The Economy

I'm not changing my bank so my jury is out with Chase, but the bottom line is they seem super-eager to expand. About 20 years ago the joke was "a Chase on every corner like Walgreens" and truth be told, it's a good race.

 

Ahem.

How IKEA Billionaire Legally Avoided Taxes From 1973 Until 2015

https://taxjustice.net/reports/tax-haven-germany-why-many-rich-dont-pay-tax-here/

Wealthiest people in the Netherlands aren’t the ones paying the most tax

https://www.dutchnews.nl/2023/10/dutch-billionaires-pay-less-tax-than-the-american-super-rich/

 

oh look predatory uber and lyft throwing tantrum and abandoning Minneapolis over city-mandated driver pay increase to minimum wage.

 

Seems like a heck more than minimum wage, since . . .

A 20-mile, 30-minute trip to the airport would net the driver more than $43.

 

How much is left after vehicle expenses?

 

Kinda depends on the vehicle. But about $27-$29 based on this.

https://newsroom.aaa.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/2022-YourDrivingCosts-FactSheet-7-1.pdf

Drive a Prius? Then you'll keep about $35.

 

The drive time wage has to be higher than minimum wage to account for the driver’s idle time waiting on the next trip.

 

And it is. I gave an example of what a driver would make for a 30-minute drive. Assume 30 more minutes for waiting for/getting to the next passenger, and you're at $27-$35 per hour under the Minneapolis regulations.

 

Where is that etched into the rules of the universe?

 

For years Uber and Lyft rides were subsidized by VC funds. They kept fares artificially low. Now fares are going up and customer service is going down. Bad recipe for the ride-hailing firms. Anecdotally, it seems like more people are going back to taxis.

 

Taxis and cable TV…the wave of the future!