In my opinion, a lot.
I own some stocks, and one of the criteria I use is "what do they pay the CEO".
A stock I would not buy for that reason Comcast.
A company that passes the test LIFC.
Sure there are lots of other more important issues but CEO pay reflects how the company feels about it's share holders.
OK, but she said she owns NONE, as if to say that all public companies have overpaid CEOs. That's obviously false.
Gee...I wonder if the performance of those 2 positions had anything to do with your decision.
If CMCSA had 1, 3 and 5 year returns similiar LIFC, how much would the CEO's salary factor into the discussion?
...
Well, considering they're operating corporations larger than most countries' GNP's, the amount of their compensation is actually pretty miniscule in comparison. And, at that level, there's quite a lot of competition as well.
Michael J used to pull down $40M in just endorsements, outside his NBA salary. Those hiring him certainly thought they were getting their money's worth. Tiger may win $2M or more for a week on the golf course and I've not even looked at his endorsements. There are lots of reasons for folks making the salaries they do; most having to do w/ the perceived value provided by those who set those salaries.
A few abuses don't negate the generality.
And that's a _VERY_ shortsighted (and self-defeating) viewpoint to take as it is in all likelihood limiting your ability to realize growth potential.
You participating in a 401K plan there? If not (unless one isn't available), you're missing out. If so, unless you're completely into a money market or bond portfolio (which is undoubtedly not a wise position, either) you more than likely have mutual funds which in all likelihood own oil stocks as well as many others.
Your observation generates several questions:
First, why should what someone else makes be of any concern to you?
Second, you admit that the rationale for an oil executive's salary is "beyond you" which may explain why an oil executive's salary is (probably) substantially higher than yours - he knows why.
Third, whether the hard-working plumber has a family is irrelevant. People get paid for the value of the services rendered, or at least they should. Shit like minimum wage and union scale keep getting the way.
True, but there ARE people who charge a lot more than anyone else, and yet they can't explain why. There has to be a reason that makes the customer willing to pay a high price. Facts, features, benefits. If the plumber can't give you any, why pay $600 when you can pay $350, and probably get the same work?
I got several roof estimates. One was around 2K, most were around 5K, and one guy was just over 9K. Most were using the exact same materials. I called the 9K guy and asked him "Convince me. What's worth 4K more?" He couldn't. I went with one of the 5K contractors. (The 2K guy was simply out of his mind)
Hmmmm. Your story gets interesting now. You have 5 rentals which it appears you are quite versed in doing plumbing repairs including shut offs, wiring, etc.............HOWEVER, you leave your poor old mom to the wolves of the plumbing industry to "rape" her through the pocketbook. What kind of sun-of-a-bitch son are you? You wont save your mom a few bucks and go put in a simple 1 hr faucet (as you say) but you will but it for her (online with her money, Im sure) and then leave her to deal with the contractors. You are one sorry excuse for a human.
Nothing you say? What the hell do you think happens to the price of almost everything when the price of gasoline keeps going up? Think real hard. Bubba
This should be fun to watch...
Steve Kraus asked about the cost of his Mom's faucet installation.
S. Barker said he has 5 rental units.
Bubba called S. Barker a "sun-of-a-bitch son" and "one sorry excuse for a human".
Stay tuned...
Ummmmmm... HELLOOOOOOOO. I was not the original poster..... My mom's dead, thank you.
s
I just consider the source. You know..... sticks and stones....
sThis should be fun to watch...
Steve Kraus asked about the cost of his Mom's faucet installation.
S. Barker said he has 5 rental units.
Bubba called S. Barker a "sun-of-a-bitch son" and "one sorry excuse for a human".
Stay tuned...
What don't you understand? One was the policy that was followed. The other represents what should have been done, in retrospect.
Mentioned by whom? Me? No.
I never said any such thing. There's a shut off about 10' away next to the water meter. Open a closet and turn a valve.
What was non standard about it? No shutoffs? Millions of homes were built without individual shutoffs under each sink or toilet. It's a convenience to have them but hardly a necessity. Ditto flexes. That's a more recent thing.
Huh? Where are you getting that from?
Huh? It's a kitchen with ordinary cabinets and two large doors leading to the area under the sink. Piping as shown in the photo. I don't see anything special about the access.
Please confine your comments to my description and the photos not fictions suggested by others.
Yes, apparently so. But I'll still consider this a trivial job unless someone makes a convincing argument why it wasn't. Maybe not as trivial as if there were flexible connections but if it were that easy we wouldn't have decided to leave it to a pro.
Would you please stop your complaining. What did you think it would cost? According to the pictures you have a 4 piece set that had to be connected with the sink in place. You try it. Also according to your pictures all the drain lines are directly in the way so this guy had to weave in and out of this mess. We also haven't heard how much trouble the old faucet was to get out. Lets face it, you replaced it for a reason. It's been on there for quite a while just rotting away. Think about having to remove a weathered screw that looks simple but has been rusted on for years but takes forever and a half can of wd-40. Now multiply that by 4 and in the tight cabinet, upside down with minimal lighting, on your back with water dripping on your face. You try it. If you really have a problem with it, contact the plumber and ask him. No one here knows where this is, a small town in ohio or the middle of NY city. Also, why aren't you taking care of it instead of leaving it to your mother? You should be making the appointments and meeting the plumber. It sounds to me that your lucky she actually got a plumber and not someone casing the house. Quit your griping and start taking care of your senior citizen mother. Lou
No, it's one piece. Yes, you have to put the knobs on and the spout and spray attachment but the basic unit is one piece like most. It's not individual valves with connecting lines.
Wow you got me there. The drain lines are in the way? Aren't they in the way of each and every single sink and many/most double sinks?
What you are describing sounds like ordinary kitchen faucet replacement. Which others have said goes for maybe 150-250. You're grasping at excuses for pure and simple price gouging.
Actually, everyone else besides you knows. Had you read my posting I indicated it was suburban Chicago.
It's appears that you have some trouble understanding hypotheticals. I really shouldn't waste my time explaining the post that you dissected so completely, but since I think it will help you, I will.
My post was not about whether or not this was a trivial job. It was all about the fact that you did not get an estimate before you/your Mom allowed the contractor to begin work. It was all about the reasons why you *always* get an estimate before work begins. I'm not talking about 3 estimates, toss the lowest, get references, etc. I'm talking about. "Hey, what's this going to cost me and what factors might increase the cost."
In the same post you said it was a trivial job that shouldn't have required a estimate, and then you finished with "Clearly Yes" it required a estimate. In other words, you basically taught yourself a good lesson: What appears to be a trivial job, and may in fact *be* a trivial job, stills requires a discussion before any tools are put to use. Once you allow a contractor - an unknown contractor especially - to begin work without a clear understanding of the cost (or possible costs) of the job, you have opened yourself to one of 2 things:
Best Case: The job is not as trivial as you thought and parts and labor will be more than you expected.
Worst case: You opened your checkbook to an unscrupulous contractor who sees a green light to rip you off.
Now, let's discuss the Best Case - remember, we're talking about why you should always get an estimate, not about your Mom's sink.
All I did was list a few of the items that other people mentioned in their posts as possible reasons why a faucet install could become a non-trivial job - in other words, the reasons why an estimate is required in every case. You/your Mom look at the sink/faucet and say "Hey, that's an hour's worth of work." A contractor looks at the same job and sees limited access to the pipes he has to cut/sweat, no main shutoff, etc. I never said your situation had any of those factors because my post was not about your situation - once again, it was about why a person should get an estimate before work begins.
Unfortunately, in your case, the job, as trivial as it turned out to be, appears to have been subject to the Worst Case scenario. You/your Mom didn't ask for an estimate and the contractor (appears to have) seen an opportunity to rip Mom off. An estimate (read: discussion) beforehand may have avoided this situation because the contractor would be put on the spot and his response may have raised a flag.
Please don't waste your time with your precision scalpel cutting this post up because it will be completely ignored, at least by me. Bottom line is that you have appeared to have learned a very important lesson and hopefully will not make the same mistake next time.
Good luck to you and your Mom.
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