Hospitality Hints, Part II

Continuing to try to help http://stephenbrayton.wordpress.com/2014/01/10/hospitality-hints-part-ii/

You know, that bit about the elves is part of the banking conspiracy to use money for their purposes before returning it. When I pay my credit cards, the payment does not show on my bank account for two to three days. That's infuriating. Every hold on a check allows the banks to pull in a few more pennies. The amounts they are charging for interest on credit cards is usurious in my mind when loans are 7.5% and interest earned for an ordinary person is either 0% or .005 or something like that. Anyway, thanks for letting me vent on the banks who destroyed the economy and recently gave their executives whopping bonus payments while ordinary fold struggle with the $11 to $15 fees just to park money in a savings account.

Dear Diane, I wish you would run for office.  On the other hand I would not wish the trash that would follow on anyone with a beautiful brain and heart like yours.  It is too bad that decent people do not run.  Give this country, with no change in the election process, 20 years and we will be all wanting to immigrate somewhere else.  
Love, Betty

It's really sad that qualified people cannot run for office. Of course I have not led a boring life and an opponent would have plenty with which to have fun. I also cry. I have so many experiences that could be beneficial and yet I have no contacts anymore or people willing to hire me. I am not alone. Here there are many retired people with great credentials but they volunteer and serve on boards because they also have great retirement incomes.

I have no problem with sound and fair business practices that lead to reasonable profits. When people are harmed by profit-making businesses then I have a problem with them. There are some businesses that make great profits and are still good citizens and operate with integrity and fairness. It is possible to be successful without harming other people, it just takes more intelligence and less greed.

I have a friend whose husband started a business.  As the profits grew, he used the profit to set up a relative in business.  As their profits grew, they set up other relatives in the same business.  Altogether they grew a dozen small businesses that hired many people each off the beginnings of the first business.  All had a good, quality life from their businesses, actually would be considered wealthy by some standards.  They employed many people over the years and conducted their business fairly.  A competitor fell on hard times and they kept track of the customers that came to them and helped their competitor by serving their customers until they were back in full force.  Then the competitors worked together to regain their competitive status without doing harm but rather diversifying their products.

No, they do not have five cars and five houses across the globe, but they live very well without financial worries with something to leave their children.  I think once there were many such companies.  Something went wrong somewhere and greed took over many.  Maybe it's television and movies creating expectations and desires that are pushing people to greed.