I think this guy says it all. He really tore into the FOX News anchor too. I like this Mayor Virg Bernero!
To keep him in perspective here, he's not a friend of either the Republicans OR Obama AND he's made some good points about the mess we're in now, whether you like the auto industry or not.
Standing up for the working man
Moderators: Tunnelcat, Jeff250
\"tore him a new one\" ... ?????
c'mon, give me a break. this guy is clearly gunning for higher office in the people's republic of michigan, speechifying indignantly instead of actually even attempting to provide a coherent answer to any of the questions that were given to him.
truly yawn inspiring.
c'mon, give me a break. this guy is clearly gunning for higher office in the people's republic of michigan, speechifying indignantly instead of actually even attempting to provide a coherent answer to any of the questions that were given to him.
truly yawn inspiring.
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Tunnelcat
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He's actually the ONLY person I've heard that has articulated what the real problem in the U.S. right now. Loss of jobs overseas, NOT the mortgage mess that everyone keeps harping about. Part of this mortgage mess is the product of these job losses. When people lose their jobs, they usually default on their mortgages because they can't find a new job at the same pay level because THERE AREN'T ANY ANYMORE! You go and try to pay a mortgage now on a Macjob salary and I dare you to find a decent rental rate either.
Now granted, the mortgage pyramid scheme in this country depended on house prices rising 20 to 30% every year to make some of these adjustable mortgages work out, so people were expecting this to keep up. Of course, all pyramid schemes eventually collapse and the banks fueled it by lending to people that couldn't afford it. But there are untold stories of people that had good paying jobs and thought that they could afford their homes on their salaries until their company decided they could find cheaper slave labor in third-world countries and consequently laid them off. Our high unemployment rate attests to that.
Now I don't think the Obama mortgage bailout is a good idea either. I have 2 examples right next to me. One is the idiocy of 2 doctors who decided that they wanted bigger or better homes and that they could build new ones right down the street from their old homes and sell the old one for a profit. Well, both of them are going to get burned when they try to sell their homes this spring because it ain't going to happen very fast and they're going to be stuck with 2 loans in the meantime. The other example is a slumlord of notoriety here that buys run down homes for cash and rents them out without fixing anything (Grendel will know who I'm talking about). The houses he rents are dives that he doesn't maintain and this guy has had multiple houses foreclosed on him recently. He lives in a large nice house himself, so he has the money. To both of these examples, TOO EFFING BAD! I certainly don't want any bailout money going to either of these people.
The shipping of jobs overseas is tantamount to being a traitor to the U.S. in my mind. It used to be that most corporations would look at how much of their product was being bought in the U.S., one third of their total production for example, and they would make sure that one third of their global labor force was employed in the U.S. to match. Packard, of HP fame, used to think that way. After he left the company, we all know how HP promptly began moving almost ALL of their production to China. Well, the people in China are NOT the ones buying the products of these corporations, WE in the U.S. are, well used to! So if we don't have any jobs that pay well, we can't buy your products now, can we!
By the way, that FOX talking head that was griping about union health retirement benefits may not be receiving those himself, but you can bet he's being paid a exorbitant salary that is more than enough to fund his Reagan-inspired 401K for his retirement and have more than enough buffer to pay for any cushy health insurance he needs in his future. He won't need to depend on Medicare.
Now granted, the mortgage pyramid scheme in this country depended on house prices rising 20 to 30% every year to make some of these adjustable mortgages work out, so people were expecting this to keep up. Of course, all pyramid schemes eventually collapse and the banks fueled it by lending to people that couldn't afford it. But there are untold stories of people that had good paying jobs and thought that they could afford their homes on their salaries until their company decided they could find cheaper slave labor in third-world countries and consequently laid them off. Our high unemployment rate attests to that.
Now I don't think the Obama mortgage bailout is a good idea either. I have 2 examples right next to me. One is the idiocy of 2 doctors who decided that they wanted bigger or better homes and that they could build new ones right down the street from their old homes and sell the old one for a profit. Well, both of them are going to get burned when they try to sell their homes this spring because it ain't going to happen very fast and they're going to be stuck with 2 loans in the meantime. The other example is a slumlord of notoriety here that buys run down homes for cash and rents them out without fixing anything (Grendel will know who I'm talking about). The houses he rents are dives that he doesn't maintain and this guy has had multiple houses foreclosed on him recently. He lives in a large nice house himself, so he has the money. To both of these examples, TOO EFFING BAD! I certainly don't want any bailout money going to either of these people.
The shipping of jobs overseas is tantamount to being a traitor to the U.S. in my mind. It used to be that most corporations would look at how much of their product was being bought in the U.S., one third of their total production for example, and they would make sure that one third of their global labor force was employed in the U.S. to match. Packard, of HP fame, used to think that way. After he left the company, we all know how HP promptly began moving almost ALL of their production to China. Well, the people in China are NOT the ones buying the products of these corporations, WE in the U.S. are, well used to! So if we don't have any jobs that pay well, we can't buy your products now, can we!
By the way, that FOX talking head that was griping about union health retirement benefits may not be receiving those himself, but you can bet he's being paid a exorbitant salary that is more than enough to fund his Reagan-inspired 401K for his retirement and have more than enough buffer to pay for any cushy health insurance he needs in his future. He won't need to depend on Medicare.
“Now granted, the mortgage pyramid scheme in this country depended on house prices rising 20 to 30% every year to make some of these adjustable mortgages work out, so people were expecting this to keep up.”
tc, I don’t understand how the rising price of a property somehow lets you keep up with the mortgage.
Please explain.
And the biggest problem in this country concerning business is…this notion that businesses are in existence to provide some sort of social program, the business of business is profit. People need to realize this and stop being brainwashed, business is always going to to what it takes to make a buck.
I challenge any liberal here, to go out and start a business, and create “good paying jobs” in the current environment…go ahead…I dare ya, if it was so easy…everyone would do it…right?
This is one of my major pet peeves, people complaining about “good” jobs, but never do anything about it. Well get up in the morning, put on your hat & coat…and go out and make some jobs for people…damn it!
I here the people im my neigbhorhood always complaining…there are no jobs, and I think to myself, what they mean is…make me some jobs white boy. Why should I? You complain all day, never get the work done, talk on the cell all day, come in late every day, miss two days a week, steal me blind, then try to rob me on the way home…etc
People have to be stupid in this country to want to be in business, me included! We should all just get nice government cushy produce no GNP jobs.
tc, I don’t understand how the rising price of a property somehow lets you keep up with the mortgage.
Please explain.
And the biggest problem in this country concerning business is…this notion that businesses are in existence to provide some sort of social program, the business of business is profit. People need to realize this and stop being brainwashed, business is always going to to what it takes to make a buck.
I challenge any liberal here, to go out and start a business, and create “good paying jobs” in the current environment…go ahead…I dare ya, if it was so easy…everyone would do it…right?
This is one of my major pet peeves, people complaining about “good” jobs, but never do anything about it. Well get up in the morning, put on your hat & coat…and go out and make some jobs for people…damn it!
I here the people im my neigbhorhood always complaining…there are no jobs, and I think to myself, what they mean is…make me some jobs white boy. Why should I? You complain all day, never get the work done, talk on the cell all day, come in late every day, miss two days a week, steal me blind, then try to rob me on the way home…etc
People have to be stupid in this country to want to be in business, me included! We should all just get nice government cushy produce no GNP jobs.
I've got your word for today, tunnelcat.
It is - Incentive.
You go on and on in this thread and others, when you're making the case for incentives without seeming to realize it. OMG, taking the jobs overseas - it's immoral, it's unfair, it's unAmerican, etc etc. So from your perspective, we need to bring down the heavy hand of government on business to make them keep the jobs here. Even if it costs them more money.
Have you ever watched Gordon Ramsey's \"Kitchen Nightmares\" on BBC America? Every episode, a restaurateur calls Ramsey in to turn around his/her failing restaurant business. Because no matter how much money you start with, if you don't make a profit (or break even), then your losing money. Most people don't have an infinite amount of starting capital, so if you're losing money month after month, you eventually have to either turn the business around or just get the hell out. So Ramsey comes in, evaluates all aspects of the business, from concept to food to staff and to management. Anywhere there are failures, it just has to change, or the restaurant just has no reasonable chance for success. The customers can always just take their business elsewhere.
As Spidey said, business is not a charity enterprise; businesses exist to provide a product or service that people are willing to pay for. Businesses provide employment in order to acheive that goal, of providing that product or service. To function and grow, they need to be able to make a profit. What's happened over the last several decades is that the world has gotten much smaller, in the business sense. Communications and transportation have all gotten faster and more efficient. Businesses will have to adapt or die.
Government tried to intervene in the large state-run economies, but this all collapsed as a dismal failure. The remaining market ecomies are now trying to wrestle with the implications of globalization, and their governments are trying to impose various degrees of control on how these markets operate. Not enough control, and perhaps the economic engine speeds up too much and threatens to run off the rails. Too much control, and the economic engine slows, stops, goes in reverse, or otherwise breaks down.
How about if instead of the government concentrating on trying exert control, that they work to provide incentives that encourage businesses to be successful. That reward businesses for successful risk-taking. That encourage the hiring of local workers. This is not a call for deregulation, this is a call for smart regulation; something I'm not at all sure the Congress is capable of doing, especially in the current hysterical environment.
It is - Incentive.
You go on and on in this thread and others, when you're making the case for incentives without seeming to realize it. OMG, taking the jobs overseas - it's immoral, it's unfair, it's unAmerican, etc etc. So from your perspective, we need to bring down the heavy hand of government on business to make them keep the jobs here. Even if it costs them more money.
Have you ever watched Gordon Ramsey's \"Kitchen Nightmares\" on BBC America? Every episode, a restaurateur calls Ramsey in to turn around his/her failing restaurant business. Because no matter how much money you start with, if you don't make a profit (or break even), then your losing money. Most people don't have an infinite amount of starting capital, so if you're losing money month after month, you eventually have to either turn the business around or just get the hell out. So Ramsey comes in, evaluates all aspects of the business, from concept to food to staff and to management. Anywhere there are failures, it just has to change, or the restaurant just has no reasonable chance for success. The customers can always just take their business elsewhere.
As Spidey said, business is not a charity enterprise; businesses exist to provide a product or service that people are willing to pay for. Businesses provide employment in order to acheive that goal, of providing that product or service. To function and grow, they need to be able to make a profit. What's happened over the last several decades is that the world has gotten much smaller, in the business sense. Communications and transportation have all gotten faster and more efficient. Businesses will have to adapt or die.
Government tried to intervene in the large state-run economies, but this all collapsed as a dismal failure. The remaining market ecomies are now trying to wrestle with the implications of globalization, and their governments are trying to impose various degrees of control on how these markets operate. Not enough control, and perhaps the economic engine speeds up too much and threatens to run off the rails. Too much control, and the economic engine slows, stops, goes in reverse, or otherwise breaks down.
How about if instead of the government concentrating on trying exert control, that they work to provide incentives that encourage businesses to be successful. That reward businesses for successful risk-taking. That encourage the hiring of local workers. This is not a call for deregulation, this is a call for smart regulation; something I'm not at all sure the Congress is capable of doing, especially in the current hysterical environment.
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Will Robinson
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CUDA
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Re:
Cmon Spidey you've obviously not been watching the news. the Liberals just did this, and it only cost us $787 billionSpidey wrote:Well get up in the morning, put on your hat & coat…and go out and make some jobs for people…damn it!
“To announce that there must be no criticism of the President, or that we are to stand by the President, right or wrong, is not only unpatriotic and servile, but is morally treasonable to the American public.”
― Theodore Roosevelt
― Theodore Roosevelt
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Tunnelcat
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Re:
Have you ever heard of the term 'flipping a house'? That's what a lot of people were doing to make a tidy profit and keep one step ahead of rising mortgage costs. Hell, there was even a TV program about it. For those people, TOUGH S**T!Spidey wrote:“Now granted, the mortgage pyramid scheme in this country depended on house prices rising 20 to 30% every year to make some of these adjustable mortgages work out, so people were expecting this to keep up.”
tc, I don’t understand how the rising price of a property somehow lets you keep up with the mortgage.
Please explain.
So in order for all of us to survive, maybe we should all go back to an agrarian society and live off the land. Hmmmmmmmmm. We have too many people in the U.S. and other developed countries for that to even be possible, so most people in a modern urban setting have to um, WORK!!!!!!! to survive and make enough money to support and feed a family. That's the only way to support a large concentrated population, unless you're up for a little culling here and there and going back to the land.Spidey wrote:And the biggest problem in this country concerning business is…this notion that businesses are in existence to provide some sort of social program, the business of business is profit. People need to realize this and stop being brainwashed, business is always going to to what it takes to make a buck.
I'll agree with you on small business. Here in Oregon, we have one of the highest business tax rates in the country and it shows in our unemployment figures and lack of small businesses. But we also have very high property and income taxes now, so what has to give? I do like my public services like police, fire, schools and a well maintained infrastructure. Oh wait! Now we are cutting back on those too. Where's the money going I ask and the dipwad Dems in charge here have no answer except to impose more sin taxes on alcohol and cigarettes, to pay for children's health care no less.Spidey wrote:I challenge any liberal here, to go out and start a business, and create “good paying jobs” in the current environment…go ahead…I dare ya, if it was so easy…everyone would do it…right?
Well, dammit, the large major corporations ought to quit sending manufacturing jobs overseas. They are even outsourcing engineering jobs to build and manage the manufacturing, good paying jobs! Another trend is the hiring of undocumented workers by our 'small businesses' in order to pay smaller wages and zippo bennies. Those two doctors building nice new shiny homes in my neighborhood hired local builders. But those local builder's subs are using workers that are most certainly Mexican. I can tell by the SPANISH they jabber in constantly. These jobs used to be good paying skilled contractor jobs, but no more. You can bet these doctors are paying top dollar for their homes, so why can't they cough up a little more for American workers? This trend falls squarely on BOTH Republicans and Democrats.Spidey wrote:This is one of my major pet peeves, people complaining about “good” jobs, but never do anything about it. Well get up in the morning, put on your hat & coat…and go out and make some jobs for people…damn it!
You know, I've actually thought about that one. I have a bachelor of science degree and Oregon State hires occasionally. I won't be able to afford health insurance soon, so maybe I'll go work for the state to get those cushy health benefits. Oh, but I'm getting older and my health kind of sucks right now, so they likely wouldn't hire me anyway. Besides, all the states are probably going to have to cut out all those cushy bennies that state employees get (I wish, to open people's eyes on health care costs), then people will realize how effed we really are! Ditto with the federal employees too, especially Congressmen!Spidey wrote:...People have to be stupid in this country to want to be in business, me included! We should all just get nice government cushy produce no GNP jobs.
Don't get me wrong, I'm for free enterprise and the large corporations need to pay a fair tax share to help maintain a stable society (customer base) here in the U.S. But Wall Street needs to have and play by the rules like any fair game requires. Wall Street without rules really did well, didn't it? Anarchy and greed! And no one's answered my question. To all those people griping about what the Dems are putting forth, what would the Repubs be be doing differently now if they were still in office, other than what they were already putting forth in the last eight years? THEY HAD EIGHT YEARS! Judging by the results we now have, what they were doing back then didn't work, did it?
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SilverFJ
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If you really want a ranching job and think you can handle it I'll god-damn PAY for your ticket up heretunnelcat wrote:So in order for all of us to survive, maybe we should all go back to an agrarian society and live off the land. Hmmmmmmmmm. We have too many people in the U.S. and other developed countries for that to even be possible, so most people in a modern urban setting have to um, WORK!!!!!!! to survive and make enough money to support and feed a family. That's the only way to support a large concentrated population, unless you're up for a little culling here and there and going back to the land.
. It's completely possible for anyone who has "no work" to work, they just have to relocate. We live in a world of pickiness and laziness.-
Sergeant Thorne
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I think that's absolutely right! I had that same thought when I heard on the radio a couple of days ago that a certain area in Florida was in trouble because there were no jobs for the people there. Also it was painfully obvious that the reporter was operating on a severe dearth of real information about the situation--they were just trying to paint it like a result of the recent economic crisis, and saying they needed a government hand-out. Some of the worst nonsense I've heard yet.SilverFJ wrote:It's completely possible for anyone who has "no work" to work, they just have to relocate. We live in a world of pickiness and laziness.
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Foil
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So the secret to finding a job is \"just move, you're sure to find something\"?
It's really that easy, huh?
Come on, it's difficult for even well-employed people to move. Being willing to do so certainly helps (I can attest to that, myself), but it's nowhere near a guarantee, especially now.
I'm sorry; implying that every person who can't find work is just \"too lazy to move\" just isn't anywhere near true. If you don't believe me, go down to your local employment office, and talk to the people there about why they aren't working.
Sure, some of them might fit your stereotype of 'lazy welfare folk', but I can guarantee you'll find a number of others who are perfectly willing to work, but can't for various legitimate reasons.
It's really that easy, huh?
Come on, it's difficult for even well-employed people to move. Being willing to do so certainly helps (I can attest to that, myself), but it's nowhere near a guarantee, especially now.
I'm sorry; implying that every person who can't find work is just \"too lazy to move\" just isn't anywhere near true. If you don't believe me, go down to your local employment office, and talk to the people there about why they aren't working.
Sure, some of them might fit your stereotype of 'lazy welfare folk', but I can guarantee you'll find a number of others who are perfectly willing to work, but can't for various legitimate reasons.
Re:
While you raise a valid point, but like FJ's comment, it's not 100%Foil wrote:So the secret to finding a job is "just move, you're sure to find something"?
It's really that easy, huh?
Come on, it's difficult for even well-employed people to move. Being willing to do so certainly helps (I can attest to that, myself), but it's nowhere near a guarantee, especially now.
I'm sorry; implying that every person who can't find work is just "too lazy to move" just isn't anywhere near true. If you don't believe me, go down to your local employment office, and talk to the people there about why they aren't working.
Sure, some of them might fit your stereotype of 'lazy welfare folk', but I can guarantee you'll find a number of others who are perfectly willing to work, but can't for various legitimate reasons.
It's about priorities. while it would be impractical and difficult to move for most folks, it can be done. Moving "out West" was more than inconvenient. In fact, as you well know, it was often deadly. So, if you REALLY want work, sure you can move. But for a minimum wage job? Not very practical.
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SilverFJ
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No, it's not easy at all. And I can tell you cuz when I was 17 I had to hitch out of my little town with a sleeping bag and a backpack and a guitar looking for better work. My ranch jobs pay but now they only hold me over till I go back up to Alaska where I can make real money and not be a slave to the boss.foil wrote:So the secret to finding a job is "just move, you're sure to find something"?
It's really that easy, huh?
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Sergeant Thorne
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As I read history, when many people were down to nothing, and they couldn't get anything, they found something. It's not easy, it's survival.
I've been to an employment office. My general opinion of them is that they're for people who, for whatever reason, are unwilling to go out and find their own work. At the end of my first shift under a Sergeant Hartman type (which may say something about these good, hard-working folks the employment office usually sends him), I was sent back to the employment office to get back in line (more than likely because the work was mostly done--we had outperformed their usual shift). While I was there I worked with a couple of the \"temps\", and they were asking me to milk the work so that we'd had some to do the next day... I said I couldn't do that, and resumed at a much faster pace than either of them. I went and got a regular job after that. And actually my only reason for going to the employment office was that I was sent there by the company when I stopped in looking for work.
My dad's work uses \"temps\" (people from an employment office), and he says that almost all of them are lazy and don't want to work (for $11/hr!).
Everyone's looking to justify themselves... everyone's got a sob story.
Maybe our economic crisis adds a new difficulty, and it would be ridiculous to make an absolute, blanket statement about people I don't know, but I can tell you the norm that I've been exposed to, and I know human nature. If I needed a job, and there was nothing locally, should I sit around and rot on welfare until one springs out of nowhere, or should I find one? I'm confident I could find one, and it's because I always look out for the good of the company that employs me. They're giving me a job, so I give them absolutely 100%, and my experience has been that it puts me in a very small margin.
I've been to an employment office. My general opinion of them is that they're for people who, for whatever reason, are unwilling to go out and find their own work. At the end of my first shift under a Sergeant Hartman type (which may say something about these good, hard-working folks the employment office usually sends him), I was sent back to the employment office to get back in line (more than likely because the work was mostly done--we had outperformed their usual shift). While I was there I worked with a couple of the \"temps\", and they were asking me to milk the work so that we'd had some to do the next day... I said I couldn't do that, and resumed at a much faster pace than either of them. I went and got a regular job after that. And actually my only reason for going to the employment office was that I was sent there by the company when I stopped in looking for work.
My dad's work uses \"temps\" (people from an employment office), and he says that almost all of them are lazy and don't want to work (for $11/hr!).
Everyone's looking to justify themselves... everyone's got a sob story.
Maybe our economic crisis adds a new difficulty, and it would be ridiculous to make an absolute, blanket statement about people I don't know, but I can tell you the norm that I've been exposed to, and I know human nature. If I needed a job, and there was nothing locally, should I sit around and rot on welfare until one springs out of nowhere, or should I find one? I'm confident I could find one, and it's because I always look out for the good of the company that employs me. They're giving me a job, so I give them absolutely 100%, and my experience has been that it puts me in a very small margin.
Re:
I've used "temps" and they worked harder than the employs, they were out to prove something. That's just my experience though.Sergeant Thorne wrote:
My dad's work uses "temps" (people from an employment office), and he says that almost all of them are lazy and don't want to work (for $11/hr!).
It's never good to wake up in the shrubs naked, you either got way too drunk, or your azz is a werewolf.
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Foil
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Re:
Let's just say I've learned not to repeat the mistake I used to make, assuming people didn't really mean exactly what they said.Spidey wrote:Lol Foil, do you ever “not” take what people say to the ultimate extreme?
Maybe I react too quickly to broad-brush comments; but then again maybe it's a good thing. For example, as a father, teaching my son to be accurate in what he says.
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Interesting topic about 'temp' employees. Both my wife and I have worked temp jobs, a couple of which led to permanent positions.
From my personal experience, it would be a mistake to say temps are generally hard workers or generally lazy. It's really a mixed bag; I've worked alongside both.
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Tunnelcat
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Re:
Um, move WHERE! CHINA, INDIA or PAKISTAN! That's where MOST of our good paying manufacturing jobs have gone. We don't produce almost ANYTHING en mass in the U.S. anymore.SilverFJ wrote:]If you really want a ranching job and think you can handle it I'll god-damn PAY for your ticket up here
My husband used to work for Hewlett Packard. He managed the instrument work group. When Packard left the company, the big outsourcing to China was beginning. First about half of the manufacturing lines went over to China, half were left in the U.S. and Europe. But the low labor costs proved too alluring to the Wall Street profit driven HP, so eventually, almost ALL manufacturing went to China, even those that were in Europe. You can no longer buy a laptop computer from HP that is NOT made in China. Same for the test instrument group, their original product line.
To make matters worse, now that the manufacturing lines were in China, it was becoming a problem of too far of a distance for the R@D (research and Development) departments to be from their manufacturing sections. They are solving that AND saving money by training Chinese engineers, both hardware and software, in U.S. Universities, PhD level schooling no less and paying them Chinese wages when they return to their country. A Chinese engineer makes about $150 a month. The same U.S. engineer makes around $5000 a month, plus health and retirement benefits. Do the math, even after the added expense of paying for the Chinese engineer's college degree. There is just no way to compete with China and keep our wages and standard of living.
Sure, we can all up and move when we have to change jobs, but it's expensive to move if you've accumulated a lot of possessions and selling your home (if you have one) is downright impossible to do right now. Moving companies charge by the pound, so you have to either sell some of it, probably at a loss, or pay the freight. And you can bet that whatever new job you've found elsewhere probably doesn't pay as much as you used to make because most of our U.S. jobs are now lower paying SERVICE Macjobs. How secure is that Macjob going to be in the long run AFTER you've gone to the expense of moving? Will you still have it after all that hassle? Probably not.
Look at Europe. They no longer have any manufacturing to speak of, it's mostly lower paying service jobs most of which have been filled by imported labor, 'guest workers', that are more willing to work for far less wages. They're worse off than the U.S. is. The same is happening here in the U.S. with Mexican immigrants. Where they used to take only the low paying farm worker jobs, they are now moving into more skilled construction jobs, taking those better paying jobs that used to be filled by skilled tradesman. One place where job growth is increasing dramatically is in the health care field. But how long before THAT mess collapses.
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Tunnelcat
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I'm NOT white collar SilverFJ. I worked hard as a automotive/marine mechanic and tramped all over the U.S. as a geologist for years, so I know all about moving around and getting my hands dirty. I even know how to ride a horse and care for it! But I'm older now, my health and the health of my husband has really gotten bad, so we settled down in one place and retired early.
We've accumulated a lot of stuff over the years, most of it we use, especially tools. Those are very heavy and thusly make up the bulk of our possession weight, along with furniture, when moving. Those tools may be my ticket to a new job somewhere else, IF I could afford to get my health back decent again, but along with our furniture, costs a fortune to move. We're not all Gypsies in America. We're like most Americans that have settled down in one place. Maybe pig bankers, CEO's and Wall Street types can afford to pay for it, but I no longer can.
Thanks to our for profit health care system, rampant greed running Wall Street and an ineffective, corrupt and bought by corporate lobbyist government, I'm slowly going bankrupt. To BOTH political parties, GO EFF YOURSELVES, you've destroyed our country and sold it to CHINA for profit!
We've accumulated a lot of stuff over the years, most of it we use, especially tools. Those are very heavy and thusly make up the bulk of our possession weight, along with furniture, when moving. Those tools may be my ticket to a new job somewhere else, IF I could afford to get my health back decent again, but along with our furniture, costs a fortune to move. We're not all Gypsies in America. We're like most Americans that have settled down in one place. Maybe pig bankers, CEO's and Wall Street types can afford to pay for it, but I no longer can.
Thanks to our for profit health care system, rampant greed running Wall Street and an ineffective, corrupt and bought by corporate lobbyist government, I'm slowly going bankrupt. To BOTH political parties, GO EFF YOURSELVES, you've destroyed our country and sold it to CHINA for profit!
I think both sides have a point.
In defense of the reporter: Over-powered unions (which I'd say the auto unions qualify as) force businesses into over committing themselves in terms of pay & benefits, making it much harder to be profitable. The auto workers get pay rates, and packages, that are way above and beyond the norm even here in the U.S. IMO, they largely have themselves to blame for auto related jobs moving offshore.
In defense of the Mayor: It's my opinion that boards of trustees over value their CEO's & other officers these days, and give them completely unreasonable paychecks and bonuses. The thing I'd point to is this: the average gap between the lowest payed and the highest payed employee in the average company has exploded. I'd say that this is a result of the \"corporate greed\" sort of thing.
So, what's the answer?
The unions need to give up some ground, and realize that they're not going to keep jobs stateside (or in the union areas, as opposed to the non-union areas) by complaining and trying to get the government further involved, they are going to do it by making it more profitable for the company to have them make the stuff. I don't agree with the mayor that this will produce a \"race to the bottom\"- because there are a lot of costs associated with bringing products in from overseas...
The management needs to realize that the best interest for the future (I'm talking about their kids and grandkids) is to keep production stateside, and be willing to forego the quick buck in the interest of improving the standard of living for the future generations.
But, we're a greedy bunch, so I doubt it will happen... we'll all be sucking every ounce of wealth that we can out of the sinking ship all the way down.
In defense of the reporter: Over-powered unions (which I'd say the auto unions qualify as) force businesses into over committing themselves in terms of pay & benefits, making it much harder to be profitable. The auto workers get pay rates, and packages, that are way above and beyond the norm even here in the U.S. IMO, they largely have themselves to blame for auto related jobs moving offshore.
In defense of the Mayor: It's my opinion that boards of trustees over value their CEO's & other officers these days, and give them completely unreasonable paychecks and bonuses. The thing I'd point to is this: the average gap between the lowest payed and the highest payed employee in the average company has exploded. I'd say that this is a result of the \"corporate greed\" sort of thing.
So, what's the answer?
The unions need to give up some ground, and realize that they're not going to keep jobs stateside (or in the union areas, as opposed to the non-union areas) by complaining and trying to get the government further involved, they are going to do it by making it more profitable for the company to have them make the stuff. I don't agree with the mayor that this will produce a \"race to the bottom\"- because there are a lot of costs associated with bringing products in from overseas...
The management needs to realize that the best interest for the future (I'm talking about their kids and grandkids) is to keep production stateside, and be willing to forego the quick buck in the interest of improving the standard of living for the future generations.
But, we're a greedy bunch, so I doubt it will happen... we'll all be sucking every ounce of wealth that we can out of the sinking ship all the way down.