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$70,000 minimum salary causing hard times for Seattle CEO


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2015 Aug 4, 10:39pm   31,034 views  58 comments

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Dan Price, the CEO of Gravity Payments recently made headlines by declaring his company would raise its employees to a minimum salary of $70,000, says the decision has caused him to fall on hard times.

Price, according to a report on Fox News, is renting out his own house in an attempt to make ends meet. This is just three months after the announcement that all 120 employees of the credit card processing firm would receive raises to the minimum.

The move cost him a few of his good customers and two of his “most valued” employees, who left the firm because many new employees received larger pay hikes than older employees.

Some customers apparently took their business elsewhere because they feared the new salary scale would make their costs rise, and others thought he was making a political statement.

Read more at http://www.morningticker.com/2015/08/70000-minimum-salary-causing-hard-times-for-seattle-ceo/

#investing

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37   Reality   2015 Aug 6, 11:08am  

tatupu70 says

This is completely incorrect. Basically you are saying there is no cash available for anyone to invest to "cater to current consumer demand". Interest rates are near all time lows. There is literally a sea of cash looking for anything to invest in. What the hell is stopping new entrepreneurs from forming new businesses now???

Lack of after-tax profit opportunity. Why would anyone invest in something that would result in negative after-tax return? thanks to high taxes and cheap money keeping too many competitors in numerous industries living off low interest rate. That's why new money is being poured into SF high tech industry in hopes of a field that might yield high return.

Fiat money and/or banks are not stopping this. Nor could they be.

Only because you are unable to think like a businessman.

38   tatupu70   2015 Aug 6, 11:38am  

Reality says

The rich do not save money in their mattresses. When they bank the money, the money becomes loanable to others; in a fractional reserve system, multiple times over! So your mattress nonsense is fundamentally contrary to application to the rich. Make up your mind please, are you against the rich or against people putting much of their money in their mattresses. These two are mutually exclusive groups.

I not against anyone. Well, I guess I'm against people who post nonsense on pat.net.

Reality says

In reality, the rich save by investing! That investment if leveraged creates multiple times the demand that the original cash amount would create!

With a good portion of their money, yes. The investment doesn't create demand. Demand exists--the investment can help entrepreneurs create products or services that meet the demand that already exists.

Reality says

Lack of after-tax profit opportunity. Why would anyone invest in something that would result in negative after-tax return? thanks to high taxes and cheap money keeping too many competitors in numerous industries living off low interest rate. That's why new money is being poured into SF high tech industry in hopes of a field that might yield high return.

So, let's recap. You're saying that there actually is lots of demand that isn't being met because there is no cash available to invest in capital to meet this demand. What I asked how this is possible with interest rates at near all time lows--you respond that it's not actually lack of cash/capital--it's because entrepreneurs can't compete with the existing producers?? Huh? If the current producers are able to produce at lower cost than any new competitors, why is there unmet demand???

Reality says

Only because you are unable to think like a businessman.

Great non-answer. Actually I do think like a businessman and I understand that there's no reason to invest when there is no unmet demand. And when there is all kinds of excess supply. Funny, I guess supply doesn't create its own demand after all.

39   Reality   2015 Aug 6, 12:13pm  

tatupu70 says

I not against anyone. Well, I guess I'm against people who post nonsense on pat.net.

Then you should be against yourself.

tatupu70 says

Reality says

In reality, the rich save by investing! That investment if leveraged creates multiple times the demand that the original cash amount would create!

With a good portion of their money, yes. The investment doesn't create demand. Demand exists--the investment can help entrepreneurs create products or services that meet the demand that already exists.

Do you realize that you just proved yourself to be completely ignorant of economics and never even taken Econ 101?! Investment spending of course creates Current Demand. The Output/Return (if any) in the future from current Investment doesn't appear in the Current Demand or Current Supply.

tatupu70 says

Reality says

Lack of after-tax profit opportunity. Why would anyone invest in something that would result in negative after-tax return? thanks to high taxes and cheap money keeping too many competitors in numerous industries living off low interest rate. That's why new money is being poured into SF high tech industry in hopes of a field that might yield high return.

So, let's recap. You're saying that there actually is lots of demand that isn't being met because there is no cash available to invest in capital to meet this demand.

Stop lying. I said no such thing. You are trying to put your own nonsense in my mouth. A negative after-tax return means the "Want" does not constitute Qualfied Demand (== defintion of Demand) at all. Let me give you an example: say a Marjuana grower using current technology in a particular location can generate 20% pre-tax profit after capital and labor cost, yet because the federal income tax code doesn't allow deduction of expenses for running a pot growing business and the guy is in the 25% tax bracket. That means the guy is not able to run a pot growing business regardless how much market Want for pot is out there at the current price, and regardless how much money he can borrow. The more he borrows and grows, the more he'd just lose money after tax! He can run a pot growing business and hire people only if:

1. the effective tax rate is lowered either by lowered rate or by allowing deduction of business expenses;

2. new technology making pot growing yield higher than 33% in the locality: $75k expenses would yield $100k revenue, and at 25% tax on revenue would leave $75k after-tax, his break-even point, not counting any of his own time and labor.

3. competitors go out of business and allow prices to go up so that he can generate more than 33% profit

What I asked how this is possible with interest rates at near all time lows--you respond that it's not actually lack of cash/capital--it's because entrepreneurs can't compete with the existing producers?? Huh? If the current producers are able to produce at lower cost than any new competitors, why is there unmet demand???

Tax code, regulations, sunk cost, etc. etc. See example above. Artificially low interest rate enable the Ponzi borrowers to stay in business and drag down prices.

tatupu70 says

Great non-answer. Actually I do think like a businessman and I understand that there's no reason to invest when there is no unmet demand. And when there is all kinds of excess supply. Funny, I guess supply doesn't create its own demand after all.

You obviously don't understand what Demand means in economics: Demand means Qualified Demand, which is a Want combined with the Ability to Pay at a Price level that someone can profitably Supply (Qualified Supply). Human Want is unlimited. However, resources are always limited. A factory that turns metal and leather into obsolete Lada cars that are worth less than the original metal and leather are worth does not produce Qualified Supply; however, to the idiots like you, it would be called "excess capacity" for car production.

The solution for that "excess capacity" is not printing up money to give cars away and waste more metal and leather to keep the Lada factory running, but to dismantle the obsolete factory and liberate the workers to work for more productive factories making more up to date cars.

40   tatupu70   2015 Aug 6, 12:33pm  

Reality says

Do you realize that you just prove yourself to be completely ignorant of economics and never even taken Econ 101?! Investment spending of course creates Current Demand. The Output/Return (if any) from Investment in the future doesn't appear in the Current Demand or Current Supply.

Nope--I'm well aware of economics and you're wrong.

Reality says

Let me give you an example: say a Marjuana grower using current technology in a particular location can generate 20% pre-tax profit after capital and labor cost, yet because the federal income tax code doesn't allow deduction of expenses for running a pot growing business and the guy is in the 25% tax bracket.

In this example it has nothing to do with malinvestment or TBTF banks. He's not efficient enough. Are you arguing that the problem with our economy is current businesses are more efficient than entrepreneurs? How is that a bad thing?

Reality says

Tax code, regulations, sunk cost, etc. etc. See example above. Artificially low interest rate enable the Ponzi borrowers to stay in business and drag down prices

I figured you'd circle around to this nonsense at some point. Interest rates are set by the MARKET. Nobody is borrowing from the Fed window to finance business.

And, again, even if they were (which they're not), that would be a good thing. They could lower prices which would lead to more sales and, hopefully, more jobs.

Reality says

You obviously don't understand what Demand means in economics: Demand means Qualified Demand, which is a Want combined with the Ability to Pay at a Price level that someone can profitably Supply (Qualified Supply).

Ridiculous. Please show me any definition that includes the qualifier about someone being able to profitably supply. You're just making shit up now.

Reality says

A factory that turns metal and leather into obsolete Lada cars that are worth less than the original metal and leather are worth in the market does not produce Qualified Supply; however, to the idiots like you, it would be called "excess capacity" for car production.

Nope--excess capacity is factories that are currently operating at 50% of rated capacity.

Reality says

The solution for that "excess capacity" is not printing up money to give cars away and waste more metal and leather to keep the Lada factory running, but to dismantle the obsolete factory and liberate the workers to work for more productive factories making more up to date cars.

You'd have a point if that's what we were talking about. And how does that obsolete Lada factory keep new entrepreneurs from entering the auto market and making more up to date cars that will sell for more money??

41   Y   2015 Aug 6, 12:38pm  

this is demanding evidence....

Reality says

You obviously don't understand what Demand means in economics: Demand means Qualified Demand,

42   tatupu70   2015 Aug 6, 12:42pm  

SoftShell says

this is demanding evidence....

Reality says

You obviously don't understand what Demand means in economics: Demand means Qualified Demand,

lol--please point to anything I've posted that indicates I don't understand that demand also includes the ability to pay. In fact, I've posted this same sentence on several occasions.

43   gsr   2015 Aug 15, 2:12pm  

bgamall4 says

You guys have to understand that if there are no people to buy the product, the capitalists will utlimately go broke. Do any of you even get that?

That's called the balance of power. It is supposed to exist in market economy unless an external force with the power of gun distorts. You don't understand how debt distorts the market. Instead, you blame those bad "capitalists".

44   Strategist   2015 Aug 15, 2:27pm  

bgamall4 says

You guys have to understand that if there are no people to buy the product, the capitalists will utlimately go broke. Do any of you even get that?

And no one would have a job.
Build your own home.
Hunt your own food.
Wear animal skins.
Live like a cave man.
Did you even get that, Gary?

45   gsr   2015 Aug 15, 6:43pm  

bgamall4 says

gsr says

You don't understand how debt distorts the market. Instead, you blame those bad "capitalists".

That is BS. The capitalists have always used debt to the an advantage. The millennials don't like debt and so they worry the capitalists.

Mathematically, there have to be creditors of equal amount of money for all debtors. Who are those "benevolent" creditors responsible for easy lending to your straw-men "capitalists"?

46   Strategist   2015 Aug 15, 8:08pm  

gsr says

bgamall4 says

gsr says

You don't understand how debt distorts the market. Instead, you blame those bad "capitalists".

That is BS. The capitalists have always used debt to the an advantage. The millennials don't like debt and so they worry the capitalists.

Mathematically, there have to be creditors of equal amount of money for all debtors. Who are those "benevolent" creditors responsible for easy lending to your straw-men "capitalists"?

Gary thinks the world is controlled by a few Zionists who control all the wealth on the planet, who control the politicians, who are responsible for all terrorism, who refuse to give $100,000 per year to burger flippers, because they are greedy bastards.
And anyone who disagrees with him is as "thick as a brick"
Gary, what are we gonna do with you?

47   TheBat   2015 Aug 16, 11:41am  

Shows that a lot of money is going on in CC processing :p

48   exfatguy   2015 Aug 17, 11:06am  

I'd be pissed if I was making $68,000 and the guy next to me who was making $35,000, and in one fell swoop we're both making $70,000. He gets a 100% raise and I get a 3% raise? All for doing nothing?

That's highly inequitable.

I would have thought this CEO would have upped everyone's salary commensurate. But he didn't, which makes him an idiot.

49   CL   2015 Aug 18, 5:58am  

You could say the same about (who was it Kingston?) who gave all their employees 25k a while back. They gave it to long term as well as recently hired employees. The injustice is palpable!

50   tatupu70   2015 Aug 18, 5:59am  

CL says

You could say the same about (who was it Kingston?) who gave all their employees 25k a while back. They gave it to long term as well as recently hired employees. The injustice is palpable!

I want a raise and I want everyone else to get a pay cut!!!

51   Tenpoundbass   2015 Aug 18, 11:28am  

I did this already I belive the consesus was since he wans't dealing with Federal Tax money then it's not socialism.
He's just your run of the mill basketcase.

52   Strategist   2015 Aug 18, 6:07pm  

bgamall4 says

exfatguy says

I'd be pissed if I was making $68,000 and the guy next to me who was making $35,000, and in one fell swoop we're both making $70,000

Then you would go to hell. But you probably will anyway, so... Remember the parable of Jesus who chose to give the late comers to the work the same gold coin. There is nothing wrong with doing that. It is the right of the owner to do so.

Looks like Jesus was a communist.

53   gsr   2015 Aug 18, 6:41pm  

bgamall4 says

Lending to capitalists is what lending should be for, but not easy money loans to poor entrepreneurs or home buyers. There is a right way to use credit and a wrong way. And banksters prefer the wrong way.

Really?? A banker would prefer to loan someone with *BAD CREDIT* as opposed to someone with good credit? Why would anyone do that unless there is an implicit guarantee/insurance from the top? BTW, you did not really answer the question.

54   gsr   2015 Aug 18, 6:43pm  

bgamall4 says

Then you would go to hell. But you probably will anyway, so... Remember the parable of Jesus who chose to give the late comers to the work the same gold coin. There is nothing wrong with doing that. It is the right of the owner to do so.

I wonder why there is no dislike for this. I am sure if Captain Shaddup had brought Jesus and hell in the discussion, he would have received tons of dislikes.

55   Strategist   2015 Aug 18, 7:54pm  

bgamall4 says

gsr says

A banker would prefer to loan someone with *BAD CREDIT* as opposed to someone with good credit?

If the loan can be securitized that is exactly what happened in the housing bubble. Do you get out much? You don't know much.

All those sub prime bankers are out of business.
Those with bad credit, can't get a home loan. Why is that?

56   gsr   2015 Aug 19, 11:48am  

bgamall4 says

If the loan can be securitized that is exactly what happened in the housing bubble. Do you get out much? You don't know much.

You do know those guys were bailed out by the organization you like.

57   CL   2015 Aug 30, 7:53am  

gsr says

You can't claim New York Times has the same agenda as that of Fox News.

Can't you? These supposed opposite are still in the same general ballpark of ideologies.

Dealbook/Andrew Ross Sorkin and other NYT business section contributors sound awfully Republican in most of their articles. Taibi called Sorkin, "a shameless, ball-gargling prostitute for Wall Street".

That kind of vitriole is normally reserved only for the laissez-faire cocksuckers on the Right.

58   gsr   2015 Aug 30, 10:09am  

CL says

That kind of vitriole is normally reserved only for the laissez-faire cocksuckers on the Right.

Are you saying facts have "conservative" bias? This is a news, not an oped.

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