renosteinke
Senior Member
- Location
- NE Arkansas
It's mighty hard to answer some of the issues raised without someone getting the idea that you're being rude to them - so, I'll declare right up front: if you feel insulted, go back and learn some more. Don't hate me because of your ignorance.
A bare patch of dirt 'supports itself' if the folks living on it have another income paying all the bills. That's not running a business. I regret that farming was used as an example, but if we want to go down that road, farms are legendary for the cheap 'field engineered' work that figures so prominently in the outrageously high accident rates in the farming industry. We are also constantly deluged with complaints about "corporate" farms "ruining" the little guy. Guess that maybe the family farm isn't so competitive after all.
Yes, it IS a lot more expensive to run a small shop than a large one - at least, on a per-person basis. This is because all the regulatory and overhead expenses fall upon the shoulders of the one guy in the place - rather than being spread out over the entire employee base. One license, one insurance policy, one OSHA seminar, one EPA certificate, one office, one phone .... all remain the same whether the firm has one truck or twenty.
Are we expensive? Well, when someone asks for a 'break,' I first look at their car and home. If their conditions are nicer than mine, I figure that they're the ones who ought to be giving ME a break. I look around at my fellow tradesmen, and I don't see too many who can afford a proper house - let alone an entire farm.
Folks in rural areas often preface their electrical questions by asserting that there is no need to worry about codes and inspections. Well, they're on to something: all that 'governemnt' costs money. That's included in the electricians' bill.
That's where all the bad feeling towards 'handymen' comes into play. It's NOT a 'level playing field' when one has expenses to meet and demands to fulfill, and the other gets a free pass. Heck, even I could sell corn for pennies a bushel, as long as I can take it from my neighbors' farm!
Now, lest out farmer take this personal, I also think we need to point out just how many of our fellow citizens are completely unaware of the 'hidden' costs of running a business. They alre also unaware of the massive taxes they pay- simply because they never see the money. While your paycheck might show 30% in 'deductions,' the total is at least double that. That's how much you're taxed before you see the check. The $10/hr that an employer pays has to be billed at $18/hr, just to pay the taxes! Social security, workmans' comp, employment taxes, unemployment insurance ... you name the agency, they've got their fingers in the kettle.
Please note how none of these fees apply to farmers. No wonder we seem 'expensive' to them.
If the general population understood these expenses, political terms would be limited by the length of our ropes- and our codes would fit inside a matchbook.
A bare patch of dirt 'supports itself' if the folks living on it have another income paying all the bills. That's not running a business. I regret that farming was used as an example, but if we want to go down that road, farms are legendary for the cheap 'field engineered' work that figures so prominently in the outrageously high accident rates in the farming industry. We are also constantly deluged with complaints about "corporate" farms "ruining" the little guy. Guess that maybe the family farm isn't so competitive after all.
Yes, it IS a lot more expensive to run a small shop than a large one - at least, on a per-person basis. This is because all the regulatory and overhead expenses fall upon the shoulders of the one guy in the place - rather than being spread out over the entire employee base. One license, one insurance policy, one OSHA seminar, one EPA certificate, one office, one phone .... all remain the same whether the firm has one truck or twenty.
Are we expensive? Well, when someone asks for a 'break,' I first look at their car and home. If their conditions are nicer than mine, I figure that they're the ones who ought to be giving ME a break. I look around at my fellow tradesmen, and I don't see too many who can afford a proper house - let alone an entire farm.
Folks in rural areas often preface their electrical questions by asserting that there is no need to worry about codes and inspections. Well, they're on to something: all that 'governemnt' costs money. That's included in the electricians' bill.
That's where all the bad feeling towards 'handymen' comes into play. It's NOT a 'level playing field' when one has expenses to meet and demands to fulfill, and the other gets a free pass. Heck, even I could sell corn for pennies a bushel, as long as I can take it from my neighbors' farm!
Now, lest out farmer take this personal, I also think we need to point out just how many of our fellow citizens are completely unaware of the 'hidden' costs of running a business. They alre also unaware of the massive taxes they pay- simply because they never see the money. While your paycheck might show 30% in 'deductions,' the total is at least double that. That's how much you're taxed before you see the check. The $10/hr that an employer pays has to be billed at $18/hr, just to pay the taxes! Social security, workmans' comp, employment taxes, unemployment insurance ... you name the agency, they've got their fingers in the kettle.
Please note how none of these fees apply to farmers. No wonder we seem 'expensive' to them.
If the general population understood these expenses, political terms would be limited by the length of our ropes- and our codes would fit inside a matchbook.
