“Apple’s Worldwide Developer Conference in San Francisco is getting underway at Moscone Center in San Francisco,” Tiernan Ray reports for Barron’s.
“Outside the convention center, a group of protesters with bullhorns demanded that Apple pay its ‘fair share’ to the city of San Francisco, shouting ‘our city is dying,'” Ray reports. “The group, representing contractors such as janitors and security guards, talked about Apple doing the the right thing for contractors, providing full time work with living wages.”
WWDC recap in the full article here.
[Thanks to MacDailyNews Reader “Bill” for the heads up.]
Related articles:
Apple’s HealthKit aims to unite wearables and fitness apps – June 2, 2014
Apple releases iOS 8 SDK with over 4,000 new APIs – June 2, 2014
Apple unveils iOS 8, the biggest release since the launch of the App Store – June 2, 2014
Apple announces OS X Yosemite for Macintosh – June 2, 2014
“Fair Share.” Shades of Michael Dukakis.
I’m a little behind on my republican code words. Was I supposed to froth at the mouth at the mention of Dukakis’ name? Try this…
BENGHAZI!!!!
My uncle died in Benghazi due to Obama’s and Hillary Clinton’s incompetency. Nice to see you flaming Libs think it a joke.
Liberals don’t think it’s a joke, they just think, “What does it matter?”
Maybe some of us know that it’s the REPUBLICANS that cut the funding for the embassies, even with the WARNING that this would make them more dangerous. So, if your uncle died there, maybe you should be angry with the people who made it impossible to keep it safe?
My POV: Both idiotic parties share the blame, as per usual, for that fiasco. Meanwhile, it’s a propaganda tag line for the Grumpy Old Poops.
But Dems, i.e. the State Dept., made sure U. S. Embassies in such dangerous nation states as Austria (Vienna), had their green energy program enhanced with electric car charging stations, and that U.S. Embassy in the lawless society of Norway received a new Chevy Volt, and let us not forget a million dollars for a piece of art to adorn the U. S. Embassy in that lawless hell hole London. Yep, money, or the lack thereof, sure was the problem!
http://nlpc.org/cached/embassies-facing-security-cuts-waste-money-chevy-volts.html
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2517666/US-State-Department-spends-1-MILLION-single-granite-sculpture-decorate-new-embassy-London.html
I doubt that “regular reader’.
I’m sorry for your loss. But three of the people who died in Benghazi were CIA contractors, and the fourth was an ambassador. All of them knew they were involved in clandestine operations in a very dangerous part of the world and all of them knew the risks. Stevens turned down offers of additional security several times in the preceding months. As a result of those deaths we’ve had endless inquiries set up by the GOP at a cost of many millions of dollars, all of which have turned up nothing new and no political smoking gun.
Meanwhile, children and innocents are being slaughtered all over the country by crazy (and not so crazy) people running amok with guns. Yet is anything done to stop this or curb the ridiculous ease of access to lethal weapons? After the Santa Barbara murders that joke Joe the Plumber wrote an open letter directed personally to the bereaved parents saying that their children’s right to life wasn’t as important as his right to unfettered gun ownership.
Benghazi was a tragedy. But not nearly as big a tragedy as the senseless murder of scores of kids every year, the prevention of which gets no traction in congress.
While this certainly was a tragedy, attacking gun ownership as the primary cause of this sick youngster is a bit unfair. This dude had it out cause he couldn’t get laid. If he didn’t have the guns, he would have found some other means (his car, knifes, explosives, etc) if you read his rant, he clearly was looking for love and acceptance and sex in all the wrong places and all the wrong ways. Ironically, his father works in an industry that promotes violence and blatant gun usage to promote that end. I don’t think there was any answer for this kid. Maybe his dad should have bought him a hooker or something.
I agree that the Santa Barbara kid was deranged and would have found ways to act out his problems. I don’t know whether he’d have killed as many people if he hadn’t had unfettered access to guns. My point is that despite tragedy after tragedy after tragedy involving innocent kids being killed by guns (Columbine, Sandy Hook, Aurora, Santa Barbara, etc. etc.) no-one in Congress does anything to even try to stop these things from happening – because as Joe the Plumber says, his right to his guns is more important than your kid’s right to his or her life. Yet the republican party spends countless millions of dollars holding countless inquiries into the death of four grown men who fully knew the risks they were taking, and they do it for purely political purposes. The double standard is sickening.
You want full time work? Learn a trade and build a career that provides it. Don’t blame Apple because they don’t NEED those contractors full time.
Now, living wages … that’s a more complex issue. But it is not a company’s obligation to hire you to do work they don’t need you to do.
How does one define a living wage vs minimum wage? My employer couldn’t really afford my living standards if I were to inform them of the lifestyle I’d appreciate living.
Apple hires a general contracting company to build its facilities. That company is responsible for hiring its employees and trade services, most of whom are subcontractors. Those subcontractors put in bids to the general contractor to win the business (e.g., plumbing company, A/C company, etc.). If they bid too low, then that’s their issue.
Then move overseas with that new trade as that’s were the jobs are.
If you can’t afford to live in San Francisco, perhaps you should have prepared yourself to be more than a janitor or a security guard.
For some, that’s likely a shocking statement to read after 5+ years of Obama, but there you have it.
It is not “fairness” to demand that Apple, which has innovated and worked to earn their money, or their shareholders, who have invested their own funds into the company, or anyone else to support you.
To those who love to blame others for their position in life – it’s so easy and so pitifully lazy – I have some advice: If you don’t like your life and can’t afford to live where and/or how you want to live, put down the bullhorns, STFU for once, and take a long, hard look in the mirror. Then get to work on bettering yourself instead of demanding that others take care of you.
It’s always the fault of everybody else with these types of complaining beggars. Guess what: It’s not anyone else’s fault. It’s your fault that you’re too poor to live in San Francisco. That’s why they made Oakland.
∞ Votes.
I am so sick and tired of the entitlement attitude in some (costal, urban) pockets of the U.S.A. It’s nauseating what Liberalism does to people.
It’s evident up here in Canada too. People want someone else (usually government) to solve their problems. So many people graduate college with a skill nobody needs.:)
Colleges aren’t helping the issue either. My niece just graduated from a liberal NW university, and she has a degree in environmental something or other. She has a job, managing the food service program for a shelter in a major city which pays her room and board plus $300/mo stipend. She plans on doing this for a year, then going back to grad school to get a master’s degree so she can manse environmental programs somewhere.
She says she doesn’t care about the money, but she is also used to being able to travel and do things because her parents make very good money and pay for her. Anyone who says they “don’t care about the money” has never had to support themselves.
She’s vegan, ultra liberal, and brainwashed by the “everyone should get the same stuff” mantras. Never mind who actually works for something and who does almost nothing productive.
I agree with 90% you’re saying but I’ll like to add maybe some blame can be accrued to the parents as well?
if parents spoil their kids and treat them like entitled princes and princesses and ‘shield’ them from reality that’s what they’ll be.
Interestingly enough just yesterday I read a study saying that most urban vandals, graffiti ‘taggers’ , ‘occupy’ type protestors come from privileged backgrounds (parents are managers, doctors, lawyers etc). The article was from a liberal press and the author said that these people coming from ‘stifled’ backgrounds and had not ‘legitimate ways to express themselves’. REAL poor kids (to paraphrase the study) are working on the farm and have no time for ‘graffiti’, and have no time for ‘occupy’ activities – (i.e they don’t work they don’t eat or don’t buy the car etc. )
There is this group of people that always post signs and stand on the street corners all weekend long. The sign says something like Honk if you make less than $25k, X% of the US does.
But every time i pass them i think to myself, see that guy across the street. He is holding a sign too, but he is actually getting paid to do it. You devote 36 plus hours to sit there and not get paid. Sure have enough free time on your hands for another part time job.
I need to clarify: when I talk about ‘graffiti’ taggers I refer to big time graffiti guys, some even go from town to town, not the poor local kid who scratches a neighbours wall. Top guys like Stephen Fairey (arrested more than a dozen times) tags buildings in many cities, comes from a privileged background and has a college education. Practically all the serious taggers are middle class or better.
Many of those people rioting at G7 or world bank meets or in ‘occupy ‘ sit ins are also from well off backgrounds.
(btw Anti Corp Fairey morphed into a very successful businessman and now does art for Sony etc!! One of tthe leader sof Occupy wall street tunney now works for Google which made billions from selling shares to wall street…. ).
It’s Shepard Fairey, and he was trained as a graphic artist… He found a fairly unique way to use his training and artistic skills to not only make some money, but also further his social and political beliefs. They’re not your beliefs, that’s fine, but to lump (extremely hard working) artists into the same pile as welfare cheats and layabouts is myopic and ignorant. You sound like the same type of person that says your granddaughters scribble is just as good as that Picasso. Fairey doing work for Sony isn’t selling out, as it is what he was trained to do, it’s his business.
being a ‘good artist’ doesn’t excuse him from being a ‘vandal’.
I didn’t say he was layabout, look at my two posts carefully my argument is that a lot of people who are protesting or worse doing socially questionable activities (like vandalism, rioting) are not necessary the ones who are actually hurt (i.e poor, unemployed) but children of well off parents.
THINK ABOUT THIS:
FAIREY THINKS ITS OK FOR HIM (or nowadays one of his paid help or volunteers) to GRAFFITI MY WALL BUT WHAT IF I SPRAY PAINTED OVER HIS EXPENSIVE PRINTS AND PAINTINGS IN HIS GALLERY SHOWS? OR DAMAGE HIS ARTWORK FOR SONY? IS THAT OK WITH HIM?
IF HE SAYS OK, THE NEXT TIME I AM GOING TO DO IT.
think about that asshat.
“You sound like the same type of person that says your granddaughters scribble is just as good as that Picasso”
I actually have books on fairey because he does make interesting artwork, but i question his philosophy of “your stuff like walls is not important, but my stuff is”.
that’s the problem with the SPLOIT generation, the myopia that everything ‘I’ do is ok , fuk your rights (just like the Google boys philosophy), where their morality is FLEXIBLE not applying to THEMSELVES. I DISLIKE HYPOCRISY. Fairey as a street vandal ‘protested’ corporate greed, then when he got famous he worked for big corporations.
Look at the occupy Wall Street leader joining a big wall street company Google (where did Brin, Sergey, Schmidt make their billions? Selling shares to wall street). The Occupy street guys cost massive inconvenience in my town blocking streets for simple folks going to work, cost property tax owners (like myself a lot) due to extra policing etc.
A BETTER person would fight for betterment of others (ike Fairey does with some of his posters) BUT also respect others rights . He (like the guys from Occupy Wall Street) should also if he wants to be a ‘great’ artist have a more educated understanding of the world.
some typos like :
“that’s the problem with the SPLOIT generation”
should of course be ‘spoilt’
——-
I would also like to add that I’m very afraid unthinking followers of ‘gurus’ like Fairey (see above poster) or the Occupy folks (followers who think they are so clever but can’t actually think for themselves and are manipulated by their leaders ) , I dislike fanaticism from all sides (left and right) and people who believe in ‘their own rights’ but do not honour the the rights of others.
That’s right,
A manufacture shuts down operations in the US & moves overseas. The workers now ask the govt to solve their problem the private sector caused.
A company shuts down it call center in the US & moves operations overseas. The workers now ask the govt to solve the problem the private sector caused.
A tech/enterprise companies acquire H1B foreign workers to replace their American workers at a fraction of their salary. The workers now ask the govt to solve the problem their private sector caused.
A state privatizes a portion of the prisons. The workers now ask the govt to solve the problem the private sector caused.
A mega-retailer moves into town closing most if not all mom-n-pop shops where employees made a living. The mega retailer pay its employee low wages, part-time positions and no benefits. The workers now ask the govt to solve the problem the private sector caused.
That’s right…
well said!!!
Well said.
So, San Francisco has no need for security guards or food service workers or janitors? Or there is no need to pay them enough to live on, sort of economic slavery. You and Cliven Bundy.
First 2014, Then 2016 already answered your pussy lib question:
“That’s why they made Oakland.”
Get up early and take the bus into SF to mop the floors if that’s all you’ve prepared yourself for in life.
When I went to high school and college back in the 80s, it was made very clear to us all the way through that we were responsible for how we ended up, not anyone else – and certainly not the taxpayers. Food stamps were only for the worst off mentally and physically, not for the mainstream layabout. In fact, any sort of welfare was to frowned upon. Welfare shouldn’t be made invisible or easy (see Food Stamp cards). It only encourages more. Welfare should be something you never want to take and, of you do, something you want to get off of as soon as possible. Welfare should be embarrassing.
The backlash you Libs have set yourselves up for is overdue. It will be an absolute joy to watch it run over you.
Hey d-bags. Guess how janitors and security guards get their wages increased? They get off their asses on their days off and take the bus over from Oakland and protest to Apple. Apple takes a look at what their vendors pay and tells whoever competes for the bid “oh, and not only do we want this and this, but yeah you have to pay these people a living wage.” Or they say whatever, they get paid fine for what they do for us. What is all your bellyaching? These are working people, not some freeloaders asking for a handout. This is the free market at work. I never much agreed with a lot of what you right wingers spout, but I at least had a certain respect for y’all. When did you all become such whiny little hand wringers bellyaching at anyone asking for anything?
Apple has no facilities in San Francisco, other than retail stores. How much impact SHOULD they have?
FblahblahTblahblah suggested the protestors not live in San Francisco, but Oakland instead. Probably would be a rough commute to Cupertino. Definitely need a pay raise to supper that.
I once worked for PG&E in SF. They tried to fill technical positions in San Jose and Cupertino that required only high school education and paid $65K annually. They could NOT hire any locals into those jobs, and the people they hired from out of the area quickly came to understand that although $65K looks like a lot when you are making $40K in Tennessee doing the same job, it’s not a survivable wage in the CA in the South Bay. Few of them lasted longer than a few months.
“If you can’t afford to live in San Francisco, perhaps you should have prepared yourself to be more than a janitor or a security guard.”
This has to be one of the most disgusting statements I have ever read. Ten big thumbs down!
Right, for Bush left Obama a utopia of an economy when Obama entered office, right.
Apple has it’s products made overseas by what are essentially modern day slaves, then has low paid workers clean after them back in the US.
All for the shareholders and none for the workers will lead to the second fall of “Rome”.
I bet u I know what kind of phones those protesters are using. Hint. It has a little green pretend robot that looks like a trashcan with a mouth for its OS mascot
And they deserve that phone too.
If the Feds didn’t allow unfettered immigration, there wouldn’t be enough people willing to do these jobs for such little pay and the wages and benefits would rise due to demand. Then they would have a “living wage” without government interference.
An interesting situation on that here in the Phoenix area: A large car wash chain Danny’s employed mostly hispanic people. They were raided by Sheriff Arpaio in one of his infamous immigration raids, and most of Danny’s employees were illegal immigrants working with fake documents. Several of Danny’s managers were criminally charged for violating employment laws, failing to eVerify documents, etc.
So Danny’s had to replace all those employees (your car is washed through a machine, then the employees do the detailing work). Mostly black and white people were hired to fill those positions. Guess what? All the positions were filled. Danny’s didn’t close because “no Americans wanted to do those jobs”. I have no idea what the wages are, but they also get tips.
With fewer people available to take those jobs, companies would need to offer higher wages (prices may increase some too, but that happens). Thus, the illegal immigration problem is not “filling jobs no one wants to do”, but instead is driving the wages down on those jobs so that only people desperate for work will agree to take them.
What a concept huh? You are spot on with your observation!
HOw’d I know you were PHX! It’s interesting being back in the USofA after living offshore in Australia for almost 15 years. Can’t say I really want to stay, either. There are life long dole blodgers in Oz but that is now changing under the new Prime Minister. If you want to receive government assistance, you have to GET a job, not just continually look for one.
The Australian govt. will help you with training and job placement and support while you are learning BUT once you are employable (and it better be quick now with the new PM), you have to get a job and get off of assistance.
Illegal immigrants are sent home. Period. And if they are caught on the water, the boat gets turned around. Since Abbott has been in office no boats have landed. All of the “illegals” that entered prior to his coming into office are in detention camps. For some, they were expecting the Hilton but gee it didn’t happen. So, many are protesting. And charged with rioting. Hmmm. Funny that.
In Oz, the mollycoddling is ending. Not without protest from those who feel entitled – just as in the US but something is being done. Rather than blame those who actually make a living, people are being required to – wait for it – actually get a job.
Oh, glamorous jobs are not what’s on offer but people are realizing they either work and earn or they loose any and all benefits. (There are exceptions – injured, infirm, physically challenged, etc. – who are still supported and cared for. As it should be.)
I agree that as soon as the door stops on the illegal immigration, the sooner you will see more legals employed.
There is the problem that the current administration is opposed to the middle class culture. And his cronies. Consider that Oprah (personal net worth 2 Billion) is saying that Mitt Romney (personal net worth 250 Million) is not paying enough taxes or doing enough to help with employment.
As an aside, the only Olympics in modern history that actually paid for itself and earned a net to help future Olympics was the Winter Olympics in 1998. Who was in charge? Mitt Romney.
You want to make a difference – hire people who have actually worked for a living to run government. Who know what profitability really means.
stepping down off of soapbox.
Cheers.
The 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, too.
The “fair share” brigade: a bunch of sniveling little liberals who need a kick to the teeth.
How the hell are you expected to employ contractors full time.
I don’t think they’re speaking of construction type contractors, but contract security and janitorial staff, who show up at Apple every day, and work for years. Apple avoids having to train a cadré of guys with guns (or mops) by contracting with a turnkey provider. The turnkey provider then hires the illegals to work cheap, pockets the profits from Apples payments and Apple gets cheap labor and clean hands. Almost everybody wins.
Can you prove any of what you said? Apple would be in serious violations – not clean hands. Most especially if you have proof.
Waiting….
And I bet you that the workers you are speaking of… Are employed not by apple… But a firm apple contracts the work out to.
Communist propaganda at its best! Gimme what I want, not what I deserve! Gimme something for nothing! Run your business the way I want u to run it! Do as I say, or I’ll smash your windows and organize a boycott! Obey me! I know best! The billions u and your employees pay out in taxes is not your fair share! I paid out $3000 in taxes, and I’m paying way too much! The tens of thousands of jobs you provide or inspire others to provide doesn’t count! Only my opinion counts! I am a liberal democrat! I don’t believe in God, and I hate white males! I’m the party of criminals, illegal immigrants, sexual deviance, and abortion! I know what u need, and u will take it and like it! Nancy, Harry and Barack said so!
Exxon oil, the most profitable enterprise in all of history, paid no taxes in 2013 and actually got refunds from the IRS. Tell me again how that is paying your fair share?
How many people does Exxon employ? How much does it invest in development and environmental projects to replace the oil that is hypothetically depleting? (We don’t have enough actual history to say that ALL of the oil will be gone in X years. The Rockefeller gang said we were running out of oil in the early 1900s. Had to raise the price – like that adds more oil to the mix. Duped the population tho. If you really want to see what’s going on READ, STUDY, EVALUATE. Rather than spout slogans. “Fair Share” my ass… When someone does their fair share, they earn a paycheck, not get a welfare check. Fair share for a none worker should be zip, nada, nothing. “You didn’t add to the economy, then you shouldn’t get anything.” What would happen to the couch sitters then? I bet Warcraft battles just might slow down.
When I was 18, I had to either get a job, go into the military or make sure I had a full paying scholarship to go to University. Mummy and Daddy didn’t offer to pay and I didn’t expect it. I was responsible for my fair share.
I guess as a fair shareist (new phrase), you would want your fair share of Mum’s and Dad’s paycheck for the rest of your life and beyond. I mean they forced you into this life. You deserve to be mollycoddled for the rest of it. Right.
As you can see, this is a serious pet peeve. Fair share, my ass. дурак!
I don’t see how the number of employees entitles a corporation to not have to pay taxes. Then you try to divert attention and deflect the subject by going off on a tangent. I pay taxes. So should Exxon. Simple as that.
Based upon your response, you don’t have a clue about business. Those expenses are deductions. If deductions exceed income, you pay no taxes. Hmmm, Simple, aye? I’m not deflecting. I was just considering that most people nowadays know about income minus expenses is net profit. Net profit is what is taxed. BTW, the reason they may have received a refund is that some companies pay an estimated tax on a monthly or quarterly basis. If they pay too much, when they file their returns, they get a refund. Kinda like you when you file your return. If you owe, you pay. If you over paid, you get money back. Simple as that.
Also, if Exxon has any shareholders. You may want to check into that. But if they do, then they get paid dividends and the shareholder usually has to pay taxes on it.
If you pay taxes and don’t deduct, then, yes, you are simple.
As that. There is no law against paying the least amount of taxes possible. In fact, there have been several Supreme Court rulings in favor of American citizens and companies paying the least amount of tax allowable under law.
An, just for a tad bit of history for you, prior to 1913, no one (may want to read that again) NO ONE, paid more than 3% tax. EVER! And the country fought wars, built railroads and cities and all sorts of stuff. And the Congress did what it was supposed to do – charge tariffs on goods imported and regulated commerce between the States. The President was the consummate diplomat rather than the continual vacation taker.
Oh, I am neither Republican or Democrat. I judge those who run for office by their experience, results and moral integrity. And I pay what I am legally required to pay for me personally and for my company.
Simple as that.
LOL wow that was actually simultaneously funny as hell and actually very spot on
Republicans scream and shout about the deficit, but then turn around and give anyone and everyone of their corporate cronies all the tax cuts they can dream up. It used to be called hypocrisy, but it’s OK now because the President is black.
The last time I checked, the corporate office for Apple is in Cupertino.
gee I hope all you lot on this thread would emigrate , the place might be just fine after your gone !
This is a Mac forum btw .
I don’t know anything about the grievances of the protesters, but “San Francisco is dying” is a ridiculous thing for them to be chanting. Whatever else is true, San Francisco is undoubtedly one of the most prosperous cities in the country. Ludicrously expensive, it’s true; but so is New York City. Just making stuff up because it sounds good is not a good way to further a social cause.
It’s not Apple’s fault if San Francisco is dying. Is the city really that bad? Or is that hyperbole? If anything Apple has helped the Bay Area with job creation both in the tech sector and in construction with the new campus; among other things. Apple kept its HQ in the Bay Area instead of relocating and going elsewhere where the taxes aren’t so hefty as it is in CA currently. IMHO, don’t blame Apple for local failures.
Were all of these mofos spending their “fair share” buying Apple products when Apple was on the brink of extinction?
I they don’t want to work for Apple as contractors, they are free to find other employment under terms they find more acceptable. If such alternatives are not readily available, they should appreciate the existing opportunities offered by Apple.