Stein

iTrader: (46)

Dear Mr. President:

Please find below my suggestion for fixing America 's economy.

Instead of giving billions of dollars to companies that will squander the money on lavish parties and unearned bonuses, use the following plan:

You can call it the Patriotic Retirement Plan:

There are about 40 million people over 50 in the work force.

Pay them $2 million apiece severance for early retirement with the following stipulations:

1) They MUST retire. Forty million job openings - Unemployment fixed.

2) They MUST buy a new American CAR. Forty million cars ordered - Auto Industry fixed.

3) They MUST either buy a house or pay off their mortgage - Housing Crisis fixed.

It can't get any easier than that!

If more money is needed, have all members of Congress and their constituents pay their taxes...

Braineack

iTrader: (62)

hmmm. that would be like you giving me $150 then I spit in your face when you ask for a return favor.

gospeed81

iTrader: (51)

Sounds good, but about an order of magnitude off if it's supposed to compare to the bailouts...that's 8TRILLION right there. Reducing the plan to a similar 1.4T would mean all these folks retiring for 20+ years on $350,000 (plus what they might already have saved up). That isn't much considering most of the interest in retirement plans is garnered in the last several years.

I still like it better than bailout after bailout after bailout though.

Braineack

iTrader: (62)

how about the governement minds its own ******* business...

TrickerZ

iTrader: (6)

I vote lottery booths like they had in that show Sliders. You can take out money, but the more you take out, the more likely you're going to be killed in the lottery. Stupid people would take out assloads, get killed, the money is returned to the economy, funeral homes and such are booming and we can level some houses for more cemeteries. Population controlled, stupid people outbreak controlled, unemployment controlled...you can't lose!

gospeed81

iTrader: (51)

This

y8s

iTrader: (8)

i get to vote on what the govt does

i dont get to vote on what walmart does...

Miatamaniac92

You vote with your wallet.

Chris

y8s

iTrader: (8)

point taken.

but unfortunately people educate themselves even less about what they buy than who they vote for.

fmowry

iTrader: (8)

2 mil times 40 mil is 80 trillion dollars. Tell the chain letter author to do some math.

Frank

Miatamaniac92

Yea. I can't stand Walmart, it's a cesspool. I always wanna call CPS when I see parents with school-aged kids in there after 10 on a school night.

Chris

ray_sir_6

iTrader: (1)

How so? I try to buy just about everything I can from Wal-mart. I like getting the most for my money.

CPS for having your kids out after 10pm??? Who the hell cares? What if the parent works all day, and that is the only time they have to go shopping? I guess they should just leave their kids at home?!?

y8s

iTrader: (8)

and giving away manufacturing jobs to china

and lowballing low income folks on their healthcare

Miatamaniac92

Ohh Walmart, let me list the ways I hate though; Criticism of Wal-Mart - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia <--Nice Summary

Don't get me wrong, Walmart isn't all bad. Just mostly.

The price you pay at the register is only part of the cost of shopping at Walmart. You can't blame them for trying to make money, but you have to play by the rules of the society or GTFO.

Taking children shopping late at night on a school night probably isn't what most people would call Responsible. While that alone doesn't warrant an actual call to CPS, I was making a point. TIFWIW

Chris

ray_sir_6

iTrader: (1)

What exactly does Wal-mart manufacture?

Wal-mart is a business that is doing what it has to do to offer the lowest price. It's management is well compensated, both with pay and benefits.

ray_sir_6

iTrader: (1)

Who's definition of the rules of society? I used to work for them, and their plan for advancement is better than anything else I have seen. Yes, they require you to take stupid "computer training sims" during your lunch hour, or after you clock out. But that is also what they use to determine who gets a pay raise, and who gets picked for management. So you are working to get a better situation for yourself. Hell, I had to goto mandatory "Food Safety Training" for Whataburger, which was a few hours on my weekend, plus was required to purchase non-slip shoes. I never got paid or reimbursed for that. I had to do training for Bennigans off the clock when I first started.

I don't recall Wal-mart forcing anyone to sell their products there.

Some people call it "bad/unfair business practices", I am sure Wal-mart calls it "successful business practices".

Miatamaniac92

The Laws of the Land and how they are interpreted. I don't think we as a society hold them accountable enough for the damage that they cause (and again Walmart's not completely bad).

Walmart has a strangle hold over quite a few of their vendors. Classic example: Wal-Mart You Don't Know | Fast Company <--I don't agree with protectionism, only illustrating that Walmart has a pretty good amount of power when dealing with Suppliers.

Chris

ray_sir_6

iTrader: (1)

If they were indeed practicing illegal business practices, they would be dragged into court, yet they aren't. Maybe they aren't doing "morally right" business practices, but that is not illegal. They are mandating that they get certain concessions from their suppliers in order for them to be sold by their company. It's the supplier's choice on whether or not they meet these stipulations, and if it's good business for their company. If they can't meet it, then don't sell it to them. It's that easy. If your product was the be-all and end-all then Wal-mart would be willing to bend for you, or you can sell it at Target or elsewhere. It's completely voluntary. Yes, they have alot of power, since they move product at an amazing rate.

Typical scenario: Inventor/manufacturer approaches Wal-mart to see if they would carry their product. Wal-mart says, "We require this many, and will pay this much." Either you say you can't do that quantity or price and walk away, or you accept the offer, and use that as a backing to get a big loan to finance your company. You modernize your factories, minimize your overhead, negotiate with your suppliers, always looking to eek out any extra profit you can. That is how business works. Wal-mart just has alot of leverage cause people want the chance to sell there, cause they know they will sell more there vs another competitor.

Does noone else know how business works?

y8s

iTrader: (8)

that's capitalism for you. legality is more important than morality.

Miatamaniac92

It's not as simple as that, from either side.

Chris