[OT] Computer fatalities (was: Linux Made Easy: Linspire 5.0)

[Derek Martin]

On Wed, Apr 27, 2005 at 12:06:32PM -0400, Bill McGonigle wrote:
> On Apr 26, 2005, at 12:23, Derek Martin wrote:
> 
> >Often that's true, but it's largely irrelevant.  My dad runs his own
> >repair business, and he's his only employee.  He doesn't have to
> >follow labor regulations...  He makes little enough that after
> >expenses and retirement account deductions, he isn't paying any income
> >tax either.
> 
> So he doesn't pay property, sales, or social security taxes?  No tolls 
> on the road, and certainly no gas taxes?  The cost of said taxes and 
> other regs aren't built into the cost of everything he buys?  He 
> doesn't have to meet building code when he renovates the house? etc. 
> etc. etc.

These points are specious; ultimately, the individual parts come from
the same place, and have the same taxes, etc. associated with them.
[Note also that those prices are EXCLUDING shipping costs... they're
only dealer list prices.]  In fact, some parts which are manufactured
in the USA must be shipped overseas  to be assembled there, increasing
the cost (of course, ecomomies of scale come into play).  Regardless,
he ought to be able to buy them for a reasonable mark-up over what the
manufacturer's cost is, but in reality the mark-up (from the
manufacturer to him -- dealer cost) is often 1000% or more.  That's
way, way beyond any taxes associated with the part, and again, doesn't
include distribution costs, which are charged seperately.  I'm talking
purely about the cost of goods sold.

Repairs are expensive because big business wants it that way.  Period.

-- 
Derek D. Martin    http://www.pizzashack.org/   GPG Key ID: 0xDFBEAD02
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