[LPM1888]

"If the employer fires the employee so that the employer can improve their own profit margin isn't the employer the actual cause of the bad debt?"

No way, the employee no doubt is fired for not performing and that's entirely their fault.

I've fired hundreds of employees for not meeting production minimums or quality standards.

I never left the office without a payroll checkbook with me.

I never hired anyone because they needed a job it was because I needed the employee and I don't owe then anything but a paycheck for properly and timely performed work and then only as long as I have that requirement.

I've had to hire and fire employees many times for both reasons. If they can't or won't do the job then I don't need them. But I have never fired an employee just so I can improve my bottom line. About once a month I receive an offer from India or Eastern Europe to outsource our work. I could cut labor costs by almost 90% and pocket the difference but I won't do it.

I believe any company that does so should be responsible for paying the bills of any employees who lose their jobs because of outsourcing. I'll back any politician who supports such a Bill with campaign contributions and personal support.

[Nowhere Man]

I've had to hire and fire employees many times for both reasons. If they can't or won't do the job then I don't need them. But I have never fired an employee just so I can improve my bottom line. About once a month I receive an offer from India or Eastern Europe to outsource our work. I could cut labor costs by almost 90% and pocket the difference but I won't do it.

I believe any company that does so should be responsible for paying the bills of any employees who lose their jobs because of outsourcing. I'll back any politician who supports such a Bill with campaign contributions and personal support.

Count me in, I'll second that, unless someone else has before me. Barry Goldwater wrote in his 1988 biography about the looming danger of people who would put the bottom line before the best interests of America and her security and we are seeing that with outsourcing and so on. Dang, I ought to post the late Harpseal's economic program at some point, he had a lot of good ideas. BTW, I noticed you are into Robert A. Heinlein, good writer, I "grokked" "Stranger in a Strange Land" and "Farnham's Freehold" although the latter was really chilling.