Archive for the ‘business’ Category

The Tax Cut Trap for the Democrats

Posted: December 4, 2010 by datechguy in Blame Bush, business, economy
Tags: , , ,

When the initial Bush tax cuts were proposed the making of the tax cuts temporary was a compromise that democrats and liberal republicans managed to forge to keep their constituents happy. If they could not stop the Bush Tax Cuts they could at least make them expire thus giving some consolation to their progressive followers.

Although Bush over and over suggested the Tax cuts be made permanent he could not manage to find the votes.

Now we come to 2010. The economy is bad and unemployment is rampant and now Democrats who were so proud to keep the Bush tax rates from becoming permanent find themselves trapped once again!

Once again the left is screaming “tax cuts for the rich” and their supporters are screaming for them not to cave in figuring that even after the republicans take control in a month they will not have the votes to get it passed.

Meanwhile Republicans are pushing to make the Bush rates permanent.

And so the white house and their advisers are leaning toward compromise, another extension, maybe two years of the Bush Tax Cuts. And thus the trap is set again.

The smart thing for the administration would be to pass the cuts NOW and make them permanent for several reasons.

1.  This will take the issue off the table, every time they simply extend the “Bush tax cuts” it sets up democrats in an election years to defend increasing taxes on business. (You know the folks who actually hire people.)

2.   As long as they are not permanent they remain the “Bush Tax Cuts”. Once they are permanent then they just become the US tax rates. Keeping them temporary keeps them associated with republicans and George W. Bush.

3.   If a democratic congress passes the tax cuts, then they not the republicans will get (and actually deserve) credit for the positive economic results. If it is passed once republicans are in power, republicans will get (and deserve) the credit for the results.

4.  If they are not passed and the economy gets worse (as the result of the tax hike) Republicans can directly blame democrats. Great issue for 2012.

5.   And finally if this is done NOW, then democrats have two years to placate their base. It will be over and done with.

Making the tax rates permanent would be not only the right thing but also the smart thing. That’s why I’m positive the democrats will fall right into the trap and simply vote for an extension at best. Given the chance to do the right or smart thing, the Democrats can be counted on to miss the boat.

I wonder if George W. saw all of this coming years ago and actually intended to set this trap for the left?

Update: Crooks and Liars thinks the democrats have the GOP right where they want them. I’m telling you it’s just too easy. How do we ever lose elections to those guys?

Tip O’Neill, Beesshipping and Hallie Miller

Posted: November 24, 2010 by datechguy in blogs, business, DaTechGuy on DaRadio, employment, oddities, personal
Tags: , , , , , , , ,

As you know I love the book Man of the House In it Tip O’Neill tells the story of Mrs. O’Brien during his 1935 race for the Cambridge City Council. The only race he ever lost. When she says to him that she will vote for him even though he didn’t ask.

When O’Neill protested that he had known her since he was a child, had shoveled her walk and cut her grass, and didn’t think he had to ask for her vote, she replied, “Tom, let me tell you something. People like to be asked.”

Yesterday after my dentist appointment I was going door to door to business in Leominster promoting the show and trying to sell ads. I was having no luck selling when I noticed a small insignificant looking African variety store with a Ghanian flag on the door.

Logic said pass it by after all at best I could hope to sell a $20 ad for a single week, so why bother when Wyman’s Liquor Mart Inc was across the street and Leominster Credit Union was there. But you know I was there and it never hurts to ask. Turned out the man there owns an international shipping company that ships to the gold coast of Africa: Ghana, Liberia, Guinea, Nigeria and when I told him the range of my 50,000 watt radio signal he asked me to come back on Tuesday with Ad samples.

If I had ignored that little story I would have lost my best lead of the day.

Which brings us to the blog htotherdizzle and Hallie Miller.

Last night I found a comment pending for my Good News runneth over post it said the following:

Hi! My name is Hallie and I have entered a Savvy Magazine photo shoot contest. I know you don’t know me but the winners are chosen by the public and if the public doesn’t know they need to vote…well, you guessed it, no one votes! Could you take a moment and look at my photos and decide if you would vote for me or not? Thanks! Here’s the link, could you pass it along?

It had all the classic signs of spam, an icon of a beautiful woman, a link different from the e-mail but I also noticed it was a wordpress blog, and my spam filter didn’t grab it. Intrigued I searched for the name, and did a search for the link and sure enough it goes to a modeling site that is having a contest.

I thought of Tip O’Neill’s story and I thought of all the doors I have knocked on in the last few days and realized she is doing the exact same thing I am. She is chasing her dream unafraid to ask a total stranger to help.

So Hallie Miller this is my gift to you, I am not only approving your comment, and voting for you but I am linking to your post on the contest and putting up this blog post to let everybody know about it.

I hope my readers go to the Explore modeling Site to vote for you.

Happy Thanksgiving Hallie!

Update: I didn’t include a picture of Hallie Miller because I didn’t have her permission, but I did tell the story to Stacy McCain who is a lot less shy.

Oh BTW you can vote once per day. Works for me.

The good news runneth over

Posted: November 23, 2010 by datechguy in blogs, business, congress, DaTechGuy on DaRadio, doctor who, elections, opinion/news, politics
Tags: , , , , , , ,

After long day of promoting the show door to door it’s nice to come home to good news like this:

Finally, after weeks of canvassing, absentee ballot counting, and legal challenges, Rep. Dan Maffei (D) has conceded to Ann Marie Buerkle (R) in the NY25 race.

A press conference is scheduled for 4PM today.

Ann Marie is a treasure and I didn’t realize her pro-life credentials were so strong

Remember that (a) Buerkle was endorsed by Sarah Palin, and (b) Buerkle is pro-life and was a former spokeswoman for Operation Rescue.

I wonder what Morning Joe will say about this race where Palin endorsed and nobody outside of Me Stacy and the Lonely Conservative thought was a winner?

Ann Marie is a fine woman and will be an even finer representative, I just wish more of the stories were “Ann Marie Wins” rather than Maffei concedes.

There is also good news of a non political nature as not only is BBC America going to be showing the Dr. Who Proms this year but the Christmas Special actually be shown, on Christmas.

BBC America have confirmed they will be showing the 2010 Doctor Who Prom on Christmas Day, the same day they show the 2010 Christmas Special A Christmas Carol.

And if that’s not enough the new preview of the Christmas special is out:

Is that awesome or what?

Oh and today some blogger out of Tennessee you might have heard of has confirmed as a guest for January 15th show.

Now if the potential customer whose ads I’m now writing like them then my cup will runneth over even more.

Voices of Main Street Chris Vasiliadis of Williams Resturant and Tavern

Posted: November 13, 2010 by datechguy in business, economy, oddities, short films/interviews
Tags: , , , ,

Chris has been in business for 27 years so he knows how to stay in business during good times and bad:

His advice keep up or increase quality, decrease quality and give some low-end options for people who can’t afford a $20 steak but can afford a $9-$12 meal.

It sounds like some business didn’t take that advice:

The manager of Don Otto’s – a recently shuttered food market in the South End – is blaming neighborhood patrons for its untimely demise, cooking up an angry message to fair-weather fans of the Tremont Street eatery.

Blaming the customer? It gets better, or worse depending on how you look at it.

“People don’t understand their purchases make a difference, and that by buying something that wasn’t exactly what you want, it gets you closer to what you want. It’s an investment.”

It’s not our job to provide you with what you want. It’s the customer’s job to buy what you don’t want to keep me in business.

And unlike Tom Kahale advice Don Otto’s believes price should be no object.

Among their customers were U.S. Rep. Barney Frank and Mayor Thomas M. Menino, who has stopped by for their locally made lasagna. But in this economy, $28-per-pound steak and $8 cartons of eggs was not a recipe for success.

The arrogance is simply astounding. That’s why Don Otto’s is out of Business and Williams is about to start its 28th year without the advantages of a major metropolitan area or customers like Tom Menino or Barney Frank.

Older Entries
Newer Entries