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San Diego restaurants giving money to hotel concierges?
Back to the article, that started this insult slingfest. I've worked in a number of restaurants in the Gaslamp over the years and some of the restaurants have bought cars for concierges, I've heard that some pick-up 'pay checks', and that they are on the 'pay roll' of these places. The hilarious thing is that some of the restaurants I mention are mediocre at best. They just have the ability to close down and 'sell out' at a moments notice, because no local would want to go there. The concierges 'open hand' behavior causes small and big operations, like the wonderful Cohn Group, and Lou and Mickey's too often put a cap on what a server makes in tips during a 'buy out'. Service should be based on the tip generated by the event, not some nebulous 'cap' the corporation comes up with so they can reap all the rest of the service tip as profit. There are small operators that struggle under the weight of this tax on their restaurants. It drives up prices for everyone. There are 'free dessert for two' cards that go out with the concierges initials on them, so they can have their kickback recorded properly. Do you think these people are paying taxes on this money? They make more than the service professional(after tip-out), in some 10% cases, and corrupt the natural selection process of location, reputation, atmosphere, cuisine and curb appeal. Restaurants in Hillcrest, La Jolla and other beach communities are involved as well, the practice is 'growing'. CORNELL UNIVERSITY LAW UNIVERSITY website has this to say about kickbacks, "kickbacks: an overview A "kickback" is a term used to refer to a misappropriation of funds that enriches a person of power or influence who uses the power or influence to make a different individual, organization, or company richer. Often, kickbacks result from a corrupt bidding scheme. Through corrupt bidding, the official can award the contract to a company, even though the company did not place the lowest bid. The company makes profit by having been awarded the bid and getting to perform the contract. In exchange for this corrupt practice, the company pays the official a portion of the profits. This portion is the “kickback.” Such a practice falls within a sphere practices often referred to as “anti-competitive practices.” Organized crime has been traced to using kickbacks for many years. Some also consider kickbacks to be a type of bribery. See White-collar crime."— December 31, 2008 11:04 a.m.
Pro-football pushing San Diego closer to bankruptcy
You said it Don. The rush for passage of this bail-out, I mean I actually saw politicians scurrying in the view of the cameras, to shove this 'bonus for criminal malfeasance, bit of legislation down our throats. "What's the hurry?", I kept thinking to myself. The old maxim continued to play in my mind,"The louder they proclaimed their honesty, the faster we counted our spoons." The United States needs to start acting to abolish the Federal Reserve System. The whole concept of our economy, run by a mysterious cabal of global bankers, without constraint or serious oversight, boggles the mind! Marginal Banking? Are you kidding me? I was going to get carried away there, but we know what the wealthy will do with our tax money and public land:they'll give it to the rich! Keep up the good work Don, Thanks, Robert B.— December 29, 2008 6:23 p.m.