Breaking News: Restaurants Closing All Over Seattle As $15 Minimum Wage Mandate Starts April 1st.

[Missouri_Mike]

but these idiots seem to think they should be paid like an Apple designer for taking a hamburger to your table

If the Hamburger was a foot tall, perhaps. With bacon.

I can still make that at home. A new Iphone program? Not so much.

 

[HenryBHough]

The unemployment calculations. Good point. So higher minimum wages will increase UE benefits and therefore demand more taxes from those left working.

Shhhhhhhhhhhhh!

Aw damn....too late.........that crunching sound you're hearing is liberal hearts breaking.

 

[TemplarKormac]

but these idiots seem to think they should be paid like an Apple designer for taking a hamburger to your table

If the Hamburger was a foot tall, perhaps. With bacon.

I can still make that at home. A new Iphone program? Not so much.

Indeed. "Hello, may I take your order" just doesn't cut it.

 

[Clementine]

Four restaurants closing makes it easier for the other eateries to establish working prices that lead to a profit.

A bunch of people just lost their jobs and more will follow. While some restaurants will remain open, they will likely have fewer employees and might even reduce operating hours. Not good news. But do be a good liberal and pay the higher prices to ensure that those still working are a little more secure.

 

[airplanemechanic]

The Klan was created by Conservatives.

Um, no. You obviously have no clue what you're talking about.

Founded in 1866, the Ku Klux Klan (KKK) extended into almost every southern state by 1870 and became a vehicle for white southern resistance to the Republican Party’s Reconstruction-era policies aimed at establishing political and economic equality for blacks.

The Klan was started by southern democrats who hated republicans that were trying to restructure their lives by freeing blacks. Remember, it was republicans who freed slaves, not democrats.

Ku Klux Klan - Facts Summary - HISTORY.com

I know that goes against the liberal mantra of "republicans hate black people" but its the truth. As algore puts it, the inconvenient truth. White democrats started the Klan. If it wouldn't be for white republicans, we'd still have slaves. White democrats loved them the death.

 

[DrDoomNGloom]

If you can't afford to pay your workers a decent wage you shouldn't be in business.

The wage is reflection of what labor is worth to business.

They don't get to decide that. They have proven themselves unworthy of doing so by paying such low wages.

a business does not get to decide what it can spend on labor????????? WTF is wrong with you? Have you ever actually had a job?

 

[thereisnospoon]

Ugh...When costs to business are increased by artificial means, there is a direct adverse effect on the the end user.

This "artificial means" is just this same bullshit you people spew. Corporate profits are at an all time high yet wages have remained stagnant. It doesn't matter who raises the minimum wage, government or the businesses - there is nothing artificial about it.

The corporate profit argument? You're on that one now....Great. Still meaningless.
The fact is wages are NOT stagnant. Wages are down because the labor participation rate is at a 40 year low.
The other fact that there are far more part time workers. That drags down the numbers.
There are more illegals working in the US...That has lowered average wages in the unskilled and semi skilled markets.
Hiring is down because jobs that are now done by computers and machines no longer require humans.
Wages are down because cash strapped businesses are using temp instead of employee labor.
It's the marketplace which has adjusted to government policy and taxation....
One issue you libs ignore is that corporations are publicly traded companies. As such, the bottom line is the bottom line. If the performance of the company causes the value of the stock to fall and render the company no longer a good investment, the company falters and the workers are the first to go...
This is basic stuff.
And yes. When government sticks it nose into the marketplace for political reasons, the act is artificial.
Anytime government has interfered in the marketplace the result is always negative.

So your point is that Americans should accept the fact that we are now and will inevitably continue to be just one more low wage nation among the many others in the same boat.

Great. Conservative anti-exceptionalism. lol

no...I neither stated nor implied any such thing.

I'll be the judge of that.

You don't get to judge anything.

 

[thereisnospoon]

And Kaboom!!!!!! The myth gets busted:

Sorry Righties, Seattle Restaurant Closures Are NOT Due To $15 Minimum Wage

'Right-wing sites want everyone to believe that, come April 1, the minimum wage in Seattle will jump from the current level to $15 an hour. That’s not what’s happening at all. The new minimum wage will be phased in over several years. How quickly a business reaches the $15 an hour level depends on the size of the business, and whether or not the business offers employees health care benefits, as explained on Seattle mayor Ed Murray’s web page.

The current minimum wage in Washington state is $9.32 an hour. That wage goes to $11 an hour on April 1 for businesses with more than 500 employees.

For businesses such as restaurants, with fewer than 500 employees, who receive “minimum compensation,” that wage can be made up of a combination of wages, tips, and employer contributions to an employee health care plan, as long as the total of all the compensation equals at least $11 an hour.

The full $15 an hour minimum wage does not take effect for restaurants until 2019.'

...

'The right-wing sites mentioned above all latched onto a story in Seattle Magazine, that says that the impending wage increase is one of the reasons for the restaurant closures. However, Sara Jones, author of the story, acknowledges that not a single restaurateur she spoke to gave the wage increase as a reason for his or her restaurant being closed.'

'It is true that Seattle is seeing a large number of restaurants closing their doors. So, what exactly is going on, if it’s not the new minimum wage? It’s a variety of things. According to Seattle Magazine, Anthony Anton, the head of the Washington Restaurant Association, says that each year, about 17 percent of Washington restaurants go out of business, or change owners. That amounts to about 400 restaurants “in a good year,” he says.'

http://www.ifyouonlynews.com/politics/sorry-righties-seattle-restaurant-closures-are-not-due-to-15-minimum-wage/

Okay RWnuts, proceed to deny the facts.

A liberal blog.....There's a fact filled escapade.

 

[thereisnospoon]

There is no desire to spend tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars on a college degree if the person stuffing french friends into a cardboard container is making what they had hoped to make after going to college. Just go flip burgers and make a killing. A living wage, according to liberals, is being able to buy ANYTHING you want. Cell phones, internet, TV, you ******* name it, that's a living wage. If you can use it while you're living, your burger flipping job should pay for it.

A little eye opener liberals: they won't have a job at all if the fast food they stuff into bags costs more than people are willing to pay.

A "living wage" is one that allows a worker to be self-supporting, without the need for assistance, especially government assistance programs. Of course, it's different depending on where one lives. It cost more to live in New York City than it does to live in Jackson Mississippi.

That's correct. Then add in all the toys that certain people believe to be entitlements.
Luxury items such as high speed internet, pay tv, cell phones, the ability to eat out, a second car....Yeah.
According to a study out of MIT, the living wage for a family of 5 living in Los Angeles County is over $23 per hour...So if a guy who has few marketable skills gets a job in a fast food rest, the living wage activists will look to that number as wage that is "fair".....Somehow I don;'t see a fast food worker making that kind of money.
The point is, those who work these entry level jobs must be made to realize the emphasis is on entry level.

A "living wage" is NOT based on family size. A "living wage" is based what it takes for a "single" person to be self-supporting. It has nothing to do with family or family size.

Wow are you stupid.

There is no desire to spend tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars on a college degree if the person stuffing french friends into a cardboard container is making what they had hoped to make after going to college. Just go flip burgers and make a killing. A living wage, according to liberals, is being able to buy ANYTHING you want. Cell phones, internet, TV, you ******* name it, that's a living wage. If you can use it while you're living, your burger flipping job should pay for it.

A little eye opener liberals: they won't have a job at all if the fast food they stuff into bags costs more than people are willing to pay.

A "living wage" is one that allows a worker to be self-supporting, without the need for assistance, especially government assistance programs. Of course, it's different depending on where one lives. It cost more to live in New York City than it does to live in Jackson Mississippi.

That's correct. Then add in all the toys that certain people believe to be entitlements.
Luxury items such as high speed internet, pay tv, cell phones, the ability to eat out, a second car....Yeah.
According to a study out of MIT, the living wage for a family of 5 living in Los Angeles County is over $23 per hour...So if a guy who has few marketable skills gets a job in a fast food rest, the living wage activists will look to that number as wage that is "fair".....Somehow I don;'t see a fast food worker making that kind of money.
The point is, those who work these entry level jobs must be made to realize the emphasis is on entry level.

A "living wage" is NOT based on family size. A "living wage" is based what it takes for a "single" person to be self-supporting. It has nothing to do with family or family size.

Wow....Your comment does not even rise to the level of stupid.
Here's egg on your face.
Living Wage Calculator-Introduction to the Living Wage Calculator

 

[Yarddog]

Hey swimmy, I hope you didn't highlight that part about need robot technicians to make a point in this thread. Look Moron if the person has the skills to repair robots they are not at a minimum wage pay scale / if they are aspiring $15 hr. warn bodies, then they are dumb as a box of rock and don't have the skills to be robot techs. You really need some perspective, ever heard of the Maytag Repair man?? Damn thing's never broke, he was the loneliest guy in town.
So we ditch a bunch of warm body jobs for robots and need a very limited amount of staff to maintain the bots.

So you have destroyed countless jobs so you can brag about getting one ******* technician a job .............. you folks must be real PROUD of your handiwork. Oh wait that's right, you folks don't care how others view you as long as you get your end results and some perceived victory!!!!!

Also it will be much harder for some families to go out for an affordable meal in a restaurant, if this type of thing takes hold. the other thing is, if you hire someone at 15 an hour, it makes it harder to reward the ones who work hard with a raise. It raises the whole scale. now cooks who were making 15 with have to then make 20 , which is not necessarily bad, but it takes the control away from the owners, its gonna be a bad thing

 

[Rexx Taylor]

So is any of this Bush's fault? just like the California water shortage?

 

[thereisnospoon]

There is no desire to spend tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars on a college degree if the person stuffing french friends into a cardboard container is making what they had hoped to make after going to college. Just go flip burgers and make a killing. A living wage, according to liberals, is being able to buy ANYTHING you want. Cell phones, internet, TV, you ******* name it, that's a living wage. If you can use it while you're living, your burger flipping job should pay for it.

A little eye opener liberals: they won't have a job at all if the fast food they stuff into bags costs more than people are willing to pay.

A "living wage" is one that allows a worker to be self-supporting, without the need for assistance, especially government assistance programs. Of course, it's different depending on where one lives. It cost more to live in New York City than it does to live in Jackson Mississippi.

That's correct. Then add in all the toys that certain people believe to be entitlements.
Luxury items such as high speed internet, pay tv, cell phones, the ability to eat out, a second car....Yeah.
According to a study out of MIT, the living wage for a family of 5 living in Los Angeles County is over $23 per hour...So if a guy who has few marketable skills gets a job in a fast food rest, the living wage activists will look to that number as wage that is "fair".....Somehow I don;'t see a fast food worker making that kind of money.
The point is, those who work these entry level jobs must be made to realize the emphasis is on entry level.

A "living wage" is NOT based on family size. A "living wage" is based what it takes for a "single" person to be self-supporting. It has nothing to do with family or family size.

Define "self supporting"....because if you're going to insist that a fast food worker has every right to live in an apartment that carries a monthly rent of $2k or $3k per month, you're nuts.
Because in places such as San Francisco, New York, Boston, Seattle, San Diego, Washington( Northwest/Georgetown) and many other places where housing costs are out of reach for everyone but the highest earners.

 

[thereisnospoon]

So is any of this Bush's fault? just like the California water shortage?

Absolutely....And it all started with Reagan.....Remember, Reagan destroyed the unions.

 

[Rexx Taylor]

So is any of this Bush's fault? just like the California water shortage?

Absolutely....And it all started with Reagan.....Remember, Reagan destroyed the unions.

I wont be surprised when Elizabeth Warren holds rallies in Washington making her "Blame The GOP" for the loss of your restaurant jobs in March" speeches.

 

[thereisnospoon]

And Kaboom!!!!!! The myth gets busted:

Sorry Righties, Seattle Restaurant Closures Are NOT Due To $15 Minimum Wage

'Right-wing sites want everyone to believe that, come April 1, the minimum wage in Seattle will jump from the current level to $15 an hour. That’s not what’s happening at all. The new minimum wage will be phased in over several years. How quickly a business reaches the $15 an hour level depends on the size of the business, and whether or not the business offers employees health care benefits, as explained on Seattle mayor Ed Murray’s web page.

The current minimum wage in Washington state is $9.32 an hour. That wage goes to $11 an hour on April 1 for businesses with more than 500 employees.

For businesses such as restaurants, with fewer than 500 employees, who receive “minimum compensation,” that wage can be made up of a combination of wages, tips, and employer contributions to an employee health care plan, as long as the total of all the compensation equals at least $11 an hour.

The full $15 an hour minimum wage does not take effect for restaurants until 2019.'

...

'The right-wing sites mentioned above all latched onto a story in Seattle Magazine, that says that the impending wage increase is one of the reasons for the restaurant closures. However, Sara Jones, author of the story, acknowledges that not a single restaurateur she spoke to gave the wage increase as a reason for his or her restaurant being closed.'

'It is true that Seattle is seeing a large number of restaurants closing their doors. So, what exactly is going on, if it’s not the new minimum wage? It’s a variety of things. According to Seattle Magazine, Anthony Anton, the head of the Washington Restaurant Association, says that each year, about 17 percent of Washington restaurants go out of business, or change owners. That amounts to about 400 restaurants “in a good year,” he says.'

http://www.ifyouonlynews.com/politics/sorry-righties-seattle-restaurant-closures-are-not-due-to-15-minimum-wage/

Okay RWnuts, proceed to deny the facts.

Not a single one of you right wing **** heads want to touch this article now do ya?

Nice job of shutting them up NY.

.....A radical left wing blog?
Yer kidding...
Your hatred for all non libs is noted.

 

[Sonny Clark]

There is no desire to spend tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars on a college degree if the person stuffing french friends into a cardboard container is making what they had hoped to make after going to college. Just go flip burgers and make a killing. A living wage, according to liberals, is being able to buy ANYTHING you want. Cell phones, internet, TV, you ******* name it, that's a living wage. If you can use it while you're living, your burger flipping job should pay for it.

A little eye opener liberals: they won't have a job at all if the fast food they stuff into bags costs more than people are willing to pay.

A "living wage" is one that allows a worker to be self-supporting, without the need for assistance, especially government assistance programs. Of course, it's different depending on where one lives. It cost more to live in New York City than it does to live in Jackson Mississippi.

That's correct. Then add in all the toys that certain people believe to be entitlements.
Luxury items such as high speed internet, pay tv, cell phones, the ability to eat out, a second car....Yeah.
According to a study out of MIT, the living wage for a family of 5 living in Los Angeles County is over $23 per hour...So if a guy who has few marketable skills gets a job in a fast food rest, the living wage activists will look to that number as wage that is "fair".....Somehow I don;'t see a fast food worker making that kind of money.
The point is, those who work these entry level jobs must be made to realize the emphasis is on entry level.

A "living wage" is NOT based on family size. A "living wage" is based what it takes for a "single" person to be self-supporting. It has nothing to do with family or family size.

Wow are you stupid.

There is no desire to spend tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars on a college degree if the person stuffing french friends into a cardboard container is making what they had hoped to make after going to college. Just go flip burgers and make a killing. A living wage, according to liberals, is being able to buy ANYTHING you want. Cell phones, internet, TV, you ******* name it, that's a living wage. If you can use it while you're living, your burger flipping job should pay for it.

A little eye opener liberals: they won't have a job at all if the fast food they stuff into bags costs more than people are willing to pay.

A "living wage" is one that allows a worker to be self-supporting, without the need for assistance, especially government assistance programs. Of course, it's different depending on where one lives. It cost more to live in New York City than it does to live in Jackson Mississippi.

That's correct. Then add in all the toys that certain people believe to be entitlements.
Luxury items such as high speed internet, pay tv, cell phones, the ability to eat out, a second car....Yeah.
According to a study out of MIT, the living wage for a family of 5 living in Los Angeles County is over $23 per hour...So if a guy who has few marketable skills gets a job in a fast food rest, the living wage activists will look to that number as wage that is "fair".....Somehow I don;'t see a fast food worker making that kind of money.
The point is, those who work these entry level jobs must be made to realize the emphasis is on entry level.

A "living wage" is NOT based on family size. A "living wage" is based what it takes for a "single" person to be self-supporting. It has nothing to do with family or family size.

Wow....Your comment does not even rise to the level of stupid.
Here's egg on your face.
Living Wage Calculator-Introduction to the Living Wage Calculator

That's something entirely different from what I was talking about. Have you seen the ones that show what a single person needs in order to make a living wage? Of course not. You chose one that shows families, and not a single person, or an individual living wage. Do you think a living wage only applies to those married or that has a family? Why not check other data that shows individuals as well as families before calling someone stupid. I was only talking about one person, not entire families. And, calling me stupid does nothing to push your point. Why not try to be adult and civil in these conversations? Name calling and personal attacks is what kids do on the playground. Your age?

 

[thereisnospoon]

And Kaboom!!!!!! The myth gets busted:

Sorry Righties, Seattle Restaurant Closures Are NOT Due To $15 Minimum Wage

'Right-wing sites want everyone to believe that, come April 1, the minimum wage in Seattle will jump from the current level to $15 an hour. That’s not what’s happening at all. The new minimum wage will be phased in over several years. How quickly a business reaches the $15 an hour level depends on the size of the business, and whether or not the business offers employees health care benefits, as explained on Seattle mayor Ed Murray’s web page.

The current minimum wage in Washington state is $9.32 an hour. That wage goes to $11 an hour on April 1 for businesses with more than 500 employees.

For businesses such as restaurants, with fewer than 500 employees, who receive “minimum compensation,” that wage can be made up of a combination of wages, tips, and employer contributions to an employee health care plan, as long as the total of all the compensation equals at least $11 an hour.

The full $15 an hour minimum wage does not take effect for restaurants until 2019.'

...

'The right-wing sites mentioned above all latched onto a story in Seattle Magazine, that says that the impending wage increase is one of the reasons for the restaurant closures. However, Sara Jones, author of the story, acknowledges that not a single restaurateur she spoke to gave the wage increase as a reason for his or her restaurant being closed.'

'It is true that Seattle is seeing a large number of restaurants closing their doors. So, what exactly is going on, if it’s not the new minimum wage? It’s a variety of things. According to Seattle Magazine, Anthony Anton, the head of the Washington Restaurant Association, says that each year, about 17 percent of Washington restaurants go out of business, or change owners. That amounts to about 400 restaurants “in a good year,” he says.'

http://www.ifyouonlynews.com/politics/sorry-righties-seattle-restaurant-closures-are-not-due-to-15-minimum-wage/

Okay RWnuts, proceed to deny the facts.

Not a single one of you right wing **** heads want to touch this article now do ya?

Nice job of shutting them up NY.

Huh? An op-ed works for you? LOL, y'all got folks laughing. Idiots.

This is a liberal's favorite tactic. That is to search the lefty blogs, find an opinion piece, pass it off as news and then challenge others to prove a negative....
The proof is in this quote...."Okay RWnuts, proceed to deny the facts."

 

[Sonny Clark]

There is no desire to spend tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars on a college degree if the person stuffing french friends into a cardboard container is making what they had hoped to make after going to college. Just go flip burgers and make a killing. A living wage, according to liberals, is being able to buy ANYTHING you want. Cell phones, internet, TV, you ******* name it, that's a living wage. If you can use it while you're living, your burger flipping job should pay for it.

A little eye opener liberals: they won't have a job at all if the fast food they stuff into bags costs more than people are willing to pay.

A "living wage" is one that allows a worker to be self-supporting, without the need for assistance, especially government assistance programs. Of course, it's different depending on where one lives. It cost more to live in New York City than it does to live in Jackson Mississippi.

That's correct. Then add in all the toys that certain people believe to be entitlements.
Luxury items such as high speed internet, pay tv, cell phones, the ability to eat out, a second car....Yeah.
According to a study out of MIT, the living wage for a family of 5 living in Los Angeles County is over $23 per hour...So if a guy who has few marketable skills gets a job in a fast food rest, the living wage activists will look to that number as wage that is "fair".....Somehow I don;'t see a fast food worker making that kind of money.
The point is, those who work these entry level jobs must be made to realize the emphasis is on entry level.

A "living wage" is NOT based on family size. A "living wage" is based what it takes for a "single" person to be self-supporting. It has nothing to do with family or family size.

Define "self supporting"....because if you're going to insist that a fast food worker has every right to live in an apartment that carries a monthly rent of $2k or $3k per month, you're nuts.
Because in places such as San Francisco, New York, Boston, Seattle, San Diego, Washington( Northwest/Georgetown) and many other places where housing costs are out of reach for everyone but the highest earners.

The term "self-supporting" speaks for itself. It means one can support themselves without the need for assistance. I wasn't talking about fast food workers, or any particular work place. I was talking about "a worker", a person that works. And, I certainly wasn't talking about the cost of apartments or rental property. Calling me nuts doesn't add anything to this conversation. Please make an effort to be adult and civil. Name calling and personal attack is what kids do on the playground. Yes, cost are different in many areas of the country, and I have already mentioned that if you'll go back and read my comments. Your age?

 

[thereisnospoon]

There is no desire to spend tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars on a college degree if the person stuffing french friends into a cardboard container is making what they had hoped to make after going to college. Just go flip burgers and make a killing. A living wage, according to liberals, is being able to buy ANYTHING you want. Cell phones, internet, TV, you ******* name it, that's a living wage. If you can use it while you're living, your burger flipping job should pay for it.

A little eye opener liberals: they won't have a job at all if the fast food they stuff into bags costs more than people are willing to pay.

A "living wage" is one that allows a worker to be self-supporting, without the need for assistance, especially government assistance programs. Of course, it's different depending on where one lives. It cost more to live in New York City than it does to live in Jackson Mississippi.

That's correct. Then add in all the toys that certain people believe to be entitlements.
Luxury items such as high speed internet, pay tv, cell phones, the ability to eat out, a second car....Yeah.
According to a study out of MIT, the living wage for a family of 5 living in Los Angeles County is over $23 per hour...So if a guy who has few marketable skills gets a job in a fast food rest, the living wage activists will look to that number as wage that is "fair".....Somehow I don;'t see a fast food worker making that kind of money.
The point is, those who work these entry level jobs must be made to realize the emphasis is on entry level.

A "living wage" is NOT based on family size. A "living wage" is based what it takes for a "single" person to be self-supporting. It has nothing to do with family or family size.

Wow are you stupid.

There is no desire to spend tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars on a college degree if the person stuffing french friends into a cardboard container is making what they had hoped to make after going to college. Just go flip burgers and make a killing. A living wage, according to liberals, is being able to buy ANYTHING you want. Cell phones, internet, TV, you ******* name it, that's a living wage. If you can use it while you're living, your burger flipping job should pay for it.

A little eye opener liberals: they won't have a job at all if the fast food they stuff into bags costs more than people are willing to pay.

A "living wage" is one that allows a worker to be self-supporting, without the need for assistance, especially government assistance programs. Of course, it's different depending on where one lives. It cost more to live in New York City than it does to live in Jackson Mississippi.

That's correct. Then add in all the toys that certain people believe to be entitlements.
Luxury items such as high speed internet, pay tv, cell phones, the ability to eat out, a second car....Yeah.
According to a study out of MIT, the living wage for a family of 5 living in Los Angeles County is over $23 per hour...So if a guy who has few marketable skills gets a job in a fast food rest, the living wage activists will look to that number as wage that is "fair".....Somehow I don;'t see a fast food worker making that kind of money.
The point is, those who work these entry level jobs must be made to realize the emphasis is on entry level.

A "living wage" is NOT based on family size. A "living wage" is based what it takes for a "single" person to be self-supporting. It has nothing to do with family or family size.

Wow....Your comment does not even rise to the level of stupid.
Here's egg on your face.
Living Wage Calculator-Introduction to the Living Wage Calculator

That's something entirely different from what I was talking about. Have you seen the ones that show what a single person needs in order to make a living wage? Of course not. You chose one that shows families, and not a single person, or an individual living wage. Do you think a living wage only applies to those married or that has a family? Why not check other data that shows individuals as well as families before calling someone stupid. I was only talking about one person, not entire families. And, calling me stupid does nothing to push your point. Why not try to be adult and civil in these conversations? Name calling and personal attacks is what kids do on the playground. Your age?

The site takes into account several family size variables.
The obfuscation is in your insistence that the issue of 'living wage' does not apply to families.
It most certainly does. At least according to the numerous calculators.
Look, at the end of the day no business owner is going to pay an unskilled entry level worker $600 per week( based on a 40 hr week). It's not going to happen.
It is simply not practical. And it is not sustainable
Business will always find ways around unfunded government mandates.

 

[thereisnospoon]

This is just a small example when will you Leftys get it's through your thick heads, you make people leave through high taxes and raising the minimum wage? God damn you folks are dumb as shit when it comes to profit margins

More +

Thinkstock photo


A small manufacturer near Rockford will move to Wisconsin, citing tax incentives and other benefits.

Chicago Fittings will move to Beloit, about 25 miles north of its current headquarters in Belvidere. Plans are in place to break ground next spring on a 30,000-square-foot building in Beloit's Gateway Business Park.

The company would own the facility, which will initially employ about 20 people, up from 16 now, with growth expected through the next several years.

Chicago Fittings, which makes products for utilities and equipment manufacturers, will do $4 million to $4.5 million in business this year, said Joe Tarquini, the owner since 2004. He expects that to grow about 20 percent next year.

The company, founded in 1930 in downtown Chicago, gradually made its way west, moving to Belvidere in 2004. Chicago Fittings examined expanding in Illinois, but Wisconsin was the better choice, said General Manager Diane Thomas
Subscription Center ChicagoBusiness.com

North Carolina has the same issue with South Carolina.
SC has lower taxes. Lower home prices. Better roads. Better schools. And does whatever it must to attract more business which means more jobs.