being that I run a small biz, certain realties are always present , cost of doing biz and compliance with
local, state, and fed.  While I haven't really touched on the subject   the feds are getting more .... lets say nosier  .
 With the passage of min wage last year ( 7.50 per hr). Our cost of op went up, sales didn't, but thats not important, ( yes it is) never mind that the actual cost of employment is not reflected in that min wage, ( add 15 to 40 % of what you make per hr, and that what it cost your employer, go figure ....
 I came across an op ed piece that is reality for most of us who are the back bone of this funding of gov parasites.
web site  http://tinyurl.com/24qp79n

article  by DON BOUDREAUX on APRIL 29, 2010

in PRICES, REALITY IS NOT OPTIONAL, REGULATION, WORK

An Entrepreneur and the Minimum-Wage

by DON BOUDREAUX on APRIL 29, 2010

in PRICES, REALITY IS NOT OPTIONAL, REGULATION, WORK

A.G. (who asks me to use, in this post, only his initials) is a regular reader of Cafe Hayek.  He’s 28 years old and is an entrepreneur in Charlotte, North Carolina.  His firm employs 25 people, 21 of whom are low-skilled workers.  A.G. just sent this memo to his employees:

To All Team Members:

The schedule for next week has been posted. You may notice that hours have been cut back on your schedule. This is across the board, not just you. I don’t want anyone to think they’ve done something wrong to deserve a cut in hours, so I wanted to explain why it’s happening.

There are a couple of reasons for this:

1) May and September are very slow months for our business. Anyone who has worked Sundays recently has seen the drop off in traffic. Now that we’re entering May, that drop off will continue on to other days as well, and it will get worse.

2) The recent increase in the minimum wage to $7.25/hour. Since we’ve opened, I’ve had a lot of people ask why they can’t get more hours, and it’s a great question.

I would LOVE to give everyone all the hours they want, and then some. Our customers would be happier across the board, we could accomplish much more every day, our business would grow, I could hire even more people, and on and on. However, we operate on a tight budget just like any other business, and in order to survive, we have to make money. That means our labor cost (the total amount you are all paid) must stay below a certain percentage of our total sales. If it doesn’t, we go broke and everyone loses their jobs.

Our brilliant Congressmen in Washington, D.C. decided a couple years ago that it would be a good idea to raise the minimum wage by about 40% to $7.25/hour. It just took effect last year. That probably sounds like great news for everyone – more money in everyone’s pockets can only be good, right?

Unfortunately, it doesn’t work that way in the real world. If I’m forced to pay everyone 40% more, I can’t afford to schedule as many employees for as many hours, since our sales aren’t going up by 40%. Remember, I can only afford to pay you guys a certain percentage of all the money coming in the door. That means hours get cut, and everyone ends up poorer.

In a perfect world, it should work the opposite way: you should be free to choose how much you think your skills and time are worth (since you know best), and I should be free to pay you whatever that amount is if I want to hire you. Everyone wins in that case. I get as many good employees as I want that I can afford to pay, and you get valuable job training, references, and relationships to carry into the future.

To prove how bad of a deal minimum wage is for you guys as hard-working job-seekers, just look at this way:

I’m not being forced to pay $7.25/hour; YOU are being forced to accept $7.25/hour no matter what, even if you’d be willing to take less in order to get (or keep) a job.

You can thank our elected officials in Raleigh and Washington for sticking you with such a raw deal.

If you have any questions about any of this or want to talk more about it, please feel free to come see me, the door is always open.

(Note: A.G.’s reference to a 40-percent increase in the national minimum-wage seems to refer to that wage’s increase since 2006.  The increase since 2008 is 11 percent; the increase since 2007 is 24 percent.  But even an arbitrary 11-percent increase is enough to lead to the effects that A.G. describes.)

nice show this weekend will post pics  later,

stop by and say hi

Show season is starting, I suppose it has already started for some, But the first one for us is this weekend. Bap is this weekend, It is put on by the Middle Tenn VW club, and the charity event helping The Ronald McDonald House. Almost all of the car shows are charity events. It is a good excuse to to have a car show.
 We are a sponsor again this year, this will be the third year that we have helped out with that show, and we enjoy doing it. While it is good exposure for the company, it takes some effort for us to do it. It is work.
but we enjoy it
 see ya there

the napkin contract

A story nothing more, but it made me chuckle

Thxs Master G

Good read.

I was in my neighborhood restaurant this morning and was seated
behind a group of jubilant individuals celebrating the successful
passing of the recent health care bill. I could not finish my breakfast.
This is what ensued:

They were a diverse group of several races and both sexes. I
heard the young man exclaim, "Isn't Obama like Jesus Christ? I mean,
after all, he is healing the sick." The young woman enthusiastically
proclaimed, "Yeah, and he does it for free. I cannot believe anyone
would think that a free market would work for health care. They are all
crooks and thieves and don't deserve all of that money." Another said,
'The stupid Republicans want us all to starve to death so they can
inherit all of the power. Obama should be made a Saint for what he did
for those of us less fortunate." At this, I had had enough.

I arose from my seat, mustering all the restraint I could find,
and approached their table. "Please excuse me; may I impose upon you for
one moment?" They smiled and welcomed me to the conversation. I stood at
the end of their table, smiled as best I could and began an experiment.

"I would like to give one of you my house. It will cost you no
money and I will pay all of the expenses and taxes for as long as you
live there. Anyone interested?" They looked at each other in
astonishment. "Why would you do something like that?" asked a young man,
"There isn't anything for free in this world." They began to laugh at
me, as they did not realize this man had just made my point. "I am
serious, I will give you my house for free, no money what so ever.
Anyone interested?" In unison, a resounding "Hell Yeah" fills the room.

"Since there are too many of you, I will have to make a choice
as to who receives this money free bargain." I noticed an elderly couple
was paying attention to the spectacle unfolding before their eyes, the
old man shaking his head in apparent disgust. "I tell you what; I will
give it to the one of you most willing to obey my rules." Again, they
looked at one another, an expression of bewilderment on their faces. The
perky young woman asked, "What are the rules?" I smiled and said, "I
don't know. I have not yet defined them. However, it is a free home that
I offer you." They giggled amongst themselves, the youngest of which
said, "What an old coot. He must be crazy to give away his home. Go take
your meds, old man." I smiled and leaned into the table a bit further.
"I am serious, this is a legitimate offer." They gaped at me for a
moment.

"Hell, I'll take it you old fool. Where are the keys?" boasted
the youngest among them. "Then I presume you accept ALL of my terms
then?" I asked. The elderly couple seemed amused and entertained as they
watched from the privacy of their table. "Oh hell yeah! Where do I sign
up?" I took a napkin and wrote, "I give this man my home, without the
burden of financial obligation, so long as he accepts and abides by the
terms that I shall set forth upon consummation of this transaction." I
signed it and handed it to the young man who eagerly scratched out his
signature. "Where are the keys to my new house?" he asked in a mocking
tone of voice. All eyes were upon us as I stepped back from the table,
pulling the keys from pocket and dangling them before the excited new
homeowner.

"Now that we have entered into this binding contract, witnessed
by all of your friends, I have decided upon the conditions you are
obligated to adhere from this point forward. You may only live in the
house for one hour a day. You will not use anything inside of the home.
You will obey me without question or resistance. I expect complete
loyalty and admiration for this gift I bestow upon you. You will accept
my commands and wishes with enthusiasm, no matter the nature. Your
morals and principles shall be as mine. You will vote as I do, think as
I do and do it with blind faith. These are my terms. Here are your
keys." I reached the keys forward and the young man looked at me dumb
founded.

"Are you out of your freaking mind? Who would ever agree to
those ridiculous terms?" the young man appeared irritated. "You did when
you signed this contract before reading it, understanding it and with
the full knowledge that I would provide my conditions only after you
committed to the agreement." Was all I said. The elderly man chuckled as
his wife tried to restrain him. I was looking at a now silenced and
bewildered group of people. "You can shove that stupid deal up you're
a** old man, I want no part of it" exclaimed the now infuriated young
man. "You have committed to the contract, as witnessed by all of your
friends; you cannot get out of the deal unless I agree to it. I do not
intend to let you free now that I have you ensnared. I am the power you
agreed to. I am the one you blindly and without thought chose to enslave
yourself to. In short, I am your Master." At this, the table of
celebrating individuals became a unified group against the unfairness of
the deal.

After a few moments of unrepeatable comments and slurs, I
revealed my true intent. "What I did to you is what this administration
and congress did to you with the health care legislation. I easily
suckered you in and then revealed the real cost of the bargain. Your
folly was in the belief that you can have something you did not earn;
that you are entitled to that which you did not earn; that you willingly
allowed someone else to think for you. Your failure to research, study
and inform yourself permitted reason to escape you. You have entered
into a trap from which you cannot flee. Your only chance of freedom is
if your new Master gives it unto you. A freedom that is given can also
be taken away; therefore, it is not freedom." With that, I tore up the
napkin and placed it before the astonished young man. "This is the
nature of your new health care legislation."

I turned away to leave these few in thought and contemplation
and was surprised by applause. The elderly gentleman, who was clearly
entertained, shook my hand enthusiastically and said, "Thank you Sir,
these kids don't understand Liberty these days." He refused to allow me
to pay my bill as he said, "You earned this one, it is an honor to
pickup the tab." I shook his hand in thanks, leaving the restaurant
somewhat humbled, and sensing a glimmer of hope for my beloved country.


Use reason, it is the closest you are going to get to Godly
conduct
Clifford A. Wright

jim rocks

our new booth for this show season