Wegman's Wine Vending Machine - Wierd Halloween Experience, n.ot paranormal

[DE_NePA]

Originally Posted by thecoalman

Besides the cost the other issue becomes availability, there is no competition so no incentive to provide for those that might want specialty items.

Competition does not prompt a retailer to stock an item, demand does. Demand also sparks competition, as more sellers become aware of and want to cash in on the demand.

[Magritte25]

Originally Posted by DE_NePA

It sounds like you'd have the employer set the wages, figure out what that does to the cost of the finished product, and tell the customer "this is what you must pay"

How often do you pay more than you absolutely have to for food, clothing, services, appliances, etc, etc, etc?
How often would you eat at a fast food place if it was $30 per meal instead of $5? How many people would have someone cut their lawn if they had to pay $40 instead of $20? Do you understand that the customer ultimately sets the price for goods and services, and an employer has to deliver at that price, including supplies and general business costs, employees salaries, and a return on investment (salary for a business owner, dividends for share holders). And if that could not be done, would you then force the business or sole proprietor to deliver the goods or services at a loss, consuming the assets of the business in putting off the inevitable bankruptcy?

It is up to people, not "this country". You go give a big healthy tip to that underpaid worker, and you'll accomplish what you want. Do that every time you pay for anything, pay more than you have to. When you decide not to do that anymore, consider how you'd feel if the government told you "You can't stop overpaying, you must continue". There' be tw evils there, and the less obvious one is that you'd just be hiding from that worker the fact that he is underskilled in a highly competitive world.

I often pay more to support local businesses vs. big box stores. The Almighty Dollar isn't the end all and be all of smart shopping.

[Magritte25]

Originally Posted by DE_NePA

It is up to people, not "this country". You go give a big healthy tip to that underpaid worker, and you'll accomplish what you want. Do that every time you pay for anything, pay more than you have to. When you decide not to do that anymore, consider how you'd feel if the government told you "You can't stop overpaying, you must continue". There' be tw evils there, and the less obvious one is that you'd just be hiding from that worker the fact that he is underskilled in a highly competitive world.

And FYI my husband and I do tip above the minimum.

[Magritte25]

I wasn't whining about anything. I was stating a fact. Low wage workers (of ANY stripe) support this economy. Without them, society would not function. They should be paid livable wages and be given benefits. It's inhumane not to do so.

[varmintblaster]

Magritte - in every society, there will always be low skilled, low paid workers.
There is no Utopia.

Take a look at some of the European countries - Greece,Ireland,France,UK, what you suggest simply is not sustainable. They are on the brink of complete economic collapse.

The US is approaching the edge of no return. Thankfully, and hopefully the reins are being pulled back on full-blown Socialism.

I'm not being heartless, just realistic.

[FlyerNation]

Originally Posted by varmintblaster

Magritte - in every society, there will always be low skilled, low paid workers.
There is no Utopia.

Take a look at some of the European countries - Greece,Ireland,France,UK, what you suggest simply is not sustainable. They are on the brink of complete economic collapse.

The US is approaching the edge of no return. Thankfully, and hopefully the reins are being pulled back on full-blown Socialism.

I'm not being heartless, just realistic.

The USA is currently experiencing economic collapse. And it has little to do with the full-blown Socialism. You cannot have a so-called free market become corrupted. The corruption has gotten so out of control, that this country is now feeling the wounds of decline.

The US government is corrupted and influenced with private sector interests that are systematically destroying the middle class while creating debt, deficit, and foreign affairs entanglements.

Both government and private sector influences are killing this country. We're not being pulled into socialism or communism and we sure as hell are not being returned to a true capitalist enterprise. We've been sucked into a Corporatism that equates to outright FASCISM, which has bought and paid for the government we have.

This country has been bent over as it approaches the edge of no return for some time now. Republicrats have seen to that.

[thecoalman]

Originally Posted by DE_NePA

Competition does not prompt a retailer to stock an item, demand does. Demand also sparks competition, as more sellers become aware of and want to cash in on the demand.

You're repeating what I posted.

[Magritte25]

Originally Posted by varmintblaster

Magritte - in every society, there will always be low skilled, low paid workers.
There is no Utopia.

Take a look at some of the European countries - Greece,Ireland,France,UK, what you suggest simply is not sustainable. They are on the brink of complete economic collapse.

The US is approaching the edge of no return. Thankfully, and hopefully the reins are being pulled back on full-blown Socialism.

I'm not being heartless, just realistic.

And ask yourself what happened before low wage workers were protected in this country? Think back.

Apparently the European countries have been on the verge of collapse for the last 100 years. LOL

[varmintblaster]

Save your spiel Magritte - the days of 10 yr old kids working on a coal breaker shute are long gone !

HS grads working an air wrench on a GM assembly line making $75/hr with benes factored in certainly is not the answer.

Maybe the kids today should put down their cell phones and ipods and log off of Facebook and try reading a book if they want to prepare themselves for a high paying job. I just read the latest report about the reading and math comprehension levels in the US and it is despicable. According to folks like you, I would bet the solution would be to throw more money at the over-compenstated failing teachers - (after all, it is for the children !!).

I won't address Comrade Flyernation post because his rant belongs in the Politics section, where I'm sure he will get torn to shreds by numerous Capitialistic Pigs.

[toobusytoday]

Originally Posted by sheena12

I guess I am really not used to the state - or should I say comonwealth, having so much interest and control over what adults do in the privacy of their own homes, but this one really reeks of Big Brother!

On Sunday, DH and I decided to host a very small impromptu Halloween get together.

We picked up a variety of cheeses, apples, crackers, crackers and deserts.

We noticed a new large wine cooler at Wegman's and we decided to pick up a bottle of wine as well.
There was a small croud of people gathered around the vending machine which was locked - I think because it was a Sunday. But since Sunday is not everyone's sabbath - and everyone does not honor a sabbath for that matter, why should the Christian religion be involved with this?

I then found out how the thing worked and I was a bit horrified!

You first have to blow into a device like a breatherlizer, then submit a valid state ID while you are being taped, or photographed by a person in the capitol!

This seems like a whole lot of degrdation and invasion of privacy to go through for adults to pick up a bottle of wine!
The whole thing seemed doubly crazy when only yards away stood Wegmans Beer World!

Does anyone else think this is a bit exsessive?

I did most of my undergrad work in MA, which blamed it's archaic alchohol laws on it's Puritan past - liquor stores were called "state stores" or "package stores" the "packie" for short because of their practice of wrapping all sales up in a bown paper bag, so no one could see what you have bought.

But PA has no Puritan past. What's the story?

This is the OP. All posts that are off topic after this post will be deleted and infractions issued.