[tophcfa]

Originally Posted by jimjamuser

The FED has some tools to tame inflation and return a RUNNING AWAY system back to normal growth. But it is tricky in that, do they slam on the brakes or do they just tap the brakes through interest rate hikes?

The Fed essentially created the RUNNING AWAY inflation train by many years of irresponsible policy of cheap money, ever increasing amounts of unsustainable debt, and creating runaway money supply. Put another way, they removed the brakes from the train and created an economy hopelessly addicted to debt. Now interest rate hikes are their only remaining tool to slow down inflation, but the pain that causes to a nation burdened with out of control debt (paying the interest to service the debt) and consumers addicted to debt is like nothing the Fed has ever had to deal with before. They created the problem and boxed themselves into a place with no good solution. The quickest and easiest way our Government could now help bring inflation under control is to a give up their delusional attempt to rapidly creat a “Green” country/economy and take all necessary measures to return to energy independence. The price of almost everything is directly correlated with the price of oil, diesel, and gas.

[CoachKandSportsguy]

All interesting points, good discussion. .

If 50% of the restaurants went out of business here, the going out would be reservation only for dinners, or the line would extend around the block.

If the landlord thinks that getting another restaurant in place with the same available market, the same competitive prices, the same employees from the area, the same food costs into the area, and the same food choices, does the landlord think that there are always some other set of people and suppliers who can change the profitability?

When worker wages increase due to changes in minimum wages or requirements to hire to staff due to competition or increases in cost of sales which not all can be passed along to the consumer all at once, there are either lower profits or lower management pay to maintain the same level of profitability. The lower pay for management shows up in either lower rent or lower on site management pay.

How many people like pay reductions? so the restaurant profitability is the struggle between rent and on site management pay. At some point one or the other either relents or goes under.

This is the constant economic struggle to maintain a profitable business in this industry. So patronize them or don't complain when there aren't enough to serve your when you decide to eat out. .

[OrangeBlossomBaby]

Originally Posted by retiredguy123

Pooling tips can only be done among tipped employees. It is illegal to require tipped employees to share their tip income with the kitchen staff, hosts, or management, who are not tipped employees. Federal law says that a tip is the property of the tipped employee and no one else.

Explain that to the managers AND employees of the restaurants in the villages that engage in this practice. I tried explaining it to one of the hostesses, she said this is how her manager does it, this is how her paycheck is cut, and if she wants better she has to find a better job. Which - she is in the process of trying to do. She's not the only one who's made comments about this practice, and it isn't the first restaurant I've heard about that does it.

Just like it's against the law to drive your non-street-legal golf cart 21mph - good luck enforcing it.

[retiredguy123]

Originally Posted by OrangeBlossomBaby

Explain that to the managers AND employees of the restaurants in the villages that engage in this practice. I tried explaining it to one of the hostesses, she said this is how her manager does it, this is how her paycheck is cut, and if she wants better she has to find a better job. Which - she is in the process of trying to do. She's not the only one who's made comments about this practice, and it isn't the first restaurant I've heard about that does it.

Just like it's against the law to drive your non-street-legal golf cart 21mph - good luck enforcing it.

A smart employee would document the illegal practice over a 6 to 12 month period. Then, quit and hire an employment attorney to sue the restaurant for back pay and punitive damages. And then, make a negotiated settlement with the restaurant to prevent other employees from doing the same thing.

Note that this is not only a civil matter. It is also a criminal matter. In a restaurant, there is a clear delineation between tipped employees and non-tipped employees by IRS rules. If the restaurant is compensating non-tipped employees with tip income, they are commiting two crimes. They are stealing money from the tipped employees, and they are evading taxes by not properly reporting the tip income paid to the non-tipped employees.

[CoachKandSportsguy]

Originally Posted by retiredguy123

A smart employee would document the illegal practice over a 6 to 12 month period. Then, quit and hire an employment attorney to sue the restaurant for back pay and punitive damages. And then, make a negotiated settlement with the restaurant to prevent other employees from doing the same thing.

The only real life issue is the server who isn't making enough money to hire a lawyer, to hire an employment lawyer. Most companies realize that very few can do that, and even then the amount post attorney will not be enough to offset being able to find work in the industry without moving beyond local owners talking circles.

its at this point in the long economic cycle that unions are the only answer, but companies like Starbucks will just shut down the stores in the area and the union is worthless.

so pay tips in cash to give the server the best argument for keeping it

labor attorney guy

[BrianL99]

Originally Posted by CoachKandSportsguy

its at this point in the long economic cycle that unions are the only answer, but companies like Starbucks will just shut down the stores in the area and the union is worthless.


labor attorney guy

Oh? Like what unionized employees did for the Automobile manufactures? Or what AFCSME does for productive government? Or what labor unions have done for construction costs in the Northeast and elsewhere? Or perhaps consider how little manufacturing remains in the USA, because Labor Unions put most of the manufacturing companies out of business. Or the granddaddy of all, Teachers Unions that have undermined and destroyed the educational system in the US.

Unions are the problem, not the solution. It's been proven throughout history, unions eventually work to the detriment of every business and every worker.

[jimjamuser]

Originally Posted by CoachKandSportsguy

The only real life issue is the server who isn't making enough money to hire a lawyer, to hire an employment lawyer. Most companies realize that very few can do that, and even then the amount post attorney will not be enough to offset being able to find work in the industry without moving beyond local owners talking circles.

its at this point in the long economic cycle that unions are the only answer, but companies like Starbucks will just shut down the stores in the area and the union is worthless.

so pay tips in cash to give the server the best argument for keeping it

labor attorney guy

Unions are not a "dirty" word except for today in the US. They work well in Germany.

[jimjamuser]

Originally Posted by BrianL99

Oh? Like what unionized employees did for the Automobile manufactures? Or what AFCSME does for productive government? Or what labor unions have done for construction costs in the Northeast and elsewhere? Or perhaps consider how little manufacturing remains in the USA, because Labor Unions put most of the manufacturing companies out of business. Or the granddaddy of all, Teachers Unions that have undermined and destroyed the educational system in the US.

Unions are the problem, not the solution. It's been proven throughout history, unions eventually work to the detriment of every business and every worker.

Unions are the solution, not the problem. They work fine in Germany, which has better schools than the US. But, then almost every country does. The US is ranked about 30th in the world in education. AND it is NOT because of school unions - it is because the upper class does NOT want to pay their fair share of taxes.

[tuccillo]

This is nonsense and has been debunked numerous times by people who actually look at the numbers. I have seen numerous YouTube videos of people interviewing clueless students who claim the same nonsense and then act surprised when the facts are presented to them. The top 10% pay 70% of the taxes with an average tax rate of 20%. Who gets to define what “fair”is? Certainly not you.

Originally Posted by jimjamuser

it is because the upper class does NOT want to pay their fair share of taxes.

[BrianL99]

Originally Posted by jimjamuser

Unions are the solution, not the problem. They work fine in Germany, which has better schools than the US. But, then almost every country does. The US is ranked about 30th in the world in education. AND it is NOT because of school unions - it is because the upper class does NOT want to pay their fair share of taxes.

The United States spends more on K-12 education, than most every country in the world.

[jimjamuser]

Originally Posted by BrianL99

The United States spends more on K-12 education, than most every country in the world.

The US spends more on HEALTHCARE than most other countries. And has very poor results as in about 30th in the world on healthcare outcomes. As far as education goes, the Scandanavian Countries pay their teachers more and that would be the biggest expense to a school system. Maybe in the US the principals, janitors, cafeteria workers, and football coaches are making too much money?

[Kenswing]

Originally Posted by jimjamuser

The US spends more on HEALTHCARE than most other countries. And has very poor results as in about 30th in the world on healthcare outcomes. As far as education goes, the Scandanavian Countries pay their teachers more and that would be the biggest expense to a school system. Maybe in the US the principals, janitors, cafeteria workers, and football coaches are making too much money?

It's amazing how fast you can hijack any thread, turning it into one of your personal crusade topics. You're really quite good at it. I'm surprised you haven't mentioned the coral reefs yet.

[Stu from NYC]

Originally Posted by Kenswing

It's amazing how fast you can hijack any thread, turning it into one of your personal crusade topics. You're really quite good at it. I'm surprised you haven't mentioned the coral reefs yet.

Why give him the idea? He thinks the govt is the solution to all the problems it has created in the first place.

[jimjamuser]

Originally Posted by tuccillo

This is nonsense and has been debunked numerous times by people who actually look at the numbers. I have seen numerous YouTube videos of people interviewing clueless students who claim the same nonsense and then act surprised when the facts are presented to them. The top 10% pay 70% of the taxes with an average tax rate of 20%. Who gets to define what “fair”is? Certainly not you.

They pay at a 20 % rate for the top 10% of earners in the US. That is the PROBLEM. The rate was higher in the 1950s when the US was considered the best overall country in the world. There was a REAL and strong middle class then. Those in the middle class had the income to go out to restaurants and support those establishments

[tuccillo]

There is no coherence to anything you say. Feel free, however, to rant on.

Originally Posted by jimjamuser

They pay at a 20 % rate for the top 10% of earners in the US. That is the PROBLEM. The rate was higher in the 1950s when the US was considered the best overall country in the world. There was a REAL and strong middle class then. Those in the middle class had the income to go out to restaurants and support those establishments