(02-02-2018 02:19 PM)emu79 Wrote:  

(02-02-2018 12:20 PM)emu steve Wrote:  

(02-02-2018 12:14 PM)EAGLE KING Wrote:  

(02-02-2018 09:18 AM)emu79 Wrote:  Many of our alums are elementary and high school teachers, at least in Michigan the take home pay of teachers hasn't increased very much the past 8 years. Most of our alums are true middle class that are squeezed by health care costs and can't afford to send our kids to EMU. And no a $1,000 "bonus" isn't going to help us much because its more $500 after taxes and two you raised my healthcare premium costs and deductibles last year more than you increased my pay (and please note dear employer that you have been doing that year after year). It no different for Social Security you get a cost of living raise but it gets eaten up completely by increases in your Medicare costs.

And yes they could make a small one time donation but it takes lots of those and lots of effort.

100%

BTW, don't take those 1,000 buck bonuses too seriously.

One retailer (forgot the name) said $1,000*

* For 20 year employees.

For those who shop at Walmart, Target, Home Depot, etc. how many 20 year employees do you see?

Hint: most of the haven't been in the labor force for 20 years.

What kool aid are Americans drinking? $1,000 after taxes is about $500, those same employers who are handing out the bonuses probably raised the health insurance contributions and deductibles which will wipe that out in a hurry. Many employers have between $1,000-$5,000 annual deductibles. And while the corporations handing them out make one time payments, the corporations are reaping the benefits of lower taxes for many years so much much so that the federal deficit is already growing which isn't a surprise or unexpected. Tax cuts have never generated more revenue than is lost hence the higher deficits. Ask Ronnie Reagan and Bush the Lesser. Those corporations have also closed plants, laid off people ala Walmart and Kimberly Clark. Even Apple said its bringing back $350 billion and only spending $60 billion (and that's iffy) to create new American jobs. Most will go back to raise dividends, stock buybacks or restructure and won't help the average worker long term. Some employers are enlighted enough to use the tax cut to raise their 401k contributions, help with health care costs or insure their pensions are fully funded but that's rare. Me I rather see taxes raised to insure I get the Social Security and Medicare benefits my employer and I have paid for and paid for decades.

Please...........let's stick to sports on this site...........Please.........