Star-Ledger: Paying news delivery people more THREATENS DEMOCRACY

The S-L Editorial Board sez the extra $$$ they say they'll need to pay independent delivery drivers a state bill converts from freelancers to employees threatens the very existence of newspapers and, in turn, their ability to keep an eye on those elected rapscallions in Trenton. (Who wrote the bill).

Laugh? I thought I'd die.

https://www.nj.com/opinion/2022/10/...-our-democracy-must-be-stopped-editorial.html

 

LOL.

 

Editorial writer Tom Moran is a lifer who thinks the Star Ledger still has 400,000 daily circulation rather than the 70,000 today.

 

What a crock of shit.

And what’s gonna happen when Tony Soprano don’t get his paper?

 

Some assistant circulation manager is gonna be found stuffed in an old paper box ... :O

 

The Star-Ledger dreams of a circulation of 70,000. According to this chart a paper needs to have a daily circulation of 48,000 to make the top 25. That excludes the Star-Ledger.

The article says that the delivery personnel earn about $16,000 a year. Which is a lie. The carriers have to pay for auto expenses and 15.3% for social security. As contractors they are liable for the entire social security contribution, not jsut half.

Assuming each carrier throws 200 papers (probably a low estimate) that is about 230 carriers. The article says covering them will cost three millions dollars a year, or $13,000 a year per employee. That is a lot to pay for unemployment and workers comp per employee. Unless the Star-Ledger has converted many other blue collar employees to contractors in order to stop paying employment taxes.