It will get worse because the economy is dependent on consumer spending, especially the housing market. It is built upon debt and needs more debt in order to stay afloat. Keep in mind that the last four decades saw trade deficits, which means that the country did not profit at all expect by extending more credit based on rigged credit ratings, the dollar, and the strength of foreign policy in trade deals backed by the military.
Yes, if you lump all small businesses together then as a whole they employ more, but if you take it community by community, specifically smaller or rural communities, then Walmart, Grocery store chains, etc. employ more people in that community than small businesses do.
Only because they drove the othere, smaller, business out of town. Now most of the profits go somewhere else instead of staying in the community.
Even in my small suburban city small businesses have been failing in this recession. My ACE, locally owned, hardware store just went under. Several other small businesses have failed. I try to support local business.
Something we haven't mentioned is the foreign car manufacturers locating in the southern US because of tax breaks and CHEAP LABOR. About 100 miles up I-85 from me there is a huge BMW plant in S.C. We have Atlanta, Raleigh, Charlotte as business centers but so much of the South is still poor, frightening so.
Yes, if you lump all small businesses together then as a whole they employ more, but if you take it community by community, specifically smaller or rural communities, then Walmart, Grocery store chains, etc. employ more people in that community than small businesses do.
Only because they drove the othere, smaller, business out of town. Now most of the profits go somewhere else instead of staying in the community.
Dave - Just a Man in the Mountains.
I am a Humanist. I believe in a rational philosophy of life, informed by science, inspired by art, and motivated by a desire to do good for its own sake and not by an expectation of a reward or fear of punishment in an afterlife.
Yes, I've done my research and I don't shop at Walmart for the reason you state. However, unlike some, I don't see Walmart or Corporations as evil. Fact is, Walmart employs more people than mom and pop shops can do, which is good for the community.
Not true. Small businesses employ far more than large corporations. I forgot the exact figures but it was something like 70% of the USA workers are employed in a business with 10 or fewer employees.
Here's something from the US Census Bureau; "About three quarters of all U.S. business firms have no payroll. Most are self-employed persons operating unincorporated businesses, and may or may not be the owner's principal source of income. Because nonemployers account for only about 3.4 percent of business receipts, they are not included in most business statistics, for example, most reports from the Economic Census. Since 1997, however, nonemployers have grown faster than employer firms."
Those businesses with no payroll are the mom and pop ones you mentioned.
Our Corporate tax rate averages around 30-35% and then we wonder why our corporations move to companies where the tax rate is 20% or why we can't entice corporations to re-locate to the US.
That's why many of the big corporations are not based in the USA, they have a PO box in Bermuda and claim that as their headquarters. Then they do what Boeing did and got over 0 million in tax breaks for putting a plant in South Carolina. They also get tax breaks for "donating" to congressional campaign funds.
I'm realistic about the situation. We can choose to sit on our high horse and claim that corporations are just greedy while we watch more jobs leave our country. Or we can choose to give corporations an incentive to stay here or re-locate here and keep jobs in our country.
That could be done nicely with small tariffs. Make it less profitable for them to ship our jobs overseas.
Yes, if you lump all small businesses together then as a whole they employ more, but if you take it community by community, specifically smaller or rural communities, then Walmart, Grocery store chains, etc. employ more people in that community than small businesses do.
"No matter how dark the moment, love and hope are always possible." George Chakiris
“For those who believe, no proof is necessary. For those who don't believe, no proof is possible.” Stuart Chase
Yes, I've done my research and I don't shop at Walmart for the reason you state. However, unlike some, I don't see Walmart or Corporations as evil. Fact is, Walmart employs more people than mom and pop shops can do, which is good for the community.
Not true. Small businesses employ far more than large corporations. I forgot the exact figures but it was something like 70% of the USA workers are employed in a business with 10 or fewer employees.
Here's something from the US Census Bureau; "About three quarters of all U.S. business firms have no payroll. Most are self-employed persons operating unincorporated businesses, and may or may not be the owner's principal source of income. Because nonemployers account for only about 3.4 percent of business receipts, they are not included in most business statistics, for example, most reports from the Economic Census. Since 1997, however, nonemployers have grown faster than employer firms."
Those businesses with no payroll are the mom and pop ones you mentioned.
Our Corporate tax rate averages around 30-35% and then we wonder why our corporations move to companies where the tax rate is 20% or why we can't entice corporations to re-locate to the US.
That's why many of the big corporations are not based in the USA, they have a PO box in Bermuda and claim that as their headquarters. Then they do what Boeing did and got over $170 million in tax breaks for putting a plant in South Carolina. They also get tax breaks for "donating" to congressional campaign funds.
I'm realistic about the situation. We can choose to sit on our high horse and claim that corporations are just greedy while we watch more jobs leave our country. Or we can choose to give corporations an incentive to stay here or re-locate here and keep jobs in our country.
That could be done nicely with small tariffs. Make it less profitable for them to ship our jobs overseas.
Dave - Just a Man in the Mountains.
I am a Humanist. I believe in a rational philosophy of life, informed by science, inspired by art, and motivated by a desire to do good for its own sake and not by an expectation of a reward or fear of punishment in an afterlife.
I think a good way would be indeed government programs, but expenses should be balanced by incomes - why aren't the Big Banks' new and shiny profits, which they 100% owe the taxpayer, confiscated and put to taxpayer use?
There is a huge wind farm being built in Texas. I'm sure another big one is going up in Florida. Do you know where the wind turbines are being built? That's right - China. Part of that stimulus package should have been that any thing built or bought MUST be built in the USA. The problem is that we have no manufactuing base anymore. They sent all those jobs overseas.
Who is "they"? We have one of the highest corporate taxes of all industrialized nations. You want companies to stay here? Give them an incentive to do so. If they can do business cheaper elswhere they will.
GC--have you actually done your homework on this?
A small but not insignificant role in all this was played by the American consumer who wanted more and more at cheaper and cheaper prices. Do you care whether or not your appliances are made in the US or somewhere else? We've been Wal-Marted to death. And I've caught Kroger with out-dated dairy so often I won't shop there: I shouldn't need eyes in the back of my head when I buy groceries.
Now I must be keen when I shop LLBeans: they've brought in some cheap lines. Originally I am from the Northeast and we've shopped Beans for over half a century.
Yes, I've done my research and I don't shop at Walmart for the reason you state. However, unlike some, I don't see Walmart or Corporations as evil. Fact is, Walmart employs more people than mom and pop shops can do, which is good for the community.
Our Corporate tax rate averages around 30-35% and then we wonder why our corporations move to companies where the tax rate is 20% or why we can't entice corporations to re-locate to the US.
I'm realistic about the situation. We can choose to sit on our high horse and claim that corporations are just greedy while we watch more jobs leave our country. Or we can choose to give corporations an incentive to stay here or re-locate here and keep jobs in our country.
"No matter how dark the moment, love and hope are always possible." George Chakiris
“For those who believe, no proof is necessary. For those who don't believe, no proof is possible.” Stuart Chase
Ya know, MM, I have no training in economic theory--I was a Lit major and history minor in college, but I can read and observe.
But I do know where the profit motive uber alles has taken us. And I do know how it came about. We live in an information age but who controls the info? The WSJ and much of its ilk. I simply don't uderstand people who spend hours listening to right-wing talk radio. So many who listen have so little: do they think big business is in their quarter?
I'll never be rich enuf or poor enuf to be a Republican. Even if I were rich enuf I wouldn't be a Republican.
It's sad to see the once proud party of Lincoln devolve into a bunch of whining brats. You and I figured it out; why can't some of the others?
Dave - Just a Man in the Mountains.
I am a Humanist. I believe in a rational philosophy of life, informed by science, inspired by art, and motivated by a desire to do good for its own sake and not by an expectation of a reward or fear of punishment in an afterlife.
A small but not insignificant role in all this was played by the American consumer who wanted more and more at cheaper and cheaper prices. Do you care whether or not your appliances are made in the US or somewhere else? We've been Wal-Marted to death. And I've caught Kroger with out-dated dairy so often I won't shop there: I shouldn't need eyes in the back of my head when I buy groceries.
Now I must be keen when I shop LLBeans: they've brought in some cheap lines. Originally I am from the Northeast and we've shopped Beans for over half a century.
Remember years ago Walmart waved the flag and said "buy American"? Notice they dropped that slogan? It's hard to find anything made in America (except for South American) in their stores now.
It's almost comical. These conservatives are crying "drill for American oil!" They'd drill through a caribou without a thought. They'd have to buy oil drilling supplies from China since they are no longer made in America. Then they'd have to haul the pipe around - on a Ford truck made in Mexico. They use computers to figure things out. Those computers are made in Taiwan. Tires for those trucks? Korea.
Ya know, MM, I have no training in economic theory--I was a Lit major and history minor in college, but I can read and observe.
But I do know where the profit motive uber alles has taken us. And I do know how it came about. We live in an information age but who controls the info? The WSJ and much of its ilk. I simply don't uderstand people who spend hours listening to right-wing talk radio. So many who listen have so little: do they think big business is in their quarter?
I'll never be rich enuf or poor enuf to be a Republican. Even if I were rich enuf I wouldn't be a Republican.
