How hard do you work?
Posted by SolitudeIsBliss 10 years, 3 months ago to Politics
After experiencing all the headaches of running a small business in these challenging times knowing that most of my hard work, sacrifice and profit will not be rewarded but instead taken by force from me and instead given to moochers and looters I've told my husband I'm done. I could work 60+ hrs a week, travel and make my business grow even more but I refuse to.
I will only work enough to meet our needs and no more. I will not Cooperate ! If someone wants a piece of the pie, let them bake !
So even though times are hard and sales aren't what they should be we're surviving but not one more drop of MY sweat is going to go to others.
Hank Reardon:
"I work for nothing but my own profit. I earn it."
"No, I do not want my attitude to be misunderstood. I shall be glad to state it for the record. I am in full agreement with the facts of everything said about me in the newspapers - with the facts, but not with the evaluation. I work for nothing but my own profit - which I make by selling a product they need to men who are willing and able to buy it. I do not produce it for their benefit at the expense of mine, and they do not buy it for my benefit at the expense of theirs; I do not sacrifice my interests to them nor do they sacrifice theirs to me; we deal as equals by mutual consent to mutual advantage - and I am proud of every penny that I have earned in this manner. I am rich and I am proud of every penny I own. I made my money by my own effort, in free exchange and through the voluntary consent of every man I dealt with - voluntary consent of those who employed me when I started, the voluntary consent of those who work for me now, the voluntary consent of those who buy my product!
Just wondering what others think !
I will only work enough to meet our needs and no more. I will not Cooperate ! If someone wants a piece of the pie, let them bake !
So even though times are hard and sales aren't what they should be we're surviving but not one more drop of MY sweat is going to go to others.
Hank Reardon:
"I work for nothing but my own profit. I earn it."
"No, I do not want my attitude to be misunderstood. I shall be glad to state it for the record. I am in full agreement with the facts of everything said about me in the newspapers - with the facts, but not with the evaluation. I work for nothing but my own profit - which I make by selling a product they need to men who are willing and able to buy it. I do not produce it for their benefit at the expense of mine, and they do not buy it for my benefit at the expense of theirs; I do not sacrifice my interests to them nor do they sacrifice theirs to me; we deal as equals by mutual consent to mutual advantage - and I am proud of every penny that I have earned in this manner. I am rich and I am proud of every penny I own. I made my money by my own effort, in free exchange and through the voluntary consent of every man I dealt with - voluntary consent of those who employed me when I started, the voluntary consent of those who work for me now, the voluntary consent of those who buy my product!
Just wondering what others think !
My biggest suggestion is to find something to fill that space and focus your creative spirit. A new hobby, additional time with your family, etc. can really help.
Ken Danagger quote "I'm just feeding the beast that's trying to destroy me."
For the last 10 years or so I have been running a reasonably successful dive bar. And in doing so, I am on strike.
It's not that the business doesn't require a huge amount of effort to operate profitably; it does. Just ask any other bar owner you may run into. And while I still work hard, I consider this endeavor's contribution back to our moocher society to be minimal, at best.
You see, like Hugh Akston and his diner, I have chosen NOT to use my skills and training to benefit those who want to reward my efforts by looting me of the fruits of those efforts. Instead, I use them on projects that amuse me and maybe a few of my customers.
Like Galt, I too am an engineer. I have degrees from MIT. I have patents. I have run more than one multi-million dollar hi-tech company. But no more. I am on strike. When California (and the Feds) sees fit to take more than 50% of what I produce / earn, then I simply stop producing.
And what I find most depressing is what happened last November. I cannot recall an election where the choice between the producers and the moochers was more stark. And yet the moochers prevailed. We now live in a society where the majority feels a moral right to take what they want/need from the minority without compensation. It's a slippery slope from which I cannot see a recovery. But unfortunately we do not live in Galt's world. Our decline will be more gradual, playing out over multiple generations. But make no mistake, the scales have tipped and the decline has begun.
And I remain on strike.
And I pray that my assessment is wrong.
I work physically hard at my "day job", but I'm trying to get myself into a "financially independent" situation (self-employment making enough to pay my bills so I can quit my "day job").
I was thinking about this the other night. We may be entering the new age of the entrepreneur in America. I foresee a lot of people becoming self-employed in the near future, in order to circumvent government coercion and interference.
Were I given Obama's pen and phone for a week, I'd transform all employment to "contract labor", abolish withholding tax, and thereby forcing each person to file taxes as a personal business.
We'd see some changes to the tax code and regulation then!
I've a ton of "rules" I'm supposed to follow, so that my employer can be in compliance with the government. Self-employed, in the right business, and much of that nonsense would go away.
While being chauffeured around by one, I asked him how the Swedish taxes affected him.
Very simply, he replied: when my boss offers me a raise, I negotiate with him for additional vacation time, instead. The extra cash would disappear in taxes. The vacation time is mine.
Simple question, simple answer, and an indication of the diminishing returns to a country when workers prefer vacation to raises.
And that was some time back in the early 1970s!
Business is like an addiction. How do you say no?
Fortunately, I fly under the radar. I'm the small guy. I make a reasonable income which keeps the wolf from the door. I doubt I'll be owing much tax this year. All that said, I didn't finish work til 11:30 this evening (about an hour ago). The last two nights on the trot, I've worked til gone midnight. It's a matter of necessity & a labour of love - although I'll be bloody glad when this particular contract is over.
What is it that you do - if you don't mind me asking?
Plan ahead. Can be done.
Enough of the Socialism.
Good luck to you and your family.
It's a system that works like that old Looney Tunes cartoon with the gangster and his dumb partner, counting out the money: "One for you, one for me, two for you, one, two for me, three for you, one, two, three for me..."
As Winston Churchill said: “Show me a young Conservative and I'll show you someone with no heart. Show me an old Liberal and I'll show you someone with no brains.”
Example: The EPA came to towns in the area and told councils that townspeople were not allowed to wash either their OWN homes or their cars in their driveways as they didn't want the runoff going into the storm drains. I won't even begin to point out all the absurdities of this requirement.
And look what is being done to the Coal industry. People have worked hard all their lives for generations to lose everything to Govt regulations.
ENOUGH !
As work goes, it was easy. I gave up my life for 20 years at the Post Office and received may wages. Fair enough, that was my bargain. In real estate investment I worked part time for four years and acquired enough properties to replace my postal income. How is that possible? Because on your day job the employer gets the fruit of your labor and you get a wage. Working for yourself you own the fruit of your labor plus what ever wage you choose to pay yourself. At this point, I will let things settle down into a state of normalcy and determine the amount of income tax we will have to pay. Then we may acquire 1-2 more properties to pay our taxes. By directing the income stream from those properties to our quarterly estimates, we create the effect of being retired and enjoying a retirement income, having the rental income that replaced my occupational income, and having the tax burden paid by 1 or two new tenants in additional properties. An old friend once told me focus on income, there's no limit to what you can make. Whereas, you can only cut so much in expenses. If your down to eating rice and beans, you still have to buy rice and beans.
Great advice indeed to focus on income! Congratulations or finding your way to relative financial freedom.