Safeway vs. Walmart or Union vs. Non-union
I recently had a conversation with a cashier at our local Walmart. Ah yes, the store owned by the evil corporation where idealogues used to refuse to shop on principal but flock to now that their stock portfolios have been deflated by 50 %. Yes, that's the one.
Anyway, when I commented how much cheaper certain food items were at Walmart than at Safeway, the cashier scowled at me and told me how much more than Walmart Safeway paid their cashiers and other employees. I replied yes, that's because Safeway's workers were unionized (at least in California they are) and that if Walmart had to pay their employees union scale wages Walmart would go out of business because they would have to raise their prices and no one would shop there. We had a few more comments back and forth, then she said if any union organizers came on to Walmart property Walmart would have them arrested. Instead of saying "Good for Walmart! Aren't they smart!" I left the store.
This is typical employee mentality with a tablespoon of "poor me" and a cup of heartless management thrown in. Why can't people understand that's one reason why companies like GM are filing for bankruptcy? Because of the excessive union wage and benefits packages to which they were forced to commit.
In the San Francisco Bay Area one of the cities has sought to file for bankruptcy due to excessive wage and benefits contracts forced upon them by unionized firefighters. Why can't these employees have a minimal amount of foresight to realize obtaining high wages, pensions and, yes, health care, (oooh, there I've said the "H" word!) through collective bargaining does them no good if the organization for which they work can't make enough profit to support such amenities.
Americans are constantly complaining that jobs are being outsourced to other countries, but we've brought that on ourselves. Because we are a nation of consumers, we want what we want, we want it now, and we want it for the least amount of money possible. Granted it's only human nature to want to earn more money and spend the least amount possible on food, clothing and shelter. I get that, the basic human needs. But come on people! We're taking about iPhones, Wiis and Baby Phat here!
We don't need all this stuff! But we have Madison Avenue telling us we need it to be happy in a constant barrage from the media. So if we want it cheap, we're going to have to go to Walmart to get it. I just wish the boxes had some English on them so I could tell what was inside. But that's another story for another day.
Monday, August 24, 2009
Friday, August 21, 2009
Interesting Items of the Day
Cartoon: Blue Dog Fight http://bit.ly/DiHrD via @AddToAny- Way coooool!4 minutes ago from AddToAny
As Dennis Miller says re alleged "climate change" We're comparing temperatures now with those taken at time when people were using outhouses
AGW Stupidity: Vilsack Blames Trees Dying On Climate Change at http://bit.ly/3qTaEA16 minutes ago from web
Independents realize error of their ways in electng Obama-http://bit.ly/1iMU9about 2 hours ago from web
David Axlerod's former corp to gain millions from Obamacare- http://michellemalkin.com/
Not Just Another Town
Fred Everhart read the mail and felt sick. What would the kids do? Fred, head of the recreation commission, experienced what many American towns and committees felt - loss of funds.
Greenfield, Ohio, population 5000, just another town reliant on the auto industry. Five hundred jobs (70% of the town's industrial employment) would be gone by October 2009. In Willington, the nearest town, DHL Express announced it was pulling out, leaving another 8,000 employees without work. Due to the economic downturn, Greenfield lost fifty percent of the money budgeted to run the city.
The economy didn't factor in people like Fred Everhart. In January, 2009, Fred called a meeting. Twenty-five to thirty angry parents showed up. The anger and frustration prevented productivity. The parents understood their own hardship, but how could a city face the same?Fred, not to be beaten, called a second meeting. Nine people attended - The Gang of Nine. Together, they convinced the town to give them $5,000.00 of the $20,000.00 budgeted for little league baseball.
Greenfield had only one ballpark, which it could no longer afford to maintain. The "Gang of Nine" convinced the city to give the park to them. Fred posted an advertisement in the local paper a few weeks before opening day - Memorial Day - volunteers needed.
On that Saturday morning, Fred arrived at 9 A.M. Only two others waited. They looked out over the field. A small breeze picked up a piece of paper and sent it tumbling over the barren field. The grass was uncut. Holes surrounded the bases, dug into the dirt by last season's players. Water rimmed home plate. Fred looked at his two companions, "Looks like it's just us." He surveyed the field. "Where's the flag?" He frowned, "For that matter, where's the flag pole?""It blew down five years ago." One of his companions said. "They couldn't afford to replace it.""No matter," Fred said, "Let's get to work."
They pulled! their m owers, shovels, and rakes from their trucks and began to work. At 9:30 A.M. another truck pulled into the parking lot. Behind it, trailing dust, were more cars and trucks. They soon had fifty to sixty men, women and children working. The small army mowed the grass, painted dugouts, patched the fields and mended fences.
A local newspaper picked up their efforts and printed a story. The "Gang of Nine's" efforts symbolized the strength of community and was picked up by national media. Fred was overwhelmed with emails, letters, and donations from around the country. They came from Hawaii to Vermont. One lady called from Illinois. She'd lived through the depression and knew what it was like to go without. She didn't want the kids to do the same. A few days later, Fred received a check for $500.00 from her.
Baseballs arrived. Twenty-four dozen came in one delivery from New Orleans. Donations of equipment arrived from individuals and little leagues in Pennsylvania and Illinois. The league was featured on "Good Morning America". They received more equipment from the major baseball leagues, and the Cincinnati Reds invited the entire Greenfield league to see a game at "Great American Ballpark" in Cincinnati. Fred wasn't done. He spoke to members of the "Concerned Veterans of Greenfield". Their bylaws prohibited them donating money, but they donated a flagpole and a flag. Fred spoke to a stone mason, Jay Hardy, owner of Hardy Memorials. Fred wanted to do something in return to the veterans. Jay agreed to donate his work to those who fought then and now. Fred expected a small plaque, but one morning, Jay pulled into the parking lot with a section of marble three feet, by two feet, by two inches. The flagpole and monument where mounted in cement.
The league made concessions: only one new baseball per game; the scoreboard and lights remained dark; and restrooms were locked, replaced with portable toilets. Four hundred and fifty children, ages five through sixteen, ! signed u p to complete forty-seven teams. On opening day, Fred and his gang surveyed the field once again. Fred remembers one thing - sounds. He listened to the laughter of children, the crack of bats against balls, and above it all, the snapping of the flag blowing in the wind.
A call for silence - the national anthem played and the plaque was dedicated to the veterans. "Play ball!" The umpire yelled.
The season was on.On July 3, 2009, the last game was played. The last ball was struck. The last game of the season came to an end. The players, parents, coaches, and umpires left the field. The last breath of wind rolled a hotdog wrapper over the infield. The sun dropped below the horizon. The light of day faded. The stars and stripes gave a final wave in the dying wind. It hung limp against the pole - vigilant - waiting for another season. One could imagine the sound of a bugler playing, signaling the end of the day, the end of a season.
The economy caused problems around the globe, but in Greenfield, it was beaten - Greenfield, not just another town. Michael T. Smith
Fred Everhart read the mail and felt sick. What would the kids do? Fred, head of the recreation commission, experienced what many American towns and committees felt - loss of funds.
Greenfield, Ohio, population 5000, just another town reliant on the auto industry. Five hundred jobs (70% of the town's industrial employment) would be gone by October 2009. In Willington, the nearest town, DHL Express announced it was pulling out, leaving another 8,000 employees without work. Due to the economic downturn, Greenfield lost fifty percent of the money budgeted to run the city.
The economy didn't factor in people like Fred Everhart. In January, 2009, Fred called a meeting. Twenty-five to thirty angry parents showed up. The anger and frustration prevented productivity. The parents understood their own hardship, but how could a city face the same?Fred, not to be beaten, called a second meeting. Nine people attended - The Gang of Nine. Together, they convinced the town to give them $5,000.00 of the $20,000.00 budgeted for little league baseball.
Greenfield had only one ballpark, which it could no longer afford to maintain. The "Gang of Nine" convinced the city to give the park to them. Fred posted an advertisement in the local paper a few weeks before opening day - Memorial Day - volunteers needed.
On that Saturday morning, Fred arrived at 9 A.M. Only two others waited. They looked out over the field. A small breeze picked up a piece of paper and sent it tumbling over the barren field. The grass was uncut. Holes surrounded the bases, dug into the dirt by last season's players. Water rimmed home plate. Fred looked at his two companions, "Looks like it's just us." He surveyed the field. "Where's the flag?" He frowned, "For that matter, where's the flag pole?""It blew down five years ago." One of his companions said. "They couldn't afford to replace it.""No matter," Fred said, "Let's get to work."
They pulled! their m owers, shovels, and rakes from their trucks and began to work. At 9:30 A.M. another truck pulled into the parking lot. Behind it, trailing dust, were more cars and trucks. They soon had fifty to sixty men, women and children working. The small army mowed the grass, painted dugouts, patched the fields and mended fences.
A local newspaper picked up their efforts and printed a story. The "Gang of Nine's" efforts symbolized the strength of community and was picked up by national media. Fred was overwhelmed with emails, letters, and donations from around the country. They came from Hawaii to Vermont. One lady called from Illinois. She'd lived through the depression and knew what it was like to go without. She didn't want the kids to do the same. A few days later, Fred received a check for $500.00 from her.
Baseballs arrived. Twenty-four dozen came in one delivery from New Orleans. Donations of equipment arrived from individuals and little leagues in Pennsylvania and Illinois. The league was featured on "Good Morning America". They received more equipment from the major baseball leagues, and the Cincinnati Reds invited the entire Greenfield league to see a game at "Great American Ballpark" in Cincinnati. Fred wasn't done. He spoke to members of the "Concerned Veterans of Greenfield". Their bylaws prohibited them donating money, but they donated a flagpole and a flag. Fred spoke to a stone mason, Jay Hardy, owner of Hardy Memorials. Fred wanted to do something in return to the veterans. Jay agreed to donate his work to those who fought then and now. Fred expected a small plaque, but one morning, Jay pulled into the parking lot with a section of marble three feet, by two feet, by two inches. The flagpole and monument where mounted in cement.
The league made concessions: only one new baseball per game; the scoreboard and lights remained dark; and restrooms were locked, replaced with portable toilets. Four hundred and fifty children, ages five through sixteen, ! signed u p to complete forty-seven teams. On opening day, Fred and his gang surveyed the field once again. Fred remembers one thing - sounds. He listened to the laughter of children, the crack of bats against balls, and above it all, the snapping of the flag blowing in the wind.
A call for silence - the national anthem played and the plaque was dedicated to the veterans. "Play ball!" The umpire yelled.
The season was on.On July 3, 2009, the last game was played. The last ball was struck. The last game of the season came to an end. The players, parents, coaches, and umpires left the field. The last breath of wind rolled a hotdog wrapper over the infield. The sun dropped below the horizon. The light of day faded. The stars and stripes gave a final wave in the dying wind. It hung limp against the pole - vigilant - waiting for another season. One could imagine the sound of a bugler playing, signaling the end of the day, the end of a season.
The economy caused problems around the globe, but in Greenfield, it was beaten - Greenfield, not just another town. Michael T. Smith
Monday, August 17, 2009
White House Email on Health Care Reform
Today I received the White House email forwarded to me by my Uncle George. Yes, the one the Whiter House is sending out to convince people that we want Obama’s health care reforms. I don't believe alot of this propaganda that the White House is sending out about the health care reforms. These things they are discussing in their email may be in the bill - however- they don't discuss the other things that are in there, such as the public option- that include fines for employers who don't provide health care insurance for their employees.
Employers don't provide it because they can't afford it! I know as a small business woman. So if you are forced to provide it or pay extra taxes, employers will of course choose the cheaper public option to provide the government plan to their employees. That's how they intend to get us all eventually onto the government plan so we can have Socialized Medicine.
You must realize that this will lead to a huge government bureaucracy that will develop to implement and grow the government plan. Let's all think about a government agency like the DMV running our medical care system. That's appealing.
Just look at Medicare. The bureaucracy that runs the Medicare system is fraught with fraud they cannot control, whereby the government pays out millions in false claims. The people who really need it are so overwhelmed with paperwork I have personally met people who have had to hire an outside company just to process their claims & do their paperwork. There are also many situations where coverage is denied and patients have to hire an attorney to force Medicare to pay for their treatment.
Why on earth would anyone want to create a bigger more inefficient government agency to run a health care system that would be a bigger more complicated version of Medicare? Another mismanaged federal government agency that is also running out of money?
And that doesn't address the lies the White House & Obama are telling about this plan not costing the government any more money & not increasing the deficit. That's an out and out lie. His own Government Accounting Office has said so. There's no way he can pay for this without raising taxes. Oh yes, I forgot, the employers are going to pay for it. Is that before or after they go out of business? You can't get blood from a turnip.
There are other reforms that could be done, such as, allowing insurance companies to sell insurance across state lines. That would engender competition and by the workings of a free market would lower prices. That's what this country is based on- free enterprise. That's why this country is the greatest country on earth and why we have become so prosperous.
Obama is a Socialist who believes in a redistribution of the wealth. He has said so many times. This is an obvious first step to making our country into a Socialist society like those in Europe. That's why people are so outraged about this health care plan. Perhaps alot of people who elected Obama want that. But many people don't.
You know this is Obama’s first step towards that goal of redistributing the wealth. That’s another goal of his he has stated many times. We all know “redistributing the wealth” means some people work hard and make money, then the government takes it and gives it to people who don’t work.
All you have to do is look at California to see what will happen to the country if these health care reforms are forced on us. It will go bankrupt in the face of the Democrats' feeble thinly veiled attempt to get the poor to reelect them. But there just aren't enough taxpayers to support all those people who are using our government resources such as, free health care. Again, just look at California. That’s what will happen to our country if this government health care system is put in place.
How can you think that Obama & the Democrats don't intend to make this into government run health care system? That's what he said he wanted to do in his campaign! That's what many in Congress have said they wanted for years. So to say that's not their intention is just another lie.
Employers don't provide it because they can't afford it! I know as a small business woman. So if you are forced to provide it or pay extra taxes, employers will of course choose the cheaper public option to provide the government plan to their employees. That's how they intend to get us all eventually onto the government plan so we can have Socialized Medicine.
You must realize that this will lead to a huge government bureaucracy that will develop to implement and grow the government plan. Let's all think about a government agency like the DMV running our medical care system. That's appealing.
Just look at Medicare. The bureaucracy that runs the Medicare system is fraught with fraud they cannot control, whereby the government pays out millions in false claims. The people who really need it are so overwhelmed with paperwork I have personally met people who have had to hire an outside company just to process their claims & do their paperwork. There are also many situations where coverage is denied and patients have to hire an attorney to force Medicare to pay for their treatment.
Why on earth would anyone want to create a bigger more inefficient government agency to run a health care system that would be a bigger more complicated version of Medicare? Another mismanaged federal government agency that is also running out of money?
And that doesn't address the lies the White House & Obama are telling about this plan not costing the government any more money & not increasing the deficit. That's an out and out lie. His own Government Accounting Office has said so. There's no way he can pay for this without raising taxes. Oh yes, I forgot, the employers are going to pay for it. Is that before or after they go out of business? You can't get blood from a turnip.
There are other reforms that could be done, such as, allowing insurance companies to sell insurance across state lines. That would engender competition and by the workings of a free market would lower prices. That's what this country is based on- free enterprise. That's why this country is the greatest country on earth and why we have become so prosperous.
Obama is a Socialist who believes in a redistribution of the wealth. He has said so many times. This is an obvious first step to making our country into a Socialist society like those in Europe. That's why people are so outraged about this health care plan. Perhaps alot of people who elected Obama want that. But many people don't.
You know this is Obama’s first step towards that goal of redistributing the wealth. That’s another goal of his he has stated many times. We all know “redistributing the wealth” means some people work hard and make money, then the government takes it and gives it to people who don’t work.
All you have to do is look at California to see what will happen to the country if these health care reforms are forced on us. It will go bankrupt in the face of the Democrats' feeble thinly veiled attempt to get the poor to reelect them. But there just aren't enough taxpayers to support all those people who are using our government resources such as, free health care. Again, just look at California. That’s what will happen to our country if this government health care system is put in place.
How can you think that Obama & the Democrats don't intend to make this into government run health care system? That's what he said he wanted to do in his campaign! That's what many in Congress have said they wanted for years. So to say that's not their intention is just another lie.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
