New call center

[Guest]

That's average income, guys. Common sense tells us that means some people make more than that, and some make less. In our case we have way too many people making minimum wage or close to it with no benefits. This type of development will help those people. Wouldn't it make sense that if we have lots of people making 50+ a year, and our average is 31 or so in Lafayette, then we also have plenty of people making below 20K?

[abbd]

Yeppers, that's average income my man and guess what all those Hehehehehe high tech jobs wages are BELOW average. Doesn't bring the average income up now does it?(actually it lowers it soooo guess we just got poorer) I love how some folks try to spin things.. whoooopeee lotsa new jobs here y'all come however your wage will be below average when ya get here. From what it looks like to me is all those jobs are really "answer service" type jobs. And I ain't knocking anyone who gets one, I'm just tellin ya that it ain't no hi tech, high paying jobs that those bozos promised they'd bring here.. You do realize tyhat if an employee has two children and is making $20,000.00 a year they are still elligible for "food stamps". Now these don't seem to be the high paying jobs we were promised does it?

[Guest]

NIce logic. Many people who make 6 bucks an hour can now make 9. That makes us poorer? Say 500 of the people they hire were making 6 an hour. That's $6,000 a year more they will make. That's $3,000,000 in additional payroll dollars going into our community. That makes us poorer? You're acting like local gov't is running around saying "here are the high-paying jobs we promised". Fact is, nobody said that about NuComm. What they did say is that this company will be able to boost up many people and families to be able to live a little better life. If you want to blame everything on local government and attack them, that's fine. Doesnt' change the fact that this is a good project.

[Guest]

PS - your logic (or at least your math skills) defies belief. If you take the lowest wage-earners of a group and you increase their wages, you will increase the average. Here's an example. You have 3 employees. One makes 5 an hour, one makes 10, one makes 15. Total payroll of 30. Divide that by 3 and you get an average wage of 10.

Now give the 5 an hour guy a raise up to 8. Now the total payroll is 33. Divide that by 3 and you get an average wage of 11.

So just how did the average go down?

[abbd]

Let's see, how about this quote...."The company also will be eligible to receive state tax breaks

for offering higher paying jobs with health care and benefits"... Do you think the reporter made that up or do you think I made that up or do you think some government official said it? Look we don't see anything the same, I believe in free enterprise and the right of self determination. You seem to believe in collectivism and central government planning. And no matter how you splice it, any job that pays wages that makes an employee eligible for food stamps is not a high paying job. You ain't gonna buy too many cars or houses when ya making $20,000.00 a year. It's below the average wage of the area. The higher the average goes, these folks fall further and further behind.

[SeleR]

Mr Guest, I understand the logic behind $9/hour being better than $6/hour. And yes, that is $3,000,000 per year more into the Lafayette economy. But after those poor people pay sales taxes, utility bills, groceries, where do they benefit? The city will gain sales taxes, and utilities money - payment in lieu, but this is not a trained labor force that we aspire to be seeking. We merely have a few of those NAFTA (thanks Mr Gore/Clinton/Breaux for that one ) jobs that will be exported as soon as the tax breaks run out. What is really needed if Lafayette is to grow is technical type opportunities, preferably med tech because it is inflation proof. I do think they are on the right track and I do not wish to discourage trying to bring in some unskilled jobs. But I would not brag too much.

[Johnny]

Abbd, I believe in free enterprise too. But unless you're a complete idealist, you must realize that tax incentives for job creation and other business investments are a way of life these days. Do you think Stuller has every used tax incentives? What about our other largest employers? Do you think oil and gas use tax incentives? Hospitals? In fact, do you ever take any type of deduction when filing your taxes? A deduction is nothing more than a tax break. I sure hope you don't take any deductions, since you don't believe in tax breaks of any kind.

Johnny

[Johnny]

PS - if you and your spouse both make $20,000 a year, you won't be receiving food stamps (unless you have 9 or 10 kids).

Fact is, if these jobs pay higher wages than the employee was making before, they will be closer to the average, not farther away. Look at the guest's example. When they were making 5 an hour, they were 5 away from the average of 10. When they jumped up to 8 an hour, they were only 3 away. Sure, it's a very basic example, but if we're not adding high-paying jobs, as you claim, then we're only adding these. And if we're only adding these, and the other numbers stay the same, then these folks are getting closer to the average, not farther away.

I'm not saying that's good or bad, just pointing out a big hole in your logic.

Johnny

[abbd]

Hey johnny, I agree with you on tax breaks, I love tax breaks, especially for WE the taxpayers. Reduce MY taxes and I wouldn't be here wasting my afternoon arguing with you and I will have lots more to spend and support more businesses. Suppose we give ALL businesses and ALL citizens a very large tax break? and reign in government spending? and stop the wasting of taxpayer monies on worthless projects(like buying companies with MY money(hey if it's my money that was used to "buy" this company how come I'm not getting a $$$$ dividend for the use of MY money) heck it's actually costing me more!!!)))? How about lowering the sales tax rate back to 0%. Why should I pay a tax on something I buy? As for who is eligible for "food stamps" try this link and see for yourself....http://www.dss.state.la.us/departments/ofs/Food_Stamp_Program.html#DoIQualify

[Johnny]

So if someone gives you the same package as NuComm, are you going to create a thousand jobs paying close to 20K a year with full benefits?

[abbd]

Hahahahaha. I know you think my cognitive skills are lacking, but for the life of me, so help me ok, I have no idea what your post is about. I didn't ask for a government handout!!! LOL I want tax breaks!!Tax breaks for all!!!! Reduce my taxes, get the dunce outta my pocket. I'm tired of feeding those fat pigs at the trough (in this case it's literally true in Lafayette)(and if you're one of those feeding off my tax dollars so be it)if you wanna pay more, I'm sure dunce and duncil would be happy to relieve you of all the money you got. Give more to dunce, he wants bigger and more fancy Christmas parties this year. I don't want nuttin more than MY money back! You can feed the pigs at the trough with YOUR money for the rest of your life, but DON'T use my money, use yourn!

[Bobs your Uncle]

befor you start Smacking NuComm Around ..Maybe you should get a job there. $9.05 to start plus benifits... you guys are not getting it any better. you have advancment and other opertunities.. and NuComm is one Canada's 50 best managed Companies and thats selected by their employess

You Gov saw a great thing no let prove it self

[abbd]

It was my money that was used to buy this company. Now I want to know what progress has been made by this company. How many employees are working there now? I should know these things because they used my money to buy it.

[zoe10850]

Well abbd, you know we have the best mayor in the history of the city so why do you doubt that the money was well spent ? Those jobs are surely on the way...............

[abbd]

Ya know Z, I forgot about that, thanks for reminding me. Guess being a lowly little peon like me, I probably shouldn't even question his majesty THe Dunce.