Good Morning all y'all.. Welcome to KosKraft, Issue 22.
This Group is for all those creative kossack artisans, plying away at their benches. If you make things, please join, and maybe give us a look at your work.
After the pecan roll.
Thought you got rid of me, did you?
Well, as it turns out, I just didn't have anything to say. Not that I do now, but I feel like venting a little.
With all that's going on in the world, and people trying to find their way through the flotsam, it occurs to me how unfair it all is. When People have lost their jobs, and are forced to fend for themselves by trying to actually make things, and sell their wares, whether it be to add to their income, or live by the work alone, you would think there would be a little help out there. There's no problem if you you inherited Daddy's farm, and you get a million in subsidies from the Government, or the Government will send you a check for the overruns on the cost of making the latest greatest Tank. There's no problem getting on the NYTimes best seller list when the Koch brothers manage to buy a million copies of your book to keep in their warehouses until it's time to bring them to the privatized trash management Co. There's no problem at all with moving your multimillion dollar "small business" to another State. Hell, you get 10 years of not paying taxes, free land that was taken by Eminent Domain, and a year of free advertising in the MSM about what a great Company you are. That's of course, if you don't support Union Representation in the work force.
But try and start from scratch, with just the quality of your work, and the cost of materials, you are damn sure out of luck. There's nothing to help you. There are no tax breaks designed for you. There are no Loans unless you can afford to mortgage the house. No one will give you free land and a subsidy to build a shop. Zip. Nada. Nothing.
You are treated the same as big business for all the rules of compliance. You can't hire anyone beyond 600 dollars worth of labor, without the Federal ID, Workman's comp, Insurance, etc. Try paying someone to help out a couple days a week, give them 10-12 dollars an hour for their labor. See how fast 600 adds up. There are no suspensions of the rules for 3 years while you try and grow...just costs. Federal taxes, State, City, and County Taxes. No wonder 90% or more independent businesses fail. No wonder there is an underground cash-only economy. If the Government doesn't know what you take in, they can't take it from you. The hell with contributing to the General Welfare, so the reasoning goes...
All of us, as Citizens, lose when an individual can't make it by their own sweat.
Instead of a small paycheck for the REAL small business man, and even one for the few people they might add to their workforce, there is shuttered shops, SNAP, and Greeting people as they walk into Walmart.
Well, that's enough heavy for a nice Saturday morning. You get the drift. There was a time when People who wanted to contribute something to their Communities were not only allowed to, but were praised and sought out. Nowadays, they are punished unless they have Half a million in the bank to start.
Look at the Medical Cannabis regulation in Massachusetts right now. Sure, we'll legalize it, but you ain't gonna set up any Mom and Pop Operations. We don't care how well you can Grow, or know the product. If you ain't got half a mill in the bank right now, you can't play. It's all geared to help the rich get richer.
Discuss amongst yourselves....
By the way. here's a few recent things I made.
A Pick Guard for a Telecaster.
A holster for a 1911, with a horsehide throat cover, and a Manta Ray insert.
Well, that's all for now.
All Kossack Artisans are welcome to join the group, just send me a PM.
In the meantime, I would be remiss if I didn't mention the
KosKatalog. They do yeoman's work in there, and it's about as business close to supporting "local" as you can get on the inter tubes.
Another crafty place to hang around...
WAYWO
my links:
Rocky River Leather Co.
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