#306: Basketball Jones

February 3, 2016

306

Adam opens the show talking to Drew about Cliff Averre, a custodian from the school Adam lived across the street from who played a large role in Adam’s childhood. Adam then gives Drew an update on the growth of his family’s new dog which Adam has dubbed ‘Philly Cheesesteak’. The guys then turn to the phones and the first question steers the conversation to the HBO program ‘Real Time with Bill Maher’. Superfan Sidebar >>

phil_are_go

Drew! Leave the fucking mic alone! What are you, five? Does Adam have to get you a Playskool busy box or something to keep your hands occupied? Learn! For chrissakes.
Kay

High taxes is not the only reason corporations move overseas. I don’t agree with them outsourcing and taking jobs away from Americans. That’s the one behavior I cannot condone and I can’t believe it sounds like Adam is cool with that. There are multiple reasons why so many corporations close shop in the US. They can pay foreign workers much lower wages than American workers and that’s definitely a big motivator. Also, many foreign countries don’t have an EPA telling them they can’t dump garbage in the ocean etc.
I’m tired of wealthy people whining about taxes. The taxes major corporations have to pay aren’t going to bankrupt them. I may not make 6 figures a year but I pay taxes too and I don’t whine about it nearly as much. Back when I was making $40,000 a year I was paying about $1,000 a month in taxes. That was a lot for me. I dealt with it.
Jesus fucking Christ, enough with the “poor me” bullshit the wealthy throw out.
I’m also tired of the argument that people have no right to a decent wage because they are in a so-called “unskilled” job. Not everyone is going to be a CEO, not everyone is going to be management level, not everyone can have a pirate ship. It isn’t feasible. There was a time in this country where a man could work in a factory for decades, buy a home with his salary, have a car and raise a couple kids. That has all been done away with and the best argument anyone can say against a fair wage is, “Well, if they want to make more they shouldn’t work at such and such place.” I’ll give you that argument when it comes to fast food employees but that’s it. The thousand of American factory workers who lost their jobs because the company they were working for decided to go to China or India deserved their jobs and they deserved to earn above minimum wage. They were doing a job, most were doing it for years and they were probably good at it. The wages they earned went back into our economy, they bought homes, cars, paid taxes etc. That’s better for the US than having the same people be on government assistance and receiving unemployment. So get the fuck out with that bullshit, “if they didn’t have to pay such high taxes they’d stay.”
- Paul Meister
  
  Adam never said that the only reason companies go overseas is because of high taxes. It’s pathetic that you are arguing so passionately and self-righteously against a straw man.
Steve Esposito

What is somewhat annoying are people like Kay, on this comment thread, acting like they do not minimize their costs for a given level of quality, but they want to prohibit others from doing so. If you have an ongoing business concern, you shop for the least expensive way to operate that business AND provide the quality of product that your customers demand. If she, or I want/need a plain four door sedan and a Dodge Charger will do the job just fine, we (if rational) do not pay the Dodge dealer the price of a Mercedes for the Dodge. Same thing holds when Motorola needs to make Android phones and there is a factory in mainland China ready to make them to specifications for a total cost lower than anyplace else. Why they should go anywhere else is just as stupid as a single consumer paying more than they need to for a car, or anything else.
- Kay
  
  When these companies close shop and go overseas to do business it hurts thousands of people. It costs the US more in the long run because now the people who lost their jobs are forced to go on unemployment and government assistance. It’s not the same thing as a consumer buying a cheaper item. When US consumers buy cheaper items the money is still going into the US economy. Any purchase made, whether it’s a Dodge or a Mercedes helps out the business owner and his/her employees. There are a lot things Adam says that I agree with. Being so simplistic about why corporations go overseas is not one of those reasons. Lower tax rates is not the only motivator. If they had lower tax rates they’d most likely still leave because they want the cheap labor they can get overseas. Furthermore, the average consumer looking for a bargain can’t be compared to corporations like Pepsi-Cola, Nike, Apple etc. Corporations of that size are mostly looking to minimize their costs out of greed. They won’t go broke if they continue to do business in the US, hire Americans and pay taxes in this country so that those dollars help stimulate our economy. Maybe if more Americans were working and making a decent wage they wouldn’t be so concerned with looking for bargains and would be more willing to make a few extra purchases that would then, stimulate OUR economy. Ever think of that?
  - Steve Esposito
    
    So you just don’t care about reality if it hurts your feelings. And you can’t read either. Gotcha. It was not a choice between a Dodge and a Mercedes in my example. The most greedy person here is you, with your demands that other people prop up your chosen friends with their money. If you want everybody to make $100/hr running a cash register, open a restaurant and pay them that amount. You won’t get arrested. Pointing out everything else wrong in your comments would take all day.
    - Kay
      
      I have know idea what you’re talking about. You sound completely irrational. My feelings are not hurt. I can read just fine, just because I don’t agree with you doesn’t mean you have to get so upset about it. You have no valid points to make so you throw out nonsense and think you’re making rational choices. Why am I exactly greedy and when did I say I think everyone should make $100 an hour? I simply don’t agree with outsourcing and with Adam’s idea that the only reason most corporations go overseas is because of the high tax rate in the US. Why are you taking my opinion so personally? Anywho, you have a nice day. Peace.