Posted on 01/12/2007 9:26:42 AM PST by EternalVigilance
COEUR D'ALENE, Idaho (AP) - Angered by the passage of a bill to increase the federal minimum wage, Idaho Congressman Bill Sali offered a symbolic proposal to abolish the law of gravity.
Getting rid of the pesky force that attracts objects to one another would lower obesity rates, the freshman Republican argues.
Sali says he was trying to make a point that laws to dictate wages and reduce gravity would both defy - quote- "natural laws."
The House voted 315-116 to raise the federal minimum wage to $7.25 an hour. Sali responded with his "Obesity Reduction and Health Promotion Act."
Sali says "Obviously, it was a facetious notion to suspend the laws of gravity."
Sali voted against the increase in the minimum wage, saying it's not tied to how much someone's work is worth.
I imagine when this minimum wage increase goes through this type of automation will become the rule rather than the exception.
Exactly, the minimum wage kills jobs!
COSINE SECANT TANGENT SINE
3.14159!!
I worked for a call center here in Lubbock that handled orders of dominoes pizza in Arizona and California. By us handling the phones and orders they needed 1-2 less employees. I expect contracts will start pouring into Lubbock from Dominoes and elsewhere once this baby is fully enacted.
But raising the min wage does not do this. What it will cause, is for the market to respond naturally, laying off people that they cannot afford, and/or raising the cost of their goods and services to account for it that just get passed on to...well, all of us, but are most burdensome on the very people you are talking about.
The answer is the free market and to allow people to hire people and pay them what their work is worth and then for those entry level workers to gravitate up in the work place...which is what does happen. Very few people, outside of high school kids, stay on the min wage for long. Nor should they be encouraged to do so by artificially raising it.
Retailers in Alberta pioneered the "self checkout" because the oil boom there has made if virtually impossible to retain workers in the service sector. Minimum wage is unchanged but employers are afraid to so much as give their workers a dirty look for fear of losing them, in spite of higher wages and even signing bonuses.
IOW boom times do far more to "protect" workers than labour laws ever could.
I think somewhere in Oregon, McDonalds was experimenting with a drive through call center. The drive through intercom would actually go to a call center, the order would be placed into a computer, and the order would show up on that restaurant's order screen in the kitchen.
Minimum wage is a job killer!!
People cant expect to get a double cheeseburger for a buck when there labor costs are increased by 40%!
I have rarely met a truly stupid person in my life but you sure would think the nation was full of morons if you look at what we and our reps. vote for!
I couldn't agree more.
Several years ago, I heard David Horowitz speak at a Republican workshop. He said he was there "to teach Republicans bad manners." I stood up, applauding and cheering, as did . . . oh, about 10 other people in a crowd of 300. My tablemates visibly tried to distance themselves from me for the rest of the speech.
In the past two decades, since coming over from the dark side, I've noticed that life-long Conservatives are polite to a fault. They have a very hard time speaking ill of democrats -- it goes against their basic good nature. Democrats know this, and have abused it shamelessly.
We're starting to see more and more former dark siders step up to the plate. People who want nothing more than to crush the democrats beneath their heels, burn down the social plantation programs, and sow salt into that land so it can never produce another stupid, dependency supporting idea.
Pardon the rant. I'll go take out the rest of my aggression on the laundry.
Ever been to a Taco Bell?
They don't prepare any of the raw ingredients. Everything comes bagged pre-cut and the meats are pre-cooked and only need to be warmed.
Nothing that happens behind the counter are beyond the capabilities of a properly designed automated system - call it a robot if you like. Right now, its just a question of economics.
At some point, the minimum wage will be high enough to justify the cost of a fully automated fast-food joint, and everyone behind the counter will be out of a job - and permanently because the cost of that type of machine will have to be spread out over years into the future for a store operator. IMHO, its only a matter of time. As soon as that happens, it will cascade through the industry as quickly as the products of the various companies are compatible. Some McDonalds already have robotic drink-filling machines in the drive-through window.
You Sines have always been like that, when will this sectarian conflict end?!?
Yeah. Liberals lack a humor gene.
It's not as odd a question as you might think; there is a moral ground gained by being the minority party, first, you have less to risk, and second, you don't have to take the blame.
Don't you hate it when you get a name in high school that you can't shake?
I like that concept. It will prevent future Jesse Jackson wannabes from spitting in my Coke.
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