"Evicted": Marina Won't Renew Contract for Next Year to maximize Profit

[valhalla360]

Originally Posted by lestersails

Agree. I think some are confusing capitalism with the legal structure of the for-profit corporation. If you create a for-profit corporation, my understanding is that you are obligated to maximize shareholder value (stock value and profits/dividends).

No. Companies have a fiduciary responsibility to the owners. If the owners put a priority on being green at the expense of profits, that is still meeting the fiduciary responsibility.

In a co-op, the customer is the owner but it's still capitalisms.

Yes, people are confusing what capitalism is. Robber barons and the monopoly man are not foundational priorities of capitalism. It's class warfare misinformation.

[valhalla360]

Originally Posted by Lake-Effect

The words "socialism" and "socialist" have been almost completely devalued in the US. Anyone breathes a word about "we", working together, the public good... then a right-winger yells "socialist!" and they all high-five each other like someone just sank a 3-pointer.

And the media has done the same thing with Capitalism. Anyone supporting capitalism must be an evil rich person who just wants to take anything you have.

Our politicians and media love to play the class warfare game.

[valhalla360]

Originally Posted by Paul L

Since they don't serve the same purpose, it isn't a meaningful comparison. Take a look at all the Texas roads all across the state built with public taxpayer money. They are named FM nnn where FM stands for Farm to Market. Would you prefer each farmer and each market to build their own private roads? There just some things that are better handled by government for the good of the people. Not everything, not all things, not your pet peeve, just some things.

In many respects, the answer can be yes. Spending many millions on a road that services one small farmer is a poor use of public funds.

Historically, it was impractical except in rare situations (toll roads, toll bridges) to operate a private road system. With modern technology, charging per mile for each road used is now technologically viable and would result in a much more efficient way to build and maintain the road network.

[valhalla360]

Originally Posted by Lake-Effect

Well, not exactly. The OP is being denied the renewal of a longer-term relationship because they're apparently not consuming more of the marina's offering, not because they couldn't afford the slip. It's an annual lease, so of course the marina has no obligation to renew. I don't know any more about that market, but on face value, the OPs anecdote might suggest that the average boat-owner might be under-served, or being squeezed out. Sucks to be them, I guess.

A good business owner understands that "the customer is always right" is not good business.

There are customers, you don't want. If they are money losers, you are better off without them.

Nothing wrong with not wanting to do business with someone who costs you more than they bring in.

[valhalla360]

Originally Posted by Lake-Effect

Shhhh. Most well-off people want you to believe they all worked extraordinarily hard for what they've got. It's why they DESERVE their wealth. They are simply better, more important people. Please don't bring up their parents' money or influence, the right schools, some early breaks or opportunities; these are not germane.

Because otherwise, if they're not obviously superior, harder-working people, we can't justify the plutocracies we currently live under, or why the average employee is losing ground.

Totally missed the point.

Hard work by itself is rarely the path to wealth. You need to work smarter if you want your wealth to increase.

There are plenty of middle class multi-millionaires. They generally didn't get there by working 80-100hr per week but by using what they earned in a smarter manner.

[valhalla360]

Originally Posted by Larry Florida

Freely operating businesses compete for customers whereas marinas are effectively monopolies. Even if there are 10 marinas in a bay they collectively act as a monopoly all charging top dollar.

If there are 10 marinas all acting collectively...that's called collusion and is not part of capitalism.

[valhalla360]

Originally Posted by Lake-Effect

"It was a gov decision, policy, to print lots of extra fiat currency for banks to dole out to unqualified people."

That's a complete distortion. Yes there was a government push to help more buyers get into their own homes, but the government didn't tell business to:

• approve unqualified buyers, or help buyers fudge their applications
• create balloon clauses that later blew up on the new owners
• shuffle off the subprime debt into CDOs that were fraudulently rated AAA, and then push them onto institutional buyers

And of course we know who got bailed out when this all blew up. And not one criminal charge. Hands-off! on the way up, Hands-out (socialism) when it blows up. That's US big business's take on "capitalism". "Too big to fail" is too big, period.

Very naive thoughts.

Govt: Hey we are going to protect you Mr. Banker from any defaults and we really want you to get loans out to the poor...but don't give out bad loans...wink...wink..

Mr Banker: Sure we will help the poor get the loans they need while vetting them properly...wink...wink.

Just because the socialist govt paid off the banks that they asked to hand out bad loans, doesn't prove capitalism is bad.

[valhalla360]

Originally Posted by Lake-Effect

I have no reason to doubt your story. It's undeniable that the vast majority of well-off people have put more in than some guy just sitting on his couch, or barely doing a minimum wage gig.

But the main question is: does your wealth, by itself, give you the right to rule over everyone else, and demand taxation reductions that enrich yourself and impoverish others? Is it ok to gut the middle class in order to allow the wealthiest to accumulate more? Cos that's what's going on currently, though not near as much in Canada.

At least in the USA, the rich pay the vast majority of taxes.

The bottom 50% pay 0% federal income taxes.

So what taxation reductions are you speaking of.

[valhalla360]

Originally Posted by lestersails

Oops, look like we touched a nerve. As they say, the truth hurts. Here is the data from the congressional budget office. (FYI, the CBO is bereft of Marxists).

(I am really bad at getting images to display in this forum - bear with me.)



Ballparking from the Y axis -
Top 10% >100% increase in wealth
51st-90th gentile maybe 15-20% (hard to see this)
Bottom 50th - nothing

........................

But that is what they are doing.

During times when the market is up...yes, those in the market do better.

Oddly, the socialists never want to talk about wealth growth when the market is down and the rich are taking it on the chin.

Long term, people who learn to live on a budget and set aside money for a rainy day do better but the numbers you suggest above are distortions of the truth.

[valhalla360]

Originally Posted by lestersails

Okay, so I guess you are just going to ignore the OP's experience?

Not at all. I said in some cases prices will go up.

Also, without a parallel universe to test, we don't know that they wouldn't have gone up more with a socialist system. Of course with a socialist system, there probably would be no pleasure craft marinas in the first place.

[Bycrick]

Ten marinas meeting in a smoke-filled room and agreeing to fix prices is illegal collusion. One company owning ten marinas who have a common business model is economy of scale. If one wants to make the case that some companies have gotten "too big" or "too influential," I’ll be the happy to contribute my suggestions for potential dismemberment. But just because somebody was smarter, or, indeed perhaps, luckier than you were doesn’t mean that you’re entitled to the same results.

[valhalla360]

Originally Posted by lestersails

Wow folks, there you have it. The poor are poor because they deserve to be poor.

"Deserve" is the wrong word. It's largely due to the "choices" they have made.

I'm sure you will feel horrified by that but it's true. Look at the number of lottery winners and sports stars are bankrupt within just a few years. If you win $100mil (after taxes), you should be able to spend a couple million per year for the rest of your life. By any reasonable measure, this is wildly wealthy...there is zero excuse for going broke other than poor choices.

[capn_billl]

Hey, I just found several marinas in Florida for sale by owner for $1 to $3 million.

Out of MY budget, and my wife had a meltdown when I suggested we sell everything we have, empty retirement accounts, and put a down payment on a multimillion dollar small business loan.

But if we got a few dozen cruisers to put in $100k to $200k each, we could form an LLC coop, buy the Marina, each ownership share would come with a lifetime liveaboard slip, and each member would share operating expenses, and profit from renting remaining slips.

Membership would also come with responsibility to act as dockmaster for 2 to 3 weeks per year depending on final number of members.

The largest property was 40 slips for $3.5 million asking price, so barring me missing something it appears doable.

[capn_billl]

PS Capitalists ONLY.

[David Ess]

Originally Posted by valhalla360

If there are 10 marinas all acting collectively...that's called collusion and is not part of capitalism.

They are not a monopoly if you can start a competing marina.