City of SeaTac Minimum Wage Increased to $15.00. Consequences Could Be Beneficial And Detrimental.

Submitted by Darren Smith, Guest Blogger

City of SeaTac LogoThe City of SeaTac Washington enacted a proposition narrowly approved by voters (77 vote margin among approximately 6,000 total votes) that would, among other issues, raise the minimum wage of hospitality and transportation workers to $15.00 per hour; one of the highest in the United States. The minimum wage for Washington State is $9.32 and the highest among all fifty states. Supporters of the proposition argued the cost of living for those workers is forcing them to live in substandard lifestyles given their working environment and lack of benefits provided in these industries. Opponents argue the law would put an unnecessary burden upon business and force cuts in employees and a disincentive to operate within the city. Much controversy has been generated on all sides.

There are and estimated 1,600 transportation and hospitality workers employed in SeaTac and 4,700 within the Port of Seattle; mainly serving the airport. The ordinance has sparked much controversy on both labor and business interests and could have an affect on other cities throughout the state. A recent superior court decision also has invalidated a significant number of employees working in SeaTac.

The ordinance is SeaTac Municipal Code Chapter 7.45.

SeaTac is located in the vicinity of Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA) south of Seattle. Adjacent to the airport, on International Boulevard, are a large number of hotels, motels, car rental agencies, and long term parking businesses that support travelers. The businesses subject to the ordinance generally are represented in the North American Industry Classification Codes (NAICS) as follows with some exemptions for small motels:

  • 485999 All Other Transit and Ground Passenger Transportation
  • 488119 Other Airport Operations
  • 488190 Other Support Activities for Air Transportation
  • 488510 Freight Transportation Arrangement
  • 532111 Passenger Car Rental
  • 561720 Janitorial Services
  • 721110 Hotels and Motels
  • 722310 Food Service Contractors
  • 722410 Drinking Places
  • 722514 Cafeterias, Grill Buffets, and Buffets
  • 722515 Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars

In addition to the wage minimum, adjusted annually for inflation, the ordinance provides a one hour sick and safe leave benefit per forty hours of work with a cash value to be paid at year end. Also there is a provision the employers must offer extra hours to part-time employees before a full time position is created. There are also provisions for employer/employee oversight related to labor relations.

The crux of the proposition was to provide this wage and benefit program both to employees outside the airport and those within the airport. However, recently the Superior Court of Washington for King County struck down the ordinance in part. In BF Foods, LLC, Filo Foods, LLC, et al., v. City of SeaTac, et al., (13-2-25352-6 KNT) Judge Andrea Darvas ruled the ordinance violated Revised Code of Washington 14.08.330 which declared the Port of Seattle which Seattle-Tacoma International is located and a state chartered municipality, had exclusive jurisdiction and the ordinance applying to this area was void declaring: “The Washington State Legislature has clearly and unequivocally stated its intent that municipalities other than the Port of Seattle may not exercise any jurisdiction or control over SeaTac Airport operations, or the laws and rules governing those operations.” Judge Darvas further decreed certain portions of the ordinance relating to employees suffering adverse actions for union activity or retaliation and such was pre-empted by federal labor law and void. Most of the remaining parts were upheld. Supporters of the ordinance promised a direct appeal to the state supreme court.

A few airports have labor rules similar to that of SeaTac. San Jose Airport workers are guaranteed health insurance and a $13.82 hourly wage. Los Angeles International workers receive $10.91 and health benefits.

Seattle-Tacoma InternationalOrganized opponents to the SeaTac ordinance were mostly from businesses. Plaintiffs in the lawsuit included Alaska Airlines which has its main hub at Seattle Tacoma International. In 2005 Alaska Airlines terminated 500 unionized ramp workers and re-hired some as lower wage, non-union workers. Recently, Alaska Airlines spokesman Paul McElroy stated: “Alaska Airlines believes in fair pay and benefits for all workers, and we respect every worker and the job they do…This lawsuit isn’t about $15 an hour. It’s about an initiative that violates state and federal law.”

Local businesses have spoken out as well. Han Kim, who manages Hotel Concepts which manages eleven hotels in Washington stated he and his business associates decided to shelve plans to construct a new hotel on land they own in SeaTac. They currently have three in SeaTac. Kim stated “Uncertainty is bad for business, and right now we’re right in that area so we’re just putting everything on hold” The American Car Rental Association estimated five percent of workers’ jobs would be cut along with another five to ten percent who will be replaced by more experienced workers. A manager with Dollar Rental Cars spoke of outsourcing some functions along with cutting staff.

Ramifications and benefits are certain to be brought by this ordinance, some short term and others into the future. A higher standard of living is a simple but important issue to those workers having more of a livable wage and provided benefits for their families. And most would agree with that. But what could be some of the long term issues that might affect those workers, their employees and the community?

Essentially an island of wage disparity has been created in the King County which SeaTac is located. Workers outside the city limits performing the same tasks as covered workers inside are paid sixty percent lower if paid at minimum wage. Moreover, almost an archipelago of islands are within the city itself. Those in other service industries and manufacturing who can work just as hard as transportation and hospitality workers are not given the same wages and benefits in the same city. Workers in the hotel industry who work at smaller locations are exempt from this benefit. Would this be considered equitable? Is it fair for some semi-skilled or low skilled jobs to be paid differently based upon lobbying efforts by some groups and where workers might or might not have union representation?

Businesses in SeaTac are at comparative disadvantage to those a few miles away. With the possibility of sixty percent higher labor costs in industries that are labor intensive and have low margins some SeaTac businesses could be priced out of business. Consumers are also likely to bear the burden of this as costs are transferred to the customer. If businesses depart or do not locate in the city SeaTac can face decreases in taxation. There is also a regulatory cost that can be had if a patchwork of cities enacts differing labor laws and this can negatively affect businesses that have to account for many locations rather than simply relying on state law.

It has been argued that with increasing wages comes increasing quality of services, workers with more earning power buy more goods and services which increases revenue to businesses, government, and other workers.

There are, however, other analogues in Washington where wages differ officially based upon location. One example is Prevailing Wage as defined in Chapter 39.12 RCW and Chapter 296-127 WAC. Essentially certain occupations hired for public works and contractors bidding for projects of the State of Washington must provide minimum wage and benefit levels for workers. Each county has a prevailing wage rate that is assigned for that region, there are underlying rates for trade levels such as journeymen or apprentice for numerous trades and in fact some are even more granular as in the case of commercial divers who receive hourly premiums based upon depth of each dive. See Washington Department of Labor and Industries prevailing wage calculator for details.

It is clear this is new territory in Washington State and other cities might follow suit. But it also represents some challenges that might require time to address.

What do you think?

Sources

Reuters
Fox News
City of SeaTac Municipal Code 7.45
Superior Court of Washington [13-2-25352-6 KNT]
Revised Code of Washington
Washington Administrative Code

178 thoughts on “City of SeaTac Minimum Wage Increased to $15.00. Consequences Could Be Beneficial And Detrimental.”

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  2. Regarding: “Is it fair for some semi-skilled or low skilled jobs to be paid differently based upon lobbying efforts by some groups and where workers might or might not have union representation?”

    Seriously, don’t mention “fair.” There is nothing fair about the wages paid for jobs. Unions and a minimum wage are absolutely necessary. That’s because the number of jobs in what’s called the “labor market” is manipulated by federal-level policies. U.S. wages are depressed by illegal corporate collusion to drive down wages, offshoring, importing foreign workers, using prison labor,and hiring undocumented workers without labor protections. For how those who work for a wage are being shafted, Google “Why Unions and a Minimum Wage are Necessary” or go directly to my website.

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  4. Teji:

    I dont agree with invading Iraq but that is done and the link above talks about the cost.

    In 8 years the deficit under Bush rose by about 5 trillion dollars. Between 09 and now the budget has increased by about 5-6 trillion. I think what Bush did was wrong too.

    What are you wanting me to find out about E85? I know it has corn in it, I know farmers are growing more corn, I know that corn is used as food for livestock, I imagine government is subsidising the production of corn and therefore Ethanol.

    I know that many red states are farm states. But so what? I am not in favor of government giving subsidies to farmers.

  5. Ever see a Zimbabwe 100 trillion dollar note? You can buy them for $5-10 American.

    “Zimbabwe’s dollar was once worth more than the U.S. dollar, but eroded rapidly in value amid the government’s the seizure of privately-owned farms and widespread property rights. By 2009, the highly regulated labor market boasted unemployment of 94%

    The Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe printed an uncountable quantity of money as government-instituted price-caps caused mass shortages of food, fuel and basic supplies. Massive inflation destroyed the currency’s value completely.

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    — 2007 wire service reports

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  6. Teji:

    There is a difference between a dishonest claim and a mistake. I dont think David is purposefully making dishonest claims.

    You have your sources, David has his and the same for your perceptions of what is going on.

    Exactly what I am talking about in your comment above, the GOP is rightly worried about the amount of money being printed by the FED and the very high national debt. Which, if memory serves has risen around 6 trillion under Obama.

    If you make $50,000 per year and your expenses are $35,000/year and you owe $50,000 per year plus interest, you arent going to like the next 5-10 years.
    Obama has sort of painted himself into a corner, he either has to cut spending or grow the economy like crazy. If he continues on at this rate he will do to us what Mugawbe did to his country.

    http://useconomy.about.com/od/usdebtanddeficit/a/National-Debt-by-Year.htm

    1. Bron writes:

      [Teji:

      There is a difference between a dishonest claim and a mistake. I dont think David is purposefully making dishonest claims.

      You have your sources, David has his and the same for your perceptions of what is going on.]

      Bron: David has apologised and I have accepted his apology. If you have different charts, then please present them so we can discuss it further.

      There is no dispute between David and me. It has been sorted out because he was brave enough to step to the plate and I commend him for that. I have no idea about the reason your barging in this matter and for what?

      Sorry to disappoint you but this matter is closed and done with.

      [Exactly what I am talking about in your comment above, the GOP is rightly worried about the amount of money being printed by the FED and the very high national debt. Which, if memory serves has risen around 6 trillion under Obama.]

      Bron: I asked you to research on other matters and I am still waiting for that. Please research on this too. Do not dwell in the GOP bubble that they have made especially for people like you and I assure you it is not built by Habitat of Humanity but by the sweat, blood and tears of the GOP donors who dwell in there, blindfolded.

      Please research about the cost of invasion in Iraq for no purpose, Medicare donut hole, Tax cuts for the rich, the bank,home and auto crisis at the end of Bush’s era, How many job bills have the GOP congress passed to improve the economy and how many jobs were we losing per month when Bush was about to leave the office and immediately afterwards? And do not forget the E-85.

      When you have done your homework, then we shall talk.:-)

  7. David: My only problem about this is the GOP’s chest beating and screaming that,”inflation is out of control” makes people dwell in the bubble that their GOP mastrs have created for the ignorant lot where lies become truths or truthiness, borrowing from Stephen Colbert. And when people dwell in this dishonest bubble, they lose their independent thinking and start parroting what their GOP masters have repeatedly said to them. This is not the way to live, work and serve the country that we proudly call our own in my opinion. It is a shame indeed. Don’t you think?

  8. Bron writes:

    [Teji:

    Part of the reason we dont have high inflation right now is that people are paying off their debt, which is a good thing. The money being spend on debt reduction is not being spent currently in the economy. Plus there are many people out of work so they are spending less.

    This isnt over yet.]

    Bron: That is not what David claimed, rather to the contrary. I am glad you also caught the dishonest claim by David.

  9. davidm2575 writes:

    Teji Malik wrote: “You still have not answered my question about your gas bills for your business vehicle. Did your wife pay for that too from her CPA job?:-)”

    [Yes. I did answer that. I am not allowed to deduct gas bills. I don’t have a business vehicle. I tried to ask her if we could have the business buy me a vehicle to use, but she said that would not make sense because the vehicle could only be used for business and not for personal use. I work in an office, and driving to and from work is not considered a business expense. Only if I was in a business like construction or transportation and I used the vehicle strictly for going to customers could I do it that way.]

    AS I said before, you have a lousy CPA who does know a thing about business. Of course you can deduct your gas expensive when you use it for business like buying equipment and using it to entertain your clients for a lunch or dinner and many other things. Fire her for God sake.

    [I’ve had many friends do what you talk about, but the truth is that they are being dishonest. They too get audited and get through it fine. I have never been audited, probably because the ratio of taxes and earnings tell them it is not worth the time. I read the law myself and she was right. Sometimes I think almost everybody but me cheats on taxes. C’est la vie.]

    David: It is a shameful thing to notice that your ignorance claims you to be the honest guy around the block and others are dishonest. I am glad you have dishonest friends. I hope you tell them the truth about your feelings towards them.

    Your CPA should know that there are many kind of deductions or I wish she did if she were not that lousy in her profession.

    Talking about dishonest people, what do you think about Mitt Romney, the candidate you must have voted for? He must be dishonest by paying 12% in income tax and you want dishonest people like that to be head of the US? Is this your benchmark as you claim to be the only honest non- cheater?

    Talking about a non-cheater, you must have a chat with the Republican Senator Vittier who while being married was doing the prostitutes. This is the kind of agenda and values you embrace.:-)

  10. Teji:

    Part of the reason we dont have high inflation right now is that people are paying off their debt, which is a good thing. The money being spend on debt reduction is not being spent currently in the economy. Plus there are many people out of work so they are spending less.

    This isnt over yet.

  11. Teji:

    Chicken is still pretty cheep. So is pork. They both eat corn. While I will agree that using corn for fuel is a bad idea, I dont think it has caused a doubling in the price of beef while chicken and pork have remained relatively stable.

    And if 14% is being used to increase the fuel supply, why hasnt gasoline come down in price?

    Overall it costs more to live than it used to, in my opinion caused by the Quantative Easing by the FED.

    1. Bron writes:

      [Teji:

      Chicken is still pretty cheep. So is pork. They both eat corn. While I will agree that using corn for fuel is a bad idea, I dont think it has caused a doubling in the price of beef while chicken and pork have remained relatively stable.

      And if 14% is being used to increase the fuel supply, why hasnt gasoline come down in price?

      Overall it costs more to live than it used to, in my opinion caused by the Quantative Easing by the FED.]

      Bron, please research and then we shall discuss.:-) Do not forget E-85 and why it is not being sold anymore in many parts of the country.

  12. davidm2575 writes:

    I’m with you, Bron. Inflation is out of control, and Teji says, “nothing happened, economy is improving” while the debt has increased to over $53,000 per person and continues to increase.

    David: I know you are a nice person and like to debate but when dishonesty takes the front seat in your agenda, then it is a shameful thing.

    Your claim of ” Inflation is out of control” is not only false but dishonest
    .
    Here is the inflation chart from 1930-2013. I would wait for an apology for this blatant dishonesty on your part..

    http://www.usinflationcalculator.com/inflation/historical-inflation-rates/

    [Teji, I have not lived in a communist country, but I have visited them. The only socialist country I have lived in is the U.S.A. What communist countries have you lived in?]

    Dave: I am from the UK. It is OK with me if you call USA the Socialist country. After all your parents did get Social Security.:-)

    [Oh, and we live in a democratic republic too. These terms are not mutually exclusive. You have a habit of thinking that socialism / communism, and democratic / republic are mutually exclusive. In reality, they have overlap.]

    Are you trying to say that German Democratic Republic(GDR) which was also known as East Germany had the same kind of government as the USA?

    I am a bit confused by your assertion. Can you please clarify it.

    1. Teji Malik wrote: “Here is the inflation chart from 1930-2013. I would wait for an apology for this blatant dishonesty on your part.”

      Sorry for my mistake, Teji. I spoke off the cuff based upon my personal experience with sticker shock and I was wrong.

      Some of my employees today were telling me today that I don’t charge enough, telling me how much our competitors were charging, so I was a little emotional about having to keep raising my prices. I did not check the inflation statistics, and I must say that I am very surprised at how low it is. When I go to buy the things I usually buy, they seem to cost so much more. Even today one of my employees was selling girl scout cookies for her little girl and said the price has gone up on them to $4 a box. She remembered when they were $2 a box (and she is only in her mid 20’s). If I had time, I would look at categories of the goods included in the inflation index and try to see what inflation is for normal middle class expenditures. It may be that big ticket items have come down or remained the same and have offset the index, or some other category. I don’t know. I am just very surprised.

      I noticed you talking about your vehicles. Have you priced a new car recently? There is sticker shock there as well. I was surprised to find out that my current vehicle has lost almost no value in 3 years, but a new vehicle has increased by about 40%. I decided to hold off buying a new one.

      In any case, I stand corrected. The inflation index indicates that inflation is not out of control. Thank you for setting me straight on that.

      1. David: No harm, no foul.:-) As mentioned before, we all learn, unlearn and relearn daily through what life brings us.

  13. Teji:

    The jury isnt yet out on quatitative easing and the selling of bonds by our government.

    I used to buy sirloin steak for 2.99/lb, I have to pay between 5-6/lb now so I mostly eat chicken which is probably healthier. Gas is almost 2 bucks a gallon more expensive and many other things have gone up. Gold has doubled since 2006 and so has silver.

    So I am not sure you are right. We shall see. One bright spot is the oil and gas boom which is happening now so that may be having a positive effect on the economy. If it wasnt for that, I imagine we would be in deep kim chee.

    1. I’m with you, Bron. Inflation is out of control, and Teji says, “nothing happened, economy is improving” while the debt has increased to over $53,000 per person and continues to increase.

      Teji, I have not lived in a communist country, but I have visited them. The only socialist country I have lived in is the U.S.A. What communist countries have you lived in?

      Oh, and we live in a democratic republic too. These terms are not mutually exclusive. You have a habit of thinking that socialism / communism, and democratic / republic are mutually exclusive. In reality, they have overlap.

    2. Bron wrote:

      Teji:

      [The jury isnt yet out on quatitative easing and the selling of bonds by our government.

      I used to buy sirloin steak for 2.99/lb, I have to pay between 5-6/lb now so I mostly eat chicken which is probably healthier. Gas is almost 2 bucks a gallon more expensive and many other things have gone up. Gold has doubled since 2006 and so has silver.

      So I am not sure you are right. We shall see. One bright spot is the oil and gas boom which is happening now so that may be having a positive effect on the economy. If it wasnt for that, I imagine we would be in deep kim chee.]

      Please state specific reasons why the goods you mentioned above have gone up in prices so we can discuss it better. As a starter, I will just give you a hint so you can research on your own.Have you heard of Ethanol which is made of corn that is also fed to cattle and it costs 6 times more to produce than from sugarcane the way Brazil’s manufactures? Who signed the executive order to add 14% of ethanol to our gas ? Have you heard of E-85 or not?

      I will wait for your response.so we can discuss this further.

  14. Teji:

    If you wish, franchise fees are only $10,000.00 and we provide the beef from a local organic farm near you. We have a special deal with them so we only pay 1.25/pound on the hoof. We sell to you for $3/pound.

    We also have a purchase agreement with Whole Foods all across the country so you can purchase everything else from them at a discount. Typically once or twice a month they sell items at a reduced rate.

    This saves on our shipping costs so we keep the money in your pocket.

  15. davidm2575
    {Teji Malik wrote: “Was USSR a communist country or not along with all the Easter bloc countries which were in cahoots with the USSR?”

    I’m not saying you are wrong to call them communist, but the terms communist and socialist are not mutually exclusive. The party that ran East Germany was called the Socialist Unity Party of Germany. It was formed by the merger of the Social Democratic Party of Germany and the Communist Party of Germany.

    I think that claiming the socialist label does not apply is inaccurate. I think the way modern socialists try to distance themselves from communism is disingenuous. The rhetoric of modern socialists is the same rhetoric that we heard from communists in the 50′s and 60′s. Many modern communists meet regularly with socialists. I was one invited to speak at a university by a communist. The venue was sponsored by a socialist group that this communist helped lead. Most members identified themselves as socialist rather than communist.]

    David:

    You are twisting things as usual. The East Germany was called German Democratic Republic (GDR). Was it a republic, or democratic? No way. It matters not what the names are but what the essence is, the part you refuse to grasp.

    “I think that claiming the socialist label does not apply is inaccurate.”inaccurate?”

    Have you lived in any of these countries or you are playing a Monday morning quarterback as you have been doing in many of your posts?

    “Teji Malik wrote: “I would not quote Wikipedia to prove my point.”
    You misunderstood. I did not quote Wikipedia to prove my point. I suggested you edit the Wiki to correct it and make it better. Perhaps with your knowledge, you are able to make the Wiki entries more accurate.”

    Why would I edit something that is a wrong reference to start with? You may learn more about Europe and amend it as your education about it grows

    [Teji Malik wrote: “When UK started printing Pounds and Germany Euros and pumped into the markets, the trend started reversing.”

    So you believe Credit and Borrowing money is the answer to creating a good economy. But do you believe that borrowing should be done in moderation? Do you believe in any caps on printing money?]

    David: It seems you know very little or almost nothing about economics or about accounts. In the case of the latter, you have a lousy CPA. Pun intended.

    It is called a service business. When you get a CD from a bank, is the bank borrowing from you or are you investing in the bank?

    The same thought process could be applied to your above thoughtfulness.

    We sell T.Bills(CD’s) to anyone who is interested in buying them at .5% interest. Teabaggers tried many scare tactics about the inflation and the interest rates going up if we kept on selling these services. Surprise, surprise. Nothing happened, economy is improving. All the fear mongering came to naught. 42 anti abortion bills were passed by the Gopers on our expense. It would have improved more if the Gopers had helped in the congress.

    What kind of American a person can call himself when he openly declares that he would try his best for America to fail so President Obama is only one term President? What kind of interests he has for those who voted for him one should ask when he is trying his best for all Americans to fail. The name is Mitch Mcconnell. Your guy.:-)

    Regarding Caps, each economy should dictate that when and how much?

  16. davidm2575 wrote:

    [Teji Malik wrote: “You and I know that is not totally true. You did get money from your start up business in different forms as gas for the car, coffee etc. etc. and you also got refund from the IRS for your business deductions. If your spouse is helping you with her income, then your business model is not the right one.”

    No, what I said was true. My business is developing computer software, so more than twenty years ago, I had to invest time and money into creating a product before I could get paid. Without a product, nobody buys. While many businessmen put their money at risk, I had no money. I put at risk my time and labor by working without pay. Eventually I had to add some side jobs, like cleaning offices for a little money, doing computer repair, and selling computers. But once I had a solid software product to sell and I had some income from selling it, I stopped doing those other type of jobs. My wife eventually left the big accounting firm she worked for and started a private practice. As the family grew, she let clients go until her full time job has become our children and running the household.

    I have never seen a tax refund from the IRS. I have had many discussions with my wife about how different business people I knew were claiming large deductions for all kinds of things. She would tell me that what they were doing was dishonest and illegal even though they had not been caught and probably never would be caught. She is very strict about what is allowed and what is not. She is my CPA for my business, so she is boss about those things. I don’t deduct for gas for the car, or coffee, or anything not related to my business. I try to tell her, “but I use my car to get me to the office.” Nope. Law is that such is not a business expense. If I have to travel out of town on business, yes, but not traveling to office from my home. She is super strict about separating business expenses from personal expenses. If I don’t give her a receipt that she can verify is a bona fide business expense, then she will not deduct it as a business expense. As a result, I pay thousands in taxes every month. When tax return time comes, I don’t get a refund.]

    David:

    I am sorry to say that you have a lousy CPA who happens to be your wife who is advising you that all legal business deductions are illegal.

    I would suggest you change your lousy,incompetent CPA, but keep your wife.:-)

    We regulary get audited by the sales tax deaprtment and the IRS.No one has found anything wrong with our accounting. In fact, my first and only sales tax auditing lasted only for 30 minutes because I use my on software along with the corporations’ to make things easier and clearer. The normal time the sales tax auditing takes is 45 days according to the officer.

    You still have not answered my question about your gas bills for your business vehicle. Did your wife pay for that too from her CPA job?:-)

    1. Teji Malik wrote: “You still have not answered my question about your gas bills for your business vehicle. Did your wife pay for that too from her CPA job?:-)”

      Yes. I did answer that. I am not allowed to deduct gas bills. I don’t have a business vehicle. I tried to ask her if we could have the business buy me a vehicle to use, but she said that would not make sense because the vehicle could only be used for business and not for personal use. I work in an office, and driving to and from work is not considered a business expense. Only if I was in a business like construction or transportation and I used the vehicle strictly for going to customers could I do it that way.

      I’ve had many friends do what you talk about, but the truth is that they are being dishonest. They too get audited and get through it fine. I have never been audited, probably because the ratio of taxes and earnings tell them it is not worth the time. I read the law myself and she was right. Sometimes I think almost everybody but me cheats on taxes. C’est la vie.

  17. Teji:

    Not so good, I pay $17.50 to start, so I only make $275k instead of $500k. I had to sell the Benz and Bmer and buy a F150 pickup and a Honda. I had to sell my 8,000 sq. ft home and buy a 4,000 sq. ft home. Kids had to quit that $50,000 per year private liberal arts college and go to the state school.

    But everyone has health insurance and is making a minimum of $35k/year.

    I think I am selling Bron’s Burgers and buying a McDonalds franchise. That way when my my employees ask for $17.50 per hour I can tell them corporate only allows me to pay minimum wage. 🙂

    I just approached the owner of my old house and he is willing to sell it back to me, thank god for a franchise.

    1. Bron:

      I am so very happy for you and for your employees at Bron’s Burger. Please keep it up with the pipe dream.:-)

      As far as cars are concerned. I have Mercury Tracer station wagon 1997 which I bought in 1998 and Town and Country 2008. I am happy for you that Bron’s Burgers is doing well.I hope to become its franchisee one day.:-)

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