Danny, the folk in Washington never ask my opinion. Either side. But I do like & listen to Michael Bloomberg, the mayor of New York. I'm uninformed enough that I don't know whether he's a Republican or a Democrat. I seem to remember someone saying he's rich, and when I listen to him or read what he writes, he seems pretty sensible.
His comment on the capital gains rate was it simply reflects economic policy. If the government wants to encourage investment, it lowers the capital gains rate. Econ 101. Now if the government thinks that someone making 13.5 million a year, all from capital gains, needs to be taxed at a higher rate, it has to scale the capital gains rate just like it scales the income rate. We're still in Econ 101, and if the Democrats can't figure that out, I'd suggest a recall.
Nothing I've heard contradicts that -- of course, I don't much listen to TV news, period. If that's what's scaring you, I'd worry, but worry a lot less. Unless you can't get an erection or your bones are softening. They push products for that a lot. Oh, and Fox news, which also sells lies, because it's what people want to hear, & cheaper to lie than do any work.
* * *
While our business is all right, we've not been unaffected by the recession. I set type, something anyone can do at their desk now, right? And it can be done in India at 25% what we charge. Nor do I assume that Asians aren't just as smart or capable as Americans. But what has been true is that there is a relatively small segment of the market, high quality work, where they don't compete. A niche.
And we've lost some customers, at least for a while. The University of Washington Press (Where Al lives, not D.C.) told us they were going to have to use their in-house people do all their own typesetting, or they'd have to lay off 50% of the staff. Most of those people usually did other things, but by doing their own typesetting, they could keep everybody on at 75% time.
Our response? I sent them a couple type families I'd worked over so they could set just about anything that used the Latin alphabet, from Vietnamese to Native American Indian languages (Navajo was the immediate problem for them). All I asked was that they not give these typefaces to another outside vendor. Like I said, sometimes you have to take care of your neighbor, even if it costs you.
I won't presume to know the answers for your business. I will bet that even if it's sorta, kinda buggy-whip manufacturing like mine, there are some. And that you're smart enough to find them.
Charles
EDIT:
I decided it was lazy of me, so I went & looked Bloomberg up. I guess you say he's currently an Independent? And yeah, he's rich... And his stated position in the "Economic issues" sounds spot on to me. I'm sure it would drive Fox News up the wall, not doctrinaire.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Bloomberg
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Bloomberg#Economic_issues
His comment on the capital gains rate was it simply reflects economic policy. If the government wants to encourage investment, it lowers the capital gains rate. Econ 101. Now if the government thinks that someone making 13.5 million a year, all from capital gains, needs to be taxed at a higher rate, it has to scale the capital gains rate just like it scales the income rate. We're still in Econ 101, and if the Democrats can't figure that out, I'd suggest a recall.
Nothing I've heard contradicts that -- of course, I don't much listen to TV news, period. If that's what's scaring you, I'd worry, but worry a lot less. Unless you can't get an erection or your bones are softening. They push products for that a lot. Oh, and Fox news, which also sells lies, because it's what people want to hear, & cheaper to lie than do any work.
* * *
While our business is all right, we've not been unaffected by the recession. I set type, something anyone can do at their desk now, right? And it can be done in India at 25% what we charge. Nor do I assume that Asians aren't just as smart or capable as Americans. But what has been true is that there is a relatively small segment of the market, high quality work, where they don't compete. A niche.
And we've lost some customers, at least for a while. The University of Washington Press (Where Al lives, not D.C.) told us they were going to have to use their in-house people do all their own typesetting, or they'd have to lay off 50% of the staff. Most of those people usually did other things, but by doing their own typesetting, they could keep everybody on at 75% time.
Our response? I sent them a couple type families I'd worked over so they could set just about anything that used the Latin alphabet, from Vietnamese to Native American Indian languages (Navajo was the immediate problem for them). All I asked was that they not give these typefaces to another outside vendor. Like I said, sometimes you have to take care of your neighbor, even if it costs you.
I won't presume to know the answers for your business. I will bet that even if it's sorta, kinda buggy-whip manufacturing like mine, there are some. And that you're smart enough to find them.
Charles
EDIT:
I decided it was lazy of me, so I went & looked Bloomberg up. I guess you say he's currently an Independent? And yeah, he's rich... And his stated position in the "Economic issues" sounds spot on to me. I'm sure it would drive Fox News up the wall, not doctrinaire.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Bloomberg
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Bloomberg#Economic_issues
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