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Beloved SF bookstore becomes casualty of minimum wage hike
KGO ^ | February 02, 2015 | Jonathan Bloom

Posted on 02/02/2015 11:58:58 PM PST by csvset

SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- Independent bookstores have faced tough times for quite a while. In San Francisco, neighborhood businesses have been passionately protected, so it's hard to believe that an initiative passed by voters to raise the minimum wage is driving a Mission District bookstore out of business.

San Francisco's minimum wage is currently $11.05 an hour. By July of 2018, the minimum wage in San Francisco will be $15 an hour. That increase is forcing Borderlands Bookstore to write its last chapter now.

When actor Scott Cox took a job at Borderlands Books he didn't do it for the money.

"I've been a longtime customer of the store," he said. "I love the people, I love the books."

The work let him squeak by while nourishing his passion for sci-fi and fantasy.

"Everyone who works here does this because they love books, they love stories, and they love being booksellers," said book store owner Alan Beatts.

That's why store owner Beatts found it so tough to post a sign in the front window that the store is closing. "We're going to be closing by the end of March," he said.

Borderlands was turning a small profit, about $3,000 last year. Then voters approved a hike in the minimum wage, a gradual rise from $10.75 up to $15 an hour.

"And by 2018 we'll be losing about $25,000 a year," he said.

It's an unexpected plot twist for loyal customers.

"You know, I voted for the measure as well, the minimum wage measure," customer Edward Vallecillo said. "It's not something that I thought would affect certain specific small businesses. I feel sad."

Though it's caught a lot of people off guard, one group that wasn't completely surprised was the Board of Supervisors. In fact, they say they debated this very topic before sending the minimum wage to the voters.

"I know that bookstores are in a tough position, and this did come up in the discussions on minimum wage," San Francisco supervisor Scott Wiener said.

Wiener knows a lot of merchants will pass the wage increases on to their customers, but not bookstores.

"I can't increase the prices of my products because books, unlike many other things, have a price printed on them,"

Wiener says it's the will of the voters. Seventy-seven percent of them voted for this latest wage hike.

"Borderlands Books is an phenomenal bookstore, I was just in it yesterday," Wiener said. "I hope they don't close. It's an amazing resource."

But Alan Beatts said he can't see a way to avoid it.


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Culture/Society; US: California
KEYWORDS: boarderlands; bookstore; borderlands; borderlandsbooks; consequences; cutoffnose; eatingtheirown; minimum; minimumwage; sanfrancisco; wage
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"You know, I voted for the measure as well, the minimum wage measure," customer Edward Vallecillo said. "It's not something that I thought would affect certain specific small businesses. I feel sad."

Gee Eddie, you probably thought that you were "sticking it to the man".

You succeeded.

1 posted on 02/02/2015 11:58:59 PM PST by csvset
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To: csvset

“You know, I voted for the measure as well, the minimum wage measure,” customer Edward Vallecillo said. “It’s not something that I thought would affect certain specific small businesses. I feel sad.”

liberal ignorance defined


2 posted on 02/03/2015 12:02:27 AM PST by tcrlaf (They told me it could never happen in America. And then it did....)
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To: csvset

“It’s the will of the [mob].”


3 posted on 02/03/2015 12:02:39 AM PST by Darteaus94025 (Can't have a Liberal without a Lie)
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To: tcrlaf

He just doesn’t want to pay his fair share in higher book prices!


4 posted on 02/03/2015 12:07:14 AM PST by TigerClaws
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To: csvset
"You know, I voted for the measure as well, the minimum wage measure," customer Edward Vallecillo said. "It's not something that I thought would affect certain specific small businesses. I feel sad."

Elections have consequences, moron!

Of course, who needs your steenkin' bookstore when we have AMZN?

5 posted on 02/03/2015 12:08:08 AM PST by cynwoody
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To: csvset

Wiener knows a lot of merchants will pass the wage increases on to their customers, but not bookstores.

“I can’t increase the prices of my products because books, unlike many other things, have a price printed on them,”


sure they can increase the price. Just add it as an extra charge when the customer pays at the cash register.

Dang this is amusing. Soon SF will become to pricey for the poor and middle class to live. Too bad they can’t be forced to stay there since they voted for the increased cost of living.


6 posted on 02/03/2015 12:13:37 AM PST by RginTN
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To: csvset

Now who bars science from the people? That is right, liberal government does.


7 posted on 02/03/2015 12:16:54 AM PST by lavaroise (A well regulated gun being necessary to the state, the rights of the militia shall not be infringed)
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To: csvset

“...so it’s hard to believe that an initiative passed by voters to raise the minimum wage is driving a Mission District bookstore out of business.”

It’s only hard to believe for morons in SF who live in a made up world where consequences don’t exist.


8 posted on 02/03/2015 12:23:37 AM PST by aquila48
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To: csvset

Can’t they become a commune or a co-op or allow those employees who aren’t there for the money to work for free??


9 posted on 02/03/2015 12:32:28 AM PST by GeronL
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To: aquila48

It will become a People’s Bookstore and people will just pay what they want. It’ll be gone in days.


10 posted on 02/03/2015 12:34:53 AM PST by GeronL
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Awwwwww


11 posted on 02/03/2015 1:03:32 AM PST by dsrtsage (One half of all people have below average IQ. In the US the number is 54%ij)
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To: csvset

“It’s not something that I thought would affect certain specific small businesses.”

ALL OF THEM, idiot, it’s going to affect all of them.


12 posted on 02/03/2015 1:09:35 AM PST by jocon307 (Tell it like it is.)
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To: csvset

Dang!


13 posted on 02/03/2015 1:10:23 AM PST by Drango (A liberal's compassion is limited only by the size of someone else's wallet.)
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To: csvset

Seattle Tacoma next on the list to feel their own pain. Same minimum wage hike on the books.


14 posted on 02/03/2015 1:23:03 AM PST by gtwizard
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To: aquila48

What part of communism and taxes they do not understand other than it bars people from books, business and science if they are not part of the thug gang.

Liberals think they could be friends and cool with Che Gevara in charge of their lives.


15 posted on 02/03/2015 1:27:05 AM PST by lavaroise (A well regulated gun being necessary to the state, the rights of the militia shall not be infringed)
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To: csvset

Democracies fail when the people realize that they can vote themselves money.


16 posted on 02/03/2015 1:48:25 AM PST by fella ("As it was before Noah so shall it be again,")
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To: csvset

“It’s an unexpected plot twist for loyal customers”

Unexpected!

“You know, I voted for the measure as well, the minimum wage measure,” customer Edward Vallecillo said. “It’s not something that I thought would affect certain specific small businesses. I feel sad.”

But, but, but we didnt think the consequences would apply to us!

Morons.


17 posted on 02/03/2015 1:50:16 AM PST by lowbridge
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To: tcrlaf

Too rediculous to blame the business’s demise on the modest increase in the minimum wage. If the owners margins were that slim he had other far more significant problems.

There are reasons to be against minimum wage increase but i hope FReepets are smart enough to see through this one as bogus.


18 posted on 02/03/2015 1:56:40 AM PST by gunsequalfreedom (Conservative is not a label of convenience. It is a guide to your actions.)
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To: csvset

Reminds me of when Hillary sniffed that she “can’t be responsible for every undercapitalized business out there.”

Interesting that none of the people say anything about trying to reverse the minimum wage hike now that they’ve gotten a taste of the consequences.

If I had been the business owner I might have tried tacking on a minimum wage “tax” of some sort rather than just close the doors. Of course such a counterrevolutionary act might have earned the spite of their clientele, so maybe it was less awkward to just sort of commit hari kari.


19 posted on 02/03/2015 2:27:09 AM PST by Yardstick
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To: gunsequalfreedom

“If the owners margins were that slim he had other far more significant problems.”

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

$3,000 profit last year.


20 posted on 02/03/2015 2:33:29 AM PST by Graybeard58 ( For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified.)
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