Covid 19 Updates Part 2

[Alan Klein]

Surely the riches country in the world won't let its citizens starve. Who's going hungry here.

There's plenty of food.  It's distribution and getting it to people that's the problem. 

For what that's worth.

Maybe it is. Depends on how many additional islands/planes/houses Jeff Bezos cannot buy if he did that, and how fair a wage these folks are being payed.

P.S. I'm still wondering, if Michael Bloomberg had given every American citizen 1 million dollars, he would have payed less than he did for his failed election campaign, have secured his election, and solved an economic crisis ...

Even he isn't that rich.  A million dollars to every American is 330 Trillion dollars. 

[Bart_van_der_Wolf]

Your not being serious here, are you?  Please tell me no. 

That was one hell of a math error on the $1M per citizen statement.  It would have worked out to be more like just $2.

In the fourth quarter of 2019, Bloomberg spent $188 million on his presidential campaign, including $132 million on television ads, $8.2 million on digital ads, $3.3 million on polling, $1.5 million on rent, and $757,000 on airfare, including $646,000 for a private jet.

He quit early, because his campaign was going nowhere. But he could have been spending till November if it had made a difference.

188 million / 331,002,651 estimated citizens in 2020 = US$ 567,971 for starters (after 1 quarter).

[Alan Klein]

Your not being serious here, are you?  Please tell me no. 

That was one hell of a math error on the $1M per citizen statement.  It would have worked out to be more like just $2. 

And pretty much the same thing with Bezos.  If you divided his salary (not his wealth which is almost entirely held up in his company and cant just be withdrawn) amongst all his employees, it probably would be in the cents per employee range. 

I read a funny story about Rockefeller that in his later years, he always carried plenty of nickels around with him.  Then, when someone would complain to him that he was too rich and that he should spread his wealth around, Rockefeller would give him a nickel.  You see, Rockefeller did the math and figured out that if you divided the population of the country at the time into his total wealth, it would work out to be a nickel per US citizen.  The rich dont have an unlimited amount of money; we cant solve all our problems by just taxing them. 

Joe, It was dimes not nickels.
http://www.factfiend.com/john-d-rockefeller-bag-dimes/

[Jonathan Cross]

You US lads seem to be really worried about food, perhaps justifiably.  Are there not community groups setting up to shop for those isolating and using social media to communicate?  Are the supermarkets not opening at fixed times just for the elderly and at other times for health staff who have to show their work pass.  Delivery from restaurants that are shut to in-house patrons is a great idea.  For those isolating, there are people here ringing up just for a chat to alleviate the confinement. 

Best wishes, keep safe.

Jonathan

[Alan Klein]

He wasn't a cheapskate.

[Alan Klein]

In the fourth quarter of 2019, Bloomberg spent $188 million on his presidential campaign, including $132 million on television ads, $8.2 million on digital ads, $3.3 million on polling, $1.5 million on rent, and $757,000 on airfare, including $646,000 for a private jet.

He quit early, because his campaign was going nowhere. But he could have been spending till November if it had made a difference.

188 million / 331,002,651 estimated citizens in 2020 = US$ 567,971 for starters.

Bart, It's 57 cents per person.  188,000,000/331.002,651 = $0.57

[Manoli]

Well you only posted the worker's side of the story, and not Amazon's.  Amazon said that this worker who organized the strike tested positive himself and continued to come into work after being told not to.  Also, the walk out was only 15 people or so, not 50. 

But it is likely we are not getting the full story here. 

Agreed, I should have commented in detail, but I just posted a link, in haste,  to a UK newspaper story. Who do I believe ? On balance, Amazon. Innocent until proven guilty - also Amazon's track record AFAIK is exemplary and I don't see Bezos as a man who is unethical, let alone risk the status of a company he's grown from the ground up.

Motive is all on the workers side, none on Bezos - and Bezos ethics stand proud.

[Alan Klein]

 

You US lads seem to be really worried about food, perhaps justifiably.  Are there not community groups setting up to shop for those isolating and using social media to communicate?  Are the supermarkets not opening at fixed times just for the elderly and at other times for health staff who have to show their work pass.  Delivery from restaurants that are shut to in-house patrons is a great idea.  For those isolating, there are people here ringing up just for a chat to alleviate the confinement. 

Best wishes, keep safe.

Jonathan

My wife had been going to the supermarket.  However, since the new predictions, she's gotten scared.  I haven't been there at all hiding out for the last two weeks at home except to go out to the park and shoot pictures once and get gas another time.  We can't get though to the food store for ordering.  If you do, they put you on hold forever, then the line goes dead. 

[LesPalenik]

The big sticking point though is they also want their salary doubled, which is out of the question.  When looking at a possible 1/3 of the country being unemployed, you're not getting your salary doubled.

While Caterpillar Inc (CAT.N) said on Tuesday that it will not hand out annual salary increases and bonuses this year as part of cost cut plan to deal with the coronavirus economic fallout.

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-03-31/caterpillar-executive-pay-frozen-as-part-of-efforts-to-cut-costs

[Alan Klein]

While Caterpillar Inc (CAT.N) said on Tuesday that it will not hand out annual salary increases and bonuses this year as part of cost cut plan to deal with the coronavirus economic fallout.

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-03-31/caterpillar-executive-pay-frozen-as-part-of-efforts-to-cut-costs

By the time this thing is over, there won't be enough cheese left for a mouse to get a tooth in. 

[JoeKitchen]

In the fourth quarter of 2019, Bloomberg spent $188 million on his presidential campaign, including $132 million on television ads, $8.2 million on digital ads, $3.3 million on polling, $1.5 million on rent, and $757,000 on airfare, including $646,000 for a private jet.

He quit early, because his campaign was going nowhere. But he could have been spending till November if it had made a difference.

188 million / 331,002,651 estimated citizens in 2020 = US$ 567,971 for starters (after 1 quarter).

Bart, when the numerator is smaller then the denominator, you get an answer less than one.  188,000,000/331,002,651 = 0.567971

For your answer to be correct, he would have had to spent $188 trillion. 

[Slobodan Blagojevic]

...188 million / 331,002,651 estimated citizens in 2020 = US$ 567,971 for starters (after 1 quarter).

 

57 cents, Bart, 57 cents!!!

P.S. But you are forgiven, coronavirus does wonders to one's brain as well, it seems

[Bart_van_der_Wolf]

Bart, when the numerator is smaller then the denominator, you get an answer less than one.  188,000,000/331,002,651 = 0.567971

Happy April 1st.

[LesPalenik]

By the time this thing is over, there won't be enough cheese left for a mouse to get a tooth in.

It has been estimated that half of small business won't make it.

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/barbara-corcoran-says-majority-of-her-shark-tank-companies-wont-make-it-through-coronavirus-trough-120214825.html

[JoeKitchen]

Happy April 1st.

I really hope you were joking.  But hey, I made one hell of a math error when we spoke about wind power generation, so ...

[Slobodan Blagojevic]

Happy April 1st.

Great save, Bart! I applaud you!

[JoeKitchen]

Joe, It was dimes not nickels.
http://www.factfiend.com/john-d-rockefeller-bag-dimes/

Thanks for the correction. 

[Bart_van_der_Wolf]

Great save, Bart! I applaud you!

There's enough doom and gloom going around. That doesn't help.

[Alan Klein]

Bart, when the numerator is smaller then the denominator, you get an answer less than one.  188,000,000/331,002,651 = 0.567971

For your answer to be correct, he would have had to spent $188 trillion. 

We're going to have to look at his CO2 chart again from Hawaii.  If the climate change guys figure like Bart, no wonder our seas are rising. 

[Alan Klein]

DOW down 800 points.