A Parable for Bill Cook

Wed Sep 26 16:50:50 MDT 2007

Same principles apply to Social Security and Medicare…

P.S. Who needs Hillary?! Teresa Trujillo for President in 2008!

From: bounce-stc-ac-277415 at lists.stc.org [mailto:bounce-stc-ac-277415 at lists.stc.org] On Behalf Of tashuff at aol.com
Sent: Wednesday, September 26, 2007 1:47 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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