Anyone Seeing a Downside Here?
- Companies that use “forced arbitration clauses” to resolve disputes with employees and consumers would be prohibited from doing business with the city of Chicago under an ordinance advanced Wednesday over fierce opposition from the business community.
Ald. Edward Burke (14th) pushed the ban he championed through the City Council Finance Committee he chairs, but he agreed to hold the ordinance in committee after Mayor Rahm Emanuel raised “serious concerns” about the impact on city operations and spending.
And then this:
- It happened one day before the business community is poised to take yet another financial hit: an ordinance requiring Chicago employers large and small to provide their employees with at least five paid sick days a year.
Someone who actually studied (and passed) Econ 101 thinks this is a no-so-good idea:
- “In the past 14 months, they’ve passed a higher minimum wage, the largest property tax increase in Chicago history — paid disproportionately by the business community — and a plastic bag ban, to say nothing of a recent Cook County sales tax and hotel tax increase and all of the uncertainty in Springfield,” said Mike Reever, vice president of government relations at the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce.
“These policies do have a cumulative impact. . . . You’re layering one policy on top of another and all of those costs are being paid for by the employer community,” he said. “Once again, it’s putting Chicago on an island. That’s a competitive disadvantage for employers.”
- It's not just homeowners who are likely to raise eyebrows when second installment property bills arrive (the first installment was due March 1). Owners of business properties with the current average market value of $896,000 will see their bills increase about 10 percent, to $41,000.
A 10% increase just to do business in the City of Big Shoulder Wounds? On top of everything else?
That "death spiral" everyone mentions - you're witnessing it in real time here.
That "death spiral" everyone mentions - you're witnessing it in real time here.
Labels: dumb ideas
posted by SCC at 12:01 AM
33 Comments:
Democrats....the gift that keeps on giving...or, in this case, taking. And taking, and taking.
I find Rahm's "serious concerns".............concerning
Boom Town USA. Dust Bowel here we come.
Only the disloyal, greedy, and/or cheap will leave. Those that truly love the City With Big Shoulders will find a way to stay in business and prosper. They will stay in Chicago for the long term.
"That "death spiral" everyone mentions - you're witnessing it in real time here..."
Other places are just a little farther along --
Hordes of desperate looters storm a shop in crisis-hit Venezuela and ransack shelves for food amid drastic supplies shortage
* Hungry crowds swarm into shop grabbing anything and everything
* Even a young girl can be seen stuffing cigarette packets into her bag
* At least four people have died as a result of riots and lootings in last week
* Government blames chronic food and medicine shortages on opposition
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3643769/Hoards-desperate-looters-storm-shop-crisis-hit-Venezuela-ransack-shelves-food-amid-drastic-supplies-shortage.html
Big Lutheran social agency cuts 750 jobs amid budget impasse
"Lutheran Social Services of Illinois said today that it would cut more than 750 jobs and more than 30 programs because of the state budget deadlock.
"The budget impasse “has severely challenged LSSI's ability to provide services to those in need," Mark Stutrud, the organization's president and CEO, said in a statement. "Over the past months, LSSI has relied on a bank line of credit and available resources from our foundation to compensate for the state's inability to pay its bills. Currently, we are owed more than $6 million by the state for services delivered. After seven months, we can no longer provide services for which we aren't being paid."
"A spokeswoman said the organization's annual budget will be cut by more than $20 million, taking it from $96 million to $75 million. More than 90 percent of the program cuts announced today are a direct result of not being paid by the state, she added.
"The state budget deadlock, which has gone on for seven months, is forcing the Des Plaines nonprofit to close more than 30 programs and eliminate more than 750 positions, or 43 percent of its work force, it said. As a result, some 4,700 people will no longer receive services, according to the organization.
"Some of the programs address housing opportunities, residential rehab and a detox center.
"Programs that help senior citizens experienced the biggest cuts, the group said.
"Here is a list provided by Lutheran Social Services of the affected programs:
Residential rehabilitation for alcohol and drug treatment
Behavioral Health Housing Opportunities, Chicago
Elgin Residential Rehab, Elgin
Men's Residence North, Chicago
Men's Residence West, Elgin
Social Detox, Chicago
Women's Residence, Chicago
Mental Health Counseling for children, youth, adults and families
Community-based Counseling, Berwyn
Community-based Counseling, Des Plaines
Community-based Counseling, Downers Grove
Community-based Counseling, Elmhurst
Community-based Counseling, Mendota
Community-based Counseling, Prospect Heights
Community-based Counseling, Wheaton
Dixon General Counseling, Dixon
West/Northwest Suburban Counseling, Villa Park
Youth services
School-Based Counseling Services, Sterling
Youth Emergency Shelter, Nachusa
Re-entry services for ex-prisoners, their families
Connections, Chicago
Employment Skills School, East St. Louis
Homeward Bound Supportive Housing, East St. Louis
River Bend Re-entry, Alton
In-home support services for seniors
Intouch Home Care, Canton (serving Fulton County)
Intouch Home Care, Chicago (serving Chicago South and Southern Cook County)
Intouch Home Care, DeKalb (serving DeKalb, Kendall, La Salle counties)
Intouch Home Care, Freeport (serving Stephenson, Jo Daviess counties)
Intouch Home Care, Moline (serving Rock Island, Henry, Mercer counties)
Intouch Home Care, Peoria (serving Peoria, Marshall, Stark, Tazewell, Woodford counties)
Intouch Home Care, Rockford (serving Winnebago, Boone, Ogle counties)
Respite Services supporting veterans and their families
Legacy Corps, Rockford
Legacy Corps, Streamwood
Adult Day Care for seniors and adults 18 and older with disabilities
Intouch Adult Day, Moline
Comprehensive Case Management and Protective Services for seniors
Case Coordination, Sterling
Adult Protective Services, Sterling
It's not just Chicago , most of the Democratic run cities in this nation are in big trouble .
At some point you run out of other people's money .
Much as I'd like to see these arbitration clauses ended for the benefit of consumers, I can't see this going anywhere unless the city is prepared to stock up on mattresses. EVERY financial institution uses these clauses. Where will the city temporarily hold its fleeting taxpayer money?
Do not worry, even if all the businesses leave, there will be plenty of money to fully fund the pension funds.
It is impossible for a city or pension fund to go bankrupt. Just ask Detroit!
Even though none of us are sticking around for our pensions to vest!
3 years from Detroit? 4, maybe? 5 from East St. Louis?
Nope, Chicago business is about to boom.
The pension plans will be 110% topped off next week.
/sarc
Fuck this shitty, 1 yr left. Out of this corrupt state and town
MAGA can't come soon enough.
No city, county or state needs a cleansing more than this city, this county and this state.
Because all these jags know is to raise taxes and fees.
They have no clue how to cute the waste and balance the bottom line, or they don't want to.
That can is about to run out of road.
Rahm just wants to maintain until he can find out what Democratic fool has something better for him. After that: ta-ta.
Of course slimeball Burke wants the little guy to beable to file suit.
And none of that will go to the pensions
Soon would this be applicable to unions that do business with the city??? Because I have lobbied for years to do away with our mandatory arbitration agreement. The city gets away with so much shit because they know there is little to no recourse. File a grievance, get in line, have an arbitrator rule on the matter 5 years later. Start bringing the city to federal court on certain things, or at least have that in our back pocket, and watch them move. In fact, watch them STOP violating the CBA. If we start setting legal binding precedent after a while CBA violations start being decided at summary judgment..which means it's over in about 3 months. The FOP could have a few attorneys on hand to file these (and seek attorneys fees of course) and watch the city dance. I am not saying arbitration doesn't have its place, but it shouldn't be required. The arbitration clause benefits the city, not you boys and girls! Get rid of it! Nothing says it is required. If the city wants it to stay, give us something!
I live on northwest side, within a couple of miles 2 gas stations have closed, do
to this higher tax bullshit, fucknut's is running a lot of small business's right
out of Chiraq!
Why don't businesses move to Republican DuPage County? They wouldn't be strangled by as much government control as Chicago and Cook County. In socialist Chicago and Cook County, government wants to totally control business.
I don't give a F--- about this city,county or state...just my pension...
As another person who actually studied and passed ECON 101,(actually it is not necessarily econ but ACCOUNTING and Business LAW) and hates Ed Burke, I have to say, in this case I agree with him. The "forced arbitration clauses" swing so far in favor of the business as to essentially be "we win, you lose" clauses. Consumers generally win less than 5-7% of the time. These clauses are in place to get around the accounting principal of "expressed warrant of marketability." This basically says the stuff you buy is good and won't blow up or fall apart the minute you take it out of the box. Yes, there are many frivolous complaints made against businesses, often times by nut jobs. However, these are very few compared to mostly legitimate complaints made against defective merchandise or services. Also, there little evidence to show that increasing the minimum wage is hurting businesses, and in fact some evidence to show opposite, though this does seem counter intuitive. Comparing these two is a stretch. Now, taxes on the other hand...
Damn right it's a death spiral. Just like an airplane. If the forces that keep the plane in the air are less than the weight of the plane, the plane is going down.
Everything going on in Chicago today adds "weight" to the plane. Taxes, crime, corruption, poor schools, low morale, dipshit regulations, inefficiency. Pile on the shit. More and more baggage. Always heavier.
Meanwhile, what counteracts the extra baggage? More businesses? Nope. Business is leaving. More people moving into the area? Nope. Losing population. Better quality of life? Better schools? You're kidding, right? Lower cost of living? Hell No.
But the city does offer an abundance of street performers skilled in deadly rituals, if that's your cup of tea.
All the city has is an illusion of vibrancy created through the artful use of smoke and mirrors. It's a mirage.
But at least there's still guys like Burke whose head is permanently anchored inside his rectum. Stuff and mount his ass and put it in the museum as part of the dinosaur exhibit. Somebody might pay a buck to see it.
And they chirp cheerfully when they
sense the taxpaying, taking it through
the shorts (while Rahm laughs) peed-
on peons are getting fed up:
"...But Downtown is BOOMING!"
Hey yo...
Fuck Downtown and start making
tax paying neighborhoods whole
on what was stolen from them...
Money.
Infrastructure improvements.
City Services.
Police Presence/Protection
from shit-bird raiding parties
from over-Policed south and
west side environs.
Doing what they do without
any fear of detection/capture
because they KNOW that the
formerly robust Police Presence
has been stolen from tax paying
areas and gifted to areas where
M/Fers sit idly on front porches
in a manner not unlike buzzards
roosting on the limbs of dead trees
waiting for something to stroll by
and die...
Or until the backward ballcap Police
come blowing through chasing the
"designated runner" while ol' boy
with the pack is going the other way
and laughing up his sleeve...
Fuck those fools in these
bad neighborhoods.
Let 'em over serve each other
with the dope stored for safe
keeping in somebody's ass...
THEY don't want to change.
THEY want the safety/security of
YOU working so that YOUR tax
dollars go toward giving THEM
political and social headway
against YOU ever being able to
make government rightfully responsive
to YOU because YOU pay the
disproportionate freight to make the
damned thing go.
A whole lot of taxation.
Piss-Poor representation.
By design...
I don't know why someone would think that only the disloyal, greedy, or cheap will move out of the City, and the rest of the good businesses will soldier on just waiting for yet another "fee" of some sort attached to our properties and livlihoods. Businesses run to make profits, and the more profits we build turn into more employees working for larger businesses. Taxing and regulating the shit out of us kills our ability to grow our businesses, so don't be calling us names when we say "enough already" and close down our City shops and move out of Chicago and Cook County. We won't be this City's ATM, panting and ready to spit more $$ out to people who continue to run this City into the ground. Be forwarned.
Anonymous Anonymous said...
I find Rahm's "serious concerns".............concerning
6/16/2016 12:34:00 AM
I find these posts ... tedious.
I wonder if Burke would allow City workers to bypass arbitration on Worker's Compensation cases that are contested? I doubt it.
Anonymous said...
Only the disloyal, greedy, and/or cheap will leave. Those that truly love the City With Big Shoulders will find a way to stay in business and prosper. They will stay in Chicago for the long term.
6/16/2016 12:41:00 AM
Get your head out of your behind. Glad that the democrats have made my life easier. Bag ban and sharing bathroom space with whack jobs. Can't use the beaches anymore because of the thugs. Aggressive panhandlers and crooked politicians. Hordes of undocumented immigrants, formerly known as illegal aliens. Escalating costs and stagnant wages. Middle class caucasians blamed for all social ills.
Oh yeah I can't carry a firearm either.
Lifelong Chicagoan getting ready to move cross country. The only thing I'll miss are the beef sandwiches and pizza.
More $$$$$
And now we have the aldermen voting on a new small business requirement, a mandatory payment of five sick days. Not enough that the small shop owner loses his clerk when they have the flu, but he has to pay for the privilege.
Flee Chicago, business owners, flee! Rahm will tax you, fee you and fine you out of business, anyway.
"I don't know why someone would think that only the disloyal, greedy, or cheap will move out of the City, and the rest of the good businesses will soldier on..."
6/16/2016 01:32:00 PM
Because that's just our resident troll, trying to pull everyone's chain.
Ignore.
3 years left and I can't believe I'm saying this but Indiana never looked so good!
Don't we as Police officers have "forced arbitration" to settle disputes. Isn't that kind of like binding arbitration which we have to go to as a last resort since we are prohibited by law from striking like every one else ?
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