Over the years I had collected numerous family heirlooms. Many came from my aunt when she passed the genealogy work over to me, and the rest came from various relatives right before or after they passed away. Most of the older family members knew I was paying a preservation company to seal and/or store some items which could deteriorate for safe keeping.
After I lost Wonder Plants, I could no longer afford the expense of all that was in storage.
I sat down and wrote letters to the direct descendants of each of those artifacts, and it is sad, but only one out of like eighty were interested. I also had numerous items that did not need special storage which I started selling on eBay.
When I took everything I had in the preservation companies storage, it went straight from there to the Mo Hist Society. What they did with some of it after that I don't know. I did keep a couple of things, which I passed on to my son, and one cousin.
The large collection of Shakespeare books with tintype drawings I passed on to my son.
I could have sold each of those tintype images for 35 bucks each, but the books were all intact, the pages all crisp and clean, because we used the two volume set for reading, the large multi-volume set never left the shelf in grandpa's study.
I basically sold most of my antiques that were not lost in my downtown office on eBay, and got good money for most of them.
I had a couple I kept for myself, but they all got sold at auction. On the bright side, the monorail system fetched 1 grand at auction, so you know it was worth around 10 grand to the right person.
It is sad that today's kids are not all that really interested in their heritage anymore.
How To Clear Snow in Kentucky
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Re: How To Clear Snow in Kentucky
You are right about the current generation not being well connected to their past. But then, my mom came from a family of eight and only one of them seemed to be interested in preserving anything. Over the years when they were all alive mom's family would get together for major events, such as weddings and baptisms. There was a lot of talk, of course, and once in a while the eldest brother was asked what he knew about the family roots. He didn't know much. He knew his dad was born in Russia and his mom born in Poland. He also knew of a couple stray aunts and uncles who still lived in the old country. That's it for family history. Nobody was interested enough to find out more. My dad's side of the family was similar in that regard. They knew of a few stray relatives back in Europe but never contacted them nor investigated further. There was some speculation that the family name was changed because it doesn't fit it with traditional Polish names. Nobody knew anything about that either. It was all guessing. So, it's disappointing that few people seem interested in their family roots. But, it's not a new phenomena. Apparently the disinterest has been going on for generations. At least that is the case in my families.
I don't know if the Missouri Historical Society considered your contributions valuable or not, but your family had a direct role in creating the communities around here. My family immigrated into a well established city and had virtually no impact on it's foundation. As far as my uncle's belongings go, I will look through them and keep them. I can't imagine anybody else would be interested. When I depart from this world evidence of my existence will end up in some land fill, which would be fitting I suppose. We all return to the compost from which we were made.
I don't know if the Missouri Historical Society considered your contributions valuable or not, but your family had a direct role in creating the communities around here. My family immigrated into a well established city and had virtually no impact on it's foundation. As far as my uncle's belongings go, I will look through them and keep them. I can't imagine anybody else would be interested. When I depart from this world evidence of my existence will end up in some land fill, which would be fitting I suppose. We all return to the compost from which we were made.
Re: How To Clear Snow in Kentucky
Yes, it is sad, so many today don't care about their history, only about themselves usually.
It is true, my family had a rich history in the development of the Des Peres area, and points around the county.
I'm proud of our family history, which is why my aunt turned most of her stuff over to me. She would have turned it all over to me, except for another greedy aunt who wanted everything for herself, and she won't pass anything on after she is gone.
It is true, my family had a rich history in the development of the Des Peres area, and points around the county.
I'm proud of our family history, which is why my aunt turned most of her stuff over to me. She would have turned it all over to me, except for another greedy aunt who wanted everything for herself, and she won't pass anything on after she is gone.
Re: How To Clear Snow in Kentucky
There has been much discussion about the disintegration of families over the years. In some respects that phenomena is depressing, but it is also understandable. The world in general has changed dramatically over the last century due to urbanization and other things. These broad changes in society have removed the need for families to be close in order to survive. This country in particular has a long history of immigration that is easy to see in any given city landscape. Thus, people of different cultures are now mixing in ways that were not possible many years ago. All of this basic change has had an impact upon social mores so that in the year 2021 a family means something other than it did in 1921. Survival no longer depends on help from the family, or at least not as much as it once did. It seems as if knowing one's roots is not as necessary as it once was because those roots keep changing so quickly. The main focus is on the here and now.
Obviously your focus on the family heritage is comforting to you. You have an awareness that most other people seem to be lacking. I think it would be interesting to know my family's heritage as far back as records are available, but would I be interested in discovering those records? Well, not really. Interesting is not the same as necessary. A lot of folks out there must feel the same way.
Obviously your focus on the family heritage is comforting to you. You have an awareness that most other people seem to be lacking. I think it would be interesting to know my family's heritage as far back as records are available, but would I be interested in discovering those records? Well, not really. Interesting is not the same as necessary. A lot of folks out there must feel the same way.
Re: How To Clear Snow in Kentucky
Before I forget, I have a 40 page pdf file of part one of my family history I put together mainly for my son. It is a work in progress so no where near completed. If I ever get back to it, I may include pictures and other things in it, like maps and the like. But for now it is just all text, with some interesting tidbits of things they did. It follows only my direct ancestors and their wives only by mention. It doesn't follow any of the brothers or sisters that I recall.
If you would like to see it, drop me an e-mail with your e-mail address, since I don't think I have it anymore.
I agree with your note of the changes over the years. A lot of that has to do with transportation getting easier and easier.
Normally a family lived in the same immediate area for generations, unless the entire family and most of the relatives all packed up to move somewhere else.
But then in the later years, kids go off to college, meet and marry someone, and move to where they landed the best job.
Growing up, I only had a couple of relatives who did not live in our immediate area, let's say within a 30 mile radius for some, but the majority were right there in Des Peres, where we dropped anchor when we moved from Germany.
But after us kids grew up, almost all of my cousins lived somewhere other than Des Peres, and most were well over 100 miles away or more. Then they spread a little further to all different states and some to other countries.
The days of the whole family showing up at Grandma's house for a family dinner are now long past!
If you would like to see it, drop me an e-mail with your e-mail address, since I don't think I have it anymore.
I agree with your note of the changes over the years. A lot of that has to do with transportation getting easier and easier.
Normally a family lived in the same immediate area for generations, unless the entire family and most of the relatives all packed up to move somewhere else.
But then in the later years, kids go off to college, meet and marry someone, and move to where they landed the best job.
Growing up, I only had a couple of relatives who did not live in our immediate area, let's say within a 30 mile radius for some, but the majority were right there in Des Peres, where we dropped anchor when we moved from Germany.
But after us kids grew up, almost all of my cousins lived somewhere other than Des Peres, and most were well over 100 miles away or more. Then they spread a little further to all different states and some to other countries.
The days of the whole family showing up at Grandma's house for a family dinner are now long past!
Re: How To Clear Snow in Kentucky
Transportation certainly helped change society. We are more mobile than we ever were. When I was growing up in the city of Chicago my parents did not own a car until I was a teenager. It took the death of a bachelor uncle for us to acquire that car, a 1949 Chevy Deluxe, simply because they didn't know what else to do with it. Aside from the bicycle I had, we visited relatives and friends by walking over to see them. Dad only worked part of the year and he would get there in a car pool. The reason we could walk to all these places is exactly what you noted. They all lived within walking distance and not in some other state. Mobility helped with the change in family lifestyle, but so did the change in culture, the abundance of social services, and an increasingly complex day to day life that prevents the closeness to relatives we once could enjoy.
My youngest daughter and one of my wife's four siblings remain in Illinois where they were born. The rest of the family is all over the United States and not easy to get to. Never pictured it being this way when I was a kid.
You are forgiven for not recalling that you already sent me a copy of "A History of the Deutchmann Family" a couple months ago. I read it all and was duly impressed. It certainly would enhance the value of the document if you could add pictures and maps. But then, most of the people in your family already know those things. It's only interested third party observers such as myself who would find those additions beneficial.
My youngest daughter and one of my wife's four siblings remain in Illinois where they were born. The rest of the family is all over the United States and not easy to get to. Never pictured it being this way when I was a kid.
You are forgiven for not recalling that you already sent me a copy of "A History of the Deutchmann Family" a couple months ago. I read it all and was duly impressed. It certainly would enhance the value of the document if you could add pictures and maps. But then, most of the people in your family already know those things. It's only interested third party observers such as myself who would find those additions beneficial.
Re: How To Clear Snow in Kentucky
I guess living rural, and on a farm and florist, with all of our cars and trucks, we never walked anywhere, hi hi.
I'll claim Olde Age on my forgetfulness, hi hi.
I'll claim Olde Age on my forgetfulness, hi hi.
Re: How To Clear Snow in Kentucky
Life in the city was fully self-contained back in the day. Everything one could need was close by. For those things that were distant there is public transportation to get you there. I doubt that there are any more trolley cars in Chicago, but that is exactly how mom and I got around the city before we owned a car. Even my first love was around the block within walking distance, and if we were to be married the church was only one block away in the other direction. LOL I often wonder what became of that girl. She married a doctor before my wife and I married and that was the last I saw of her. It certainly was a different life seventy years ago. I can't say I miss much of it, but it was comfortable.
Re: How To Clear Snow in Kentucky
When I was young, nearly everything you could imagine was either in Des Peres, or the harder to find items we had to go into Kirkwood, the next town over for. Most of my clothes came from the Model Shop in Kirkwood, and we got all of our shoes from Laurie's shoes in Rock Hill. Heck, even when I lived in Creve Coeur, I would take the kids and frau to Laurie's to get our shoes.
No matter what brands of shoes they sold back then, they were always quality made, the tops were sewed to a Goodyear welt, and the welt sewed to the soles. Not like the crappy glued on soles of today that come loose fairly fast where the back of your toes bend.
What I miss most about even 50 years ago was the honesty of nearly every one. Sure there were a few crooks, but we all know who they were and avoided them. But being raised in a small town did have some advantages and disadvantages too. It was great everyone know your name and your family, and watched out for everyone. But on the other side of the coin, if you did something you shouldn't be doing, it often got back to your parents before you got back home, hi hi.
Before Des Peres expanded, we had a black community just south of Klineville. That small town ceased to exist when Ollie Kliine's Ice House closed down. But until Des Peres annexed that area, most of us still called it Klineville.
Despite the fact of it being a black community, you could place a 20 dollar bill under your windshield wiper and leave your car parked there overnight, and that 20 dollar bill would still be there in the morning.
Those are types of days we all now miss!
No matter what brands of shoes they sold back then, they were always quality made, the tops were sewed to a Goodyear welt, and the welt sewed to the soles. Not like the crappy glued on soles of today that come loose fairly fast where the back of your toes bend.
What I miss most about even 50 years ago was the honesty of nearly every one. Sure there were a few crooks, but we all know who they were and avoided them. But being raised in a small town did have some advantages and disadvantages too. It was great everyone know your name and your family, and watched out for everyone. But on the other side of the coin, if you did something you shouldn't be doing, it often got back to your parents before you got back home, hi hi.
Before Des Peres expanded, we had a black community just south of Klineville. That small town ceased to exist when Ollie Kliine's Ice House closed down. But until Des Peres annexed that area, most of us still called it Klineville.
Despite the fact of it being a black community, you could place a 20 dollar bill under your windshield wiper and leave your car parked there overnight, and that 20 dollar bill would still be there in the morning.
Those are types of days we all now miss!
Re: How To Clear Snow in Kentucky
I can still do that $20 bill trick right here in O'Fallon. Of course, my car is parked in the garage, but still. 
One of the things about O'Fallon that has an old time look to it is the ability of anybody to walk the streets alone when it's dark outside. You could do that in Chicago too but in some parts of town it would be considered a high risky. Because of those nasty stories coming out of certain parts of the city, all the residents seem apprehensive and were very cautious to travel on foot alone. Around here I've seen people walking down the middle of the street well after ten o'clock. Maybe they are carrying concealed weapons - that kind of thing is popular down here - but there is a certain degree of safety in the air that was lacking up north. That's not to say your car won't get stolen or your house broken into in O'Fallon. It's just not a common occurrence as it was where I grew up.
Up north if I left my garage door opened over night, the police patrol would ring my bell to be sure everything was ok. That happened to me a couple times when they knocked the door well after midnight. A time or two they came knocking and searching the outside during the early morning in daylight. Apparently leaving the garage door open on their way out is a favorite MO of burglars. Or, so I was told by the coppers. Here, not only do the people leave their garage doors open all night, but they also tend to leave the keys in the car. That's an open invitation and I don't feel bad when I read about stolen cars reported by careless people. The point is that they don't have a fear of doing it.
The kind of honesty you talk about is definitely a small town phenomena. Not being anonymous as you would be in the big city is the reason. I would agree that attitudes have changed over the decades. I'm not sure how to explain it, but I can say it's not as bad as you see on Fox News or read on Facebook. There probably are more nasty people lurking around in the shadows than there used to be, but that's mostly due to there being more people. I think the small towns still retain those good old values.
One of the things about O'Fallon that has an old time look to it is the ability of anybody to walk the streets alone when it's dark outside. You could do that in Chicago too but in some parts of town it would be considered a high risky. Because of those nasty stories coming out of certain parts of the city, all the residents seem apprehensive and were very cautious to travel on foot alone. Around here I've seen people walking down the middle of the street well after ten o'clock. Maybe they are carrying concealed weapons - that kind of thing is popular down here - but there is a certain degree of safety in the air that was lacking up north. That's not to say your car won't get stolen or your house broken into in O'Fallon. It's just not a common occurrence as it was where I grew up.
Up north if I left my garage door opened over night, the police patrol would ring my bell to be sure everything was ok. That happened to me a couple times when they knocked the door well after midnight. A time or two they came knocking and searching the outside during the early morning in daylight. Apparently leaving the garage door open on their way out is a favorite MO of burglars. Or, so I was told by the coppers. Here, not only do the people leave their garage doors open all night, but they also tend to leave the keys in the car. That's an open invitation and I don't feel bad when I read about stolen cars reported by careless people. The point is that they don't have a fear of doing it.
The kind of honesty you talk about is definitely a small town phenomena. Not being anonymous as you would be in the big city is the reason. I would agree that attitudes have changed over the decades. I'm not sure how to explain it, but I can say it's not as bad as you see on Fox News or read on Facebook. There probably are more nasty people lurking around in the shadows than there used to be, but that's mostly due to there being more people. I think the small towns still retain those good old values.
Re: How To Clear Snow in Kentucky
It was fairly safe in our neighborhood for well every since this subdivision was built.
But time, deterioration, and lower home values have brought in the undesirables.
Even so, it is fairly safe here, for the time being. Despite having the projects a half mile to the left, and meth labs about 1/4 mile to the right, hi hi. Kids in this area still play outside at night until the street lights come on, but there are usually adults around also.
Well, all I can say about Des Peres, is that after the outside politicians got in, the whole town went downhill in a hand basket real fast. The decline of the city is why mom and dad moved out west in 1966. And bad government is the main reason we closed our 71 year old business in 1984, rather than pass it on to the next generation.
But time, deterioration, and lower home values have brought in the undesirables.
Even so, it is fairly safe here, for the time being. Despite having the projects a half mile to the left, and meth labs about 1/4 mile to the right, hi hi. Kids in this area still play outside at night until the street lights come on, but there are usually adults around also.
Well, all I can say about Des Peres, is that after the outside politicians got in, the whole town went downhill in a hand basket real fast. The decline of the city is why mom and dad moved out west in 1966. And bad government is the main reason we closed our 71 year old business in 1984, rather than pass it on to the next generation.
Re: How To Clear Snow in Kentucky
I have a feeling your experience with De Peres is something like family businesses that are too successful for their own good. Once you pass a certain point of success, you attract a lot of outside attention. Those outsiders pollute the family atmosphere and, yes, it's all downhill from there. Home Rule isn't at all like a formal government and it's very understandable why you would be dissatisfied with the changes. On the other hand, you can look back and see how successful the town was prior to it being taken over by big government. The founders did well.
This July will mark the 5th anniversary of our residence in this house. I don't know a whole lot more about this town than I did the day we took up residence, but I do know what people are talking about. I read the newsletter they publish. LOL I also follow them on Twitter and via a local news app on my clever phone. They were boasting at one time that O'Fallon is among the top "safest" communities in the country, right above the story about a home invasion. As I said earlier there are crimes to be noted, but it's not nearly as prolific as it was from whence I came. I don't recall reading anything about drugs or gangs, aside from a minor story coming from the neighborhood gossip regarding a druggie that used to live at the end of my street. Overall I believe it's pretty low keyed life around here. Then, too, there are very few of those "undesirable" people populating the streets.
This July will mark the 5th anniversary of our residence in this house. I don't know a whole lot more about this town than I did the day we took up residence, but I do know what people are talking about. I read the newsletter they publish. LOL I also follow them on Twitter and via a local news app on my clever phone. They were boasting at one time that O'Fallon is among the top "safest" communities in the country, right above the story about a home invasion. As I said earlier there are crimes to be noted, but it's not nearly as prolific as it was from whence I came. I don't recall reading anything about drugs or gangs, aside from a minor story coming from the neighborhood gossip regarding a druggie that used to live at the end of my street. Overall I believe it's pretty low keyed life around here. Then, too, there are very few of those "undesirable" people populating the streets.
Re: How To Clear Snow in Kentucky
I loved my home town of Des Peres, even after the big government first took over. But there was an easily visible decline after that. Oh the town looks great, many new outsiders have flourished there, big businesses came in, etc. Lot's of improvements to the infrastructure, but only up to a point, then even that went downhill drastically.
I think every city in the entire country, no matter how large or how small, is in a downward spiral. You may find small communities that are still holding their own. Many of them annexed by a larger city around them, but they are still able to keep their home town charm intact, at least for the time being.
The world will never be like it was when we were growing up. But some of the things are great improvements over what we had, but sadly, many are not and go against us instead of for us.
When I first moved to TN, a good percentage of our subdivision was all family members, of which most have now passed away, their houses bought and have become rental properties, which in turn brings in lower classes of people and a few undesirables.
It didn't get really bad until the City annexed us, double our taxes, and cut services, etc. Now about 90% of the houses still here are owned by landlords. A few are still privately owned, namely the ones closest to our house and across the street. So we know the few neighbors around us, not personally, but we talk from time to time, and they are all great folks.
I think every city in the entire country, no matter how large or how small, is in a downward spiral. You may find small communities that are still holding their own. Many of them annexed by a larger city around them, but they are still able to keep their home town charm intact, at least for the time being.
The world will never be like it was when we were growing up. But some of the things are great improvements over what we had, but sadly, many are not and go against us instead of for us.
When I first moved to TN, a good percentage of our subdivision was all family members, of which most have now passed away, their houses bought and have become rental properties, which in turn brings in lower classes of people and a few undesirables.
It didn't get really bad until the City annexed us, double our taxes, and cut services, etc. Now about 90% of the houses still here are owned by landlords. A few are still privately owned, namely the ones closest to our house and across the street. So we know the few neighbors around us, not personally, but we talk from time to time, and they are all great folks.
Re: How To Clear Snow in Kentucky
life itself is intimately related to the process of change. When things stop changing, death ensues. You paint a dismal picture of cities and towns in decline, but are they really? The growth of a community means more people are sharing the common interests that made the area popular in the first place. This is good news for the new people, but perhaps not so good for the older folks. The new people, buildings, services, and whatnot are desirable in the sense that they indicate growth. But, that very growth changes the nature things. The value of the change can be debated but without doubt the original denizens have grown out of the uniqueness they created. It's a lament I hear often. A lot of folks my age relish what life was like back when they were twenty or thirty. Yes, life was good then but only in that context. There is no doubt in my mind that as we age the ability and desire to change and adapt to our environment decreases. Is that a good or a bad thing? It's neither in my humble opinion. It just becomes harder to keep up, and that is by design.
Not too many years ago I lived in a socially diverse community. The village was very middle class and nothing like the farm town it started out to be; but I wasn't around in those rural days so that it didn't matter to me. To the north of me were million dollar homes and to the south were residences worth 1/4th that much. Many of the homes in that southern subdivision had similar designs which is what people who bought into it wanted. On my side of the street my 1500 sq ft house sat next to my dentist's house of 5500 sq ft. It couldn't be more different if we planned it that way. Nobody in all the years I live there ever lost money when they sold their home and moved on. The folks here in an HOA covenant enforced Ticky Tacky house community insist the quality of life would be degraded and house values plummet if the curtains in my window didn't match all of theirs. THAT, plus dozens upon dozens of other rules and regulations is what makes for happy campers in my neighborhood today. About the only true benefit I see living here is that my real estate taxes have plummeted by about 60%. After 5 years of not paying high taxes to Chicago, I might be able to buy a new car. But, guess where I had greater value and was happier.
Not too many years ago I lived in a socially diverse community. The village was very middle class and nothing like the farm town it started out to be; but I wasn't around in those rural days so that it didn't matter to me. To the north of me were million dollar homes and to the south were residences worth 1/4th that much. Many of the homes in that southern subdivision had similar designs which is what people who bought into it wanted. On my side of the street my 1500 sq ft house sat next to my dentist's house of 5500 sq ft. It couldn't be more different if we planned it that way. Nobody in all the years I live there ever lost money when they sold their home and moved on. The folks here in an HOA covenant enforced Ticky Tacky house community insist the quality of life would be degraded and house values plummet if the curtains in my window didn't match all of theirs. THAT, plus dozens upon dozens of other rules and regulations is what makes for happy campers in my neighborhood today. About the only true benefit I see living here is that my real estate taxes have plummeted by about 60%. After 5 years of not paying high taxes to Chicago, I might be able to buy a new car. But, guess where I had greater value and was happier.
Re: How To Clear Snow in Kentucky
You have some very valid points! I've always loved to see progress and moving forward, until it starts to cause major problems.
Let's start with buildings: I don't mind there being rules on construction for the safety of everyone, nor the inspections to ensure the work was done properly. But when they start to dumb down the codes and allow things that are not safe, all because of some payola under the table, those are steps downhill and not good for anyone except those benefiting monetarily from it.
Then they come up with laws that change every decade about what size house you can no longer build, it must be Bigger!
Just in my lifetime, I saw the minimum house size go from 650 sq. ft. to 850 sq. ft. to 1000 sq. ft. to 1200 sq. ft. and at the time I moved south it was at 1600 sq. ft. This is how they push lower income folks out of a community!
Let's look at businesses: Every town needs a certain assortment of businesses to survive. As the town grows, more businesses move in, in many cases duplicating what was already there. When the population reaches a certain density, then all the big box stores begin moving in, and the city them makes it harder for a small guy to open a new business or expand his own business. All they see is the tax revenues of the big guys, and begin to force small business or low tax businesses out of the area.
Pretty soon, nobody knows each other anymore, they can't find small stores to shop at so much shop at chains and big box stores. Where they are glad to fight over certain products that are now in short supply. I call that downhill spiral. And it has happened to every great civilization that has ever existed all throughout history.
I don't know much about the Chicago area, but her in Missouri, namely St. Louis County and surrounding counties, we were very class oriented. You could guess about how much money someone had based on where they lived. Most of the homes in a subdivision were around the same price at the time the subdivision was built. Then of course they went up in value. However, other areas that may be older, they would only go up in price, but decline in value at the same time, until the prices started dropping. People would migrate out of the area, and undesirables would slowly build up in the area. I've seen many areas with exquisite mansions go downhill until the area turned unto like the slums. Sad to see such beautiful mansions fall into decay. But then the Yuppies come in and start renovating the area once again, and hopefully bring the property values back up.
In sharp contrast to St. Louis County, down here in TN, you may have a trailer next to a large mansion, with poor housing and affluent housing all on the same street. Although new laws her prevent building under a certain size now too, and although they say no mobile homes allowed, you still see a few being installed due to some loophole somewhere that allows them if they are set down on a block foundation. Heck, on my street about 1/4 mile away, they allowed a trailer on the side of a hill, but it had to have eight I-beams driven down to bedrock, and then I-beams welded to them to form the base to set the trailer on. And then it had to be enclosed so it looked like a basement from the road. They only used plywood with a sandstone coating which has since deteriorated, so now it looks like a trailer on steel poles, hi hi. What rules apply to one side of our street, may not apply to the other side of the street.
Let's start with buildings: I don't mind there being rules on construction for the safety of everyone, nor the inspections to ensure the work was done properly. But when they start to dumb down the codes and allow things that are not safe, all because of some payola under the table, those are steps downhill and not good for anyone except those benefiting monetarily from it.
Then they come up with laws that change every decade about what size house you can no longer build, it must be Bigger!
Just in my lifetime, I saw the minimum house size go from 650 sq. ft. to 850 sq. ft. to 1000 sq. ft. to 1200 sq. ft. and at the time I moved south it was at 1600 sq. ft. This is how they push lower income folks out of a community!
Let's look at businesses: Every town needs a certain assortment of businesses to survive. As the town grows, more businesses move in, in many cases duplicating what was already there. When the population reaches a certain density, then all the big box stores begin moving in, and the city them makes it harder for a small guy to open a new business or expand his own business. All they see is the tax revenues of the big guys, and begin to force small business or low tax businesses out of the area.
Pretty soon, nobody knows each other anymore, they can't find small stores to shop at so much shop at chains and big box stores. Where they are glad to fight over certain products that are now in short supply. I call that downhill spiral. And it has happened to every great civilization that has ever existed all throughout history.
I don't know much about the Chicago area, but her in Missouri, namely St. Louis County and surrounding counties, we were very class oriented. You could guess about how much money someone had based on where they lived. Most of the homes in a subdivision were around the same price at the time the subdivision was built. Then of course they went up in value. However, other areas that may be older, they would only go up in price, but decline in value at the same time, until the prices started dropping. People would migrate out of the area, and undesirables would slowly build up in the area. I've seen many areas with exquisite mansions go downhill until the area turned unto like the slums. Sad to see such beautiful mansions fall into decay. But then the Yuppies come in and start renovating the area once again, and hopefully bring the property values back up.
In sharp contrast to St. Louis County, down here in TN, you may have a trailer next to a large mansion, with poor housing and affluent housing all on the same street. Although new laws her prevent building under a certain size now too, and although they say no mobile homes allowed, you still see a few being installed due to some loophole somewhere that allows them if they are set down on a block foundation. Heck, on my street about 1/4 mile away, they allowed a trailer on the side of a hill, but it had to have eight I-beams driven down to bedrock, and then I-beams welded to them to form the base to set the trailer on. And then it had to be enclosed so it looked like a basement from the road. They only used plywood with a sandstone coating which has since deteriorated, so now it looks like a trailer on steel poles, hi hi. What rules apply to one side of our street, may not apply to the other side of the street.
Re: How To Clear Snow in Kentucky
It's hard for me to accept the notion that municipalities plan and plot to take advantage of their citizens. There most certainly are crooks in positions of authority, and they will do all they can to enrich themselves. But that isn't the cause of the problem; it's the effect. The only way to preserve the quaintness of a small town is to restrict it's development. In that case the local economy becomes controlled and socialistic. I can think of some places where that is actually desirable, such as a community of Mormons. The place we went to celebrate our 50th anniversary in South Carolina was a conservatory of 20,000 acres with three villages located on the property. Those villages were gated and nothing was allowed to be built beyond what is already there. The people were all exceptionally wealthy in that case and very happy to be isolated from the peons surrounding them. Those kind of communities are exceptions, but the preservation of a culture is what they are all about. And, it can only happen when nobody outside the culture is allowed access.
Most other places that experience growth acquire problems that do not exist in small communities. Those imposing laws and regulations of which you speak try to address the needs of the new circumstances. A town of 3000 people does not need a WalMart, for example. But when that same town grows to 30,000 the mom and pop stores simply cannot handle the needs of the residents anymore. Part of the problem, of course, is that the new residents do not conform to the preexisting cultural values, and thus become undesirable. But they do pay taxes which makes them a welcome source of revenue for the municipality so that they can provide the necessary services. Well, you know the routine. You've seen it more than once I'm sure. I can't see how it would be a plot, albeit I do know all about crooked politicians. I can just reiterate: size matters.
Most other places that experience growth acquire problems that do not exist in small communities. Those imposing laws and regulations of which you speak try to address the needs of the new circumstances. A town of 3000 people does not need a WalMart, for example. But when that same town grows to 30,000 the mom and pop stores simply cannot handle the needs of the residents anymore. Part of the problem, of course, is that the new residents do not conform to the preexisting cultural values, and thus become undesirable. But they do pay taxes which makes them a welcome source of revenue for the municipality so that they can provide the necessary services. Well, you know the routine. You've seen it more than once I'm sure. I can't see how it would be a plot, albeit I do know all about crooked politicians. I can just reiterate: size matters.
Re: How To Clear Snow in Kentucky
I town can grow larger, add more stores, shops, and services, even bring in some big box stores.
But the way the government thinks, and how they hoodwink the people is beyond all belief.
Most folks have no idea how bad they are being ripped off in ways that will never benefit them one iota.
Yes, I've seen it several times and it is only getting worse as time rolls on.
People don't realize when they root to tax a business, they are rooting for an inflated tax on themselves.
It is really sad they don't understand the concepts of business enough to see when they are being had by government.
But the way the government thinks, and how they hoodwink the people is beyond all belief.
Most folks have no idea how bad they are being ripped off in ways that will never benefit them one iota.
Yes, I've seen it several times and it is only getting worse as time rolls on.
People don't realize when they root to tax a business, they are rooting for an inflated tax on themselves.
It is really sad they don't understand the concepts of business enough to see when they are being had by government.
Re: How To Clear Snow in Kentucky
The costs of operating a business or service is always paid for by the consumer. There is no point for a business to exist other than to make a profit. Some organizations are indeed charitable in intent, but the economic truth in the matter is that they must make a profit in order to exist. People may not understand economics but they do understand goods and services that are necessary to live in a style to which they have become accustomed. The question becomes how much is the consumer willing to pay in order to sustain their lifestyle. It's not all a matter of choice by the company or the government that allows them to do business. The free market has a lot more to do with determining prices than you would suspect.
The question of what is a fair taxation policy can never be resolved to everyone's satisfaction. Businesses and individuals comprise the population of a given metropolis, and all three are separate entities. The governing of the businesses and the citizens of a given municipality has costs attached to it, and as you know the businesses and the individual citizens bear the burden of paying for it all. No matter how or from whom the income is derived, it must cover the costs of operating the government. Thus the saying, taxes and death are the only certainties in life.
Currently there are many people in this country who cannot meet their day to day living expenses; stimulus checks notwithstanding. These are the people who cannot understand the economics of corporations paying higher taxes. You are right to say they are taxing themselves by advocating higher corporate taxes. The perceived benefit is that somebody else with adequate resources is paying to support the government when the corporate tax rate is increased. Economics is irrelevant when your kids are hungry.
The question of what is a fair taxation policy can never be resolved to everyone's satisfaction. Businesses and individuals comprise the population of a given metropolis, and all three are separate entities. The governing of the businesses and the citizens of a given municipality has costs attached to it, and as you know the businesses and the individual citizens bear the burden of paying for it all. No matter how or from whom the income is derived, it must cover the costs of operating the government. Thus the saying, taxes and death are the only certainties in life.
Currently there are many people in this country who cannot meet their day to day living expenses; stimulus checks notwithstanding. These are the people who cannot understand the economics of corporations paying higher taxes. You are right to say they are taxing themselves by advocating higher corporate taxes. The perceived benefit is that somebody else with adequate resources is paying to support the government when the corporate tax rate is increased. Economics is irrelevant when your kids are hungry.
Re: How To Clear Snow in Kentucky
I know this: The product I make has the ceiling price capped. If I raise the price, it will no longer sell.
But the ingredients I use, plus the taxes, has continually gone up. So has the bottles, caps, and packaging.
We've tried a couple of times to inch up the price a little, and each time we did, there were no sales at that price.
Now if we did leave it at the higher price, perhaps a few would come around and start buying it again, but not enough to warrant making the product anymore.
In the past, I would set my profit per bottle at 40 cents, and as it would go down, when it got down to around 15 cents, I would up the price by 20 cents. I basically tried to average around 25 cents profit per bottle. For the past couple of years, my profits have dropped from 10 cents down to 5 cents, and my last two order I shipped out were down to only 3 cents per bottle.
If I attempt to increase my price by 50 cents, that will add 4 dollars to the final sale price. Which pushes the retail price up to like 22 bucks per bottle. Folks just won't pay over 18 to 19 dollars for this product. It's like that throughout the industry too. And the reason many products are discontinued.
The sad thing is, when governments tax businesses, it only makes the poly-tick-ians look good, until people see the prices of everything go up, then they complain when a company gets a tax break, because 90% of the population doesn't realize THEY are the ones paying these taxes at an inflated rate. They may pay 5 bucks for the government to only get 1 dollar.
How is that fair to the people?
But the ingredients I use, plus the taxes, has continually gone up. So has the bottles, caps, and packaging.
We've tried a couple of times to inch up the price a little, and each time we did, there were no sales at that price.
Now if we did leave it at the higher price, perhaps a few would come around and start buying it again, but not enough to warrant making the product anymore.
In the past, I would set my profit per bottle at 40 cents, and as it would go down, when it got down to around 15 cents, I would up the price by 20 cents. I basically tried to average around 25 cents profit per bottle. For the past couple of years, my profits have dropped from 10 cents down to 5 cents, and my last two order I shipped out were down to only 3 cents per bottle.
If I attempt to increase my price by 50 cents, that will add 4 dollars to the final sale price. Which pushes the retail price up to like 22 bucks per bottle. Folks just won't pay over 18 to 19 dollars for this product. It's like that throughout the industry too. And the reason many products are discontinued.
The sad thing is, when governments tax businesses, it only makes the poly-tick-ians look good, until people see the prices of everything go up, then they complain when a company gets a tax break, because 90% of the population doesn't realize THEY are the ones paying these taxes at an inflated rate. They may pay 5 bucks for the government to only get 1 dollar.
How is that fair to the people?
Re: How To Clear Snow in Kentucky
You give a beautiful description of how the market controls prices of a product or service. Certainly you must know that your particular product is not the only item in the economy facing that exact economic conundrum. I can imagine various solutions with the worst case being ceasing production. Like the giant corporations, Gary's garage shop operation cannot operate at a loss. Another solution we are all familiar with is to create a "New and Improved" product, which translates to the same price for less product in a slightly smaller package. I don't know how your customers would respond to that marketing trick, but it works quite well in the local grocery stores around here.
Governments do indeed tax businesses. However, I've never heard of a politician perceived as looking good because he raised taxes. Your story is based on cost of materials rising but the same market forces are at work when taxes increase the selling price. Eventually the demand decreases for the higher cost product. That's all Econ 101, and it is not a factor in the mindset of consumers. The buyer has only so much money to spend and because of that they must have priorities. You know, food gets purchased before a new PS2 video game (usually). The cash on hand, or credit card limit, is all the consumer knows or cares about. It matters not that they are the ones paying all the taxes. Whether they can buy a loaf of bread and a pound of balogna is the only question in the mind of most people. How a business makes a profit and how much money they pass back to the government is a moot point that, as you say, upwards of 90% of the population do not understand. It's not fair, or equal, because it's based on capitalism. There are winners and losers in that kind of system. If you want fairness, the economic system has to change, and I get the distinct impression you don't want to do that either. LOL
Governments do indeed tax businesses. However, I've never heard of a politician perceived as looking good because he raised taxes. Your story is based on cost of materials rising but the same market forces are at work when taxes increase the selling price. Eventually the demand decreases for the higher cost product. That's all Econ 101, and it is not a factor in the mindset of consumers. The buyer has only so much money to spend and because of that they must have priorities. You know, food gets purchased before a new PS2 video game (usually). The cash on hand, or credit card limit, is all the consumer knows or cares about. It matters not that they are the ones paying all the taxes. Whether they can buy a loaf of bread and a pound of balogna is the only question in the mind of most people. How a business makes a profit and how much money they pass back to the government is a moot point that, as you say, upwards of 90% of the population do not understand. It's not fair, or equal, because it's based on capitalism. There are winners and losers in that kind of system. If you want fairness, the economic system has to change, and I get the distinct impression you don't want to do that either. LOL