Trump v Amazon

President Donald Trump giving Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos an earful.

President Trump is at it again.  *sigh*  His mouth is in overdrive, and his brain is in neutral.  His latest target is Amazon, the retailing behemoth.  Da Prez claims Amazon is ripping off the Treasury by not paying enough taxes, and is cheating the USPS, aka the Post Office, by not paying their fair share for shipping. I'm sure his displeasure has nothing to do with the fact that Bezos also owns the Washington Post, which has some very aggressive investigative reporters who have uncovered all sorts of Trump shenanigans.

Trump says Amazon is costing the USPS billions of dollars, financially breaking an already broke Post Office.  The only problem with that is it's not true.  No less than the Postal Regulatory Commission says the USPS makes a profit from its Amazon business, which subsidizes its other services.  In fact, as I recall, Amazon not long ago made a commitment to help keep the USPS afloat by maintaining or even increasing its business with them.  They had an ulterior motive for doing this, of course:  they didn't want to put all their eggs in only FedEx and UPS's basket. 

Now, about the state and federal government treasuries getting short changed.  Umm, President Trump, would you please show us YOUR taxes?  Have you not taken advantage of all the tax breaks YOU were legally allowed?  Of course you have, but somehow it's not OK if Amazon does the same?  

The truth is, Amazon pays state sales taxes on products they sell in those states where they have an actual physical presence.  In other words, if they have, for example, a warehouse or "Fulfillment Center" in a state, they pay that state sales taxes on everything they sell there.  But if you'll pay attention to Amazon's website you'll see that some of the things you can buy there are actually shipped from independent cooperating retailers, and THEY don't pay state sales taxes if THEY don't have a physical presence in the state they're shipping to.  While it does sound like an end run, it's legal.  Don't like the law?  Take a number....our tax code is hopelessly rigged.  And don't look to congress for a remedy.  They're the rig-ers.

If President Trump wants to pick on Amazon, why doesn't he point out all the local businesses they have helped close down over the years?  Why is Amazon allowed to keep buying up other businesses, like Zappos and Whole Foods, hastening its eventual stranglehold on American consumers?  "Economy of scale" is a double edged sword.  Bigger is definitely better....if you're big.  But if you're a small business, not so much.  It seems to me consumers are just unwitting pawns in their "bigger" game. 

S

They're at it again....

The Arab world is rioting again.  Well, as they're always pissed off about something, I guess this isn't really breaking news.  

Now things seem to be boiling over in Egypt, a "strategic American ally".  Really?  How so?  They hate us.  Except on the day our $1.5B foreign aid check arrives in the mail.  Then we're big buds.  But then the check clears and they go back to hating our guts again.

Even more ridiculous is the $3.5B we give to Pakistan every year.  Are there varying degrees of how much you can hate America?  If so, the Pakistanis would be at the top of that bar chart.  Except on the day our foreign aid check arrives in the mail.  Then we're big buds.

We also give $3.1B a year to Israel, but at least they share with us some of the world-class R&D they're doing.  Considering how much we shovel their way you'd think Pakistan and Egypt would share, too, since they're world leaders in....ummm....ahhhh.....somebody help me out here.  (Rock chucking doesn't count.)

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Early this morning a UPS Airbus A300 cargo jet crashed on its approach into Birmingham, Alabama, killing the two crew members.  Tragic.  :(

This somehow brings to mind something I've wondered about for a long time:  Why do commercial pilots make so much money? *  (Smooth segue, huh?  Yes, my mind works in strange ways.)

Don't get me wrong, I don't want some slovenly bus driver up there hauling me and my family all over the sky.  It's a tough job, with terrible pay and long hours for newbies, but they eventually cash in big a few years later, while there are (or at least there used to be) hundreds of very competent high-hour pilots leaving the military every year who are turned away by the airlines.  (Many are now being soaked up by new foreign air carriers, but this is a fairly recent phenomenon.)  

What happened to supply and demand?  I always thought a shortage of a particular job skill = higher pay for those who had it, while an overabundance moderated wages. Apparently not so for commercial pilots.

Pilots I've asked about this say the public can't imagine the huge responsibility they have to care for the 200...300...400 or more passengers strapped to their back.  OK, fair enough.  But why then does a senior FedEx pilot make MORE than a senior Delta, American, or United Captain?  All they have strapped to their back are letters and packages.

*I wish someone would pay me for thinking of weird stuff like this.  I'd be rich!*

Oh well.  Just another of life's mysteries.  Have a great day everyone.  :)

S

* Why does a Boeing 747 have that big bulge on top of the fuselage at the front of the plane?  So the pilot can sit on his wallet.  :)

Now THAT'S going to put a crimp in Christmas!

Our local news just reported the Irving, TX fire department is responding to a 2-alarm fire at a FedEx shipping facility there.  Ouch!  So much for that whiz-bang new toy, the last one on the shelf, that Grandma was sending her favorite grandson.
  

Do you think maybe....could it be possible....?

S

Details....details....

We're still doing all those little detail things moving demands, like dealing with the change of address notices. Yesterday K was online filling out the form with the Post Office and she came in and asked to use my debt card.  I asked why and she said the USPS charged a $1 fee for online address changes.  Do you believe that?  Mark my words, one of these days the Post Office is just going to wither and die.  They are darn near worthless now....all I ever get in the mail are two magazines and junk mail, and I'd be happy to pay a little more to the publishers to send the magazines UPS.  I don't want the junk mail at all.  That's why it's called JUNK.  At least the magazines would arrive in one piece as opposed to the covers being ripped off like I get now.


Meanwhile I set up our new electric service.  In Texas we have a choice of providers which sounds good but is in reality a royal rip-off.  When we "de-regulated" years ago it was rigged so that we Texas homeowners pay among the highest rates in the nation.  The deciding factor is the length of rate lock-in you want;  month-to-month, 3 months at a time, 6 months, or a year.  I chose the 12 month term and am paying $.086 per kilowatt hour (1,000 KW = $86).  If you don't mind telling, what do you pay per KWH where you live?  I'm curious to see how badly I'm being screwed.


A bit of good news....I have someone interested in buying my huge desk.  I hope he can come by this week and we can make a deal.  My back hurts just thinking about having to move that monstrosity.


We start a new remodel job today so I've gotta get a move-on.  Hope y'all have a good week.


S

The Postal Service strikes again!

I know the US Constitution specifically says the government is supposed to deliver the mail, but really, the Postal Service is about as worthless as a screen door on a submarine.   Why would anyone choose to deal with the USPS, given a choice?  How inept do you have to be to get a job at the post office?  Maybe that's why they lost $5.1B last year, and are projected to lose another $14.1B next year.  They can't even deliver a simple magazine in one piece:

Up through page 48 I just have to guess what the missing words might have said.  As far as I'm concerned, the USPS can go ahead and forgo Saturday delivery as they are proposing.  They should easily be able to compress their damage into a 5-day-delivery week, leaving their Saturday's free for banjo practice.

Long live UPS and FedEx!

S

From the mouth of babes....

Little Johnny attended a horse auction with his father.  He watched as his father moved from horse to horse, running his hands up and down the horse's legs, rump, and chest.   After a few minutes Johnny asked, "Dad, why are you doing that?"


His father replied, "Because when I'm buying horses I have to make sure they are healthy and in good shape before I buy.  This is how I check."


Johnny, looking worried, said, "Dad, I think the UPS guy wants to buy mom."


*Ouch*  :)


S