Cirino’s Nevada City, RIP

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Cirino’s Nevada City, RIP

03 January 2013

George Rebane

The Progressive Plague that has ravaged California for some years, and with every passing day is becoming even more virulent, struck down a local landmark establishment. In Nevada City Cirino’s Bar & Grill is shutting its doors according to owner Jerry Cirino because “The state and federal government has taken the most valuable asset of a business (employees) and made it a liability. They have disrupted, irreparably, the triangular relationship between customer, employee, and employer.” (reported in the 3jan13 Union)

In these pages I have evangelized that important relationship and its financial implications to a business, especially a small business. The target audience for these soap box lectures has been the independent reader who is not yet convinced about the contributions of capitalism and free enterprise to his wellbeing. The pushback on these clarifications has always been from the progressivists who are beyond redemption (aka butt stupid), and now cover the land like locusts destroying every shred of wealth creating commercialism that they can. And in the dust and debris of their plunder they leave unemployed workers who are among the most needy, workers who must now become wards of the state and learn quickly on which side their bread is buttered.

One more tombstone in California’s Business Cemetery. And what again is the alternative to the Great Divide?

Posted in Agenda 21, California, Great Divide, Happenings, Nevada County, The Liberal Mind

97 responses to “Cirino’s Nevada City, RIP”

Ryan Mount

03 January 2013

Welp, I go to Main Street anyway. Apparently the government intrusion was onerous enough to shutdown Grass Valley operations. Something doesn’t smell right, and I’m not talking about the white drains in the kitchen.
I wish Mr. Cirino would have provided more specifics about his grievances. He sounds like Joe Koyote bitching about Monsanto in another thread around these parts.

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George Rebane

03 January 2013

RyanM 1004am – I think that the Cirinos provided sufficient background for their decision, and more than they needed about the operations of their private business. The further details are not germain to the overall message that the Left chooses to ignore as it continues to fundamentally transform the country. The details of California’s attack on businesses has been covered extensively on RR and countless other outlets.
I do note that the local leftwing is not rushing to report this setback to the community. The next Nevada City’s city council meeting should be entertaining, and possibly even informative.

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Michael Anderson

03 January 2013

Yeah, I’m not buying this either. At least not without more detailed information. After reading the letter, it appears that PPACA is the target, though Mr. Cirino doesn’t mention that legislation by name. And there may be other legislative and regulatory factors as well, which again are not spelled out.
We can speculate all we want, and point fingers at our favorite whipping boys, but until we get some answers to some fairly poignant questions, the jury is still out as far as I’m concerned.

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Russ Steele

03 January 2013

Ryan@10:04
Here is some more insight posted at If You Voted For It – You Own It by Sean in a comment:
“Sean on January 3, 2013 at 9:50 am said:
The food serviced business must be getting ready for some serious changes. Food prices and delivery costs are going up and now, anyone working over 30 hours per week gets health insurance if you pass the magic threshold of 50 workers. If you cover just the indivual worker, that is $2.50 an hour or about $5K per year if that worker is employed for 40 hours per week. A Fast food place will see it’s employee costs rise by 25% but a restaurant, where workers are paid less because of tips, will see costs per worker double. Couple that with less take-home pay for most customers and higher costs the basis necessities and it will be interesting to see if there is contraction in this sector. Alternatively, we might get workers working two part time jobs and food service employees having to juggle two schedules. A third option for workers, particularly single parents, would be to work just one job, 25 hours a week and make up the difference in public assistance. The thresholds and cut-off points for benefits to many low income workers might actually make this the best option for many.”

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Mario Guanero

03 January 2013

meh… Cirino’s was way past prime.
I’d say @ half capacity the handful of times we were forced to visit recently due to overcrowding at Lefty’, etc.
And it looks like maybe I’m not the only one:
http://www.yelp.com/biz/cirinos-nevada-city
and besides, as with the majority of the ginned-up issues on these pages, deflection is the sure sign and hallmark of a loser.

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Ken Jones

03 January 2013

George you omitted the part in the letter by Jerry that stated: “I feel both political parties have failed us, however this is not a political statement”.
I agree that both parties have failed us, wouldn’t you agree?
You have turned this into a political issue George and also ignoring that the GV restaurant remains open. Much more to this story than what we see so far.
Fire Ready Aim.
And do you really want to throw around terms like “butt stupid”? Real gutter ideology.

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George Rebane

03 January 2013

KenJ 1122am – The Union reported the story, I commented on it. My commentary is correct as it stands (especially given Cirino’s published letter). I believe strongly that it is a political issue, and the failure of the Republicans is that they have no message to compete with the Dems when it comes to the state’s manufactured and ever growing populations of gimmes. I have made this clear to local and statewide Republicans.
http://rebaneruminations.typepad.com/rebanes_ruminations/2009/05/republicans-need-a-new-strategy.html
Oh yes, and the Cirinos do know that they live in a community with a heavy dose of progressives in the population.

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Gregory

03 January 2013

I remember during the Hillarycare debacle, Mrs. Clinton declared ‘I can’t be responsible for every under-capitalized small business in America’, and I see the usual suspects brushing off Cirino’s now in a similar way.
This is going to be an interesting year.

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Ryan Mount

03 January 2013

Look. Mr. Cirino says he’s studied the legislation. That’s awesome (said in my SpongeBob Squarepants voice). So I want to hear the assessment from the horse’s mouth…chased with a Bloody Mary with a dark back, of course. Just like Joe’s assertions elsewhere here.
Isn’t not unreasonable to ask for more detail with such a spectacular accusation.
It’s one thing for us to carry on here in a blog environment, it’s another thing to make similar pronouncements where the rubber meets the road(a real business owner), and then fail to provide any substantive evidence. Mr. Cirino could provide some valuable insight here. If this is indeed true.
I’m saddened either way, however there has to be more than an onerous regulatory/legislative environment effecting the decision. Running a restaurant is hard. A good day is filled with mouthy employees and snotty customers, product going out the back door, purveyors/suppliers showing up during the lunch rush and 18 hour days.
I would urge caution in jumping to any regulatory conclusions. It’s far more plausible that the restaurant was struggling due to other reasons.
BTW, Thanks Russ. I appreciate the effort.

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Ryan Mount

03 January 2013

It’s not* unreasonable to ask.
Sorry. Typing to fast.

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Gregory

03 January 2013

Ryan, most restaurants and many if not most businesses in general are always struggling for multiple reasons. You bet, don’t blame the last straw for breaking the camel’s back.

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Ryan Mount

03 January 2013

Hi Greg-
Here’s the real reason: Lefty’s is doing well. They’re selling more pizza and expanding.
/EOM.
Capitalism sucks for the losers.

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Gregory

03 January 2013

You bet, Ryan. Of course, you shouldn’t blame the last straw. There just isn’t room for Cirino’s. If they were only better they wouldn’t be closing. The cooks and waitstaff were wanting. The menu wasn’t ideal. The prices were too high.
So… the staff is better off scrambling for a job with a better employer?

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Ryan Mount

03 January 2013

Greg. I just want the details from Mr. Cirino when he makes Jesse Jackson like claims about his enterprise’s demise.
I’m a cynical man/boy, so please discount and pardon my doubting Thomas-ness. But I will assume until I hear otherwise (I’m most happy to be wrong in this situation), that this is a maneuver (publicity, and let’s face it, the Cirinos are masters at it) even more cynical than I could dream up to cover the tracks of my failure.
But failure, IMHO, failure of this sort is a good thing.

… the staff is better off scrambling for a job with a better employer?
Sorry. Almost forgot to answer that.
Neither better nor worse. It’s part of the cycle of destructive capitalism. It really sucks though. Been there, done that. It sucks.

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Russ Steele

03 January 2013

We are going to see more business people like Jerry Cirino who are either able or nearing retirement who will be “going Galt”. Business across America will downsizing or reducing their income and expenses, refusing to spend their labor to support a government antagonistic to their future wealth creation.
Businesses will not grow beyond 50 employee, and those that have less than 100 will be seeking ways to downsize. Small companies must learn how to game the rules and regulations established by local, state and federal governments if they want to survive and prosper in today’s economy. Those business that are not skilled at gaming the system will soon go out of business. Jerry Cirino is doing what has to be done to survive — downsize!
In addition to downsizing there is a growing tend in the US toward the increased use of part time employees, those who work less than 30 hours a week. Part time employment was once associated with the seasonal retail, recreation, and hospitality sectors. Now a new trend is emerging, just in time employment that is based on work flow. Sophisticated software is being used to alert manager when to expand the staff or send someone home.
In California this part time trend is spreading among multiple occupations, including architects, finance managers, attorneys, information technology specialists, vocational counselors, construction, and manufacturing workers. Companies are cutting costs by reducing hours to part time, thus reducing benefits. This was a trend before ObamaCare became a reality. Now with the full implementation of PPACA, the trend toward a part time workforce is accelerating.
We will see more business “going Galt” by down sizing. Others will be using part time employees to reduce cost and stay small. This will slow economic development in the community, the state and the nation.

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Ryan Mount

03 January 2013

This is not a John Galt moment, IMO. A real John Galt moment would have included a silent and arguably noble disappearance. This is a publicity stunt.
I’m trying to be optimistic here, so perhaps this is an attempt to raise the esteem of his employees as to make their job search easier? Maybe Mr. Cirino is tired of running a restaurant. (I’ve managed/ran two when I was younger …and it was difficult on the best days). Maybe he’s gonna open up a new restaurant? (I hope so!)
Cynically, I suppose the enterprise is getting the attention they wanted. And on that note, they are frickin’ marketing geniuses.

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Ken Jones

03 January 2013

George I did read the letter in The Union today. Seemed to me Jerry took steps to make his letter apolitical, you not so much. Much assumption on your behalf. Not to mention that Cirinos GV is still open and doing well. And like Ryan pointed out Leftys is doing well and expanding.
So progressives are responsible for Cirinos closing in NC but not responsible for Leftys expansion? Not the most reasonable argument George.

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Russ Steele

03 January 2013

Well, we will have to see how Lefty’s does in it’s new location. You will note that a number of business have failed at this location. Even the Stonehouse across the street failed. This is not in the area of town with a lot of people traffic, which is important restaurant attendance. Stay Tuned.

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Gregory

03 January 2013

Ryan, what a concept. So, if weeding out weak businesses by unintended side effects of legislation is a good thing, why not start passing laws intended to do nothing but push marginal businesses over the edge?
There’s one free market health insurance reform that could have been passed that would have cost the public coffers and businesses like Cirinos nothing and would have started some real move towards less money poured indiscriminately into health care… making employee health benefits taxable, while adjusting the tax tables to make it revenue neutral. The gold plated plans would find employees clamoring for something that didn’t cost them so much, and those without employer plans would get an increase in take-home pay and more options for buying their own with dollars worth the same as everyone else’s.
The big losers with that are folks in large unions and the big financial houses with gold plated and tax free benefits that are among the last targets of the Obamacare regulations. Expect the penalties for gold plated benefits to be pushed out as those scheduled punitive measures get closer.

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Brad Croul

03 January 2013

Too bad Lefty’s didn’t know about Cirino’s decision sooner. They might have preferred that space for their restaurant.
I have been eating more often at Cirinos on Main Street recently. I am not sure if it is the menu, the lighting, the ambiance, the (relatively) recent improvements, the Fung Shui, or what; I just seem to prefer the Main St. location to the Broad St. location (and I live within walking distance to the the Broad St. location).
I am not a restaurateur, but I think restaurants in small towns with few restaurant choices would be better attended if they offered more specials and varied their menus from time to time. I think New Moon does this successfully.
I will miss Cirinos though, and look forward to a new, successful business in that location.

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Gregory

03 January 2013

I’m looking forward to new, successful businesses in a number of empty Nevada City storefronts.
Good luck to Lefty’s in its new location; I’ve patronized them maybe twice over the years in their current spot and while it was pleasant I didn’t think the value was there. Of all the businesses that failed in the new location, my favorite was the short lived Los Amigos location, though Kirby’s Creekside was nice enough.
The move strikes me as more of a ‘the price is right, let’s go for it because our current landlord is not bending in negotiations’ than a pure ‘expansion’.

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Joe Koyote

03 January 2013

If one is speaking about small business in general, the demise of small business probably has more to do with the rise of big box and chain stores and corporate friendly trade agreements like NAFTA than it does with progressive attitudes. The larger question should be how to reign in the corporate greed that gobbles up small businesses rather than complain about and blame efforts to force those same employers like Walmart, to provide their employees with a decent standard of living. Having spent New Years eve with several old friends who are small business owners whose incomes ranged from $500k to $10m, I understand the plight of the small business person. It is those people who get hurt the most by income tax increases because, unlike most of the super-wealthy, my friends actually earn their money through actually working rather than through capital gains. It also costs them the most in terms of benefits and other mandates as a percentage of income. The problem is that the mandates were created not with small business in mind. Most small business people I have ever known treat their employees like family and would provide reasonable benefits and compensation anyway. It is the low wage anti-worker greed based Walmart business model that mandates are meant for. I think it was one of the ice cream guys, Ben or Jerry, who, as an experiment, opened a sweatshop in LA that made T-shirts. Starting pay was 12 bucks an hour plus full benefits. This added only one dollar to the retail price of their products. Russ.. we have found some common ground..Leftys is doomed. The only eatery that ever made it in that location was The Jacks in the 1970s and I think they owned the building. All others have lasted a few years at best.

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Paul Emery

03 January 2013

My good friend Jerry Cirino one told me there’s no problem in business that volume can’t cure. The general decline of “after dark” business in Nevada City is obvious putting many businesses on notice. Cirino’s is the third resturant on that block to close in the last few years.
I have lived in Nevada County for 35 years and remember when Jerry Cirino bought Duffy’s Saloon and opened his restaurant so it’s a bit sad to see it go dark for whatever reason.

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Ryan Mount

03 January 2013

Greg> So, if weeding out weak businesses by unintended side effects of legislation is a good thing
I agree with that. Well, No. I agree that onerous legislation that stymies business is a very bad thing. But I’m more convinced after asking around that government intrusion is not the case here with Cirino’s.
I’ve been VERY critical, for example, of recent ADA shakedowns (improper handicap parking spaces, etc.) of small businesses. And I’m also very concerned about the upcoming mandatory medical coverage other small businesses will face. In the end, the Progressive Agenda will end up with that very specific thing they hate: a few Mega Corps left. But I guess that will keep them busy bitching about that. Dumbasses.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=85V1Xewv20k

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D. King

03 January 2013

Ryan Mount | 03 January 2013 at 02:36 PM
“Dumbasses.”
LOL!

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Gregory

03 January 2013

You bet, Paul and Ryan. It’s just a coincidence. Since volume cures all ills, it’s the fault of the business for not having the volume.
As far as Cirinos goes, I’ve eaten there once in the past 12 years after a really lousy meal soured me on the place. My favorite in town was Country Rose which was one of the first to go.

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Russ Steele

03 January 2013

Paul@02:23
You wrote: “The general decline of “after dark” business in Nevada City is obvious putting many businesses on notice.”
Do you have some insight into the reason for the “after dark” slow down? What might be the cause? Are people feeling less safe? Just fewer people in town with money to spend? Slowing economy?
Is Grass Valley having similar “after dark” slow downs?

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TheMikeyMcD

03 January 2013

That which is not seen.
I would like to discuss the “going Galt” concept. The number of producers that have (and will) go on personal strike as a protest against an enourmous government is large (and growing). The difference is that going on strike in a fiat currency world (where central banks just print until kingdom come and you cannot starve the beast) does not have the effect that it did in the 1950’s (When Atlas Shrugged was penned).
I went John Galt in 2008 after being FORCED to pay an excessive amount of my earnings in taxes (to a corrupt/immoral/wasteful government). Why work 6 months for a government that I hate?
Rather than disappear I laid off all non-essential staff, stopped marketing and decreased my gross revenue;significantly. Who knows how many people I would employ today (my guess is 8-15 …today I employ 2, counting me). I know of many producers that have made the same decision. For all I know Mr. Cirino can be added to the list.
The hardest part is that my heart and soul want to produce. A man must live by his values/principals.

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Ryan Mount

03 January 2013

Mikey-
I’m not sure why some of our Left-leaning brethren wouldn’t favor a flat or consumption tax. Wouldn’t they rather get 23% than nothing? Or 14%? Even after making reasonable accommodations (credits, pay-outs, etc.) for the underprivileged poor? I know I’m beating a dead horse on this topic.
In my opinion a good chunk of the electorate on the Right and Left and across class boundaries is current experiencing a bout of the Stockholm Syndrome. They’ve come to love their captors because they’re giving them the attention and safety they crave. Not to mention generous tax credits and deductions. 😉
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stockholm_syndrome

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Lorikeet

03 January 2013

There are other reasons:
1. Rents are 1/3 – 1/2 less in Grass Valley
2. As businesses keep leaving Nevada City, who will be left? Apparently the county has no problem paying 10K a month to house the Probation Departments offices above Friar Tucks.
3. My elderly friends in Alta Sierra will no longer go to Nevada City in the evenings as they are afraid of the transients.

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Paul Emery

03 January 2013

I will be interviewing Jerry Cirino tomorrow for airing on KVMR’s evening news at 6PM Tune in.

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Douglas Keachie

03 January 2013

Seems to me that 30 years of two restaurants may lead to aging downsizing, money’s be made for good nest egg, and now it is closer to being a hobby, and a passalong to children, who can always reopen in NCity, and probably at a lower rent.

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Douglas Keachie

03 January 2013

What Nevada City needs is a free, golf cart based jitney, that carts people up and down Broad Street all the way to the Stonehouse, every 10 to 20 minutes, or on call via cell phone. That way all the folks in the B&B’s up top would have no qualms about walking or riding all the way down the hill. Make the cell call a mandatory condition, or all the transients would hog the system.

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Joe Koyote

03 January 2013

A lot of things are at play in the decline of Nevada City night life… an aging population that doesn’t go out partying as often or as late. Going out is expensive and many people can no longer afford very many outings per week/month/year. People go to Sizzler because on certain nights they can eat all the salad they want and take the entree home, the rents, the homeless, fear, mediocre overpriced food and drink, so and so forth. All those things that typically plague small towns with tourist dependent economies in hard times. In systems theory the Principle of Multiple-Causation says that any result good or bad is not caused by any one thing or person, but a multiplicity of forces large and small. I have a friend who manages an IT system for a School district of 500,000 people, so a pretty large system. Whenever things go wrong he tells all the people who are complaining that the problem was due to solar flares and to wait ten seconds then reboot their computers. Ninety-nine percent of the time it works.

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Paul Emery

03 January 2013

Russ Steele | 03 January 2013 at 03:46 PM
That’s a very good topic I’ll get back to you on but not tonight.

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earlcrabb

04 January 2013

If I’m not mistaken, Jerry owns the building on Broad St., so high rents shouldn’t be a problem. I’m guessing he’s just tired of the 24/7 life of a restauranteur.

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Todd Juvinall

04 January 2013

Jerry was one on my bug supporters when I first ran in 1984 for conuty supe. We became friends and have been ever since. He was a success because he is smart and a hardwoking man. I would take his reasons at face value for closing. Unfortunately for America there will be many more sad stories since Obamacare fascists are now loose in the country.

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Ryan Mount

04 January 2013

So can we say Lefty’s success is a result of Obamacare as weird as that sounds? (still no details from Mr. Cirino, just vague accusations). The proof, as the saying goes, is in the tasting of the pudding.
Or could the pizza be a little better at Lefty’s and it’s somewhat yuppie upgrade to the Italian idiom?
Without seeing the books, all of this is just hearsay. Mr. Cirino could have easily said the Mayan Calendar or out space aliens were responsible.
I have no issue with Mr. Cirino closing down, although it’s quite sad on a number of levels. The issue is he went public with such fantastic and sensational claims that the government made him do it. It’s more cynical than I could ever be.

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Michael Anderson

04 January 2013

Todd, I believe “co-nutty soup” is on the menu at the Grass Valley restaurant!
* Blend a handful of right-wing supervisors into a heavy cream sauce
* Add coconut milk, Metamucil, mayo, and lemon juice
* Salt and pepper to taste
Cover with tin foil, serve when whacky

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Russ Steele

04 January 2013

Mount@06:38AM
Here is one response to the government made him do it;
“PPACA places additional requirements on companies when employees work more than 30 hours a week. It is more economical to have multiple part timers, than a full time work force. Already, several nationwide companies with major presence in California have announced movement to a greater share of part-time workers, including Darden Restaurants (parent company of Olive Garden and Red Lobster), and CKE Restaurants (parent company of Hardee’s and Carl’s Jr.).”
The government made them switch to a part-time work force to stay economically viable. This makes the employees life much more difficult. Some have to get two jobs to survive.

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George Rebane

04 January 2013

RyanM 638am – not sure I follow your reasoning(?) about Lefty’s since there is nothing in Obamacare that is pro-business. Given the incoming news from across the country, businesses are jumping through some new hoops delivered by Obamacare (and also the late and later resolution of the fiscal cliff issues). With this evidence at hand, I have no reason to doubt Jerry Cirino’s interview (in the Union and on KNCO) and his published letter. And more, much more, of the same is coming.

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Brad Croul

04 January 2013

As the baby boomer proprietors get older, I expect more businesses to close, or be turned over to the next generation. I was talking to one such proprietor recently (I guess he is in his mid 60s) and asked him if he was going to put out a booth in the street for the local street fair. He said no, back in his younger days he used to, but it is just too much hassle anymore to set up all the tables, equipment, and schedule staff. He sounded like he just didn’t have the energy anymore. He is not alone. Over time, I would expect less effort being made on the part of aging store owners to improve their buildings, come up with new ideas, products, menu items, etc.
I look forward to the next generation as they take the reigns and breathe new life into our towns. Several new businesses have sprung up in Nevada City. Curly Wolf Espresso, NevaCo, the re-opened Crazy Horse Saloon, The Parlour, the Calla Lilly Crepe Tent, and Kitkitdizzi, (sorry if I left out anyone) are some of the new start-ups in Nevada City run by younger folks. And these business all started within the last 6 months, or so! Still more have started within the last year or two.

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Ryan Mount

04 January 2013

George-
I have no additional reasoning that I haven’t already mentioned. This more than likely has nothing (or very little) to do with the government meddling and more obvious reasons: Lower traffic, new competition, didn’t want to be in the grueling restaurant business anymore.
Besides, we have zero proof. None other than hearsay. AND, and this is the BIG AND, there is evidence to support my conclusion: Why is Lefty’s succeeding and Cirino’s didn’t in the SAME environment?
So I was being facetious above with my Obamacare question. I thought my tone was clear, so I beg your pardon.
Russ-
BTW, I believe businesses under 50 full-time people are exempt from health insurance requirement. Certainly a Nevada City restaurant open only for dinner doesn’t meet that standard with the exception of a few (<50) employees. I suppose we could include the Grass Valley operation, but are we still at that full time standard? Suppose yes. Then break the businesses up between the kids.

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Michael Anderson

04 January 2013

Ryan wrote: “Then break the businesses up between the kids.”
Yep, exactly. There were plenty of other creative, and legal, ways to get to the “under fifty” number if you really wanted to stay open and the business was successful.
My guess is that–like many others have explicated here–Jerry was tired of running two restaurants and chose to close the one that wasn’t doing as well.
But using that closure as a bully pulpit to just bash gov’t in general is in poor taste and doesn’t really solve any problems. I’d still like to hear Jerry’s specific complaints, as well as his suggestions for which gov’t rules, regulations, and tax policies need to be fixed in particular, and how, as they relate to his business.
George, I know you have a huge laundry list of complaints about gov’t overreach, but I am trying to guide the discussion from a “the sky is falling and we’re all screwed” approach to something more specific, which could perhaps be embraced by those who are willing to work in a bipartisan manner in the 113th Congress.

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George Rebane

04 January 2013

MichaelA 1057am – Guide away Michael, this is the forum for it.
Your correct assessment that it now requires one to become more and more clever to find “other creative, and legal, ways” to do business under this government underlines my point. However, that you are apparently unaware of the massive overreach, which has occurred and is accelerating, is (for me) most remarkable. The only channels which deny or hide such overreach are the compliant lamestream. Everywhere else (blogs, cable, books, magazines, policy institutions, …) we find reports, studies, analyses, etc of this ongoing travesty. And all the while you progressives are looking around and saying ‘What, where? I don’t see anything.’
While not claiming to be comprehensive in exposing the perils of the Potomac Octopus, RR has long documented such overreach on everything from California’s AB32, through union dominated jurisdictions, public service pension debacles, cities declaring Chapter 9, to early assessments of Obamacare. You can search RR or google these postings; here’s an earlier one – http://rebaneruminations.typepad.com/rebanes_ruminations/2009/07/on-obamacare-lies-from-cato-institute.html

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TheMikeyMcD

04 January 2013

Uttering the word “bipartisan” requires the acceptance of the fact that the USA has a spending problem, not a taxing/revenue problem. Until the left accepts this fact their can be no compromise/bipartisanship.
http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2013-01-01/putting-americas-tax-hike-perspective
Today’s tax receipts (even before 2013 increases) would have paid for 100% of the Federal Budget just a dozen years ago.

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Douglas Keachie

04 January 2013

“The government made them switch to a part-time work force to stay economically viable.”
However, if said work force is not as cheery and happy as the full time force would be, then it would be counterproductive to make the switch to part time. “Economically viable” is a relative term. I’m sure that most of the employees would have been very happy with Jerry’s take-home, no?
To correctly use that term in an absolute sense, you would have to show that running the operation at even minimum wage for the owner would have caused the business to lose money. I’m pretty sure he was miles from there.

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Douglas Keachie

04 January 2013

But George, the rich keep getting richer, and you just don’t get the picture, of the rape of the USA by the 1 percent, do you? It is a country totally out of balance in terms of wealth, not unlike the England the founders fled from, and those at the top are only making jobs overseas, and apparently do not give a damn about what happens here. Republican House defeats aid to Sandy victims? If ever there was a shovel ready bunch of jobs, and the Repubbys are sitting there saying, “it’s my bucket and shovel, screw you!”
Oh, they changed their minds: “Congress has approved $9.7 billion in new aid for victims of Hurricane Sandy, with a face-saving quick move by the House taken three days after Speaker John A. Boehner earned scathing criticism from New York and New Jersey Republicans for canceling a late-night vote on the funds.
The bill, which will allow the Federal Emergency Management Agency to pay out claims to those who held federal flood insurance, was approved in the House on a 354 to 67 vote. After the House action, the Senate also adopted by bill in a quick unanimous voice vote, sending it to President Obama.”
They damn well better have changed their minds. We just paid $380 for flood insurance this fall, and if word gets out that the gov is going to welsh on those commitments, like they are trying to with social security, then the USA is dead, thanks, Repubbys!

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Russ Steele

04 January 2013

Douglas@11:51AM
You are correct the part time approach makes for some unhappy workers. In the real world those that complain are dropped to the bottom of the roster, and those will to work come to the top. At the present time there are enough un-emploied who are willing to work part time so it is not a problem for businesses hunting for employees in service industries, but going up the complexity scale, there are shortage of workers who can weld, operate machine tools, and do engineering calculations. Canada has sent recruiters to California to find employees for their oil and gas fields draining the CA work force, should the lefties decide to allow hydro-fracking, we will be critically short of the necessary workforce.

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Douglas Keachie

04 January 2013

Steele, the schools have been critically short of the funds to keep shop classes open for the last 60 years, ever since we won WWII. Does that tell you anything?
In 1980, SFUSD had to offer 7 years of seniority in the very first year to get shop teachers at all, to compete with private industry. I know, because I had been working for four years, passed my probabtionary period, and the autoshop guy came on board, with 3 more years than I had.
The next school I went to, I taught video production in what had been a giant metal shop classroom, from which all the tools had been auctioned off. You get the sachools and workers you pay for. So far the 1 % doesn’t give a damn. Does it take another WWII?

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