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kalapress wrote:I want to go on vacation soon, but I don't know where. What ideas do you have? Where have you been recently?
I would highly recommend the Dominican Republic. We have resort operations there with amazing reviews, great prices, and service like you won't find anywhere else. Most all of them are beachfront or oceanview. 15 minutes from the Punta Cana international airport.
www.GrupoThornberry.com
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Are Trump’s Tariffs overall bad or good? Will they cause Inflation or Economic Problems?
Like them, Love them, or Hate them…Trump’s tariffs are here (for now, pending various negotiations and legal challenges). What will tariffs mean in real terms? Here’s my take as a Manufacturer. My company and its partners we invest heavily in manufacture 100’s of products in the United States and abroad, source parts from the United States and abroad, sell products in the United States and abroad, and I myself live in the United States and abroad.
I’ll skip to the punchline for those that don’t like to read long posts: The ramifications of these tariffs aren’t bad overall and certainly have the potential to create opportunity in America. I’ve been vocally critical of the implementation of the tariffs and it is my position that the consequences of a sloppy rollout are real for people and should have been avoided, but this post is focused solely on the direct consequences of tariffs themselves.
For context, we (The Thornberry Group and Affiliated Entities) have designed, engineered, patented, formulated, and marketed several products in the environmental testing space, products for the home, personal products, THC products, vitamins, sleep aids, a variety of tools, print goods, and historically even produced candles. Each and every week, we produce 500,000 to 1,000,000 individual items out of our 100’s of SKU’s for both direct and wholesale sales in addition to all of the products we sell through our industrial products rep business that sells products exclusively in many states for 25 third party manufacturers and well over 1000 SKU’s. We deal with these issues from all sides, every single day.
For most of this analysis, I will be using the pictured product (The Breeze Radon Monitor – more info at www.DiscoverBreeze.com ) as the focal point as it hits on all of the important points in regards to manufacturing process, sourcing of products, shipping and customs, and a competitive landscape including companies that outsource their entire products to countries like China where the cost to produce is substantially lower than here in America, at least at high volume.
The Breeze Radon Monitor is a $995.00 product that requires ongoing subscriptions (approximately $40.00 per month) to utilize…sort of like an iPhone. It has a handful of large competitors, mostly manufactured by contract in Asia, most of which are in a similar price range ($900.00 - $1200.00). The parts and components (around 300 parts) come from around 30 different countries, almost all of which have had tariffs added in the last week and half of which had tariffs added during the last Trump Administration.
The last price change (increase) was… NEVER. Just like the iPhone , but that’s because we come out with new models from time to time just as Apple does, but the latest model has been with us for over 2 years without any price increases. From the time of the first production run, until this week, the total parts cost (in the $500.00 range, which in addition to labor puts our margin on original purchase price the lowest in our industry) increased around 10% including all costs – tariffs, taxes, price increases from suppliers, and shipping cost increases.
It’s important to note that the price increases over a period of two plus years being at only 10% is well below the actual cost increases from these suppliers, shipping costs, and tariffs combined. With around half of our parts seeing a 10% tariff (they were parts largely existent in prior models), one would think that we would easily have seen a 20-30%+ increase in parts costs especially with inflation added in, but that’s not the case, because manufacturers make purchases differently than consumers. We contract, long in advance, with limited (scheduled) or even non-existent escalations in prices. Manufacturers buy large quantities of parts that are custom machined often, which means we have to commit to purchasing lots of products over a long period of time from a manufacturer that probably has to invest in training, machinery, molds, and raw materials just for our parts. They can’t do that unless we commit to large orders over a long period of time, and we aren’t willing to commit to that unless the price is predictable.
Further, when there’s a price increase somewhere in the supply chain, like import tariffs, the first thing we do is go back to all of our partners with a “force majeure” issue. In other words, there was a market force that changed the situation outside of all of our control, so we negotiate ways to solve for that. In many cases, we will work together to find a way to reduce costs enough to offset the new issue and commit once again to continuing on with the contract. Sometimes there’s a shipping company willing to participate for less, sometimes we make adjustments to packaging, sometimes we can even get the manufacturer to reduce the cost if we commit to extending the contract. It’s all on the table.
We’re not alone. Everyone of decent scale does it this way, and it takes an army. Manufacturers, retailers, importers, distributors and everyone else in the market does it.
After all of that work is done, we’re left with how we handle the remaining increase. Let’s say with all of the new tariffs from this past week that we can limit the impact to around another 12% on foreign parts, which equates to around 4.5% additional cost on the product itself.
What do we do? There are a few paths to consider;
1. Raise prices, at least enough to cover the differential and re-establish expected margins.
2. Take a haircut on profits.
3. Find other ways to offset the cost.
We always prefer the third option and avoid raising prices on our customers whenever practical, but depending on the product sometimes taking a haircut, raising prices, or a combination of both is unavoidable.
In the case of the Breeze Radon Monitor, we will not be raising prices, as we’re exactly who benefits the most from protectionist policies like these tariffs represent. I am not really a fan of protectionist policies, I’d rather win on merit alone for ego purposes, but I suppose I should thank our Commander-in-Chief for the gift (outside of the market turmoil that in our estimation was avoidable). Our competition, at least all of our largest competitors, are at an incredible disadvantage since they outsource their entire supply chain and assembly overseas in many cases. We might see a 4.5% net increase in cost of product, but they will see a 15%-25% increase even after they negotiate everything they can. Their entire process is now subject to tariffs, and many of them took the haircut last time around since they were already losing marketshare to Breeze. This time, they’re very likely unable to absorb as they will be at a loss.
As it turns out, we might make up for taking a haircut on profits on this product through volume when we move from being the absolutely most advanced product in the marketplace ( https://discoverbreeze.com/SaveMoneyWithBreeze ) toward the middle-high range of market prices to inevitably a low-middle range of market prices as our Asia-Dependent competition is forced to raise prices due to lack of American production. We’ll still have the best product, we already have 20,000+ square feet available to produce this product, we have the processes and automation, and most importantly we have a well-trained staff supervised by an engineering department. It took us 4 years to develop the facility to the level it is and an additional 2 years to get the automation and engineering assets to the point they are.
Granted, we could have moved a little faster especially if we already had an established product and weren’t in R&D always improving for our clients and ensuring it was the best in the market, but it would still be a process that takes years as it would for our competition to onshore this production.
The end result, for this product category (Radon Monitors) specifically:
The net number of Radon Monitors built in America will undoubtedly go UP.
The net number of employees building American made monitors will undoubtedly go UP.
These are both good things, but there is a downside in terms of inflation which is effected by every product and service in the market (even if on a small level), as the lowest end of the market will see an increase in prices. As much as we like further dominating the industry, the cheap Radon monitors have a place. This inflationary effect may be offset by the fact that our product has some features that save the user time/money over the competitive products, but that’s something that gets absorbed overtime and doesn’t fully offset the upfront expense. Which is the case with many products – oftentimes American made products are higher quality, longer lasting, and better in ways that have a positive ROI.
The net number of parts/components going into our Radon Monitors being produced in America? Probably not going to change much anytime soon and will likely remain around 50%. So that’s a neutral. Many of these products CAN be made in America, like resistors, wire harnesses, wire connectors, cables, tiny screws, etc., but even a double digit tariff wouldn’t make them cost half as much as the cost of buying these types of products in America. Most of our old machine shops (my great grandfather’s business) were active circa WWII and many have closed long ago (take a tour of Rockford, IL if you want to see many still standing – stay at the Embassy Suites which used to be one). It’s just not reasonable to think we could get there anytime soon unless there is a major push to automation (including robots instead of humans so they can work 24/7 without a paycheck to make up for the difference). I suppose if that ever happens, it may become a savings (including the cost of shipping) to make small parts and things like socks and t-shirts in America.
The net taxes paid into our Federal Taxes from Breeze Radon Monitors? Goes up by $30 a unit, roughly. We will probably have a lower profit margin but higher profits overall, so we can live with it I suppose. We like paying taxes. We all enjoy living in the greatest country in the world. At least half the time .
I could go into other products and I am happy to in response to any questions or input any of you have, but for the sake of brevity let’s keep it to this one, which you can apply much of the same idea to similar products, and conclude the following;
There will be more jobs, a relatively small amount of one-time (aka “transitory”) inflation, more taxes to pay down the debt, and a lot of turmoil for smart business owners to navigate to their advantage. Speaking of, you must be one hell of a fan and a thoughtful individual. Thanks for reading this far. Share this post and I will see the share and will message you a very special offer so keep an eye out on your messenger. It might involve Blue Moon Hemp products (and who doesn’t like those products! www.BlueMoonHemp.com ), might involve a discounted vacation to the Dominican Republic from El Grupo Thornberry ( www.GrupoThornberry.com ), you never know! It costs you nothing and helps the world get a little bit more educated and maybe realize that everything they buy isn’t going to be 25%+ more expensive next week. Consider it your good deed for the day . If you’re reading this on our Forum ( www.the-forum.net ), go to Facebook and find me. My profile is public. My name is P. Nathan Thornberry and even if you don’t like me…you can debate me there publicly.
Now let’s look at the reverse – China puts a “retaliatory tariff” on the United States for the fraction of goods they buy from us vs. what we import from them. It may have some effect, but not on any of our businesses. We don’t have customers in China. Most companies here don’t. For those that do, I would think their Chinese counterparts have much the same issue. If it were something that was reasonably available in China, they’d be buying it from there already. Just like we do for around half of our components in the Breeze Radon Monitor, including the custom plastic injection molded case – made in Michigan, in the shadows of what used to be the center of our Automotive Manufacturing Industry. In a building that used to make Auto Parts.
Looking forward to your take, and thanks for reading.
P.S. I like the Auto Tariffs, but we should eliminate all the other tariffs on Canada. They’re our buddies. Their people make normal wages. They don’t have to be our “51st State”. They’re basically like California, but a little colder.
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Hola! This is our home page post with links to all of our articles on The Dominican Republic. Feel free to reply here with requests on topics for us to write you a guide on, and check back frequently for updates!
Main Website:
https://grupothornberry.com/
Ownership Opportunities:
https://grupothornberry.com/ownership-opportunities
Guide to using Credit Cards and Cash:
https://the-forum.net/posts/list/8639/ElGrupoThornberry'sGuidetoCreditCardsandCashintheDominicanRepublic
Guide to Tipping in the Dominican Republic:
https://the-forum.net/posts/list/8640/ElGrupoThornberry'sGuidetoTippingintheDominicanRepublic
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Traveling to the Dominican Republic? Punta Cana? Santo Domingo?
Tipping in Punta Cana for Americans
By El Grupo Thornberry, Dominican Republic
When we bring tenants, friends, clients, and partners in our fractional condominium ownership program in Punta Cana to the Dominican Republic for the first time, they all say the same thing…the food is amazing and the prices are incredible! We Agree!
It is not uncommon to get a meal here in the Dominican with an insane view, a fancy environment, and four times the service staff you would expect in the States all while spending $25-$30 on a plate you would have spent $50-$100 on in a simple chain steakhouse for mediocre food. Here you can expect amazing food virtually anywhere in Punta Cana and we have a restaurant directory for you to check out. www.Dominican.US.com
When the bill comes you will want to know how to tip because here in the Dominican Republic tipping too little (or none at all) would be classless…but over-tipping can be offensive.
“ITBIS” and “Ley”
When you get the check, you will almost always see “ITBIS”. That is basically the Dominican’s way of making tax revenue happen. People here hardly claim any taxes on their personal incomes and the country doesn’t have the resources to go chase down tax debts even if the average Dominican made more than just a few hundred US dollars per month. This fee is 18% and it is easy to compare to a slightly higher sales tax than what we are accustomed to in the States.
Most of the time (but certainly not always) you will find a line called “Ley”. It is generally a 10% fee and don’t bother trying to translate this into anything that makes sense. The literal translation is “law”, which is somewhat deceptive when you look at your bill for the first time here. If you know even a little bit of Spanish and you see the word “Ley” with a 10% amount of the bill attached to it, it appears to be a tax or some government requirement. It is a forced tip, much like they do on South Beach and in Fort Lauderdale.
If you only see ITBIS as a line item and nothing that says “Ley” (or some other word with a 10% fee), then there has been no tip added. In that case, 10-15% would suffice, 20% if you received amazing service and are feeling generous.
If you do see a line for “Ley”, it would be fine to offer 5-10% additional tip. If you do much more than that, you run the risk of offending others around you (including Dominicans you might be dining with) as this is a major faux paus here. The predominant thinking behind this is that if you over tip, the staff will gravitate towards you and service for others even paying a normal level tip will be diminished. There’s also a cultural concept here that buy over-tipping you are increasing the overall labor costs within and outside of hospitality.
I know it all sounds ridiculous to an American, especially when we see endless news stories about famously generous tippers and how we respect those that serve us. This may seem like disrespect, but its actually not. The intention from all is to create a stable level of growth for the working class here on the island.
Now that you know the acceptable amount to tip...do you tip on the credit card slip or in cash?
We’re sure you know where this is going! Yes, the wait staff would prefer cash tips. This is a fairly universal concept, but here in the Dominican they REALLY want cash tips. Remember that 18% ITBIS? Well anything paid to the employees through the business is assessed a tax out the door. If you tip $5 USD, $1 will go to the Dominican government.
If you want to make your servers happy in the moment, tip in cash. Simply convert RDP (Dominican Pesos) to USD (United States Dollars) and then tip according to the amounts stated in the last section. You will be appreciated in the moment, but we think there is a better way for you and for the Dominican Republic.
It is our position that it is best to tip on the tip line of your bill and to simply add the amount needed to cover the taxes for the server. In other words, if the tip should be $5, make it $6. If you have a business reason for being there (as oftentimes do our partners in the El Grupo Thornberry fractional ownership system), then you have a tax write-off that exceeds the benefit to the employee by more than the extra tip that made up for their tax payment. There is no downside to anyone, there’s a tax benefit to you potentially, and there is more money going to a developing country that is doing an excellent job at adding infrastructure daily that makes this wonderful place even better.
Sometimes you will receive a credit card receipt with no tip line and no signature line. If you ask for one to sign, you will often get one to sign. The reason you were given a slip with no signature line was an attempt to encourage cash tips. Seldom, but it does happen, you will be told that “it was already closed out”. This is nothing but a deception to attempt to force you to find a few greenbacks in your pocket.
Why would a server attempt to force a cash tip in this manner?
If you experience this, you are likely at a restaurant where the proprietor (or his managers) are not very trusted by the staff. The staff likely believes, accurately or not, that tips (or as they call them here “propinas”) are not being shared in full with the employees. They may also feel that more employees are being brought into the tip pool than deserve to be. It’s also possible you met the greediest, most selfish server in the place.
When this happens, I often just go towards the minimum level cash tip and leave it in $1 bills. While you could leave nothing and “teach them a lesson”, perhaps even leading to an improvement in the restaurant and compensation of employees, it would take a lot of people doing so to have that effect. We just leave a minimal tip in that circumstance and don’t make a stink about it. We know the more this country advances, which can’t happen without taxes being paid, the better, but we pick our battles!
In summary…
With 10% Ley: 5-10%, preferably on your credit card.
Without Ley: 10-15%, preferably on your credit card.
No Credit Card Slip: 10% in $1 bills (USD)
Want to OWN your vacation? It's more affordable than you think! As little as $50,000 down, no credit check, and 5% APR!
www.Dominican.US.com
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Traveling to Punta Cana, Cap Cana, Bavaro, or to a resort in the Dominican Republic? What you should know about using Credit Cards, Currency, and making purchases in the DR as an American.
(Series of Articles from El Grupo Thornberry www.GrupoThornberry.com)
If you’re in an area of the Dominican Republic like Punta Cana, Cap Cana, Bavaro, or one of the other areas around the country with lots of tourists from America, Canada, and Europe, be advised: The Dominican Peso is not something you are going to need.
Virtually anywhere you go, if someone does a quick job for you like move some luggage, carry your groceries, assist you in finding something, etc., a U.S./Canadian Dollar and/or a Euro will go a long way. Locals in tourist areas expect US Dollars as much as anything else and even utilize them in their daily lives. When and if they ever find themselves to have more USD than they need and not enough Dominican Pesos, for whatever reason, they’ll either spend some and ask for change in Pesos or they will go deposit it at the bank where they get the best exchange rate.
When you land at the Airport or arrive on your Cruise Ship, don’t bother stopping at any of the currency exchange stores. It’s a waste of your time.
The most common payment form you will use while in the Dominican Republic is a Credit Card, and it has been that way since we started coming here over 15 years ago, but even more so it seems over the last 3+ years we have been living here. Now there are a lot more large stores, malls, large gas stations, and endless dining options that all have credit card terminals of course, but even the small stores and eateries offering plates for as little as $5.00USD have credit card terminals now.
I suggest when you visit another country that you bring multiple credit cards along with some cash as well, in case one or more get flagged for fraud while you are away, but generally speaking your need for cash in the Dominican Republic is almost exclusively for tips and taxi rides, which for most people would end up being around $100.00-$250.00USD per week.
Book your Stay NOW with EGT Resorts for the most amazing experiences! 30,000+ acres behind our secure gate, more dining options than any single resort, activity & water parks, horseback riding, boating, fishing, two golf courses, and much more! www.GrupoThornberry.com
In addition to being a safe option, a Credit Card might keep you from being overcharged 2-4% on a regular basis based solely on conversion numbers from DOP (Dominican Pesos) to USD (US Dollars). As I am writing this, the DOP is worth 0.0158063 USD and therefore the USD is worth 63.2660 DOP.
Purely based on the factor by which one converts, it’s not simple to do in your head. A good “rule of thumb” when you see Dominican Pesos in the prices is to double the number, remove the last two numbers, and that brings you to what the USD equivalent would be after taxes and tip are added, or at least pretty close to it.
Here’s an example:
$2000.00DOP (2000 Dominican Pesos)
Double 2000 = 4000
Take off the last two zeroes = $40.00USD
Of course, this isn’t an exact science. 2000 Dominican Pesos at Today’s (March 1st, 2025) conversion rate is $31.61, but if you add in tip (in total around 10%*) and ITBIS (The Dominican Sales Tax at 18%), you get $41.03, which is remarkably close to what I suggested above.
This methodology is only for estimation, of course.
For most purchases made on Credit Card in the Dominican Republic, you will be faced with a question from the merchant: Run it in Pesos or Dollars. ALWAYS run it in Pesos, which will result in your account being charged the actual equivalent in U.S. Dollars. If you choose U.S. Dollars, you are accepting the conversion at the displayed rate from the merchant, which includes a slight fee as they want to ensure they never lose money on it. These systems aren’t linked to a live tracker for currencies and even if they were the charges wouldn’t settle the same day anyhow. So, in order to offer you the convenience of a U.S. Dollar equivalent, the Merchant Services companies have to add in a cushion.
Some General Price Guidelines For You:
Getting a Taxi level transport within 30 minutes from the Airport? $25-$40USD
Getting a SUV (Suburban or equivalent) or VIP transport within 30 minutes from the Airport? $50-$75USD
Tip for a small task $1.00USD
Tip for a moderate task $5.00USD
Tip for a significant task (1-2 hours+) $20.00USD
Tip for All-Day in home service $10.00-$20.00USD per Day
Want to know how to tip in the Dominican Republic?
In the simplest terms, I would say add 10% to the already included 10% tip, and I would suggest doing so on a credit card. See the complete article on tipping in the Dominican Republic HERE>>>> https://the-forum.net/posts/list/7812/HowtoTipintheDominicanRepublic
El Grupo Thornberry has the most incredible Villas, Condos, and Beachfront Properties for rent in the Dominican Republic starting at only $200.00USD per night! View properties and book your reservations at www.GrupoThornberry.com - Book Direct for FREE Transport from the Punta Cana International Airport!
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Traveling to Punta Cana, Cap Cana, Bavaro, or to a resort in the Dominican Republic? What you should know about using Credit Cards, Currency, and making purchases in the DR as an American.
(Series of Articles from El Grupo Thornberry www.GrupoThornberry.com)
If you’re in an area of the Dominican Republic like Punta Cana, Cap Cana, Bavaro, or one of the other areas around the country with lots of tourists from America, Canada, and Europe, be advised: The Dominican Peso is not something you are going to need.
Virtually anywhere you go, if someone does a quick job for you like move some luggage, carry your groceries, assist you in finding something, etc., a U.S./Canadian Dollar and/or a Euro will go a long way. Locals in tourist areas expect US Dollars as much as anything else and even utilize them in their daily lives. When and if they ever find themselves to have more USD than they need and not enough Dominican Pesos, for whatever reason, they’ll either spend some and ask for change in Pesos or they will go deposit it at the bank where they get the best exchange rate.
When you land at the Airport or arrive on your Cruise Ship, don’t bother stopping at any of the currency exchange stores. It’s a waste of your time.
The most common payment form you will use while in the Dominican Republic is a Credit Card, and it has been that way since we started coming here over 15 years ago, but even more so it seems over the last 3+ years we have been living here. Now there are a lot more large stores, malls, large gas stations, and endless dining options that all have credit card terminals of course, but even the small stores and eateries offering plates for as little as $5.00USD have credit card terminals now.
I suggest when you visit another country that you bring multiple credit cards along with some cash as well, in case one or more get flagged for fraud while you are away, but generally speaking your need for cash in the Dominican Republic is almost exclusively for tips and taxi rides, which for most people would end up being around $100.00-$250.00USD per week.
Book your Stay NOW with EGT Resorts for the most amazing experiences! 30,000+ acres behind our secure gate, more dining options than any single resort, activity & water parks, horseback riding, boating, fishing, two golf courses, and much more! www.GrupoThornberry.com
In addition to being a safe option, a Credit Card might keep you from being overcharged 2-4% on a regular basis based solely on conversion numbers from DOP (Dominican Pesos) to USD (US Dollars). As I am writing this, the DOP is worth 0.0158063 USD and therefore the USD is worth 63.2660 DOP.
Purely based on the factor by which one converts, it’s not simple to do in your head. A good “rule of thumb” when you see Dominican Pesos in the prices is to double the number, remove the last two numbers, and that brings you to what the USD equivalent would be after taxes and tip are added, or at least pretty close to it.
Here’s an example:
$2000.00DOP (2000 Dominican Pesos)
Double 2000 = 4000
Take off the last two zeroes = $40.00USD
Of course, this isn’t an exact science. 2000 Dominican Pesos at Today’s (March 1st, 2025) conversion rate is $31.61, but if you add in tip (in total around 10%*) and ITBIS (The Dominican Sales Tax at 18%), you get $41.03, which is remarkably close to what I suggested above.
This methodology is only for estimation, of course.
For most purchases made on Credit Card in the Dominican Republic, you will be faced with a question from the merchant: Run it in Pesos or Dollars. ALWAYS run it in Pesos, which will result in your account being charged the actual equivalent in U.S. Dollars. If you choose U.S. Dollars, you are accepting the conversion at the displayed rate from the merchant, which includes a slight fee as they want to ensure they never lose money on it. These systems aren’t linked to a live tracker for currencies and even if they were the charges wouldn’t settle the same day anyhow. So, in order to offer you the convenience of a U.S. Dollar equivalent, the Merchant Services companies have to add in a cushion.
Some General Price Guidelines For You:
Getting a Taxi level transport within 30 minutes from the Airport? $25-$40USD
Getting a SUV (Suburban or equivalent) or VIP transport within 30 minutes from the Airport? $50-$75USD
Tip for a small task $1.00USD
Tip for a moderate task $5.00USD
Tip for a significant task (1-2 hours+) $20.00USD
Tip for All-Day in home service $10.00-$20.00USD per Day
Want to know how to tip in the Dominican Republic?
In the simplest terms, I would say add 10% to the already included 10% tip, and I would suggest doing so on a credit card. See the complete article on tipping in the Dominican Republic HERE>>>> https://the-forum.net/posts/list/7812/HowtoTipintheDominicanRepublic
El Grupo Thornberry has the most incredible Villas, Condos, and Beachfront Properties for rent in the Dominican Republic starting at only $200.00USD per night! View properties and book your reservations at www.GrupoThornberry.com - Book Direct for FREE Transport from the Punta Cana International Airport!
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Is Mary Miller, Congresswoman from Illinois, supported by Drug Dealers?
Perhaps, but Representative Mary Miller of Illinois is using her position to harm small business owners while padding the pockets of true Drug Dealers (and potentially campaign donors) while attempting to harm children nationwide with Marijuana-based medicinal levels of THC. Levels of drugs that can harm minors in irreparable ways. According to the Mayo Health Clinic, "The concentration of THC in a marijuana product is directly proportional to its potency or how much of a high it will give when consumed. Marijuana use among adolescents and young adults can affect normal brain development, leading to problems in learning, memory, coordination, reaction time and judgment." The higher the dose, the worse it gets, hence DELTA products are better for you in low doses and at all ages, which no one disagrees with in the medical community. We also know that teenagers will use THC and there is no way to stop that regardless of how much we try to discourage it as parents/members of our society.
Mary Miller proposed an Amendment to the Farm Bill to exclude products with detectable amounts of THC as well as any cannabinoid “synthesized or manufactured outside of the plant.” Miller said in a message on her X account “These drug-infused products are often sold in colorful packaging next to candy and snacks, which parents strongly oppose!”
What the Congresswoman from Illinois either fails to realize or completely ignores in her pursuit to inject a senseless amendment (likely in response to a healthy campaign donation to support this blatant misrepresentation…we can think of no other possibility other than those listed below) that would seek to eradicate a $28 Billion industry is that these products are not marketed to children and are certainly not sold “in colorful packaging next to candy and snacks”. This is a fraudulent position the Congresswoman is taking, as there are already laws in place that address this matter. We, as an industry, even went above and beyond in ensuring our products were not visible within the packaging, unlike the THC products Mary Miller is promoting with insanely high doses and clear packaging at dispensaries. (Their bad behavior is something we would be fined for as regulated Hemp businesses by the way)
Blue Moon Hemp, Blue Moon Distro, all of our many brands and partner brands, and all of our great friends in this industry including mom-and-pop retailers throughout the US go to incredible lengths to ensure our products are compliant, kept within the legal limits of THC for Hemp products (which is a fraction of the enormous THC levels delivered by the irresponsible products marketed by those interested in limiting Hemp distribution through gullible/fraudulent legislators like Mary Miller). These products are not candy at the checkout aisle at your local convenience mart, gas station, or grocery store. These are products regulated to NOT look like candy, to NOT be out and available to minors with the candy (but rather locked down and behind the counter managed by a trained associate that checks ID), and these products are regulated to have a very minor dose of THC.
The companies in Illinois that very likely/logically must be backing Mary Miller are companies that sell Marijuana-based products in dispensaries that have ENORMOUS (and even irresponsible for most) doses of THC that are equivalent and in some cases even beyond medical doses. They are essentially the "legal" (within the state, but unlawful under Federal Law) version of the other illegal drug dealers that Mary Miller is also attempting to support with this legislative version of diarrhea.
DELTA/Hemp products and derived cannabinoids are intentionally delivered at a much lower, safer dose. We would never want to see children end up with the products in their hands that Mary Miller supports as a known dangerous drug pusher. If kids are going to get into trouble, whether it be drinking or smoking nicotine or taking THC products, and I am saying this as a father who has had a kid in trouble with drugs and known way too many parents who ended off way worse (including too many deaths), it’s best to have a responsible and regulated option. We think it is crazy to offer children throughout this country the insanely high, addict-level THC dose that Mary Miller seems hell-bent on delivering to your children through both her Illinois constituent dispensaries or her Illinois illicit drug dealers in back alleys ready to swoop in and pick up any slack left after our legitimate, safe products are all gone in her perverted reality.
Why would Mary Miller support an Amendment to the Farm Bill that would make the only THC products available in Illinois products with wild amounts of THC and only from the limited grow-operations that supply the Marijuana-based drugs Mary Miller is trying to make (by default) the only legal option? There are a few possibilities;
1. Mary Miller is owned by the Marijuana industry and is intentionally misrepresenting this issue, at great harm to your Children’s health as well as all users, intentionally in return for campaign donations from drug pushers.
2. Mary Miller thinks that by eradicating the more responsible THC products in Hemp that consumers in surrounding states will have to spend even more money in Illinois (where consumers go already because that’s where you get the stuff that “fucks you up” really good that Mary wants your children to take). It should be noted that Illinois has legalized Marijuana and is collecting lots of tax revenue on these addict-level THC doses. They also make tax revenue on DELTA products, but they are available in all surrounding states, which could have Mary thinking she will be a "heroine" after basically requiring all of the kids (and adults too) from throughout the midwest to come and buy Illinois' addict-level THC products.
3. Mary Miller is confused/unintelligent and believes that receiving a very low dose of THC from a slightly different plant is somehow worse than the life-ruining effects of her home state’s drugs/addictions she is such a champion for.
4. Mary Miller is a desperate politician aiming for the "mom vote" using lies and deception.
Whether she’s dumb or just a dirty politician, every single word she has stated on this topic is demonstrably/scientifically false and if she intends to have any credibility/integrity moving forward she should pull the Amendment and admit publicly her attempt to make such a disastrous mistake and disclose any conflicts present.
Hopefully Mary Miller, Congresswoman from Illinois, stops trying to promote illegal and harmful drug use by Americans.
https://mjbizdaily.com/marijuana-lobbies-push-for-hemp-derived-cannabinoid-ban-in-farm-bill/
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Welcome!
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Cuando traemos a inquilinos, amigos, clientes y socios de nuestro programa de propiedad de condominios fraccionados en Punta Cana a la República Dominicana por primera vez, todos dicen lo mismo... ¡La comida es increíble y los precios son increíbles! ¡Estamos de acuerdo!
Es muy común conseguir una comida aquí en la República Dominicana con una vista increíble, un ambiente elegante y un personal de servicio cuatro veces mayor que el que esperarías en los Estados Unidos, mientras gastas entre $25 y $30 en un plato en el que habrías gastado entre $50 y $100 en una sencilla franquicia de comida mediocre. Aquí puede esperar comida increíble prácticamente en cualquier lugar de Punta Cana y tenemos un directorio de restaurantes que puede consultar. (Haga clic aquí)
Cuando llegue la factura, querrás saber cómo dar propina, porque aquí en la República Dominicana dar muy poca (o ninguna) propina no tendría clase… pero dar demasiada propina puede ser ofensivo.
“ITBIS” y “Ley”
Cuando recibas el cheque, casi siempre verás “ITBIS”. Esa es básicamente la manera que tienen los dominicanos de generar ingresos tributarios. La gente aquí apenas reclama impuestos sobre sus ingresos personales y el país no tiene los recursos para perseguir las deudas tributarias, incluso si el dominicano promedio ganara más de unos pocos cientos de dólares estadounidenses al mes. Esta tarifa es del 18% y es fácil de comparar con un impuesto sobre las ventas ligeramente más alto al que estamos acostumbrados en los Estados Unidos.
La mayoría de las veces (pero ciertamente no siempre) encontrarás una línea llamada “Ley”. Generalmente es una tarifa del 10% y no se moleste en intentar traducir esto en algo que tenga sentido. La traducción literal es “ley”, lo cual resulta algo engañoso cuando miras tu factura por primera vez aquí. Si sabes aunque sea un poco de español y ves la palabra “Ley” con un monto del 10% de la factura adjunto, parece ser un impuesto o algún requisito gubernamental. Es una propina forzada, como ocurre en South Beach y Fort Lauderdale.
Si solo ve ITBIS como una línea de pedido y nada que diga “Ley” (o alguna otra palabra con una tarifa del 10%), entonces no se ha agregado ninguna propina. En ese caso, entre un 10% y un 15% sería suficiente, un 20% si recibiste un servicio increíble y te sientes generoso.
Si ve una línea para "Ley", estaría bien ofrecer entre un 5% y un 10% de propina adicional. Si hace mucho más que eso, corre el riesgo de ofender a los que le rodean (incluidos los dominicanos con los que podría estar cenando), ya que aquí se trata de una importante faux paus. El pensamiento predominante detrás de esto es que si usted da una propina excesiva, el personal se acercará a usted y el servicio para los demás, incluso si pagan una propina de nivel normal, se verá disminuido. También existe un concepto cultural que dice que comprar propinas excesivas aumenta los costos laborales generales dentro y fuera de la hotelería.
Sé que todo esto suena ridículo para un estadounidense, especialmente cuando vemos infinitas noticias sobre personas famosas por dar propinas generosas y cómo respetamos a quienes nos sirven. Esto puede parecer una falta de respeto, pero en realidad no lo es. La intención de todos es crear un nivel estable de crecimiento para la clase trabajadora aquí en la isla.
Ahora que conoces la cantidad aceptable para dar propina... ¿da la propina en el comprobante de la tarjeta de crédito o en efectivo?
¡Estamos seguros de que sabes hacia dónde va esto! Sí, los camareros preferirían propinas en efectivo. Este es un concepto bastante universal, pero aquí en República Dominicana REALMENTE quieren propinas en efectivo. ¿Recuerdas ese 18% de ITBIS? Bueno, todo lo que se paga a los empleados a través de la empresa se grava como un impuesto directo. Si das una propina de $5 USD, $1 irá al gobierno dominicano.
Si desea que sus camareros estén contentos en este momento, dé una propina en efectivo. Simplemente convierta DOP (pesos dominicanos) a USD (dólares estadounidenses) y luego dé propina de acuerdo con las cantidades indicadas en la última sección. Serás apreciado en el momento, pero creemos que hay una mejor manera para ti y para la República Dominicana.
En nuestra opinión, es mejor dejar una propina (en la línea de propina de su factura) y simplemente agregar la cantidad necesaria para cubrir los impuestos del servidor. En otras palabras, si la propina debe ser de $5, que sea $6. Si tiene una razón comercial para estar allí (como a menudo lo hacen nuestros socios en el sistema de propiedad fraccionada de El Grupo Thornberry), entonces tiene una cancelación de impuestos que excede el beneficio para el empleado en más que la propina adicional que compensa el pago de sus impuestos. No hay ningún inconveniente para nadie, existe un beneficio fiscal potencial para usted y hay más dinero destinado a un país en desarrollo que está haciendo un excelente trabajo agregando infraestructura diariamente que hace que este maravilloso lugar sea aún mejor.
A veces recibirán un recibo de tarjeta de crédito sin línea de propina ni línea de firma. Si solicita que uno firme, a menudo obtendrá uno para firmar. La razón por la que le dieron un recibo sin firma fue un intento de fomentar las propinas en efectivo. No suele pasar, pero sucede, te dirán que “ya estaba cerrado”. Esto no es más que un engaño para intentar obligarte a encontrar algunos billetes en tu bolsillo.
¿Por qué un servidor intentaría forzar una propina en efectivo de esta manera?
Si experimenta esto, es probable que se encuentre en un restaurante donde el personal no confía mucho en el propietario (o sus gerentes). Es probable que el personal crea, con precisión o no, que las propinas (o como las llaman aquí “propinas”) no se comparten en su totalidad con los empleados. También pueden sentir que se están incorporando al grupo de propinas más empleados de los que merecen. También es posible que hayas conocido al servidor más codicioso y egoísta del lugar.
Cuando esto sucede, a menudo me acerco al nivel mínimo de propina en efectivo y la dejo en billetes de 1 dólar. Si bien se podría dejar nada y “darles una lección”, lo que tal vez incluso conduzca a una mejora en el restaurante y la compensación de los empleados, se necesitaría que mucha gente lo hiciera para lograr ese efecto. Solo dejamos una propina mínima en esa circunstancia y no hacemos un escándalo por ello. Sabemos que cuanto más avance este país, lo cual no puede suceder sin que se paguen impuestos, mejor, ¡pero elegimos nuestras batallas!
En resumen…
Con Ley 10%: 5 - 10%, preferiblemente en tu tarjeta de crédito
Sin Ley: 10 - 15%, preferiblemente en tu tarjeta de crédito
Sin tarjeta de crédito: 10% en billetes de $1 dólar
On Tue, Jan 30, 2024 at 1:19 PM Nathan Thornberry <nathan@thornberrygroup.com> wrote:
Tipping in Punta Cana for Americans
By El Grupo Thornberry, Dominican Republic
When we bring tenants, friends, clients, and partners in our fractional condominium ownership program in Punta Cana to the Dominican Republic for the first time, they all say the same thing…the food is amazing and the prices are incredible! We Agree J
It is not uncommon to get a meal here in the Dominican with an insane view, a fancy environment, and four times the service staff you would expect in the States all while spending $25-$30 on a plate you would have spent $50-$100 on in a simple chain steakhouse for mediocre food. Here you can expect amazing food virtually anywhere in Punta Cana and we have a restaurant directory for you to check out. (Click Here)
When the bill comes you will want to know how to tip because here in the Dominican Republic tipping too little (or none at all) would be classless…but over-tipping can be offensive.
“ITBIS” and “Ley”
When you get the check, you will almost always see “ITBIS”. That is basically the Dominican’s way of making tax revenue happen. People here hardly claim any taxes on their personal incomes and the country doesn’t have the resources to go chase down tax debts even if the average Dominican made more than just a few hundred US dollars per month. This fee is 18% and it is easy to compare to a slightly higher sales tax than what we are accustomed to in the States.
Most of the time (but certainly not always) you will find a line called “Ley”. It is generally a 10% fee and don’t bother trying to translate this into anything that makes sense. The literal translation is “law”, which is somewhat deceptive when you look at your bill for the first time here. If you know even a little bit of Spanish and you see the word “Ley” with a 10% amount of the bill attached to it, it appears to be a tax or some government requirement. It is a forced tip, much like they do on South Beach and in Fort Lauderdale.
If you only see ITBIS as a line item and nothing that says “Ley” (or some other word with a 10% fee), then there has been no tip added. In that case, 10-15% would suffice, 20% if you received amazing service and are feeling generous.
If you do see a line for “Ley”, it would be fine to offer 5-10% additional tip. If you do much more than that, you run the risk of offending others around you (including Dominicans you might be dining with) as this is a major faux paus here. The predominant thinking behind this is that if you over tip, the staff will gravitate towards you and service for others even paying a normal level tip will be diminished. There’s also a cultural concept here that buy over-tipping you are increasing the overall labor costs within and outside of hospitality.
I know it all sounds ridiculous to an American, especially when we see endless news stories about famously generous tippers and how we respect those that serve us. This may seem like disrespect, but its actually not. The intention from all is to create a stable level of growth for the working class here on the island.
Now that you know the acceptable amount to tip...do you tip on the credit card slip or in cash?
We’re sure you know where this is going! Yes, the wait staff would prefer cash tips. This is a fairly universal concept, but here in the Dominican they REALLY want cash tips. Remember that 18% ITBIS? Well anything paid to the employees through the business is assessed a tax out the door. If you tip $5 USD, $1 will go to the Dominican government.
If you want to make your servers happy in the moment, tip in cash. Simply convert RDP (Dominican Pesos) to USD (United States Dollars) and then tip according to the amounts stated in the last section. You will be appreciated in the moment, but we think there is a better way for you and for the Dominican Republic.
It is our position that it is best to tip on the tip line of your bill and to simply add the amount needed to cover the taxes for the server. In other words, if the tip should be $5, make it $6. If you have a business reason for being there (as oftentimes do our partners in the El Grupo Thornberry fractional ownership system), then you have a tax write-off that exceeds the benefit to the employee by more than the extra tip that made up for their tax payment. There is no downside to anyone, there’s a tax benefit to you potentially, and there is more money going to a developing country that is doing an excellent job at adding infrastructure daily that makes this wonderful place even better.
Sometimes you will receive a credit card receipt with no tip line and no signature line. If you ask for one to sign, you will often get one to sign. The reason you were given a slip with no signature line was an attempt to encourage cash tips. Seldom, but it does happen, you will be told that “it was already closed out”. This is nothing but a deception to attempt to force you to find a few greenbacks in your pocket.
Why would a server attempt to force a cash tip in this manner?
If you experience this, you are likely at a restaurant where the proprietor (or his managers) are not very trusted by the staff. The staff likely believes, accurately or not, that tips (or as they call them here “propinas”) are not being shared in full with the employees. They may also feel that more employees are being brought into the tip pool than deserve to be. It’s also possible you met the greediest, most selfish server in the place.
When this happens, I often just go towards the minimum level cash tip and leave it in $1 bills. While you could leave nothing and “teach them a lesson”, perhaps even leading to an improvement in the restaurant and compensation of employees, it would take a lot of people doing so to have that effect. We just leave a minimal tip in that circumstance and don’t make a stink about it. We know the more this country advances, which can’t happen without taxes being paid, the better, but we pick our battles!
In summary…
With 10% Ley: 5-10%, preferably on your credit card.
Without Ley: 10-15%, preferably on your credit card.
No Credit Card Slip: 10% in $1 bills (USD)
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Are you a home inspector that offers water sampling? When a client has a well system especially, testing for Bacteria, Nitrates/Nitrites, and Lead in water is not just a great idea to protect their family's health, it's also very often required under (conventional/FHA/VA) financing rules!
Add water testing to your business today and deliver convenience to your clients while simultaneously adding profit to your business, and do so with the #1 lab in the business...PriorityLab! PriorityLab is open on the weekends and is the only lab receiving packages on Saturdays allowing you to take a water sample on any day of the week in combination with your inspection (instead of having to make a return trip like you would have to do with those OTHER guys).
Make the best decision for your business, your clients, and your profits by utilizing the fastest, most economical, most convenient lab in the business with the ability to handle all of your environmental testing needs including Mold, Asbestos, Radon, Radon Scintillation, Water Testing, and More!
https://discoverbreeze.com/water
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If you fly private into KFXE (Fort Lauderdale Executive), there is no better FBO than Banyan. The facilities are incredible, the pilot shop is legendary, the restaurant next door on the field is always good (and packed!) and they just treat you wonderfully. I have been going there for almost a decade now and have had too many great experiences to list, but I will give you one from just 3 days ago!
I came into KFXE from MDPC (Punta Cana, where I run a fractional ownership program), and prior to take off I did my normal pre-flight and found both engines below minimums on oil. Unfortunately upon arrival I had to move pretty fast and didn't have a chance to wait for the oil to settle to see where the levels were properly, so I was left with little choice: I had to add oil.
I landed at KFXE and was set to depart a few days later. During my next pre-flight, the oil levels had crept up (my fault!) and now I had no choice but to reduce the oil levels (or risk damaging two $170,000 engines). The line crew got maintenance over right away, and Curtis (supervisor there) came over himself to pop the filter out for me so we could drain some oil (which is a giant pain in the ass to do yourself!).
We perfected the levels and then I asked him to put it on my account. He said "Don't worry about it, we know you have been coming here for years...thanks for the business!"
Words can hardly describe the best FBO in the world...except for one: BANYAN!
https://www.banyanair.com/banyan-receives-pilots-choice-award/
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THC-A is only slightly different, on a genetic level, from what many would refer to as "Marijuana", but otherwise it is just as good! (Maybe even better)
We have had countless users of THC products (like marijuana) switch to our 100% legal products, delivered to your door throughout the U.S., and most say it is even better and more consistent!
Check out all of the THC-A products, including flower, pre-rolls, and more from the leading supplier of CBD and THC products in America... Blue Moon Hemp!
https://bluemoonhemp.com/product-category/thc-a-flower/
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Carmel's new Mayor, and friend to us all, is off and running! Congrats to Sue on the victory!
https://www.wthr.com/article/news/local/carmel-mayor-appoints-city-next-police-chief-drake-sterling-zionsville-police-department/531-c9af7dcb-2af3-46ee-b6d4-b4bf9c75f73c
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If you haven't tried the Watermelon gummies from Blue Moon Hemp, one of the largest distributors of CBD & THC products in America, you are missing out!
- ZERO "weed taste"
- ZERO aftertaste
- Smooth Effects!
Start with half, wait an hour, take the other half if you feel like you still need it.
https://bluemoonhemp.com/shop/delta-8-watermelon-gummies-250mg/#tab-description
Warning! This product will NOT get you "messed up" unless you abuse it and take more than you should. It's a "mild chill" effect. If you want to get high as balls, check out our Delta 9 and THC-A products 
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Traveling to the Dominican Republic? Punta Cana? Santo Domingo?
Tipping in Punta Cana for Americans
By El Grupo Thornberry, Dominican Republic
When we bring tenants, friends, clients, and partners in our fractional condominium ownership program in Punta Cana to the Dominican Republic for the first time, they all say the same thing…the food is amazing and the prices are incredible! We Agree!
It is not uncommon to get a meal here in the Dominican with an insane view, a fancy environment, and four times the service staff you would expect in the States all while spending $25-$30 on a plate you would have spent $50-$100 on in a simple chain steakhouse for mediocre food. Here you can expect amazing food virtually anywhere in Punta Cana and we have a restaurant directory for you to check out. www.Dominican.US.com
When the bill comes you will want to know how to tip because here in the Dominican Republic tipping too little (or none at all) would be classless…but over-tipping can be offensive.
“ITBIS” and “Ley”
When you get the check, you will almost always see “ITBIS”. That is basically the Dominican’s way of making tax revenue happen. People here hardly claim any taxes on their personal incomes and the country doesn’t have the resources to go chase down tax debts even if the average Dominican made more than just a few hundred US dollars per month. This fee is 18% and it is easy to compare to a slightly higher sales tax than what we are accustomed to in the States.
Most of the time (but certainly not always) you will find a line called “Ley”. It is generally a 10% fee and don’t bother trying to translate this into anything that makes sense. The literal translation is “law”, which is somewhat deceptive when you look at your bill for the first time here. If you know even a little bit of Spanish and you see the word “Ley” with a 10% amount of the bill attached to it, it appears to be a tax or some government requirement. It is a forced tip, much like they do on South Beach and in Fort Lauderdale.
If you only see ITBIS as a line item and nothing that says “Ley” (or some other word with a 10% fee), then there has been no tip added. In that case, 10-15% would suffice, 20% if you received amazing service and are feeling generous.
If you do see a line for “Ley”, it would be fine to offer 5-10% additional tip. If you do much more than that, you run the risk of offending others around you (including Dominicans you might be dining with) as this is a major faux paus here. The predominant thinking behind this is that if you over tip, the staff will gravitate towards you and service for others even paying a normal level tip will be diminished. There’s also a cultural concept here that buy over-tipping you are increasing the overall labor costs within and outside of hospitality.
I know it all sounds ridiculous to an American, especially when we see endless news stories about famously generous tippers and how we respect those that serve us. This may seem like disrespect, but its actually not. The intention from all is to create a stable level of growth for the working class here on the island.
Now that you know the acceptable amount to tip...do you tip on the credit card slip or in cash?
We’re sure you know where this is going! Yes, the wait staff would prefer cash tips. This is a fairly universal concept, but here in the Dominican they REALLY want cash tips. Remember that 18% ITBIS? Well anything paid to the employees through the business is assessed a tax out the door. If you tip $5 USD, $1 will go to the Dominican government.
If you want to make your servers happy in the moment, tip in cash. Simply convert RDP (Dominican Pesos) to USD (United States Dollars) and then tip according to the amounts stated in the last section. You will be appreciated in the moment, but we think there is a better way for you and for the Dominican Republic.
It is our position that it is best to tip on the tip line of your bill and to simply add the amount needed to cover the taxes for the server. In other words, if the tip should be $5, make it $6. If you have a business reason for being there (as oftentimes do our partners in the El Grupo Thornberry fractional ownership system), then you have a tax write-off that exceeds the benefit to the employee by more than the extra tip that made up for their tax payment. There is no downside to anyone, there’s a tax benefit to you potentially, and there is more money going to a developing country that is doing an excellent job at adding infrastructure daily that makes this wonderful place even better.
Sometimes you will receive a credit card receipt with no tip line and no signature line. If you ask for one to sign, you will often get one to sign. The reason you were given a slip with no signature line was an attempt to encourage cash tips. Seldom, but it does happen, you will be told that “it was already closed out”. This is nothing but a deception to attempt to force you to find a few greenbacks in your pocket.
Why would a server attempt to force a cash tip in this manner?
If you experience this, you are likely at a restaurant where the proprietor (or his managers) are not very trusted by the staff. The staff likely believes, accurately or not, that tips (or as they call them here “propinas”) are not being shared in full with the employees. They may also feel that more employees are being brought into the tip pool than deserve to be. It’s also possible you met the greediest, most selfish server in the place.
When this happens, I often just go towards the minimum level cash tip and leave it in $1 bills. While you could leave nothing and “teach them a lesson”, perhaps even leading to an improvement in the restaurant and compensation of employees, it would take a lot of people doing so to have that effect. We just leave a minimal tip in that circumstance and don’t make a stink about it. We know the more this country advances, which can’t happen without taxes being paid, the better, but we pick our battles!
In summary…
With 10% Ley: 5-10%, preferably on your credit card.
Without Ley: 10-15%, preferably on your credit card.
No Credit Card Slip: 10% in $1 bills (USD)
Want to OWN your vacation? It's more affordable than you think! As little as $50,000 down, no credit check, and 5% APR!
www.Dominican.US.com
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