Where are the Americans

[mhall]

You work at a Tire Store making $12/hour mounting tires. That's all you've got. Let's say you work 40 hours a week, so there is $480 before taxes and you bring home around $400/week, or $1600/mo.

Not exactly easy to pay for all of life's necessities (Shelter, Food, Transportation, Medical) and live comfortably on that, I understand...especially if you are the only bread-winner, are married, have kids. Tough. I'd bet some here will say that it can be done though, with the right budgeting, self control, and perseverance...but I digress.

Let's say we take that $12/hour and make it $24/hour....wow....it just got a little easier to meet your bills. Good day for Johnny Tire Buster....even though research will tell you that the more you make, the more you spend. It's all relative. But again, I digress.

The Tire Store currently charges customers $5 to mount a tire, $50 for an alignment, $15 for an oil change. It's owned by a local businessman who took over the business from his father, he's fighting the big national chains who have enormously more money than him, and has already cut prices to a degree just to compete. He doesn't have much retirement, he's 53 years old, and has no succession plan for his business. Now, just on the one employee in this example, his labor costs have doubled. If he's going to remain in business, he can either:

(a) Cut his staff in half....but probably won't be able to get the work done for customers if he does, so they'll get upset, start giving bad reviews, and going elsewhere.
(b) Raise his prices to offset the $25,000+ additional expense caused by raising wages....but then he can't compete as well with the national chains and his business will fall off.
(c) Just eat all of that additional expense as a direct hit to his bottom line....which isn't really an option....he's already on a shoestring budget trying to survive as a small middle class business owner and keep the doors open. He doesn't live like a king or anything. He's a normal guy.
(d) Some combination of A-B-C.

He's going to do (D).

He'll cut a guy....maybe 1 back in the shop, even though it hurts....he'll raise his prices to the consumer a bit and hope to God nobody complains too much....and he'll eat a little of it in a lowered bottom line, because he's known Johnny Tire Buster back in the shop for 20 years, has seen his kids born, considers him family, and can't bear to let him go unless it's dire straights. He's a businessman, but he also has a big heart. (This is most businessmen in America, unlike what you are lead to believe about Wall Street and greedy business owners.)

The result:
Fewer jobs.
Higher prices to people coming in for goods and services...which cuts back into those higher wages they are earning...and also earns the government some more sales tax revenue too.
Small businesses that fail in favor of larger/national businesses with more cash flow and access to resources.

I'm not saying I know a quicker/better solution, but I'm not buying into Government mandated drastic increases in wages yet.

I wish I could convey thoughts this well. This post is brilliant and IS REAL LIFE not a fairly tale, this is what it is. Liberals can't wrap their minds around the obvious because it does not fit their agenda.

Nice Brian...............you get it bro

[DJD]

Talking to a liberal is like flushing a TURD down the toilet.

You only have to listen and smell it for a little while......then all is good, until the next TURD.

Hold on while I go take a big ole Hlleonard and wipe my waterdog101......

HAHAHAHAHA dang it....I about choked on my sweet tea!!! HAHAHAHAHAHA !!

[Hlleonard]

Hlleonard, if you don't mind me asking, what do you do for a living/career?

--
I worked in a union manufacturing plant most of my life but I'm guessing you guys already knew that...

[Hlleonard]

Talking to a liberal is like flushing a TURD down the toilet.

You only have to listen and smell it for a little while......then all is good, until the next TURD.

Hold on while I go take a big ole Hlleonard and wipe my waterdog101......

--
Screw you *******... at least we as a country can be grateful the likes of you wont be in office to further the country toward third world status...

[roadrunner]

You work at a Tire Store making $12/hour mounting tires. That's all you've got. Let's say you work 40 hours a week, so there is $480 before taxes and you bring home around $400/week, or $1600/mo.

Not exactly easy to pay for all of life's necessities (Shelter, Food, Transportation, Medical) and live comfortably on that, I understand...especially if you are the only bread-winner, are married, have kids. Tough. I'd bet some here will say that it can be done though, with the right budgeting, self control, and perseverance...but I digress.

Let's say we take that $12/hour and make it $24/hour....wow....it just got a little easier to meet your bills. Good day for Johnny Tire Buster....even though research will tell you that the more you make, the more you spend. It's all relative. But again, I digress.

The Tire Store currently charges customers $5 to mount a tire, $50 for an alignment, $15 for an oil change. It's owned by a local businessman who took over the business from his father, he's fighting the big national chains who have enormously more money than him, and has already cut prices to a degree just to compete. He doesn't have much retirement, he's 53 years old, and has no succession plan for his business. Now, just on the one employee in this example, his labor costs have doubled. If he's going to remain in business, he can either:

(a) Cut his staff in half....but probably won't be able to get the work done for customers if he does, so they'll get upset, start giving bad reviews, and going elsewhere.
(b) Raise his prices to offset the $25,000+ additional expense caused by raising wages....but then he can't compete as well with the national chains and his business will fall off.
(c) Just eat all of that additional expense as a direct hit to his bottom line....which isn't really an option....he's already on a shoestring budget trying to survive as a small middle class business owner and keep the doors open. He doesn't live like a king or anything. He's a normal guy.
(d) Some combination of A-B-C.

He's going to do (D).

He'll cut a guy....maybe 1 back in the shop, even though it hurts....he'll raise his prices to the consumer a bit and hope to God nobody complains too much....and he'll eat a little of it in a lowered bottom line, because he's known Johnny Tire Buster back in the shop for 20 years, has seen his kids born, considers him family, and can't bear to let him go unless it's dire straights. He's a businessman, but he also has a big heart. (This is most businessmen in America, unlike what you are lead to believe about Wall Street and greedy business owners.)

The result:
Fewer jobs.
Higher prices to people coming in for goods and services...which cuts back into those higher wages they are earning...and also earns the government some more sales tax revenue too.
Small businesses that fail in favor of larger/national businesses with more cash flow and access to resources.

I'm not saying I know a quicker/better solution, but I'm not buying into Government mandated drastic increases in wages yet.

Good post I will digress and add a couple of thoughts, one is the tire changer is making 12.00 per hour if he is a good employee and worked there for a couple of years and he is struggling he probably can go some where else and find a better paying job but maybe he is happy where he is at 12.00 or if there are no other jobs then he is glad to have this job. With that said no one could survive in New York City for 12.00 an hour so how do we define what the minimum pay should be for the entire country. Wages will go up when the labor market demands it, if you can't get anyone for 12.00 you have to pay more for the labor and in these higher cost markets you will probably be able to up your cost to cover your higher wages. Where minimum wages really hurt is in the job entry level jobs these are jobs for younger people with out kids to support probably living at home and they need to prove themselves before some one will hire them at the next level or they are filled by retirees want to supplement their wages or the second earner in a family.

[mhall]

The fact that you can only get Non-Americans to apply tells me that our biggest problems lie with legal Americans and not with Non-Americans.

I'm sure that won't be a popular opinion, but I think I'd rather have people who want to be here and want to be productive rather than those that don't.

I vet everyone of these people to the best I can and feel all I have are legal. They have been here years most of them and file taxes every year.

I toyed with how to word this thread. My point was young caucasians, blacks don't apply here because it is pretty hard physical work not really that bad in fact when I was young I thought it was gravy. Quite frankly it is to much like real work there seems to be the real issue.

[mhall]

It also says a lot about the worker that is willing to take 30% less and effectively use that money to be able to provide life's necessities to his larger family. Strange how the non American can do that yet the able bodied American cannot. Right or wrong aside.

BOOM

[roadrunner]

I just received an audit on my tax return for 2013 back from the IRS. It puzzles me!

They are questioning how many dependents I claimed.

I guess it was because of my response to the question: "List all dependents?"



I replied:

12 million illegal immigrants,

3 million crack heads,

42 million unemployed people on food stamps,

2 million people in over 243 prisons,

Half of Mexico, and 535 persons in the U.S. House and Senate."

Plus 1 useless President.



Evidently, this was NOT an acceptable answer.

I KEEP ASKING MYSELF, WHO DID I MISS?

[mhall]

--
the fact that people living stacked up in a trailer or house and willing to work for 20 or 30% less than an american has to have to feed his family says a lot about what businesses are willing to do to cut the throat of the american work force.

When that is ALL that applies for work....what do you do braniac.

Look this is construction work, we start them at 9.50 per hour green as a gourd. If experienced much more than that. I have a good fellow here that I think the world of, he is a Caucasian male and can barely read and write. He can however drive a forklift very well and call out a piece of lumber from 50 feet away amongst other skills mechanically that help me greatly. He has been here many years and makes around 34 to 38 a year counting his overtime...does that sound like he's being abused to you.

Guess what Union man he worked to get there and didn't **** on the Guvment tit. I have respect for the man and I will go to bat for him anyday and he would run through fire if I asked him to. It didn't take a Union to build that relationship, it took time honered hard work and dedication.

Anything that requires a lot of paper for administration HR stuff like Health Insurance changes, retirement materials, life insurance policies I help him with secretly so he won't be embarrased in front of the guys.

[mhall]

--
I worked in a union manufacturing plant most of my life but I'm guessing you guys already knew that...

Wow what a shocker, LOL

[DJD]

I just received an audit on my tax return for 2013 back from the IRS. It puzzles me!

They are questioning how many dependents I claimed.

I guess it was because of my response to the question: "List all dependents?"



I replied:

12 million illegal immigrants,

3 million crack heads,

42 million unemployed people on food stamps,

2 million people in over 243 prisons,

Half of Mexico, and 535 persons in the U.S. House and Senate."

Plus 1 useless President.



Evidently, this was NOT an acceptable answer.

I KEEP ASKING MYSELF, WHO DID I MISS?

Man that is good!!!! I'm stealing it!

[roadrunner]

Man that is good!!!! I'm stealing it!

I am honored that you are stealing it.