Homeless Enterprisers Join Bailout Line
WASHINGTON (Disassociated Press) November 19, 2008 – The line forms on the right on Capitol Hill these days, as automobile manufacturers, state and municipal governments, and assorted other entities join financial institutions in the bailout request pool before Congress. Joining the line, apparently, will be two of the more unique captains of industry in recent memory.
"As times get tough for everyone, they're getting tougher on the homeless," explained Ted Minton. "When the homeless collect less and less cash pan handling, there's less and less money for us coming in royalties."
"Also, we're seeing a lot of defaults on royalty payments from cash the homeless are actually collecting," added Bob Salmons, Minton's homeless partner.
The two entrepreneurs began to amass their fortune, along with making headlines, in the spring of 2004, when they trademarked the phrases "spare some change" and "clean your windows," two common solicitations used by homeless when panhandling (see Homeless Following Trump's Lead, The Disassociated Press, March 28, 2004) and began to collect royalties from people using those utterances in their panhandling endeavors. Since that time, the two have built significant financial estates.
The two of them also established a thriving business in paraphernalia (see Enterprising Homeless Seize Opportunity on Senatorial Shortfall, The Disassociated Press, June 29, 2006), creating the popular "Stars and Stripes" rolling paper for marijuana cigarettes. "The way things are now, potheads aren't buying paper to roll joints; they're just using toilet paper from a public bathroom," stated Minton.
In early 2007, Minton agreed to an undisclosed sum from Viacom, Inc., for trademark infringement (see Homeless Sues Southpark Over Trademark Infringement, The Disassociated Press, January 22, 2007).
"We're just looking for some bridge money so we can re-structure our business operations, and get through these tough economic times, like everybody else,” concluded Salmons.
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