Income Inequality?

[Cow Poke]

Labor costs are negligible compared to materials because of automated processes. An enormous volume of product can be produced with only a handful of people.

Yeah, there are NO people involved in flipping burgers or baptizing french fries.

So you're saying that there's a job that can only exist if the salary is below minimum wage?

wow

[Sparko]

Let's start with CEO pay.

That is an option. But it is up to the business. I worked for a company where the President did not make that much more than the workers. Doubling his labor costs would have driven him out of business.

You liberals automatically assume the CEO's are out to stick it to the workers and line their own pockets, and a good owner would be so altruistic that he would run his business just to give his worker's a decent living and not want a cent for himself. Neither is true.

People start businesses to make money. There is nothing wrong with that. They want to maximize their profits. That allows them to hire more people and expand their business and make more money. By treating their worker's fairly, they keep them happy and maximize their efficiency. But they are not going to cut their own throats just to make the worker's richer and themselves poorer. Why should they?

[Cow Poke]

That is an option. But it is up to the business. I worked for a company where the President did not make that much more than the workers. Doubling his labor costs would have driven him out of business.

You liberals automatically assume the CEO's are out to stick it to the workers and line their own pockets, and a good owner would be so altruistic that he would run his business just to give his worker's a decent living and not want a cent for himself. Neither is true.

People start businesses to make money. There is nothing wrong with that. They want to maximize their profits. That allows them to hire more people and expand their business and make more money. By treating their worker's fairly, they keep them happy and maximize their efficiency. But they are not going to cut their own throats just to make the worker's richer and themselves poorer. Why should they?

And RICH people buy things -- keeping other people working even if they aren't direct employees.

[Bill the Cat]

That is an option. But it is up to the business. I worked for a company where the President did not make that much more than the workers. Doubling his labor costs would have driven him out of business.

You liberals automatically assume the CEO's are out to stick it to the workers and line their own pockets, and a good owner would be so altruistic that he would run his business just to give his worker's a decent living and not want a cent for himself. Neither is true.

People start businesses to make money. There is nothing wrong with that. They want to maximize their profits. That allows them to hire more people and expand their business and make more money. By treating their worker's fairly, they keep them happy and maximize their efficiency. But they are not going to cut their own throats just to make the worker's richer and themselves poorer. Why should they?

Because socialist business models demand it.

[Psychic Missile]

Yeah, there are NO people involved in flipping burgers or baptizing french fries.

I think if you compare how much is spent on salary per burger or serving of fries with the cost of those products you will see that I'm right.

[Spartacus]

That is an option. But it is up to the business. I worked for a company where the President did not make that much more than the workers. Doubling his labor costs would have driven him out of business.

Was he the CEO of a major fast food chain? A big box store? Any of those major companies where CEO pay is thousands of times higher than the median worker, and where the CEOs themselves exercise power over who gets paid how much (and usually manage to pay themselves more)? If not, then we're just talking past each other.

You liberals automatically assume the CEO's are out to stick it to the workers and line their own pockets, and a good owner would be so altruistic that he would run his business just to give his worker's a decent living and not want a cent for himself. Neither is true.

Those two words, if you intended to apply them to me, merit a ruder response than the forum rules allow.

People start businesses to make money. There is nothing wrong with that. They want to maximize their profits. That allows them to hire more people and expand their business and make more money. By treating their worker's fairly, they keep them happy and maximize their efficiency. But they are not going to cut their own throats just to make the worker's richer and themselves poorer. Why should they?

People start businesses to participate in the commonwealth, to contribute and benefit from the common good. Profit is just one measure of a company's success.

[Cow Poke]

I think if you compare how much is spent on salary per burger or serving of fries with the cost of those products you will see that I'm right.

No. You're wrong. PROFOUNDLY wrong. I've actually signed the FRONTS of paychecks --- I bet you never have.

[Cow Poke]

Those two words, if you intended to apply them to me, merit a ruder response than the forum rules allow.

You Catholics!

[Psychic Missile]

No. You're wrong. PROFOUNDLY wrong. I've actually signed the FRONTS of paychecks --- I bet you never have.

We're just going to have to agree to disagree then. You can't accept my argument, and I don't see a counter-argument.

[Spartacus]

We're just going to have to agree to disagree then. You can't accept my argument, and I don't see a counter-argument.

You made a claim-- can you back it up? If you go to McDonalds and spend $5 on lunch, how much of that goes to the guy behind the counter who took your order? The lady who prepared it? The teenager manning the other register?

[Cow Poke]

You made a claim-- can you back it up? If you go to McDonalds and spend $5 on lunch, how much of that goes to the guy behind the counter who took your order? The lady who prepared it? The teenager manning the other register?

YEAH!!!!! and... the manager supervising all this, the lady running the semi-automatic drink dispenser, the guy checking inventory and ordering supplies, the person in the parking lot rounding up trash...

[Sparko]

I think if you compare how much is spent on salary per burger or serving of fries with the cost of those products you will see that I'm right.

around 30% of the cost is labor. That's like $1.50 of labor for a $5 burger. Double the wage and you will also have to up the taxes and such so it would probably end up costing $4 of labor per $5 burger. Not very negligible at all.

[Sparko]

Was he the CEO of a major fast food chain? A big box store? Any of those major companies where CEO pay is thousands of times higher than the median worker, and where the CEOs themselves exercise power over who gets paid how much (and usually manage to pay themselves more)? If not, then we're just talking past each other.



Those two words, if you intended to apply them to me, merit a ruder response than the forum rules allow.

What is wrong with wanting to be rich and working at it? Do you know what capitalism is?

People start businesses to participate in the commonwealth, to contribute and benefit from the common good. Profit is just one measure of a company's success.

wake up sparticus. People start businesses to make money. The more money the better. If they just want to "participate in the commonwealth and contribute to the common good" then they will open a non-profit. Not a hamburger store or a wal-mart.

[Sparko]

You made a claim-- can you back it up? If you go to McDonalds and spend $5 on lunch, how much of that goes to the guy behind the counter who took your order? The lady who prepared it? The teenager manning the other register?

which side are you arguing on anyway? I am confused.

[Cow Poke]

which side are you arguing on anyway? I am confused.

I amen'd him --- I think he had a temporary moment of reality.