Last
week one of our
local radio talk
shows had a group of
young college
students in their
studio to discuss
problems with our
government. As you
know, if you’ve read
this column for any
length of time, I am
not a big fan of our
government.
However, having said
that, I do feel that
I have a certain
amount of experience
when it comes to any
discussions about
how to change our
existing situation.
After listening to
these young students
for about an hour, I
was forced to turn
the radio off since
their demands, wants
and needs far
exceeded any realm
of reality. For
example, they all
thought complete
health care from
cradle to grave
should be available
at no cost to every
person living in the
United States,
whether they are an
American or not. We
should take care of
everyone for any and
all medical problems
no matter what.
Their second demand
was for free
education for any
person living in the
United States from
kindergarten through
four years of
college. Here again,
cost was no object
it just should be
free to any and all
takers.
Their last demand or
want was for wages
to be higher across
the board and
thought that the
minimum wage should
be somewhere in the
$15.00 per hour
range because as one
student said… “No
one can live on
anything less.”
I would have liked
to have been able to
reach into the radio
and grabbed one of
them and give them a
real good reality
shake. I’m sure that
isn’t politically
correct, but then
who cares? It’s my
opinion and I can
say what I want.
Obviously these
young people have
never been in
business or tried to
run a business. They
don’t know what its
like to be sued
because one of your
employees collects
unemployment after
being fired for
stealing. How so?
Well the judge
allowed the
individual to plead
guilty but gave him
adjudicated
probation, so even
though he was
guilty, the court
does not recognize
his plea of guilt so
he qualifies for
unemployment. There
goes your tax rate.
They don’t know what
it’s like to have
your workers
compensation rate
increased because
someone claimed an
injury when they
didn’t even work for
you and still
collected. Read your
policy, it says the
company can pay
‘false and
groundless claims’.
If it’s cheaper for
the insurance
company to pay the
claim rather than
fight the claim,
what do you think
will happen? Should
you as the employer
be responsible for
one of your
employees who has an
affair with a young
woman and causes her
to have a baby? My
insurance company
paid over $600,000
on one of these
claims. You think
these youngsters
would like to have
to defend an EEOC
claim filed by
someone who filled
out an application
for a job opening
and didn’t get hired
because others were
more qualified? Even
though you win these
kinds of issues, the
time and effort to
defend yourself is
enormous.
As to a minimum wage
of $15.00 an hour.
Several years ago I
got into a
discussion with a
waitress where we go
for breakfast. The
waitress expressed
her opinion that
everyone working in
the place should be
paid at least $10.00
an hour and have
free medical
insurance.
I told her that was
ok, but I pointed
out that bacon and
eggs were $4.95 and
a hamburger was
$5.95. Then I asked
her if she had
thought about what
would happen if
bacon and eggs were,
say $15.95 and a
hamburger was
$17.95. She answered
very quickly that
the place would not
be in business
because no one would
pay that much for
the food. They would
go down the street
to another café, she
added.
So, I asked just how
the owner was
expected to pay the
increase in salaries
and the cost of
medical insurance
without raising his
prices.
She walked away and
didn’t say another
word.
The last time I
looked the
government was not a
money making entity.
In fact there are
those in the
government who think
the word ‘profit’ is
a four letter word.
But what I wanted to
tell these young
students was for
them to go out in
the hard, cruel
world and try to run
a business, pay
bills, deal with
employees, hassle
with banks and
insurance companies
and still go home at
night with a smile
on your face and
come back in the
morning and start
all over again. Do
this year after year
and see what
happens. It isn’t as
easy as you think.
If companies don’t
have profits, then
what is the use for
their existence? As
long as companies
can make a profit,
then employees are
paid and taxes are
paid by corporations
as well as their
employees. If you
raise the taxes for
total health care
and education for
any and all in this
country to the point
where the company is
not profitable, then
the taxes as well as
the employee base is
lost. Then more jobs
get shipped to other
countries and those
unemployed United
States workers
become a liability
to our social
programs.
It is possible to
price yourself out
of the marketplace.
Look at the US auto
industry if you
don’t believe me.
I’d like to know
what kind of an
attitude these
students have about
their thoughts and
concepts in say ten
or fifteen years.
I’d be willing to
bet they will have
changed.
What do you think?
