Posts Tagged ‘economy’

What is waiting for America…

Posted: March 24, 2010 by datechguy in employment, opinion/news
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Via Dan Collins (buy his book) Dennis the Peasant gets to the heart of the problem:

And because Obamacare incentivizes non-coverage by imposing employer fines for non-coverage that are far less than the cost of offering health insurance, there’s an excellent chance (in this economy of roughly 17%-18% actual unemployment) that companies will be dropping health benefits rather than adding them. Employers can afford to; they have highly skilled workers waiting in line to beg for a job with or without health insurance.

Remember it is a lot cheaper to pay the fine than to actually cover the employee, so who is going to have to pay that cost? Back to Dennis:

Next year you’re going to have to purchase the insurance yourself or pay a large fine and face the possibility of prosecution and imprisonment.

So the end result thousands of dollars spent by people on health insurance that will not be spent on other things, like vacations, or restaurants, or that x-box 360 or COLLEGE or the MORTGAGE. Since it is Dennis’ piece I’ll give him the last word:

Ignore the above at your own risk, Democrats. I’ve been dealing with people and their money on a professional basis for over 25 years. The fastest way to enrage the average American is to try to force them to reduce their standard of living. People will lie, cheat, steal, and kill to continue to live in the manner to which they are accustomed. That’s just the way it is. And that is the fatal flaw in The Plan… When it comes down to it, the political will to force the electorate to be poorer will not be there.

I wish I wrote that.

Small Business talks: Belanger’s Hardware Fitchburg

Posted: March 20, 2010 by datechguy in local stuff, opinion/news, short films/interviews
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One of the things that I have done a bit has been to talk with people who run small business about their businesses. One of those businesses is Belanger’s Hardware which has been on Water street in Fitchburg since 1946.

We come to the front door and prepare to enter.

For what is pretty much a one man operation it was really jumping that morning:

Bob has been working there since he was 13. He explains the difference between himself and a Home Depot.

The best judge of a place can be their customers, Clyde was willing to talk on Camera:

He and Bob talked a bit about his issue:

And as Clyde explains there can be specific advantages to someone who has done the job since the 50’s

We close with Bob explaining what the government can and should do to help small business.

The government would be smart to listen to a man who has seen it all since before the current president was born. It’s all a question of if they will listen.

“I deem it 9 a.m. and I can go home”

Posted: March 16, 2010 by datechguy in opinion/news
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…says Joe Scarborough this morning mocking the house for their tactics.

This is still still MSNBC so you have Joe Conason calling it a mistake but overblown, “The public doesn’t care about the tactics”, but when MSNBC is willing to mock this stuff.

Joe Conason is talking about how they “passed” healthcare already and it is close and Joe is reminding him of schoolhouse rock about how bills are actually passed.

Mort reminds them about Obama’s “no politics as usual” and then does this. I have to take exception this is not politics as usual, this makes politics as usual look like a boy scout meeting.

A tale of two Pizzas…

Posted: March 12, 2010 by datechguy in local stuff, opinion/news
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This is Sal’s Pizza in Fitchburg, part of the Sal’s pizza franchise. It is owned by two local guys Frank and Ken.

This is Sal’s Pizza in Leominster, the city next to Fitchburg, part of the same franchise and owned by the same local men.

These is a Pizza from Sal’s in Fitchburg. Looks good

This is Pizza from Sal’s Pizza in Leominster. Looks just as good.

The pizza is cooked the same way using the same ingredients and sells for the same price in both Cities. Here is how you make a Sal’s Pizza from the Start…

What is the difference?

In Leominster the electric bill comes from National Grid. When the bill comes in Frank & Ken pay it as part of his cost of doing business.

In Fitchburg the electric bill comes from Unitil. Although there is less machinery in Fitchburg and the leave less lights on at night, the bill is on average $800 higher a month. Since the pizza price is the same they eat the price difference so you don’t have to pay it.

This is a house in sight of Sal’s in Fitchburg right over the city line. If Frank and Ken close their Fitchburg Location and move their business next door to that house, they will instantly save $10,000 a year.

Not even 100 yards away

I would be very interested in having any person in Fitchburg’s city government or at Unitil explain to me why any sane person would consider opening on the Fitchburg side of the line when this is true. I would also like to know why back when Fitchburg Gas and Electric was our utility, this was not the case.

I’m all ears guys.

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