Tag Archives: Minimum wage

Establishment Republicans are SOOOOOO Stupid

I can’t start this article without slamming the President too.  With ALLLLL the major problems we have as a country, what does the President want to focus on?  Drumroll, please…Climate change.  UUUUGH!!!  Seriously. I’m almost speechless.  It is days like today where the most exercise I get is rolling my eyes.

I’m going to go out on a limb and say “exercise” was probably the one thing Meatloaf wouldn’t do for love.

In 2010 at a press conference about Obamacare, then-Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi famously uttered the stupidest thing ever said on Capital Hill: “But we have to pass the bill so that you can find out what’s in it.”  Well, apparently we are doing it again, this time with a 1,200 page immigration bill.

Quick review.  Here is what we are proposing:  After the bill passes, Immigration officials must ensure that immigrants, upon entry, have the necessary funds for their personal sustenance and for their dependents (Article 34). We will classify the act of “illegal immigration” as a felony, with possible imprisonment for: a) foreigners who enter the country with fake or falsely signed papers (Article 116); b) up to 10 years for foreigners who are deported and illegally attempt to re-enter (Article 118); c) up to 6 years for foreigners who violate the terms of their visa (Articles 119 – 121); and d) up to 2 years for ANYONE who illegally enters the country (Article 123). We will also add an amendment to the Constitution that specifically forbids non-citizens to demonstrate or to express opinions on domestic politics.

Hey…that doesn’t sound all baaaaa…Wait…OHMIGOSH!!  I’m so sorry.  This isn’t right.  I’m confused.  The above is from MEXICO’S immigration laws and MEXICO’S Constitution.  Boy is my face red.

illegals-burritos

(Ya see what I did here?)

No, no.  We are going the opposite way. After all, we don’t want to be seen as bigots.  (Hey, wouldn’t using the Mexican laws as a model be considered the most “un-bigoted” thing you could do?)  In THIS bill even the CBO (Congressional Budget Office) admits it will: a) lower middle-class wages, b) hurt the poor, c) explode welfare costs, and d) cut illegal immigration by only 25%.

I think that last one is way off.  There will be an explosion of new people.  Because of the “supply and demand” rule, this explosion will only hurt the poor – more.  Why, as an employer, would I give any employee a raise when I have a line out the door of people willing to work for minimum wage?

But wait.  It gets worse than that.  One of the provisions of Obamacare is that all employers who have over 50 employees must provide Health insurance or face a fine of $3,000 per month, per employee.  So the employers have a choice between paying the fine or paying the expensive Health Care.  Hmmm…?  What to do?  OH WAIT…If, as an employer, I get rid of my “citizen” employees and only hire the new “immigrant” employees I won’t have to pay the $3,000 fine OR insurance.  You see, the new “immigrants” aren’t eligible for Federal programs.  That’s a real win/win.  Unless, of course you are a law-abiding citizen.  Then for you, it sucks.

Piglet

The problem is the Republican Party is being hacked to death with a double edged sword.  On one side of the sword, the “Establishment Republicans” have been suckered by the business lobby (who support the cheap labor provided by illegal immigrants) into thinking they will never win a major election again without the Hispanic vote.  I have thoughts on this, but that is another article for another day.  On the other edge of the sword the Democrats (who only want reform so the new, entitlement-receiving immigrants will vote Democrat) paint those opposed to a slave labor class in America as being racist.  It’s a plan brilliantly played by the Democrats.  Big business doesn’t care and Establishment Republicans are too stupid to notice.

Too Stupid to Notice.

“Cheap labor” isn’t cheap.  It is only cheap for the employer.  Why?  Well today, 71 percent of illegal immigrant households, with children, collect government benefits, and 57 percent of all immigrant households receive government benefits, compared to 39 percent of native households.  Now instead of having to pay a little bit more for our strawberries, we all get to support underpaid employees.

I listened to Marco Rubio’s speech about this bill (June 26) and I have to tell you, there is a lot in the bill I agree with.  I really like Marco Rubio.  In this case I just believe he is wrong.  Not that his points aren’t valid.  I agree something needs to be done.  I believe he is putting too much faith in the Democrats.  Democrats lie.  They will do it every single time.   This bill is going to pass the Senate, not pass the House, go into “compromise” (read “Republicans will be suckered into caving – AGAIN”) and come out the other end as amnesty.  Again, the bill is TWELVE HUNDRED PAGES.

Five Pillars

Unquestionably there are good, hard working people who what to come and contribute to this county.  I get that.  I don’t fault anyone in wanting to come to this country.  It’s the best country on earth .  I also get there are those who came here as children and this is the only country they know.  I agree something should be done for them.  But we need to start with a fence.  Good fences make good neighbors.

Instead of building a fence, using E-verify to ensure employees are legal FIRST, we are going to screw everything up.

 

LIFEZILLA:  I’m not cynical.  I’m even worse.  I’m realistic.

The Truth

America

 

Minimum Rage…er…Wage

Minimum Rage…er…Wage

In my last BRILLIANTLY written article I implied that someone may not be worth more than $7.25 an hour.  It may have come across as more ‘Jerky’ than I intended.  Clearly this would NOT be the case.  Let me illustrate.  When I, your humble narrator, was a young lad my older sister would often offer me ten cents a minute to tickle her back ($6/hr).  When I was fourteen years old my first real job was washing pots at a restaurant.  It was thankless, hot and heavy, with greasy steam doing wonders for my zit- and pimple-filled face.  Making the minimum wage of $3.35 was hard to accept when I could make six dollars an hour for tickling.

I worked with a guy who was in his early twenties.  He was loud, obnoxious, crass, often talked-back to the manager and made googlie eyes at the waitresses.  He was an all-a-round jerk.  I idolized him.  I remember one day he and the manager were arguing.  He yelled, “I don’t have to put up with this crap! (He didn’t say “crap.”) I can go anywhere and make $3.50 an hour,” to which my manager said, “Then do it.”  The guy walked out the door, fired.  The manager looked at me and said, “That guy will never be worth more than that.”

There is a lesson there.

I’m not really sure what the lesson is, but I’m sure there is one.

I have a friend who asked me if I had a problem with this “specific increase in minimum wage” or if I had a problem when President Bush raised the minimum wage. To me a stupid idea is a stupid idea.  It doesn’t matter who came up with it, or who signed off on it.

IDIOT

Unlike (I suspect) many in Washington, I’ve read the Constitution.  Am I an expert?  HEAVENS NO.  But I’m willing to learn, so if someone could enlighten me I sincerely will appreciate it. I just don’t remember any article, line or provision which gives authority to a group in Washington to dictate the wage someone in Florida should pay their employee.  But again, I realize I’m not the sharpest bulb in the box so if someone could show me, I’m willing to learn.

Now that I think about it, I know what my biggest issue is.  Why does everything have to be “universal” with liberals?

For guns, a three round clip may be great in New York, but if I’m in the mountains of Montana hunting wolves that keep killing my cattle, three rounds may not work for me.

In the state of Washington the current minimum wage is $9.19/hr.  That’s great for them.  But that may be too much to pay in Nevada, where the employee can choose a lower wage and receive benefits or a higher wage with no benefits.

Fifty-five miles per hour may be a perfect speed in North Carolina.  But if you’ve ever driven between Las Vegas and California you know 55 mph is WAAAAAAY too slow.

Insurance was a mess because of regulation.  So what was the liberal answer to fix the “broken” system?  MORE REGULATION.  And now (…yeah…) it’s universal.  I don’t have enough middle fingers to fully express my feelings on that topic.

Little by little we are transforming from the fifty nifty individual yet United States of America to just “Generica.”  Everything is the same bluh, bluh, bluh.

Indian

Generally speaking, I think liberals are like Maslow’s hammer. “If all you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail.”  Don’t think meat is good for you?  Pass a resolution for Meatless Monday.  Worried that the homeless are getting too much saturated fat in their diet?  Require a permit for anyone feeding the homeless.  Think people are too fat?  Pass a law that 32 ounces is too much soda! (This last link is to a BRILLIANTLY written article – Check it out.)  Just because you see things one way doesn’t mean everyone does.  But instead of embracing the differences, liberals pass laws.

It kinda reminds me of a story.  If I remember right, it is something about there being a big group, a plan was presented, and it was decided that people would be “agents unto themselves.”  They could choose for themselves, good or evil.  One man stood up and said something like, “I don’t like the plan.  I don’t like how we will lose some people.  Give me the power and I’ll force them to be good.  And not one soul will be lost.”  If I remember correctly, a big fight broke out.

It’s almost as if that same battle is still being waged.  Thomas Jefferson said it best when he said, “The issue today is the same as it has been throughout all history, whether man shall be allowed to govern himself or be ruled by a small elite.”

I’m sure the story went something like that.

Hmmmm…?  Well, I’m sure I’ll remember it later.

 

LIFEZILLA:  A day without Diet Coke is like…actually I have no idea what it’s like.

Sequester

History

 

You Didn’t Earn That: Minimum Wage

You Didn’t Earn That: Minimum Wage

 The Misses and I have used “Dish Network” for several years.  We have always been happy with their service.  A week or so ago we were watching a recorded show when the screen froze.  LOOOONG story short we needed a new receiver.  Because I called after hours on a Friday night, the replacement wouldn’t ship until Monday and we wouldn’t receive it until Wednesday.  That’s right, almost a whole week without TV.  BLUH!! It was HORRIBLE.  We actually had to resort to talking to each other like cavemen…er…cavepeople (sorry).  I don’t recommend it to AN-KNEE-ONE.

Because we didn’t have the means, I was unable to watch the President’s State of the Union Address.  This simultaneously both irritated and thrilled me.  I had all kinds of intentions of watching the speech the next day, but didn’t, and I haven’t yet.  All I know is he talked about minimum wage, education and immigration (shocker).  These three things are the trifecta of Democrat dumbassery.   Hold on.  That’s not entirely fair.  They are the trifecta of Republican dumbassery as well, but for completely different reasons.

29 Programs

Democrats only have a few really good cards in their deck.  “Caring” and “For the Children” are their favorites.  The other most used is “Warmongering, racist jerk.”

Republicans, on the other hand, have the challenge to explain complex issues into a sound bite, which they know will never be played on Network Television.  And you can’t explain a complex issue on a bumper-sticker.  So Republicans are pretty much outta luck.

So even though it will bore me to tears, I’m going to TRY to get my thoughts down about these three issues.  I’ll start with Minimum wage.

If you don’t know, the President wants to raise the national minimum wage to $9.00 an hour.

Stupid, stupid, stupid.

I can see the President wanting to do it is for only two reasons.  The first is that it appeals to his base.  He gets to look like a knight in shining armor, swooping in to help the poor (for those who think it all the way through he looks more like an idiot in tinfoil).  The second reason is, it demonizes the Republicans.  They would look like a bunch of heartless meanies for not wanting to help.  If they don’t cave, like they normally do on this issue, the President can sob, saying the Republicans just oppose raising the wage because HE suggested it (see racism).

It’s a win/win for him.

2009 State of the Union

The fact of the matter is most Americans make well above $9.00 an hour.  So the issue is about other people.  It is super easy to get behind it.  “It doesn’t affect ME at all.”  So, as a country, we tune it out, go back to watching “Dancing with the Stars” and don’t think about the logic behind the regulation.  It is easier to bow to the social pressure.  After all, we don’t want to come across as uncaring.  Right?

So if it is a small, small percentage of Americans who make minimum wage, and everyone knows if you work hard you can demand more than minimum wage, is the extra $1.75/hr going to help the country as a whole?

I guess that’s my question.  Why just nine bucks?  It seems almost silly. Sure it’s a 24% increase, but in the real world it’s a buck 75.

Quick hypnotical: what would happen if Republicans demanded a substantial minimum wage?  Why $9.00/hr – which will help a very few – when you could raise it to $50.00/hr which will help a whole ton of people?  Sure, in a few weeks a loaf of bread would go from $3.50 (for a decent loaf) to $25.00, but at least we’ll be spreading the wealth around.  Right?

My guess is the Democrats would backpedal.  They know it would kill the economy quickly.  They prefer to kill it slowly, so they won’t get the blame.

Most employers (all of them) go into business to make money.  The more profit they make, the more goods or services they provide, the more people they hire, etc, etc.  When faced with a payroll hike they have one of four options: 1) Raise the rates to the new minimum, 2) Let employees go, 3) Downsize their jobs (employing them for fewer hours),  or 4) Raise the prices on their goods or services and hope people will still use them.  If you think about it, the forth option is really a hidden tax.

Most employers will do one of the four and then invest in goods to make labor more productive, so they can hire fewer people down the road, or shift their production overseas.  The effect on employment is still there, it just isn’t “in your face.”

It will never happen, but imagine if Republicans grew a pair and ‘upped the ante’- if they demanded a substantial raise.  At least it would force the country to have a grown-up conversation about it.

At the risk of sounding heartless, the sad truth is if an employee is worth more than $7.25 an hour and they are not being paid more, it is up to them to find work somewhere else.  If they can’t find it, they are probably only worth $7.25.  Having the government dictate that the employer pay $9.00 for $7.25 worth of work not only creates high unemployment for teens and unskilled workers, it is also intellectually dishonest.  If someone is having a hard time understanding this, have them explain why we shouldn’t raise the minimum wage to $50 an hour.

 

LIFEZILLA:  Not entirely sure what a “Propriate” is, but apparently I’m sometimes in it.

Free Stuff

U.S. President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama walk through a gate in the Columbia Parc Development to visit newly built homes in New Orleans