Income Inequality

brett636

Well-Known Member
I don't believe for a moment that Fedex's non existent benefits has anything to do with inability to afford. But, it is what it is and I wouldn't go back to UPS even if I could.

Why are you putting it on Fedex's shoulders to fund your employee pension costs? You are the business owner making it your responsibility. Don't advocate for something that you aren't willing to do.
 

bbsam

Moderator
Staff member
Why are you putting it on Fedex's shoulders to fund your employee pension costs? You are the business owner making it your responsibility. Don't advocate for something that you aren't willing to do.
Because I'm not advocating for anything. The retirement of my workers is not my responsibility, nor is it that of Fedex and they are more than happy to pocket that money.
 

brett636

Well-Known Member
Because I'm not advocating for anything. The retirement of my workers is not my responsibility, nor is it that of Fedex and they are more than happy to pocket that money.

And there you have it. So why were you using the conversion from defined benefit plans to defined contribution plans as an example of a flaw in the free market when you readily admit that as a business owner your employee's retirement isn't your responsibility?
 

bbsam

Moderator
Staff member
I wasn't. I was using it to show one of the ways businesses have used to decrease compensation over the years. 401(k) plans were always meant to supplement other retirement provisions. Over time, 401(k) became THE plan. Note I said one of the ways. Others include the stagnation of wages, increase in individual contributions to health insurance and intense focus on increased productivity. You know, cutting routes, telematics, that kind of thing, all the while making record profits. Start rolling all these facts together along with executive compensation, and the case for out of control income inequality is pretty easy to see. Now, if someone believes that all of that is fine and that apparent inequality is free markets at work and a healthy and natural thing, then that is his or her right. I think most people will have a hard time coming to that conclusion.
 

island1fox

Well-Known Member
Island
Why do you dislike this post? Need more proof that it's rigged?

How about this. I have 10 routes of the sixty in the building. Guess what would happen if I were to buy out another contractor with 10 routes. The company wouldn't let me do it. They don't want me to become"too successful" because it leaves themselves vulnerable. What if I pulled all my trucks tomorrow and quit? It happened not too far from here right after peak. It's a mess. Or what if I owned the entire building and my employees voted in the union? The Ground side has no RLA to hide behind. We could be organized building by building if only one contractor was in each building. As it stands now in our building, the union would have to organize the drivers of seven different contractors.

It's rigged with a facade of independence that melds with the tested gray area of exactly how much control the company can exert without violating "contractor" status. They've been honing it for years.

bbsam,
What do I dislike about you post ?
For starters -ups driver capped ?? Runs 2hours over allowed?
Most drivers can care less about over allowed -- has nothing to do with their pay?? Makes no sense to income inequality??
Dislike or disagree- whatever!
 

brett636

Well-Known Member
I wasn't. I was using it to show one of the ways businesses have used to decrease compensation over the years. 401(k) plans were always meant to supplement other retirement provisions. Over time, 401(k) became THE plan. Note I said one of the ways. Others include the stagnation of wages, increase in individual contributions to health insurance and intense focus on increased productivity. You know, cutting routes, telematics, that kind of thing, all the while making record profits. Start rolling all these facts together along with executive compensation, and the case for out of control income inequality is pretty easy to see. Now, if someone believes that all of that is fine and that apparent inequality is free markets at work and a healthy and natural thing, then that is his or her right. I think most people will have a hard time coming to that conclusion.

Do you not see the logical fallacy of this line of thought or do you simply revel in it? I don't care who you are or how much you have there will always be somebody with less who can be filled with envy over what you have, or a better way to describe it is what you have earned. Envy and jealousy are very simple emotional responses to someone having more than someone else, and this pseudo social issue of income inequality is simply meant to magnify those basic emotional responses. Do you even know why executives of big companies get paid what they do? Its not because they simply wear an expensive suit to work, its because they are members of a handful of people in this country capable enough to run these multimillion(or billion) dollar corporations. They get paid what they get paid because the free market demands it. Ben and Jerry of Ben and Jerry's ice cream tried to find themselves a suitable CEO using this nonsensical idea of income inequality and failed miserably. They found if that they didn't pay the big bucks they wouldn't get a CEO who was quality enough to run their company. I do accept that people who make millions of dollars more than me do so because their experience, background, and knowledge commands it. I see nothing wrong with that.
 

bbsam

Moderator
Staff member
Oh brett, just stop yourself. The wonderful billionaires and captains of industry puked all over themselves in 2007 and it was all us little people who had to bail the out. These wizards of Wall Street just couldn't help themselves and as long as we allow them to remain "too big to fail" they will continue to get drunk on their own importance. Didn't see any of those fine stalwarts of industry racing to bail out GM and Chrysler, did you?
 

brett636

Well-Known Member
Oh brett, just stop yourself. The wonderful billionaires and captains of industry puked all over themselves in 2007 and it was all us little people who had to bail the out. These wizards of Wall Street just couldn't help themselves and as long as we allow them to remain "too big to fail" they will continue to get drunk on their own importance. Didn't see any of those fine stalwarts of industry racing to bail out GM and Chrysler, did you?

I maintain both that the 2007 financial collapse had more to do with government meddling in the markets than the markets themselves, and that both GM and Chrysler should not be in business right now.
 

brett636

Well-Known Member
Oh, and the mantra "too big to fail" was invented and perpetrated by the government. Nobody is too big to fail in my book. Including GM and Chrysler.
 

bbsam

Moderator
Staff member
I maintain both that the 2007 financial collapse had more to do with government meddling in the markets than the markets themselves, and that both GM and Chrysler should not be in business right now.
How convenient is that?! We owed it to Wall Street to bail them out because we the government were "meddling". Do you really believe the ridiculous things you post?
 

island1fox

Well-Known Member
Chicken before the egg.

How did those evil Wall Street people get to bundle and sell all those housing loans that people had but could never afford.??

Of course the Government never stuck their noses in and supported lawsuits against Banks with no risky or low income loans!

Google Obama Chicago Acorn vs Citybank--1994

No Gov social Engineering--no bad loans to sell!!
 

1989

Well-Known Member
How convenient is that?! We owed it to Wall Street to bail them out because we the government were "meddling". Do you really believe the ridiculous things you post?
Owed? You mean owe. The bail out hasn't stopped.
 

roadrunner2012

Four hours in the mod queue for a news link
Troll
Chicken before the egg.

How did those evil Wall Street people get to bundle and sell all those housing loans that people had but could never afford.??

Of course the Government never stuck their noses in and supported lawsuits against Banks with no risky or low income loans!

Google Obama Chicago Acorn vs Citybank--1994

No Gov social Engineering--no bad loans to sell!!
Okay, I did that.

http://www.snopes.com/politics/obama/loans.asp
 
Top