Nick,

When ATMs first hit the streets it was obvious that they would one day replace tellers at banks. And they were open 24hrs per day, 7 days per week.
I wrote to the Finance Minister of the day and suggested that they charge the banks the UI *premiums* (at the time - Unemployment Insurance) of 5 average teller employees per month for EACH ATM installed.
The banks were still saving the salaries/benefits of actual tellers and the proceeds would help to fund social services for the actually displaced tellers.

I never heard anything, and it never happened.



>Tom
>
>I've often thought over here that there should be an additional tax on corporations that save money by reducing their work force because the social security cost hits all of us.
>When that company "streamlines its operation" and sack 100's I pay. So they reduce their costs but mine go up.
>
>Nick
>
>>>>Don't just throw out the stats, throw out the cities and their occupants too. In this case throwing the baby out with the bath water may not be a bad thing...
>>>>
>>>>:o)
>>>
>>>You are a true visionary! Tracy for Secretary of the US Department of Housing and Urban Development. Now there is another Department I would abolish if I were King for a day. Right along with the money pits of Agriculture, Education, Energy, and Commerce.
>>
>>Mark;
>>
>>A guy was on the news last night and made an interesting statement. He said that welfare for the needy cost $50 billion a year. Another form of welfare is for corporations and costs $170 billion a year. The former is not acceptable to the majority of people while the majority do not know or care about corporate welfare from the federal government.
>>
>>The last time I looked the cost to administer welfare was over 50% of the budgeted amount. Without welfare for people there would be more unemployment.
>>
>>Tom