Mainstream article: 15% of Americans on Food Stamps

[AGgressive Metal]

http://bottomline.nbcnews.com/_news/201 ... ood-stamps

[AGgressive Metal]

Sadly I think this is exactly what the gov't wants - get everyone dependent on government food and you have almost total control.

[My2Cents]

Of course that's what they want. The more you depend on the Government, the more liberties you surrender for your meal ticket. I don't see how our current administration can spend $5 TRILLION in the last 4 years, and yet, nothing's changed. The way I look at it is this: Poor people don't hire anyone. It's the big businesses that hire people, so obviously, you have to cater to the 1% of the world to get the other 99% back to work. Make an incentive for big business to hire locally, and you get America back to work. Then you draw from that tax base on the working folks instead of them sucking off of the welfare system and entitlement programs.

But what do I know.....

[barrytrot]

Actually it is the SMALL businesses that hire people.

Big businesses are routinely laying people off.

Most people work for a small business (those that work). And some of the small business owners aren't even in the "1%".

The best "incentive" would be to reduce red-tape.

[knibloe]

I wonder if this includes WIC as well? My guess is it doesn't

[Treetop]

Actually it is the SMALL businesses that hire people.

Big businesses are routinely laying people off.

Most people work for a small business (those that work). And some of the small business owners aren't even in the "1%".

The best "incentive" would be to reduce red-tape.

+1

I have nothing against big business, but for a truly vibrant economy we cant rely on just them. We need millions of little guys. Less red tape would be a major improvement imo.

Id actually be selling excess eggs and milk to a neighbor now if I didnt need to jump through many hoops to do it. More expensive hoops then Id ever make selling to a few neighbors. Instead I just feed everything extra to the chickens, which works well enough, but Id much rather be able to sell it to other adults who know full well the goat milk is from my backyard.

[barrytrot]

Id actually be selling excess eggs and milk to a neighbor now if I didnt need to jump through many hoops to do it. More expensive hoops then Id ever make selling to a few neighbors. Instead I just feed everything extra to the chickens, which works well enough, but Id much rather be able to sell it to other adults who know full well the goat milk is from my backyard.

Phenomenal point.

There should never be a barrier to simple market exchanges such as this but there are probably 1,000 laws that apply only to the activity mentioned above! Most of which are more "fees" than "laws" when inspected.

[Mossy]

Big companies benifit from increased regulation. It destroys the small competitors.

[barrytrot]

Big companies benifit from increased regulation. It destroys the small competitors.

This is a widely held misconception actually.

The cost of regulation scales disproportionately actually. i.e. big business pays a higher percentage of regulation fees.

The reason big business still works is that economy of scale outpaces regulation costs by quite a bit.

Removal or reduction of regulation would bolster all businesses across the board and according to most economists would result in a net zero for the government due to increased tax base/etc.

Why do regulations exist then?

2 reasons:

1. Because as a general rule laws are additive. I.e. law number 5,982 means that there are already 5,981 laws on the books that aren't coming off.

2. Because each new law fills the EVIL pockets of another person or persons and those people aren't giving up their free gravy train without a fight.

[knibloe]

Big companies benifit from increased regulation. It destroys the small competitors.

This is a widely held misconception actually.

The cost of regulation scales disproportionately actually. i.e. big business pays a higher percentage of regulation fees.

The reason big business still works is that economy of scale outpaces regulation costs by quite a bit.

Removal or reduction of regulation would bolster all businesses across the board and according to most economists would result in a net zero for the government due to increased tax base/etc.

Why do regulations exist then?

2 reasons:

1. Because as a general rule laws are additive. I.e. law number 5,982 means that there are already 5,981 laws on the books that aren't coming off.

2. Because each new law fills the EVIL pockets of another person or persons and those people aren't giving up their free gravy train without a fight.

I believe that there is also a third reason. That is the desire of some people tohave powere over others.

[barrytrot]

You are probably right knibloe

[Sheikh_yer_Bu'Tay]

Once the BUSH TAX CUTS expire and the CLINTON TAX INCREASES kick in again, there will be even more people applying for food stamps (and every other benefit).

Couple that with the full impact of OBAMACARE kicking in at virtually the same time and we will have an event akin to the Titanic hitting the iceberg.

You ain't seen nothing yet, folks.

[Mossy]

Big companies benifit from increased regulation. It destroys the small competitors.

This is a widely held misconception actually.

The cost of regulation scales disproportionately actually. i.e. big business pays a higher percentage of regulation fees.

The reason big business still works is that economy of scale outpaces regulation costs by quite a bit.

The last line I left in is exactly what I was talking about. The company I work for can afford to pay someone to concentrate on meeting federal and state regs, and he is very good at it. The smaller companies, and I got this from one of the old style inspectors who was trained up to help businesses, could not afford to gain the knowledge and had to hire lawyers, and went out of business from the added expenses.

Another point is that the company I work for can afford to have an office away from the production floor and production office so the inspection does not shut down all work. Other places I've been would have the inspector right there in the middle of things when people came running in, screaming about something, and that would not make it at all. Those places no longer exist.

[Engineer]

I agree with Mossy.

Large companies can spread the costs of compliance over many products, so the cost per product is fairly low. If you've only got a couple products, those costs become a MUCH bigger burden as a function of cost per item.

[Treetop]

I dont feel like getting into all the details, but I happen to be decently versed in aspects of how our food productions laws came about. Its pretty apparent to me, truly BIG business knows very well how to use regulation to crush competition. It is even happening with textbooks in schools now.