Community Chat

[terrier3]

On 5/15/2015 Qwackertoo said:

On 5/15/2015 Cakers1 said:

Some of the "bluest" states are giving the most in breaks in corporate taxes, including no taxes at all.

This isn't a left/right issue.

Yes. NY state in particular. I see their advertisements regularly on television touting this program.

We are building the Tesla guy's battery plant here in Buffalo for his solar energy company.

3,000 jobs - and a new technology and a new affordable marketing plan. His company will OWN the solar panels and rent them to homeowners...greatly reducing the cost of solar energy for the average family. It's based on the plan that is working so well in Germany.

His company has invented better battery technology - that's his main goal - to develop batteries for his cars and for solar power for homes and businesses.

There are dozens of NY State jobs being created by new companies on university properties.

Another company is BAK - they make low cost tablets used by school kids in Africa and India. The owners are Dutch - they hired many inner city employees here and just received private investment from Tom Golisano - 200 new jobs. Golisano gets tax breaks for investing - the employees don't have to pay state taxes for 10 years, same with the owners. They said they could have set up business anywhere in the world, but chose here because of the program.

[Qwackertoo]

On 5/15/2015 wookie said:

On 5/15/2015 Qwackertoo said:

Yes. NY state in particular. I see their advertisements regularly on television touting this program.

It doesn't surprise me that it is occuring in some blue states, too. But it is mostly a philosophy that the right subscribes to more than the left. I think both positions need to be replaced with common sense ones. Perhaps offer tax incentives to corporations who provide decent paying jobs. Both of my grandfathers worked at Delco products, and my grandmother worked at Frigidaire. Those jobs paid well, and supported families. These types of jobs are what this country needs.

This pretty much encompasses what is happening in the southeast with the automotive industry. Incentives to locate. Lots of jobs. Good paying jobs. Good benefits. Then those employees buy goods and services, buy or rent homes & apartments, pay taxes, send their kids to schools, send their older kids to either community colleges or state universities with lower tuition rates than out of state or private institutions and small business that provide much of the services and products plus throw in a Walmart or two and Sam's or Costco . . . while yes right to work is a right/left issue . . . it seems to be working very well in the southeast. I've named all the companies earlier in the thread. I can't actually think of a one right now that DOESN'T have a factory here.

Not everyone in NY can work on Wall Street. They too and other states need some manufacturing based companies in their economic base.

[Surfnturf]

Don't want to quote again, so will just say I totally agree with you, and think most Americans would agree, as well.

[terrier3]

On 5/15/2015 Qwackertoo said:

Not everyone in NY can work on Wall Street. They too and other states need some manufacturing based companies in their economic base.

We have some of the most productive auto plants in America here in the Northeast. It's proximity to the Canadian market helps too.

Ford, Chevy, Goodyear Tires, GM Parts, lots of plants. They are coming back to MI too.

[Cakers1]

Not all solar companies are created equal. Leasing from only one company diminishes competition; homeowners should shop around before considering signing any rental agreement and/or financing with only one company.

[Surfnturf]

Interesting. I learned something new tody. I hope the trend of bringing jobs home continues. The incentives seem fair to me given the resulting increase in real jobs.

[terrier3]

On 5/15/2015 Cakers1 said:

Not all solar companies are created equal. Leasing from only one company diminishes competition; homeowners should shop around before considering signing any rental agreement and/or financing with only one company.

Elon Musk, the Tesla guy, is a great marketer.

He is going to make his solar product as enticing as possible - like he has done with his cars.

[Kachina624]

On 5/15/2015 raining said:

It seems now a days young people all want to sit in front of a computer and make their living. if a job is any more difficult than that they are not interested. Really work ?!?! Surely you aren't serious !?!? However, in a country where the jobs that are available are every increasingly going to service jobs that attitude doesn't get them very far. While I recognize that it is a huge disappointment to them, people who pay living wages actually expect their employees to EARN that money.

Jobs using computers can be very challenging. One does not have to be digging ditches for his efforts to be called "work". Only someone who has spent his/her life engaged in manual labor thinks working on a computer is not work.

[Cakers1]

On 5/15/2015 terrier3 said:

On 5/15/2015 Cakers1 said:

Not all solar companies are created equal. Leasing from only one company diminishes competition; homeowners should shop around before considering signing any rental agreement and/or financing with only one company.

Elon Musk, the Tesla guy, is a great marketer.

He is going to make his solar product as enticing as possible - like he has done with his cars.

My point is that not all solar companies are equal. I advocate homeowners doing their research. Think about how long it takes for a homeowner to recoup their $ in terms of savings because they installed solar panels.

Renting solar panels vs. how much one actually saves. I don't have those figures but guarantee they will vary depending upon location, price, and company.

Musk isn't going to lose on this deal; great marketing or not - the issue is how much the homeowner will benefit, not how much Musk can sell.

I'm all for alternatives - but people need to be smart about them.

[Marienkaefer2]

On 5/15/2015 Qwackertoo said:

The top 5% are doing fantastic.

The top 10% are doing very well.

The top 25% aren't complaining so much.

But that 47% . . . they are STILL HURTING. And worse off than ever.

The War On Poverty Has Been Lost. 60 years later. It is no better.

Keep doing the same thing . . . and expecting different results isn't working.

Go. Figure.

I would say the fact that middle class wages have remained stagnant for 40 years is a big factor. The crash in 2008 really impacted recent numbers. People lost jobs that aren't coming back, and so they are forced to go on public assistance and/or take lower wage jobs. There are approx. 3 million jobs available, but they require skills that workers don't have. I think there should be more investment in worker retraining. And we should do that before increasing visas to allow more foreign workers with those skills into the country.