Do We Need A New National Minimum Wage?? There are arguments FOR and AGAINST. Most of you have heard the arguments FOR. Fast food restaurants, janitorial workers, migrant workers, etc, etc.. (Aside: Does a sentence ending in an abbreviation need 1 period, or 2; one for the end of the abbreviation, and one to end a sentence. If you know please tell me). I realize these are low paying jobs, with little benefits. BUT: what about the waitresses , for example. In the state I live, these people earn about $2-$3, an hour. The reason for this is the proprietors expect the patrons to pay their help. (TIPS), This is another topic for later. True some waiters/waitresses make big tips. I was speaking to a WAITER, who works in our State Capital, near all the Convention Centers, and Athletic Arenas. This restaurant is well known all across the USA. The wealthier clients entertain there quite often. He told me he and his colleagues earn between $60,000.oo and $70,000.oo, in TIPS a year. But away from there in your average town I have noticed the average tip is about $1.oo per Person. Therefore you can add that to the low wage paid and they are still making less than the average fast food server. In just this instance we have a huge difference in pay. So you raise the Minimum wage for the small town wait people, to lets say $10.oo an hour. That sounds good. Specially to the ones in the big City Fancy Restaurants who are making the $60-70,ooo.oo tips. (by the way the wait people in our area are required by the management to split their TIPS with the BUSBOY, COOK, DISHWASHER, and I have been told the owner of the establishment in some cases. So a minimum wage raise may help some people, and others even more. But how will this affect the Senior Citizen. The same Citizen who financed the bailouts, by not getting Social Security raises for 2 years running. When I calculated the money the government saved more than doubled the amount used for the bailout. My friend who was forced into retirement, and lost not only money in his 401k, but was forced to spend it to pay off bills that would have been paid, had he been able to work the next 6 years as had been planned. (His place of employment closed it’s doors. Although qualified and able he could not get a job. Why? AGE. Not what he was told but the real reason). Making him rely heavily on Social Security for his needs. He showed me his check, after working, and paying into Social Security for 45 years his check, after the government takes out for his MEDICARE. Oh yes they take that out of your Social Security check. Break the remainder down to a40 hour week, then down to per hour. His gross pay is $6.49 an hour. (Which puts him, I believe, below poverty level. This before he pays his Supplemental Insurance, which helps pay what Medicare does not. Plus he has to pay for Eye Care, Dental, and Medicine. This Supplemental Insurance costs him $150.oo a month, and his insurance agent tells him that will go up effective the first of August. He tells me this insurance goes up more each year the small raise he gets. In other words he goes further behind each year. Will he get a raise to even things out in purchasing power. Well not as long as Obama, is in office. So. What is my point you ask. Raising the minimum wage will put more money in some people’s pocket. Business knowing there is more money out there will merely raise their prices, thus negating the raise. It always happens. The government will take in more money, via taxes. People will cheer a Minimum Wage Increase. What they don’t understand is it is merely a sham. They won’t be able to live any better. So What Is The Point? T hat Is How I See It. PS: Sorry if I rambled on and strayed, but I think you get the idea. Views: 120
Tag: Benefits
Obama On A Genocide Mission?
Gen·o·cide [jen-uh-sahyd]: A noun. The deliberate ans systematic extermination of a national, racial, political, or CULTURAL GROUP. Since Mr. Obama has taken office it seems he has pinpointed the elderly as the means to balance his budget. Or should I say slant things to his pet projects. What do you do if you want to spend money you don’t have. You eliminate things you don’t need. Divert that money to what you want. That my friends is just what Mr. Obama has done. First on his agenda was to bail out his buddies in the banking, and manufacturing industries. (Rich helping Rich get Richer). To do this he refused to admit the costs of living rises (Medicinal, Utilities, and yes gasoline) . He even wants to change the formula for figuring these costs, because he says they project a false and higher cost of living than is a true cost of living . Therefore not giving the elderly the raises they deserved, since he has been in office. To subsidize his buddies, the elderly have, by not getting a raise for 2 years. Has amounted to between $45 and $90 trillion dollars. That more than paid the trillions given to the bail out effort. These people have paid into this account for 40 to 50 years. It is not their fault the Government gave that money to other Government agencies. (Which fail to pay it back. let alone pay interest). merely a mismanagement of funds. Some of you will think the amount paid in does not equal the amount paid out….HOWEVER… Let us not forget the INTEREST which this money had been properly invested. How many of the people who have paid in never receive a check, because of death. Or just drop out of the system. How much of this money is being spent on people who never paid in a cent. How about planning our own retirement income. I did this. I invested the maximum I could. Two years later it was all gone. My company shut the doors, Not my fault. Due to EMERGENCIES, and the need to get by until I could find another job, (which has been 3 years now). I have no money. The barter system works fairly good but I still have to do without a lot, So you see that doesn’t help either. So how does this relate to GENOCIDE? By denying the elderly people the money needed to exist on. The poverty level is $10,890 a year. If I were to be on Social Security now I would be getting about $13,800 a year. But as of now I would have about $1392 a year subtracted before I get my check for MEDICARE, Which I have also been paying for all my working life. That takes me to $12,408, a year. Now let us not forget we need a supplement insurance. This cost is around $125 a month (according to friends paying it). This is another $1500 gone. Leaving us with $10,908. This puts you at just $18 above poverty level. Now subtract a conservative average of $600 a month for rent or mortgage. There goes $7200. Let’s see, that takes us to $3708 dollars to pay utilities, and buy food, house or renter insurance, life insurance and let’s not forget MEDICINE, Car insurance if we are lucky enough to have one. But then you would not be able to put gas in it. And let’s not forget we have to pay SALES tax on everything. Including our utilities. It seems that Mr. Obama’s plan is eliminate the elderly as quickly as possible. After all they are a drain on his economy. Genocide or what. I see it as an attempt to eliminate the elderly. That Is How I See It. How many people do we have die of starvation or heat, or just plain a lack of compassion by our leaders. more than between find merely find find Views: 180
The Best Job
Recently I read about a job I would love to have. Reminiscent of , of I believe the character is Milton, from the Movie Office Space. You remember the poor guy who had his cubicle moved several times. A woman working in Virginia as an office assistant, was suspended for “revealing confidential medical information”. Like Milton they overlooked suspending her pay, and like Milton, The checks just kept coming. True $2,600.oo may not seem like a lot to most people. But I know several people who would like to be making $26,000.oo a year. Unlike Milton, this woman has not set foot in her office or done a lick of work for 12 years. It is unknown if she received benefits. But $26,000.oo times 1 years is about $312,000.oo for staying home. It seems the company recently hired a new supervisor. When she went over budget, she discovered the Human Resource Department’s mistake. She then fired the woman. Now the lady is filing got unemployment benefits, and a wrongful termination suit. Is she entitled to unemployment benefits? I would say so. Does she have a a wrongful firing suit. Again I would say yes. Only on the grounds that she hasn’t had any disciplinary action for the last 12 years. Suspension does not mean FIRED. Morally, though, I have misgivings. Would you have questioned getting pay checks while suspended, if it was not stated “Suspended without PAY’? I guess that is why we have a legal system. That Is How I See It. Views: 114
Cop Paid For Viewing Child Porn
Illinois State cop, (now RETIRED), was arrested and convicted of “viewing child porn; while on duty, and using his state issued laptop computer. I know some government employees get in trouble, maybe even fired for viewing personal emails, on the job. Even in the business world, people are fired for using company computers for personal business on company time. They call this THEFT of time. Anyway what we have here is a blatant misuse of taxpayer time and money. WHY did he turn to child pornography while on duty? Because, he said “I was bored.” So he paid $99 a month for a subscription to the porn site. Used STATE owned property while in a STATE owned vehicle, while receiving a STATE wage; to get his jollies looking at innocent little children doing whatever. Of course he was found guilty. This man who we look to as an example, received the following sentence. Sixty (60) days in jail. Thirty (30) months probation. A fine of $2000.oo, and must register as a sex offender for the rest of his life. THIS is CHILD PORNOGRAPHY folks!!!!. not just your usual smut. Do we have a double standard here? I read of one man charged with distributing Child Pornography, received a 40 year sentence. I agree they are not exactly the same, and the distributor should probably receive more time. But is there that much difference? I think he gets to keep his retirement benefits. From what I could gather there was no mention of this. Oh, yes. He is said to be set free in 4 weeks. Time served, and good time, being subtracted from the 60 days. Just another example of how our police state works. Police are not held to the same standards as you or I. However let us not forget. Police are supposed to be respected, and set the example. I’ll bet the good people of Illinois are not so happy to see their tax dollars at work this way. Do you think a non-government official would receive this light a sentence. NO! I don’t. That Is How I See It. know some Views: 493
Wisconsin Vs Unions Legal Vs Moral
Many of us have been watching the unfolding saga pitting GOVERNMENT AGAINST UNION. While the outcome is a loss for Unions/Working People. My question is: Where do you draw the line at LEGAL and Moral Ethics. Some of the people’s representatives left the State as a way of fighting for the rights of workers. Others stayed behind and plotted a sneaky way to push their agenda forward. My questions is who took the more ethical way to fight. We cannot deny the dissenters brought the government’s UNION ASSASSINATION PLOT, to light. Was there any other avenues for them to take. I don’t know of any, but there may have been. We know there was plenty of input from the residents against the passage of this bill. If you haven’t been keeping up on the situation. The Governor and 18 Republicans were acting in the best interest of Big Business. (Few small businesses deal with unions). To get this bit of business passed those 18 Republicans (One Republican dissented); conspired to strip out any item that would force them to have the required quorum of 20 members to pass the bill. Thus allowing them to pass it with only 18 of the 33 total voting members. I’m sure the vote was probably LEGAL. But was it MORALl? Did they show the ETHICS expected by the people of the state. I have always loved the state of WISCONSIN, But if the actions of the Governor and the Republicans, is a reflection of the people’s ETHICS then I am so very glad to not be a WISCONSIN CITIZEN. Where do you draw the line between Moral ethics and legalit? This a Question Wisconsin Voters must ask themselves when they visit the voting booth again. That Is How I See It. Views: 152
Anti-Union State Governments
Wisconsin and Indiana legislators are currently split over a bill which would essentially KILL unions. It would not be the first time for this type of Genocide. History shows the need for unions. Before unions there were no 5 day work weeks, rarely were there any benefits, medical, retirement, vacations, etc. We had child labor. Sweat Shops. Poor working conditions. So many things workers now enjoy. The quality of living was so low and little hope of getting better. Now for 3 views on UNIONS. A friend of mine is very anti union. He blames all the woes in the world on Unions. According to him we would have more jobs, and things would not cost so much. It is the greedy union members who earn too much and drive up costs of the products they make. Everyone would be able to own big houses, new cars, just about everything would be better without Unions. Another friend of mine works in an Union shop, and claims they do nothing for the members. This is true in their place of employment. Unions are only as strong as their membership. In this case the membership is so weak, they never fight for anything. They bargain for a benefits, working conditions, and shop rules. But when the company violates items of the AGREEMENT, the company falls back on “THE RIGHT TO MANAGE”. Example. One item calls for a 3 step procedure before termination. 1. Verbal Warning. 2 Written Warning. 3. Time off without pay. Recently in this down turn in economy. The Company has taken it upon themselves to make this a first time infraction…TERMINATION. How? Right to Manage. The Union just says OK. As you can see although the members pay the dues, the Company really runs the Union. Thank all Unions are not this bad. My view. Unions are very much needed. Without them many jobs would be eliminated. No overtime, vacation, retirement, medical and life insurance, no breaks, and many many other things we would be doing without. You anti-union people don’t realize you benefit from unions also. If the unions did not win these concessions, do you think you would be enjoying the higher wages, and benefits, you have. NO! How many of your children have benefited from the the things unions fought and sacrificed for. Just think how our quality of life rose during unions haydays. The fifties, and sixties. Were great for the people. IBM, known as a great place to work, A friend of mine who worked his way up from a floor laborer, to a Vice Presidential, position explained the reason for IBM’s success as a great work place, was managements recognization of union negotions. He told me they would offer the same benefits, and sometimes a step better to keep there people and not have any breaks due to strikes, etc. Things were going great. Then Reagan, a former Union President, became President of the United Stats. You remember him as the Great Union Breaker. After he broke the air controllers union, Unions began losing strength. I wonder if he would have approved of his own actions if the government had tried to break his union at the time he was prsident of his Union. Then we had Clinton as President of the United States, he was also a Union Breaker, only more deadly. He said. I have a great idea. If you don’t like unions in your company take the jobs to foreign countries. Code name, (NAFTA). What does this do with our legislators not meeting and staying out of their state? When you lack numbers to win a battle you have to look at alternatives. Boycotting has always been a very effective way of combat. Provided you can secure the numbers to be effective. As is see it this is the only weapon these legislators have at their disposal to do what their constituents ask of them. As for the UNION members. Members must also take into the state of the country, it’s economy, and the effects of NAFTA. when they go to the bargaining table. Use some common sense in what they are asking for. Unions are good for America. That Is How I See It. Views: 140
Postage Rates
This is a classic. What do you do if you own a business that is dying. Dying due to competition that is offering the same basic service for a much, much lower cost. Many of us use email to correspond with one another. We pay our bills online. We send our Christmas, Birthday cards, etc. Electronically. To stay in business we would make necessary cutbacks. That means like most business we close our less profitable outlets or manufacturing sites. We lay off people. We cut back on benefits. I don’t like any of these things, but that is what is really happening in the business world. The United States Postal Service is still a needed service, not just so much as it once was. I have not seen any of the aforementioned steps being taken. They are saying they will stop Saturday delivery. But they have not said anything about the employee’s pay being cut for the extra day off. We know that the pay scale for postal employees has always been higher than in the private sector. The Benefits better, the retirement better. Good for the employees. As long as the USPS can afford to pay all this, fine. But looking to the long term. If I own an automobile dealership, and I charge more than other dealers of like vehicles. Where would you go? Pay more at my dealership, or go across the street, and buy the lower priced vehicle. What do I do. The USPS says we’ll charge more and make up the difference. Now they don’t have to have as many customers, to maintain their profit. Meanwhile the guy across the street is selling more units at less cost per unit, but is making a larger bottom line profit, due to his increased volume. They even have unknown cost to customers. How many of you have mailed a birthday card only to find out you had insufficient postage. Why? Because the envelope is 1/16 of inch larger than allowed thus incurring a ‘SPECIAL HANDLING” charge. This means the card didn’t fit through the sorter, and someone had to actually pick it up to put in the bag. So is the answer keep raising prices. Or lower the prices and increase volume. That Is How I See It. Views: 104
