Posted on 07/30/2013 5:34:32 AM PDT by Kaslin
This column really is a bad idea. I should have counted to 100, had a drink, hit the treadmill for 45 minutes... something before I sat down and started writing after a segment yesterday on Neil Cavuto’s show. But I didn’t cool down. I headed straight for the computer and clicked twice on the “Word” icon – and here we go. Intemperate thoughts, sure to be considered offensive by some (like I care), are about to come your way.
Our Republic has survived a great deal. We’ve managed to get through a war with states determined to secede from the union (misnamed the “Civil War”). We survived two World Wars and a Cold War. None of those events have threatened this country nearly so much as the combined affect of millions of abysmally ignorant Americans, products of 100 years of a hideous government education and are now walking around with voter registration cards. More Americans can name Kim Kardashian’s new tricycle motor than can name our vice-president. More Americans could write a paragraph on last season’s American Idol competition than could write a single sentence on the IRS campaign against the Tea Parties. If you were offered one penny for every American who makes it a habit to watch Entertainment Tonight or a dollar for every person who reads the front section of their local newspaper, you would be an idiot to go for the newspaper readers. There are simply not enough newspaper readers to pay your next power bill, let alone wisely shepherd our country through perilous times. Bloody wars are easier to survive than idiots with ballots.
The issue on Cavuto yesterday was a few select members of the Dumb Masses protesting in New York City for something they call a “living wage.” Apparently these stupefyingly ignorant protestors thought that McDonalds should be paying burger flippers and French fry cookers $15.00 an hour, whether they’re worth it or not.
Where DO mindless people like this come from? Oh yeah. Government schools. Almost forgot.
Two of the people who showed up on Cavuto yesterday caught my jaundiced eye: a guy standing next to a young woman carrying a baby in some sort of a sling. The young woman was a McDonalds worker and she just wasn’t making enough to “provide” for her family – of two, I presume. The guy standing next to her was (a) apparently one of the organizers of this demonstration, and (b) had met this young woman during repeated – and I do mean repeated – trips to McDonalds for a bag full of Big Macs and fries, plus milk shakes .. probably every day. Maybe twice a day. Dude loved to eat.
As for the organizer --- or “activist” as the media likes to call people like this --- he just spouted on and on about “corporations” and what they owe the pore beleaguered workers. How I would have loved to ask this rocket surgeon to give me a one-sentence definition of a “corporation.” I love watching brainy people vapor lock. But in retrospect, that might not have been a good idea. You don’t want to see a head explode on TV.
Mr. Activist guy had the idea that if McDonalds would just pay these workers $15.00 an hour plus health insurance and all of the other benefits then the world would be a better place and the workers would not have to rely on the government for all of these welfare services and everyone would be better off. Nobody asked him how much a Big Meal would cost if the people preparing that culinary delight were paid $15.00 an hour plus benefits. Right now you can get a Big Meal for about $7.25 The person preparing that meal is probably making minimum wage. Boost the wage by about $6.00 per hour and what is the new cost for a Big Meal? $8.50? $10.00? More? Can all of the McDonald’s customers afford this price increase? Or do they go to other, cheaper fast food restaurants? Can McDonalds maintain their profit margin and employment level with lost sales? If not, how many $15 an hour workers do they lay off? Perhaps they would just close some stores in low-income areas altogether.
How about this question for the organizer: “Hey, sport. Tell me something. What obligation does McDonalds have to pay a worker more than that worker is worth? Are you telling me that an employer should hire someone just to pay them more than the wealth they can produce for the company out of some sense of social obligation? How long do you stay in business doing that?” Organizer dude probably would have come across with some statement about “social responsibility.” Well, guess what? If employers start to determine wages on what the employee wants instead of what that employee produces we will see a lot of boarded businesses and many more unemployed government-educated functionally illiterate Democrat voters. Wait! …… What?
And Ms. Baby-in-a-Sling protestor, you told Cavuto all about McDonalds’ responsibility to pay you your living wage. You made a point of saying that McDonalds should pay you enough to support your family. Fine. Then answer MY question. What about YOUR responsibilities? Did you not understand that you lacked the skills, job history and education necessary to make more than a minimum wage and that; therefore, you might not be in a position to shoulder the cost of an additional member of your household? Or is it your belief that all you have to do is download a child and it automatically becomes someone else’s responsibility to cover the costs? I think a valid case can be made for the proposition that one of the greatest social wrongs a person can commit is to have a baby they simply cannot afford to raise.
Personal accountability and responsibility is dying. Long live the Democrat welfare state.
The bigger tragedy here, of course, is that this Cavuto segment exposed the viewers to the citizen and voter mentality that can lead to someone like Obama in the White House “leading” our nation ….. from behind, of course.
I liken it to the toll roads here. The built them, and their projections for toll-paying riders was not realized. Therefore, they are raising tolls! I used to use the toll roads, but now do not because of the (increasing) expense.
Sounds like a democratic plan to me...
Excellent road map and should be taught in school under the title of “Success In The Business World-101”.
...duh...what was I thinking. That would never be taught in gubment schools...
Isn't the price of the burgers the same in both places? That would determine how much McDonalds can afford to pay. If NY MacBurgers cost more then perhaps the pay could be higher there. But then would anyone buy them?
CAVUTO = Old School
Rachel Jeantel = New School
OBAMA = New School Master
Nor do I. However, a Five Guys recently opened up near me. Having heard the buzz...I decided to try one of their burgers and...what the heck...some fries.
When I entered it was deserted except for one family at a table finishing their meal. I walked up to the counter and started to peruse the menu board.
I almost had a heart attack when I saw that a bacon cheeseburger was $7.49! I was floored. I hadn't been in a place like this for so long, I expected a far less pricey slab of beef on a bun. And that price did not include a single condiment or accessory save for cheese and bacon. You had to pick those yourself. Albeit at no extra charge.
With fries, that meal would have come to over 10 bucks. For that money I could have bought the ground beef and buns and all the other fixins and fed at least 6 people myself!
I walked out after saying, 'no thanks'.
teh deal is supposed to be that you work an entry level job until you have demonstrated reliability, trustworthiness, and compete3nce. you parley that into another, higher paying job, which pays for you to go to school nights to earn your degree. then when you do graduate, you not only have a work history, and a degree, but the work ethic to succeed.
What an excellent tagline you have!
Don’t worry in the future soylent green burgers will be cheap!
Five Guys is good food. A small fry will feed 2 folks, easily. A large will feed 4. The regular burger is two patties, a small burger is a single. They're a bit spendy, but we eat there on average of about once every three months. Left-over 5 Guys fries can be stored in the paper bag in the fridge. Then when you want them, pre-heat the oven to 350, put the fries on a cookie sheet and warm them back up for about 10 minutes. Yum.
Detective -
I don’t mean to take this off topic, and I honestly, truly, and sincerely agree with you regrading the price of the Five Guys Burger as opposed to making six delicious burgers at home for the same amount of price.
All of that being said....
If you ever want to treat yourself to a good burger, try one of them. They are greasy and bad for you and you certainly shouldn’t over-indulge them but once in a blue moon they really, really do hit the spot if you can get around the pain at the wallet.
Personal accountability and responsibility is dying.
Another gift from the democrats for the last fifty years.
They play a co-equal role in the political process: comic distraction from the dictatorship our emperor is imposing.
i worked at McDonalds for minimum wage for a few months during high school... moved on to retail apparel during my college years... always part-time... never did i plan to stay in retail once i finished college... the gals who did work in retail full-time were either single—no kids, working their way to management, or wives of husbands who had full-time careers... or divorcees who were living with their parents until they could get back on their feet...
I ended up getting my first job in the less glamorous world of manufacturing. It paid a whole 40 cents per hour over minimum wage and I was thrilled.
they are good... but i still prefer In-n-Out! recently enjoyed a LottaBurger in Albuquerque... had very good green chili in it...
Sadly, you're not alone. My next door neighbor provides insurance to small businesses (like yours?). Think small offices - one or two engineers, dentists, lawyers, etc, with a short handful of support staff. He calls himself "Their HR department".
I made a wise-guy comment to him - once - about ObamaCare. His response? "You have no idea how bad it's going to be. All of my clients are closing up shop. Either getting rid of their staff and consulting independently, or just retiring. They don't want the hassle."
That was a couple of years ago. Sure enough, he's been right. *Lots* of business vacancies in my small town. It's large enough so that there's some significant demand for these small-business professionals, but small enough so that when a handful of them close up, it's very noticeable.
I doubt that you could explain the economics of the situation to these people. Most people, even educated ones, don't realize that in the restaurant business, margins are razor thin.
However, I have gotten used to doing burgers myself. I use a mix of ground meats. I season the meat with minced garlic, paprika, a dash of cumin and whatever else strikes my fancy. I then make a 1/2 lb. ball and set it on a hot cast iron griddle on the gas grill. When there is a tell-tale ring of oil around the ball, I squash it flat and let it cook for another minute. Flip it and then cook for another 2 minutes.
On a big Kaiser bun with sliced onion, mayo and ketchup I then put on the American cheese on one bun and a slab of bleu cheese on the other. That is my ultimate burger. Big, juicy, tangy and just awesome.
My wife like other variations because she hates bleu cheese. Colby cheddar is a good choice.
Sooo....Five Guys would have to be a dang fine burger. Perhaps I'll get one to go and fancy it all up in my kitchen someday.
LOL! I had the "pleasure" of going to a Red Robin with a vendor the other day. The burger was $10.49. Coke was extra (dunno, probably 2-3 bucks). Fries were free with the burger.
Sez me, the lunch plus a tip just killed a $20 bill.
I can (and often do) grill burgers all the way for my family of four, for 1/2 that. And they taste better, too!
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