economic choice of the day;

[Stella_Omega]

I can take my cat to the vet, if I borrow the money from my company account.

My investors, of course would consider that irresponsible and frivolous.

The cat might have a broken forearm. he's in a lot of pain.

The cat gives me-- and my family-- love and beauty. Is that worth money?

 

[damppanties]

*hugs*

"Borrow." Yes. I don't know anything about your company, but I still say yes, if you're just borrowing it and if the cat is in pain.

 

[rgraham666]

Well crap. *HUGS*

You can get more investors. Cats are harder to come by.

 

[Stella_Omega]

Well crap. *HUGS*

You can get more investors. Cats are harder to come by.

Actually, the opposite is true...
The supply of stray cats is never-ending.

 

[logophile]

I can take my cat to the vet, if I borrow the money from my company account.

My investors, of course would consider that irresponsible and frivolous.

The cat might have a broken forearm. he's in a lot of pain.

The cat gives me-- and my family-- love and beauty. Is that worth money?

If you receive any sort of support (emotional, inspirational) from your cat, I think it's easy to justify spending company money on its continued good health.

Also, anyone who doesn't agree can pound sand!

Let us know the kitty's OK when you get back.

 

[rgraham666]

Actually, the opposite is true...
The supply of stray cats is never-ending.

Well, I've got a never ending supply of *HUGS*.

You'll be cool. I've no doubt of that.

 

[oggbashan]

In the UK you could take the cat to the PDSA and have it treated without charge.

They might expect you to make a donation when you can afford it.

Og

 

[voluptuary_manque]

Once we assume responsibility for a comfort animal (as differentiated from an eating animal) we must heavily weight our acts towards the critter. We spent lots of money on our last cat and I didn't even like the thing. For that matter, it didn't like me, either, but we took care of it clear up to the final illness after about 16 years.

 

[voluptuary_manque]

In the UK you could take the cat to the PDSA and have it treated without charge.

They might expect you to make a donation when you can afford it.

Og

No, not without charge. You pay the charges up front in taxes (I think) over there. Ain't no such a thing as a free lunch. Everything has a price that must be paid . . . even charitable organizations have to "charge" somebody.

 

[cloudy]

.....

 

[Joe Wordsworth]

Don't act fiscially irresponsible with other peoples' money. If you have to wonder whether they'll think this is a misuse of their investment and the trust given to you to handle it, then it probably is. Its not /your/ money. Its /their/ money.

Unless /they/ want to fix a cat, don't spend /their/ money doing so.

If we're to think of it as your money to do anything with, to lose gamble away, snort up your nose, or burn as you see fit... then sure, do whatever makes you happy. If its not, then this shouldn't even be a question.

I have pets. I do. Big lovable parts of my life. But I'm not spending money on /my/ pets if its /someone else's/ money.

If the litmus test for this is "do I get joy from it", and that's the decision-making variable, then everything from pets to vacations to vanities are justifiable. That's bad business.

 

[jomar]

Aren't you the boss of you? I say give yourself a bonus for a job well done. That's what I do, though I don't have investors.

Or, you can take a loan from the company account with a promissory note and pay a little interest on it.

Or, maybe you pay off the vet bill over time.

 

[Joe Wordsworth]

I'd sooner go to my banker and get a small personal loan than spend an investor's money on my personal life.

 

[oggbashan]

No, not without charge. You pay the charges up front in taxes (I think) over there. Ain't no such a thing as a free lunch. Everything has a price that must be paid . . . even charitable organizations have to "charge" somebody.

No. The PDSA isn't supported by the Government. It is entirely supported by voluntary charitable donations.

The Royal National Lifeboat Institution, the National Society for the Protection of Children, the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and tens of thousands more charitable institutions in the UK are voluntary funded.

The wider community pays. If you are a UK taxpayer the charity can get back the tax you paid on the amount of your donation (you can't!).

If you get free treatment for your animal from the PDSA they might expect you to donate later when you can. If you can afford their fees at the time they'll charge you but they won't insist.

Og

 

[jomar]

I'd sooner go to my banker and get a small personal loan than spend an investor's money on my personal life.

It would be far cleaner and avoid potential problems. But Stella needs speed and any issues getting an immediate loan from her company depends on a number of variables. I worked for a guy once who had a sole-proprietorship and he co-mingled funds all the time and created all kinds of problems for himself, and us at times.

 

[Joe Wordsworth]

It would be far cleaner and avoid potential problems. But Stella needs speed and any issues getting an immediate loan from her company depends on a number of variables. I worked for a guy once who had a sole-proprietorship and he co-mingled funds all the time and created all kinds of problems for himself, and us at times.

An afternoon. A phone call and some faxing, mostly. How much could it cost, a grand? Two? But, then, we don't know all the information about what routes to immediate money are closed and why.

I would just put borrowing from business to pay personal to be extremely irresponsible. But, I do have a high standard for operations for most businesses.

Edited to add: I called my lawyer (very good buddy) about it, and I like his opinion... "Its a conflict of interests, a violating of trust, and extremely poor and shortsighted business management; and if it were my cat, and I were emotional and personally invested in the pet, I might still borrow the money... but let's not mistake "want to" for "have to", nor "going to" for "its a right and decent and fair idea". Its wrong. I'd just have to accept the risk and consequences of it being wrong and doing it anyway."

 

[cloudy]

.....

 

[Joe Wordsworth]

One day, Joe, I hope you have the grace and maturity to be embarrassed about some of the posts you've made in here.

I'll bite. What is it, exactly, you're on about this time?

 

[jomar]

An afternoon. A phone call and some faxing, mostly. How much could it cost, a grand? Two? But, then, we don't know all the information about what routes to immediate money are closed and why.

Stella posted on a Saturday. May not have access to a bank.

I would just put borrowing from business to pay personal to be extremely irresponsible. But, I do have a high standard for operations for most businesses.

Edited to add: I called my lawyer (very good buddy) about it, and I like his opinion... "Its a conflict of interests, a violating of trust, and extremely poor and shortsighted business management; and if it were my cat, and I were emotional and personally invested in the pet, I might still borrow the money... but let's not mistake "want to" for "have to", nor "going to" for "its a right and decent and fair idea". Its wrong. I'd just have to accept the risk and consequences of it being wrong and doing it anyway."

It's very much a slippery slope and for that reason should be done with a promissory note, if she borrows from her business. In my case, I own the (quite small) business and have no investors or partners or debt. So I have more latitude, but still arrange things so money and purchases aren't co-mingled.

 

[Joe Wordsworth]

Stella posted on a Saturday. May not have access to a bank.

No, no, I get that... I just figured if we were taking time to poll the AH, it wasn't something that had to happen immediately (like, proper emergency). In which case, I shouldn't wonder if its can't be a Monday issue. Like to say, I don't know enough about the particulars of the arrangement or accounts or options, etc.

It's very much a slippery slope and for that reason should be done with a promissory note, if she borrows from her business. In my case, I own the (quite small) business and have no investors or partners or debt. So I have more latitude, but still arrange things so money and purchases aren't co-mingled.

I've had investors before. It wouldn't cross my mind to take money from the company for a personal reason--but I even said I probably have some higher standards for operations than most. I operate business in a very clear cut and minimal gray-area manner. Not everyone needs to or wants to operate that way.

 

[jomar]

No, no, I get that... I just figured if we were taking time to poll the AH, it wasn't something that had to happen immediately (like, proper emergency). In which case, I shouldn't wonder if its can't be a Monday issue. Like to say, I don't know enough about the particulars of the arrangement or accounts or options, etc.

Ah. Stella said the leg might be broken and the cat was in a lot of pain. She hasn't been back so it wouldn't surprise me to find out she's at the vet as we post here.

 

[Joe Wordsworth]

Ah. Stella said the leg might be broken and the cat was in a lot of pain. She hasn't been back so it wouldn't surprise me to find out she's at the vet as we post here.

True that.

 

[Stella_Omega]

There isn't extra money in the company account, it's all spoken for, very precisely. The bill was $170, and I can squeeze it out of the household account. If I had not been able to afford to, I would have put the cat to sleep-- if that seemed necessary. And I would have mourned. But I maintain a feral colony, and I have to be hardnosed about it. The vet bills for one cat could feed all of the cats for months.

The diagnosis is a deep abcess. he got a Doomsday antibiotic shot, and a bottle of twice-a-day amoxycillan, and a return visit later next week. And the hospital gave me a list of groups that can help me cover the ferals' med costs.

But you know-- I used to be able to take a cat to the vets once in a while without going into a panic about paying for it.

Cloudy-- getting mad at Joe is like getting mad at a laser pointer. You already knew he was going to focus-- and you already knew what he would focus on, right?

 

[cloudy]

.....

 

[Joe Wordsworth]

There isn't extra money in the company account, it's all spoken for, very precisely. The bill was $170, and I can squeeze it out of the household account. If I had not been able to afford to, I would have put the cat to sleep-- if that seemed necessary. And I would have mourned. But I maintain a feral colony, and I have to be hardnosed about it. The vet bills for one cat could feed all of the cats for months.

The diagnosis is a deep abcess. he got a Doomsday antibiotic shot, and a bottle of twice-a-day amoxycillan, and a return visit later next week. And the hospital gave me a list of groups that can help me cover the ferals' med costs.

But you know-- I used to be able to take a cat to the vets once in a while without going into a panic about paying for it.

Cloudy-- getting mad at Joe is like getting mad at a laser pointer. You already knew he was going to focus-- and you already knew what he would focus on, right?

I'm a card carrying member of "The Business Suit Association" and I've never sent in my dues to the "Warm'n'Fuzzy Kitty-Hugz of the Month Club". I agree, this should have been obvious... but, I'm still five-shades of curious about exactly what she's talking about.

Past that, I had to make a decision when Ruby (my little mule) hurt her hip. Its a tough choice. A storm blew through and she fell, I think, and hurt her hip. Poor thing ain't too old and it could have been bad--she was limping and spooked a bit. Had it been something complex? Bad fracture? Lots of medicine and surgery and pins and all that?

I'd have had to put her down. It doesn't make me /happy/ in any way to go that route, but I don't have thousands and thousands to pour into the situation. I'm glad I /didn't/ have to make that choice. It was a very minor fracture and I love Ruby muchly, and we made it through with some time and careful attention and a private little stall for her... but, love as I might, she's a pet. I don't think of her as I would think of family.