Gnarly Gnu Posted February 2, 2015 Posted February 2, 2015 Cooper in the US they quote / charge outrageous fees for hospital expenses.... but then it is very much subject to negotiation. The insurance companies don't pay anywhere near the fees the media quote, only a fool would pay the full amount. Typically you can get it down to perhaps 20% so probably cheaper than in AU, and generally better / quicker service. On topic this American sound like a jerk who hates his own country (seems to be fashionable there, even their Pres & his first dude wife does now). But as long as he spends $ here who cares I guess.
Marty_d Posted February 2, 2015 Posted February 2, 2015 Cooper in the US they quote / charge outrageous fees for hospital expenses.... but then it is very much subject to negotiation. The insurance companies don't pay anywhere near the fees the media quote, only a fool would pay the full amount. Typically you can get it down to perhaps 20% so probably cheaper than in AU, and generally better / quicker service. On topic this American sound like a jerk who hates his own country (seems to be fashionable there, even their Pres & his first dude wife does now). But as long as he spends $ here who cares I guess. On the flip side, I've noticed on many of your posts you seem to love all things American. Perhaps you and the "jerk" (who seems like a perfectly nice bloke to me) could swap countries?
Marty_d Posted February 2, 2015 Posted February 2, 2015 A friend in Michigan with whom I regularly chat on all sorts of subjects . . .( UK Ex-Pat - 35 years in the U.S. ) jokingly said this week that if the UK Govt. goes ahead with it's planned programme of forcing the manufacturers of tobacco products to remove ALL branding from their products, that using some kind of convoluted legislation that they will sue the British Govt. for any lost profit. . . . . . didn't Australia go down the "Plan Fag packets" route some time ago ?? Also : he said that Starbucks had stated in the U.S. press that it had successfully defended the tiny amount of tax it pays to the exchequer on all it's UK operational profits by basing it's main office in Dublin, where the taxes are a lot lower. . . . . "Hey, IT'S OUR PROFIT BUDDY - NOT YOURS ! ! !We ( aparently ) have a similar problem with EVERY US Corporation operating in the UK. They're all bloody selfish tax dodgers. I guess their corporate lawyers are better than ours ? ? Collective name for a group of Whales ? ? ? POD. Collective name for a group of Lawyers ? ? ? CLUTCH ? ? ? Phil Try Google and Apple... and many other multinationals too. If the G20 did something useful and made multi-lateral agreements to force companies to evenly distribute profit and loss across the entire company (rather than a subsidiary in a country with low or no corporate tax making all the profits, and all other subsidiaries making a loss), then perhaps this "budget crisis" that the Libs manufactured wouldn't need to be solved by trying to screw over the little people.
cooperplace Posted February 2, 2015 Posted February 2, 2015 On the flip side, I've noticed on many of your posts you seem to love all things American. Perhaps you and the "jerk" (who seems like a perfectly nice bloke to me) could swap countries? I'm not sure who this is addressed to, but I lived in the US for 5 yrs and, generally, loved it. There are things there that drive you mad, but that's true here and everywhere else too. There's a long list of positives about the US and its people, IMHO.
Phil Perry Posted February 2, 2015 Author Posted February 2, 2015 IF you are making money from your operations in a certain country That's where you should pay the relevant tax. What's fairer than that? If you aren't making any profit why be there?. Glencore, a large Coal miner here pays NO tax. Nev Well Nev. . ., I'm not really surprised that Australia isn't immune from the same sort of tax avoidance shenanigans, . . . . the more cynical amongst us may even wonder whether the "Lawmakers" have any sort of secret pecuniary advantage for allowing it to continue unchecked . . . . Phil
Marty_d Posted February 2, 2015 Posted February 2, 2015 I'm not sure who this is addressed to, but I lived in the US for 5 yrs and, generally, loved it. There are things there that drive you mad, but that's true here and everywhere else too. There's a long list of positives about the US and its people, IMHO. Wasn't aimed at you CP, it was aimed squarely at the post before it.
facthunter Posted February 3, 2015 Posted February 3, 2015 Americans as individuals are very generous and pleasant. It's just the way their system is mutating, particularly since WW2 when they accumulated a lot of wealth. Money and OIL are God. Nev
bexrbetter Posted February 3, 2015 Posted February 3, 2015 Well Nev. . ., I'm not really surprised that Australia isn't immune from the same sort of tax avoidance shenanigans, . . . . the more cynical amongst us may even wonder whether the "Lawmakers" have any sort of secret pecuniary advantage for allowing it to continue unchecked . . . . Phil They leave and they take the micro economic systems they create with them, employment being the main one as Australia is about to find out with the loss of the big 3 car manufacturers.
cooperplace Posted February 3, 2015 Posted February 3, 2015 They leave and they take the micro economic systems they create with them, employment being the main one as Australia is about to find out with the loss of the big 3 car manufacturers. yes, all this talk about how it won't be so bad is a worry. I think the full impact when it hits will be worse than lots of people expect.
Phil Perry Posted February 3, 2015 Author Posted February 3, 2015 They leave and they take the micro economic systems they create with them, employment being the main one as Australia is about to find out with the loss of the big 3 car manufacturers. This is an interesting one, . . . . I was listening to the BBC World Service, ( I do most nights after I get back pain prattling on the interweb. . . .) if the Talk Radio subjects are not interesting . . .( ! ) the story was on the same topic, ie, a car manufacturer shifted a large facility to Mexico, ending up employing over 3,000 workers. After three years ( ? ) they moved it to another country where the labour was even cheaper . . .could have been Guatemala,. . .not sure. . . . a small town had grown up around the Mexican factory, and now there is zero employment. There were other examples of this, and not just in the Car business, . . one of our home grown millionaires James Dyson, moved most of his vacuum cleaner manufacturing from Malvern, in Worcestershire UK, to Thailand ( or somewhere like that where people will do the same production work for pennies per hour . . . ) It seems that, no matter HOW much a company shows on the profit ledger, they are always looking for more more more . . . . YES, . . . I KNOW that's capitalism baby,. . . . but I often wonder where it will end. . . . .what about the cost in human misery. . . Anyhow, . . .sorry for getting all PHILosophical. . . . .
old man emu Posted February 3, 2015 Posted February 3, 2015 Bloody Dyson can go and get well and truly sucked. OME
facthunter Posted February 3, 2015 Posted February 3, 2015 What's the difference between a Swiss Admiral and an Electrolux vacuum cleaner? ans. The cleaner sucks an sucks and never fails. Nev
Marty_d Posted February 4, 2015 Posted February 4, 2015 It's the global economy. Until every country on earth has a prosperous middle class... (how long will that be??) there will always be somewhere cheaper to manufacture. Of course advances in robotics and AI systems may take much of the human labour out of manufacturing, which means less employment wherever you are.
facthunter Posted February 4, 2015 Posted February 4, 2015 IF you get rid of the middle class who buys all the stuff imported and/or manufactured here which is not exported? Even Gerry Harvey could work that out. er well perhaps not, but any one with average intelligence could. Nev
Marty_d Posted February 4, 2015 Posted February 4, 2015 IF you get rid of the middle class who buys all the stuff imported and/or manufactured here which is not exported? Even Gerry Harvey could work that out. er well perhaps not, but any one with average intelligence could. Nev Gerry's intelligent enough to make a fortune out of the middle class, and he does that by selling most of it at a very large markup. When we were looking for our new oven they dropped their catalog price by $2800 without blinking an eye when we produced an ad from a competitor, which goes to show how much profit they make from those who don't haggle with them.
planedriver Posted February 4, 2015 Posted February 4, 2015 Didn't haggle on price when I did his automatic gate. Should have upped price so we could have a bit of fun:tongue in cheek: Got paid in Aussie Dollars and not marked-down kitchen settings, so that was a bonus.
Gnarly Gnu Posted February 4, 2015 Posted February 4, 2015 Phil I see Apple also have a similar problem - don't blame them, it is the tax systems that are distorted. It is the same principle as you and I looking for a good deal or purchasing a cheaper imported product over a local one (which may or may not be as good).
bexrbetter Posted February 5, 2015 Posted February 5, 2015 to Thailand ( or somewhere like that where people will do the same production work for pennies per hour . . . ) . Of all the approaches I have had over these years about people wanting to know about setting up here, not one has directly mentioned cheaper labour rates. Most claim to have had a gut'full of the Government's attitude towards them, doing the work for the Government (BAS etc), Council stuff like having to have gardens and therefore less carparks, wheelchair access, other stuff and of course, WHS/Worker's comp and disputes - the list goes on. It has been proven over and over that the actual direct labour rate itself has little impact, in Holden's case for example it was around $900 per Commodore difference between Oz and Asia (their report is on the net somewhere).
Phil Perry Posted May 21, 2015 Author Posted May 21, 2015 I love malapropisms! I would too. . . .if I knew what one was. . . . . . .
Phil Perry Posted May 21, 2015 Author Posted May 21, 2015 Thanx Red. . . . . you're a real gent. . . . .thank you for your input. . . . . OK, yes,. . .I DO know what a malapropism is,. . .being a student of English grammar. . . . . and the GEORGE W stuff is hilarious. . . . .next thing is we'll be discussing oxymorons. . . . . ( are those jet pilots who forget to put their masks on when flying above FL 100. . .? ) . . . .or,. . .would that be more correctly described as an unpressurised oxymoron. . . . .( my brain is starting to hurt. . .) What about this one team. . . ."The Vicar told the Sexton,. . .and the Parson Tolled the bell. . . . ." Discuss. . . . ( ! )
ayavner Posted May 21, 2015 Posted May 21, 2015 Phil Perry said: old man emu said: ↑ I love malapropisms! I would too. . . .if I knew what one was. . . . . . . Dunno but if it lasts longer than 4 hours, see a doctor!
Phil Perry Posted May 21, 2015 Author Posted May 21, 2015 Phil Perry said: old man emu said: ↑ I love malapropisms! I would too. . . .if I knew what one was. . . . . . . Dunno but if it lasts longer than 4 hours, see a doctor! SEE A DOCTOR. . . . did you say. . . .SEE A DOCTOR. . . .? ? ? ? ? Listen Adam,. . .you might have time to waste, but me,. . .well, . . .I don't really want to waste three weeks waiting for an appointment with the GP. . . . . this is ENGLAND mate,. . . . . .if you're a left handed Nicaraguan paraplegic with the vapours, having just jumped off the back of a truck from Calais,. . . .. . .you can get in to the GP instantly. . . .residents must wait in line. . . . .
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