Anyone watching/listening to the news?

[Lobzi]

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You know, I have a lot of my investment money in the stock market so therefore Im losing by no bailout and I still feel the same way...
We (this country) have come to believe that we do not have to accept the consequences for our actions. We teach our kids that in school everyday and its a darn shame.
(Im a high school teacher in California for nearly 30 years and I have seen the change in expectation we have for our students)

 

[mtnhomechick]

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DH runs his business the same way. What startup money they have borrowed was loaned by us - the owners (we loaned half, his partner loaned half). It was money we had saved before starting a business.

It's hard work, but it was all ours. We were beholden to no one. I suppose the argument could be made that we could have been a $20M, or $30M firm with the use of credit. I (and my firm owner) couldn't live with that.

The company is all ours, the risk was all ours. It is a hard way to build a company and it does grow more slowly. At one point we had the option to borrow a lot of $$$ and grow out much faster, but I do believe that we would be in a lot of trouble now if we had taken that route. Instead, we have a small economically sound company.

We made enough to employ people and pay them a good wage.

... and we can pay decent living wages. I wish we could buy full health insurance for our employees, but we haven't found a way to do it. Affordable plans are not readily available for small companies like ours.

I don't have the feeling that the government can manipulate the economy and know what the outcome and repercussions will be.​

This really kills me.........every American should have a right to healthcare. There is NO excuse for anyone not being able to seek medical care and preventative care. But, the rich got richer...........​

 

[Reinbeau]

Quote:
DH runs his business the same way. What startup money they have borrowed was loaned by us - the owners (we loaned half, his partner loaned half). It was money we had saved before starting a business.

It's hard work, but it was all ours. We were beholden to no one. I suppose the argument could be made that we could have been a $20M, or $30M firm with the use of credit. I (and my firm owner) couldn't live with that.

The company is all ours, the risk was all ours. It is a hard way to build a company and it does grow more slowly. At one point we had the option to borrow a lot of $$$ and grow out much faster, but I do believe that we would be in a lot of trouble now if we had taken that route. Instead, we have a small economically sound company.

We made enough to employ people and pay them a good wage.

... and we can pay decent living wages. I wish we could buy full health insurance for our employees, but we haven't found a way to do it. Affordable plans are not readily available for small companies like ours.

I don't have the feeling that the government can manipulate the economy and know what the outcome and repercussions will be.​

This really kills me.........every American should have a right to healthcare. There is NO excuse for anyone not being able to seek medical care and preventative care. But, the rich got richer...........​

Edited to say - health care is not a right. Nothing covering it is outlined in either the Constitution or the Bill of Rights. There's quite a bit of personal responsibility assumed in both documents, but many want government to take care of them. That isn't what government is for.

Small companies cannot afford to shoulder the burden to provide health care. Separate the two in your mind. Health care is something we all want, but a good system hasn't come out that can supply it for free. You have to shoulder the burden of caring for yourself. Now in this broken system it's darned near impossible to afford, but that's a whole 'nother rant.

My company joined a small business group, and we did provide subsidized medical insurance. The family plan was affordable, we were able to offer a few different HMO type plans to our employees, but we didn't pay the full price, the employ paid 30% (which was generous). The small metal fab shop I ended my corporate career with also paid 70%, employee paid 30%. It was extremely expensive for the company, but we bit the bullet. Do you really expect free health care? Ain't gonna happen. But can we leave medical insurance for another thread?

 

[morelcabin]

Canada has free health care...our emergency rooms are filled to capacity with people who go in with the sniffles. We ALL end up paying for others stupidity. Free health care is not the answer

 

[annmarie]

I won't get into the health care debate (especially since it's totally off topic), but I did want to point out to our friends from the North that even without free health care, our emergency rooms are filled to capacity too, with people with the sniffles, people with diseases, and people practically bleeding to death, all wondering whether or not they're bleeding or dying or sniffling enough to justify the $500+ bill. I don't have the answers, just wanted to point out the grass isn't any greener here!

 

[morelcabin]

Wow! And I always figured that if we had to pay $500 we'd make sure the visit was at least justified:>)

 

[Reinbeau]

I've just heard Juju Chang on ABC news say

The credit markets are constricting, which is making it harder for companies to borrow money to pay their employees

I hope those of you with good heads on their shoulders see the fatal flaw in this statement! This is what I mean. There are no longer any solid underpinnings beneath the economy. If it's considered business as usual to borrow money to pay your employees then we truly are sunk as an economic force.​

 

[the1much]

hahahaha,,,,,, EVERYTHING mentioned about a company needing credit is hogwash,,,is there some reason that they NEED to borrow to pay their bills? heh,,yup there is,,,,BAD BIZ!
i have 3 businesses ,, have NEVER borrowed, and i have HUGE bills,,and as owner, i have a 3rd grade education, which is all thats needed,,, to figure out i pay bills FIRST, then i get paid. if a grocery store NEEDS credit to buy their food,, then where did they go wrong? do you REALLY think they cant make enough money in 1 month, to pay for next months inventory?. if a biz relies on credit, it shouldnt be ALLOWED to pay the owners,<which is almost ALWAYS the first money taken out.if they cant pay their employees, then i would say they need less.
common sense,,, THATS ALL it is.
why are things so expensive?,, cause they need to charge us enough to pay themselves,and then need to pay the interest on that ca-ca credit.if ANY institution cant make it month to month without credit, then their not smart enough to own a biz in the first place.
this doesnt mean its bad to START UP with credit, but having to CONTINUE and DEPEND on credit is like us paying for EVERYTHING with a credit card,,,STOOOOOPID

 

[d.k]

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: HURRAY for the1much!!!!! You just explained the ENTIRE problem with our financial system, the inflation rate, and the current economic crisis in one fell-swoop!!!!!! TAKE A BOW!!!!

 

[Zookeeper9000]

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It means beans and rice for us beans and rice. And from the sounds of it we won't be able to afford the rice.