A Parable for Bill Cook

Wed Sep 26 11:50:48 MDT 2007

If you don't have money, don't eat out. Does that mean that STC is not
for students who wait their way through school with hope for a
well-paying job after graduation?

Vanda Heuring

________________________________

From: bounce-stc-ac-345517 at lists.stc.org
[mailto:bounce-stc-ac-345517 at lists.stc.org] On Behalf Of tashuff at aol.com
Sent: Wednesday, September 26, 2007 12:47 PM
To: stc-ac
Subject: [stc-ac] A Parable for Bill Cook

My father has a parable about a group of 12 men who meet weekly for
lunch.

When they first start meeting, the group decides that each of the men
will pay the the same $10 for lunch. Everybody is happy with this
arrangement and the group meets for several years for their weekly
lunch. They were all equals.

After several years of equally paying for their own lunches a few of the
members look around the table and realize that the group's lives have
changed and evolved. While three of the group have become successful,
another three have had families, setbacks and hardships. Still, all are
seemingly happy that the lunch contribution is even. Then one member
wishing to do something special offers a payment system for lunch that
subsidizes the lunches for the three neediest members of the group. The
neediest member gets a free lunch, the next neediest pays $5, and the
third neediest pays $6. The three wealthiest members will split the $21
difference in contribution. After all, they can afford it--right? 

The group takes a vote. The three members who would be subsidized all
vote yes. The man who proposed the nice gesture voted yes and was joined
by three others who thought a nice gesture was in order. All of the men
who were going to pick up the additional $7 and now pay $17 for the
lunch that only last week cost them $10 voted no, and they were joined
by two members who also voted no. The vote was 7 to 5 in favor of
changing how them group paid for it's meals. And, all was fine for a
while.

One of the 12 men paying $10 was transfered to a new job and left the
group, and one of the members paying $17 drifted away. The group was now
10 strong, but the contributions for lunch were only $95 dollars. The
members were now over budget and needed to rethink how they would find
the additional $5. 

All members received the same lunch and the same service. 

The discussion was heated and the vote was close, but the group decided
that the $5 was to be split between the third and fourth most affluent
members of the group. Now one member would continue to get a free lunch.
Two lunches would be subsidized at $5 and $6 respectively. Three members
would continue to pay the traditional $10. Two would pay $12.50, and the
final two would pay $17. After all, this was th right thing to do. They
continued their weekly lunch.

Then, one of the members paying $17 died, and one of the members paying
$12.50 was promoted and transfered out of the area. Their were eight
remaining members attending the weekly lunch. The weekly contribution
was now $70.50 for their $80 bill. 

Minimum wage increases were passed and the prices at the restaurant went
up so lunch was now going to cost another $1.25 per person with tax, and
tip. Lunch was now cost $11.25 per member. Total cost for lunch would
now be $90, but contributions were only going to be $70.50.

The debate was more heated than before. Two of the member contributing
$10 just could not pay anything more than $10 per week. They had
families and tuition to pay. The three subsidized members were still
financially strapped. The remaining three members who were more secure
would just have to pick up the $19.50 deficit if the group was to
continue. Each of those members would be assessed another $6.50 for
their lunch. 

Now one member was paying $23.50
Another was paying $19.00
A third member was paying $16.50
Two members were paying $10
One $5
One $6
One paid nothing.

Still, they all got the same meal, and the same service. 

The member paying $23.50 became bitter and left the group. He retired
out of state. Instead of raising the group's rate by $4 across the
board, they decided the split his contribution three ways and have the
three more affluent members pay the additional monies. They added $8 to
each of their bills. Again, the majority was in favor of this.

Now one member was paying $27
Another member was paying $24.50
One member paid $18
One member paid $10
One $5
One $6
One paid nothing.

The three highest contributors to the group decided to leave the lunch
circle. Their interests had changed from the remaining member and they
joined other community groups.

Now four members were responsible for $46, but were only contributing
$21 between them. The group of friends disbanded after many years of
shared lunches.

The moral of the story--

There is no such thing as a free lunch.

Teresa Trujillo
Book Workshop/Mighty Designs
1501 E. Orangethorpe Avenue
Suite 130
Fullerton, California 92831
Phone (714) 525-0882
Fax (714) 879-7156
Cell (714) 926-8343

-----Original Message-----
From: William Cook <billcook50 at hotmail.com>
To: stc-ac <stc-ac at lists.stc.org>
Sent: Tue, 25 Sep 2007 5:13 pm
Subject: [stc-ac] RE: New Dues Structure for 2008

________________________________

	As I just scan this academic section, I am pleased to see I am
not the only one who thinks charity should begin at home. Some talk of
lower costs to foreign members for the sake of morality. But, when we
have given away the parts for our country we haven't sold, who is going
to offer the same morality to us?

	It should be plain through current events that, as Paul Harvey
says, "It's not one world."

	Do I believe in charity? Several times a year, I need be
concerned for the size of our modest grocery bill. Yet, rain or shine I
give more than $6,000 annually to charitable organizations-more at
Christmas and Thanksgiving. I give freely and thankfully and for the
right reasons. Still, it seems that some look at Americans as a
bottomless pit of money, and that it is our responsibility to subsidize
the rest of the world in any number of arenas. But, how did we inherit
that honor. More importantly, who will take over when we are finally
bankrupt as a nation? I do not see any other nations waiting in the
wings just now.

	I would like any number of things from any number of countries
that I can't afford. Because I can't afford them . . . I don't have
them. That is called reality. It is what makes people stretch, work
harder, think smarter, plan better. 

	No, I don't think I'm cold. I just think we need to learn that
trying to have our cake and eat it too is foolish. On one hand, we want
to give of our finances to subsidize members abroad. On the other hand
we want to bellyache about how those members abroad are taking our jobs
1-2-3, with certain members seeing nothing wrong with that scenario. 

	Here in the shadow of Microsoft and Boeing, it's credentials
that get you through the door of HR, regardless of what you really know
or can do. I would love to get my masters in TC from Texas Tech. BUT,
not only would I have to take care of a family, work a more than
full-time job, commute 80 miles a day and still find time to perform
masters level work to get the degree, I really have no option; I don't
have the money for out of state tuition-even though the program is
offered over the internet. My family has been American since 1689 and my
family paid taxes in Texas for six years. That, of course, doesn't
matter. 

	Yet, were I fortunate enough to be here illegally, I could,
without ever paying taxes anywhere, qualify for In State tuition for any
number of colleges. 

	I'm either more of a moron than I think, or there is something
dreadfully wrong with this picture.

	Cheers,

	Bill Cook

________________________________

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