Ms. Rajagopalan (Newsday)makes numerous unsupportable statements about deportation. By her statistics, almost a third of those slated for deportation are aggravated level 1 felons. The attempted qualification is always a red flag and makes her statistic a joke. Kidnapping and several categories of murder, manslaughter and rape are level 2 felonies – but they don’t count. Neither does she mention how many of the committed crimes and just didn’t get caught. That is, caught for crimes other than entering the country illegally. Even by her slanted definition, it is scary that she considers that “only” 1/3 of these people are violent felons. There are few circumstances where that group statistic would be considered as desirable.
She ends by promoting an effort to determine why so many illegal immigrants have remained here on a near permanent basis. How about because they get lots of stuff that is free to them but costs others lots of money?
Monday, June 27, 2011
The Luddite
With what may be the stupidest statement on the economy and jobs creation that was ever made, the First Dope is now pinning unemployment on automation.
This is from an interview on NBC:
“There are some structural issues with our economy where a lot of businesses have learned to become much more efficient with a lot fewer workers,” the president said this week. “You see it when you go to a bank and you use an ATM. You don’t go to a bank teller. Or you go to the airport and you’re using a kiosk instead of checking at the gate. So all these things have created changes in the economy.”
The number of tellers, in fact, rose to an all-time high of 607,960 in 2007 from 493,000 at the start of the decade, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The recession and a wave of bank failures eliminated 52,000 teller jobs over the past three years. So there are still more now that there were.
The Dope is correct that there has been a structural change. There are now fewer people who know how to shoe a horse and there has been a mass reduction in number of phone operators who did things like putting Sheriff Taylor’s call through to Aunt Bea. But wonder how many people employed at companies – like say Honeywell – would have jobs without automation.
But now he has a jobs plan: Hope to move backwards and Change to a pre-industrial society. Won’t be as popular as his last slogan but then neither is he.
This is from an interview on NBC:
“There are some structural issues with our economy where a lot of businesses have learned to become much more efficient with a lot fewer workers,” the president said this week. “You see it when you go to a bank and you use an ATM. You don’t go to a bank teller. Or you go to the airport and you’re using a kiosk instead of checking at the gate. So all these things have created changes in the economy.”
The number of tellers, in fact, rose to an all-time high of 607,960 in 2007 from 493,000 at the start of the decade, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The recession and a wave of bank failures eliminated 52,000 teller jobs over the past three years. So there are still more now that there were.
The Dope is correct that there has been a structural change. There are now fewer people who know how to shoe a horse and there has been a mass reduction in number of phone operators who did things like putting Sheriff Taylor’s call through to Aunt Bea. But wonder how many people employed at companies – like say Honeywell – would have jobs without automation.
But now he has a jobs plan: Hope to move backwards and Change to a pre-industrial society. Won’t be as popular as his last slogan but then neither is he.
Discrimination
Popular mythology teaches us that a corporation will do whatever is necessary to make a profit and that they practice various forms of discrimination against women and minorities. Somehow, it is better for the bottom line to not get the best salesman, manager or whatever and it is also better to pay the one who is less qualified more money only because it is a guy. We are expected to believe that the evil geniuses that run these corporations attempt to maximize their profits by paying second rate employees more money. The argument just does not make any sense but it is good for the trial lawyers.
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
The Trust Fund
The act2 article that states that “as a legal matter” Social Security Trust Fund is in a surplus position is absolutely true. The qualifier – as a legal matter – is the red flag that says “SPIN”.
For over 40 years Social Security taxes have been used to buy US Government Securities. The government issues securities and the Government spends the money. Now the Trust Fund holds $2.5 trillion dollars (2009) in IOUs from the US Government and those 40 years of cash tax receipts are long gone.
You put $100 in an envelope every week for 40 years as your retirement plan. Every week you take out the cash, put an IOU to yourself for $100 in the envelope and spend the cash. At the end of 40 years, how much money did you save? You are also in debt for 8 to 10 times your annual income and borrowing about 40% of your current expenses. But you do have the IOUs which you really, really intended to pay back.
With our borrowings/debt at the current levels, the Trust Fund can realistically be valued at 60% of its face. The Social Security system is in desperate need of corrective changes now but until there is a clear description of what is or is not in the Trust Funds, no progress is possible.
For over 40 years Social Security taxes have been used to buy US Government Securities. The government issues securities and the Government spends the money. Now the Trust Fund holds $2.5 trillion dollars (2009) in IOUs from the US Government and those 40 years of cash tax receipts are long gone.
You put $100 in an envelope every week for 40 years as your retirement plan. Every week you take out the cash, put an IOU to yourself for $100 in the envelope and spend the cash. At the end of 40 years, how much money did you save? You are also in debt for 8 to 10 times your annual income and borrowing about 40% of your current expenses. But you do have the IOUs which you really, really intended to pay back.
With our borrowings/debt at the current levels, the Trust Fund can realistically be valued at 60% of its face. The Social Security system is in desperate need of corrective changes now but until there is a clear description of what is or is not in the Trust Funds, no progress is possible.
Saturday, June 11, 2011
Weiner roast
Don't understand. Weinie lied but not under oath; Weinie didn't - as far as we know - actual physically violate any of these woman and none of these women - so far - worked for him. And the majority is calling for him to resign. But there was a guy who did lie under oath and who did physically violate a subordinate in the most vile way possible on public property. Those of us who wanted him gone were criticized because we were invading his private life. Strange, so why the difference? It seems Weinie's problem is either a.) that the office he disgraced is not high enough or b.) anti-Semitism. Which one do you Clinton defenders who are after Weinie pick?
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
Weiner
For days everywhere from the steps of the Capitol to CCN’s Weiner vehemently denied sending out the pictures; blaming unnamed hackers and even slandering the messenger with the help of the media. Democratic flaks (Begala, etc.) came out of the woodwork to say there was no big deal in sight. (At least they got that right.)
The AP has now even found a covey of people in Weiner’s district who will vote for him after he lied. They will do so because he has been a good Congressman for them and they believe that although he has admitted lying and panicking under pressure, he has now un-lied, probably. Their only known behavioral standard for disqualifying a politician from serving seems to be being a Republican.
But politically, it makes no difference. Democratic response to their miscellaneous scandals is that these are private circumstances and the candidates have a right to their private lives. True enough.
The issue here is not the actions of people in the private lives. The issue is the judgment - or lack of it - that they exercise. If you want to send out pictures of yourself that are in bad taste, that is your business. However, it cannot be considered good judgment. We all giving our representative our proxy and count on their good judgment just as we have an expectation of honesty. Honesty is another failing of many but we should not confuse differences of opinion with lies. Weiner lied on the steps of the Capitol, in CNNs’s TV studio and took every other opportunity available to blame unknown hackers and pranksters, call it a joke and slander the reporter who broke the story. With every statement he made, he knew with absolute certitude that he was lying.
His press conference to un-lie admits to mistakes and admits to panic under pressure. Great just what you want in a high pressure job - a guy who panics. Fortunately for him, the Democratic party is a party of forgiveness. The party has allowed people to serve and forgiven: Klan membership, driving off a bridge and killing a campaign aide, tax evasion, your partner running a prostitution ring out of your apartment, favorable loans, lies under oath, and just regular non-felonious lies.
So let the Democrats do what they want. It is only to be hoped that the American public will see that some standards of judgment, honest and grace under pressure are appropriate. If that is not the majority there is no hope anyway.
The AP has now even found a covey of people in Weiner’s district who will vote for him after he lied. They will do so because he has been a good Congressman for them and they believe that although he has admitted lying and panicking under pressure, he has now un-lied, probably. Their only known behavioral standard for disqualifying a politician from serving seems to be being a Republican.
But politically, it makes no difference. Democratic response to their miscellaneous scandals is that these are private circumstances and the candidates have a right to their private lives. True enough.
The issue here is not the actions of people in the private lives. The issue is the judgment - or lack of it - that they exercise. If you want to send out pictures of yourself that are in bad taste, that is your business. However, it cannot be considered good judgment. We all giving our representative our proxy and count on their good judgment just as we have an expectation of honesty. Honesty is another failing of many but we should not confuse differences of opinion with lies. Weiner lied on the steps of the Capitol, in CNNs’s TV studio and took every other opportunity available to blame unknown hackers and pranksters, call it a joke and slander the reporter who broke the story. With every statement he made, he knew with absolute certitude that he was lying.
His press conference to un-lie admits to mistakes and admits to panic under pressure. Great just what you want in a high pressure job - a guy who panics. Fortunately for him, the Democratic party is a party of forgiveness. The party has allowed people to serve and forgiven: Klan membership, driving off a bridge and killing a campaign aide, tax evasion, your partner running a prostitution ring out of your apartment, favorable loans, lies under oath, and just regular non-felonious lies.
So let the Democrats do what they want. It is only to be hoped that the American public will see that some standards of judgment, honest and grace under pressure are appropriate. If that is not the majority there is no hope anyway.
Teens and Jobs
Summer jobs for teens are difficult to find; so are full time positions. No surprise there. What is a surprise is that the article on the reasons for the difficulty never mentions the mandated minimum wage. The fact is that most teen employment is not absolutely necessary to any business. A business owner’s decision is to hire some kids to help out with the lower end of the tasks involved or not spend the money. It is a financial decision that is made more difficult in this economy. But the decision cannot be made based upon what it is worth to the owner but the owner has to pay the wage the government says must be paid with the result that fewer kids get hired. Less than 3% of employees make the minimum wage. The biggest beneficiaries are the unions who have wage increase based upon the minimum rate. Time to dump this feel good idea.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
