorporated companies should pay US corporate taxes. Companies should also pay taxes in the country whose residents, businesses and agencies contributed the revenue. That's common sense and the spirit of tax policy.
What very smart people at Apple figured out are creative ways around all of that that, allowing them to bypass all corporate taxes and answering to no one. By very elaborate means they crafted a method of using US law against Irish law to create a no-man's land of specially-formed companies collecting tax-free earnings that neither country intended.
Speaking before Congress Tim Cook is quoted as saying “We not only comply with the (tax) laws, we comply with the spirit of the (tax) laws”. That would not be in the spirit of any tax laws. I doubt you honestly disagree but if so please explain. If no comment I'll take your silence as agreement at least in this instance.
What do you mean "get rid of it"? The U.S. isn't a democracy.
Again, it's because of the existence of these programs Walmart is able to pay wages that are essentially subsidized by taxpayers. If these misguided programs did not exist, wages would have to adjust to whatever the market would bear.
What do you mean "get rid of it"? The U.S. isn't a democracy.
You were responding to democratically elected. His question is valid.
What do you mean "get rid of it"? The U.S. isn't a democracy.
OK then, what is it (and is it better than mob rule)?
(what form of government would you prefer?)
Again, it's because of the existence of these programs Walmart is able to pay wages that are essentially subsidized by taxpayers. If these misguided programs did not exist, wages would have to adjust to whatever the market would bear.
By coincidence, I came across this wonderfully written article that may provide a reminder of why we have these "misguided programs". (But I agree with your assessment of the specific Walmart salary issue).
http://www.theguardian.com/society/2014/jun/04/coalition-attacks-nhs-return-britain-age-workhouse
What do you mean "get rid of it"? The U.S. isn't a democracy.
You really love saying this, don't you? The OP talked about democratically elected, not democracy. The USA uses a democratic system of elections nationally, and locally it is often more directly democratic.