Posted on 02/18/2004 5:12:57 AM PST by beaureguard
Jobs .. and the economy. Those seem to be the issues that are driving many, if not most, of those who are supporting the Kerry candidacy.
First of all ... I'm going to repeat this simply because it makes the whiners so unbelievably angry. Listen up. They're not your jobs! The jobs belong to the employers .. not to you! You have job skills and, presumably, a willingness to work. Your task in a free economy is to get out there and find some employer with a job who needs your skills ... and strike a deal.
If you do not have the particular set of job skills that an employer needs, of if you have priced your labor out of the marketplace, guess what? It's not the employer's fault. The fault lies with you. Either develop a new set of job skills that are actually in demand, or adjust your pricing. The employer knows what he's looking for you. If you're not it .. it's your problem, not his.
Now ... you say you're going to vote for a Democrat this year because of jobs? You mean to tell me that you're going to vote against George Bush this year because you don't have a set of job skills that are in demand in our free marketplace? Yeah .. that makes a lot of sense, doesn't it?
Tell me. Just what do you want the president to do? You information technology people out there .. just what are you demanding? Do you want companies to stop outsourcing IT jobs to India? OK ... tell me how to do that. These companies aren't shipping parts overseas and completed products back. All they do is ship information overseas by phone lines or the Internet. Then that information is modified and shipped back the same way. What do you want the government .. the president to do? Do you want some federal law that prohibits companies from transmitting information overseas by the Internet, having that information transformed or modified, and then shipped back? And tell me just how do you enforce that law? Does that law then apply to you also if you seek information from a company that is located overseas, thus depriving a domestic company of your business?
Ditto for manufacturing. I've already told you the story about the California company that makes computer mouses. (computer mice?) This company ships the components to China. The mouse is assembled in China and shipped back, then sold for around $40. Why? Because the assembly is cheaper in China than it would be in the US. So, you say you want the president to force this company to have that mouse assembled in the US? Fine .. then the price for the mouse goes up to about $70 a pop and sales drop. As the sales drop the jobs of the people in this country who manufacture the components for that mouse go away. Then the 100 marketing jobs this company supports in California also go away. You see, perhaps you can succeed in forcing this company to assemble these mouses in the US, but there just isn't any way you can force the American consumer to pay 80% more for the "made in America" version.
As Bruce Bartlett says in an article listed in my reading assignments, "No nation has ever gotten rich by forcing its citizens to pay more for domestic goods and services that could have been procured more cheaply abroad."
What we are seeing here is a demonstration of the "government owes me" mentality of far too many Americans. Every time you arrive at a speed bump in your life's journey you start screaming to the government for help. Sure, the speed bump is going to slow you down a bit ... but just keep moving forward and things inevitably pick up speed again. Americans are becoming helpless whiners. The more helpless you are, and the more you whine, the more likely it is you're going to vote for a Democrat. Democrats specialize in stroking the malcontent.
Congratulations, whiners. At a time when America if fighting World War IV, the war against Islamic terrorism ... you're going to vote for a candidate who wants to treat terrorism as a freaking law enforcement problem because you've made some pitiful jobs choices. Pitiful.
This would not be so bad. I think that the numbers which you have meant are 500 times and 40 times. This would be 49,900% and 3,900% respectively.
as for Agriculture those are the jobs Americans 'will not do so the illegals will have those jobs' that will leave us with public service sector jobs...
Well my friend, that is undoubtedly true on the national level--I am talking specifically about Chicago/Cook County Illinois and RAT brains. Not only is business leaving the area because of taxes, little old ladies are being taxed out of their homes because of huge property reassessments. Things have gotten so bad that a handful of Democrats have even started fighting against the ballooning budgets. Unfortunately, they have been defeated.
The Chicago City Council and the Cook County Board are totally dominated by Democrats whom are elected year after year by people who are naive enough to believe that the Party of the People is looking out for their best interests. When are they going to get it??
Richie is a hoot. Now that his "hired truck scandal" is on the front page, he is suddenly very concerned about the tax problem in the city/county! I think I may barf! BUT, how much you wanna bet, that the true RAT believers re-elect Ritchie and all of the other thieves?? Either the voters are very stupid or there is more election fraud in Cook County than we ever imagined.
Hey, what're you anyway. ...some kinda troublemaker? {g}
MOI-- a troublemaker?--you betcha!! If I weren't too old and too tired, I would initiate the revolution that Thomas Jefferson advocated those many years ago! Will quit ranting now before I pop that aneurysm--ha!
I’ll fill in your blank for you, Dan! Please let me fill in your blank! (Why am I envisioning silly Candy Vanetta, who used to be the one in class who frantically waved her hand in the air when she knew the answer, fearful that the teacher would call on someone else this time, and she would miss yet another chance to shine? (Candy loved to shine ... and she and I avoided each other like the plague).
If you promise me you won’t lump me into the same category with Candy, I’ll fill in your blank for you, Dan. (If you insist on pairing me with her, then delete the next forty-three paragraphs, unread – and go to sleep tonight knowing that you’ve dealt my fragile ego a potentially deadly blow :).
This President is attempting to appease moreso than he is attempting to stand on principle. I do not believe he is unaware that having the federal government steal from one segment of society in order to provide prescription drugs for another segment is unconstitutional. I also don’t believe that he is unaware that granting amnesty to lawbreakers, simply because of their gargantuan numbers and the level of commitment it would take to send them back from where they came, is unconstitutional. I do not believe that he is unaware that passing laws which will allow the removal of liberties from law abiding citizens, should federal authorities deem that our homeland is under a security threat, is unconstitutional. Nor do I believe that he is unaware that the overwhelming majority of atrocious bills that he has failed to veto are unconstitutional.
Our President simply believes that the socialist train is moving too fast for him to step in front of. So he’s attempting to slow it down by feeding it less fuel than his predecessors. What he doesn’t seem to comprehend is that this particular train has its eye on a point of no return. And, when it reaches that destination, it won’t need fuel anymore. It will become self-sustaining. And there will be nothing any of us can do to stop it.
There is going to come a time when so many of our freedoms have been removed that we begin to wonder what the word choice once meant; when we are answerable to government for so many things over which we ourselves used to have control; when it no longer pays to work hard because those who don’t work hard live just as well as those who do; when the term ‘American’ no longer has a definitive meaning because our borders are so open, our language and culture so bastardized, and our historical roots so deeply buried, that we no longer know who we are.
It’s time to stop fueling the train.
BTW, here’s an ‘aside’ for you, to illustrate, in a small, specific way, the state of at least a portion of our urban society today (and then, once I’m finished with my record-breaking vent, I’m going out for a long, long run :) ...
I substitute taught today (middle school physics and math) in a city school district. In one of the classes (a remedial type of math), I had to collect money from the students for a field trip they will be going on later this month. I placed the collected money in my desk drawer in a large manilla envelope. To make a long story short, when I went to tally the money half an hour later, the envelope was gone (in part, my fault for not locking the desk when I had to leave the room briefly during my free period).
Because of the time span involved, I deduced that the person who took the money had to be a member of the last remedial math class I had taught. I went to the office and found out where that class was now. Fortunately, they were all still together in an English class. So I walked into the class and gave a note to the teacher, telling her not to let that class go to lunch when the bell rang – that I would be down there to talk with them.
At the end of that class, I walked in and said, ‘I had an envelope containing almost three hundred dollars in my desk in your math classroom an hour ago. One of you already knows that. That envelope is now gone from the desk, and one of you has to have taken it. I have a pretty good idea who it is [even though I didn’t]. I am going to leave this room now, and I will be back in five minutes. If the envelope is not on this desk in the front of this room at the end of those five minutes, I will be calling the police and pressing charges. And stealing three hundred dollars is a felony.’
I left the room, walked down the hall, and returned five minutes later. The envelope was on the desk. So I dismissed the class for lunch.
I spoke to the principal about the matter after school, and asked whether he believes the matter should be pressed further in order to discover who took the money (everyone in the class obviously knows, since they all saw him/her place the envelope on the desk) and punish him/her, not legally, but through some sort of punitive school action. He said that he would just let the matter go now, since the money was returned.
I can’t help but wonder how many more things this child has stolen, and will steal, that won’t be returned. I don’t agree with the principal, and, were I a fulltime teacher in that school, instead of a lowly substitute, I would press the matter further with the administration.
It’s running time ... :)
~ joanie
I have an acquaintance that claims he's disabled (although I've seen him lift some heavy objects and work pretty hard at other jobs) and collects a check from the government. He tells me; 'Oh the government allows me to earn up to $800 a month working, bla bla bla.'
I ask 'em how the heck does he expects to raise his family (two daughters and wife) and pay his mortgage, monthly bills, food, gas etc., on only the $400 he gets from the gov and the lousy $600 per month his makes doing odd jobs?
He used to work as a mechanic (over 15 years experience) on motorcycles and was pulling down some good coin, until his accident.
"I ended up starting my own business from my garage."
Thats what I said he should do. Set up a small shop in his back yard (he still has all his tools and such). I work as a mechanic on both boats and automobiles and I told 'em I can get him a lot of work on bikes. Instead he refuses on the grounds that he'll loose his diability check. The disability check may have helped him in the beginning but, now its just keeping him down and he refuses to see that. "None are as blind as those who refuse to see"
"My wife and i will be just fine without govt. help."
I applaud you.
Yea well, *image* is everything they say.
~eh??
In this day & age of form without devoid of substance I'm sure the whiney ploy's sucked up by the dolts lock, stock & barrel.
"The Chicago City Council and the Cook County Board are totally dominated by Democrats whom are elected year after year by people who are naive enough to believe that the Party of the People is looking out for their best interests. When are they going to get it??"
Pleeeeazzee oh brainy one, when are you going to stop asking such silly questions, huh.
As if in anticipation one day the pure white light of stuidity's going to enlighten the morons responsible for "The Chicago City Council and the Cook County Board are totally dominated by Democrats whom are elected year after year by people who are naive enough to believe that the Party of the People is looking out for their best interests" is imminant?
Geshhhh.
The constituents of this (&/or any other area) who continually permit themselves to be living *hosts* to a pack of lying, thieving bloodsucker parasites *deserve* every single kick in the ass they get *and* a lowered blood level.
Most normal people are instantly repulsed by the mere thought their blood was being sucked from 'em by some kind of a parasite; yet, think nothing of the modern day American politician doing much, much worse?
They *deserve* each other.
All a sane person can do is leave that lot, to themselves & whatever the cost, flee.
"Richie is a hoot."
Richie's a lot of things, & *pig* has to be near the top.
No laughing matter, y'know.
Actually quite embarrassing to anyone living in, around or within 100 miles of that city.
"Now that his 'hired truck scandal' is on the front page..."
HA!!!
Of *what*?
The Sun Slimes?
Because surely the Tribune's looking the other way, tired from having *investigated* the punky drunken sot former Pubbie Gov who ran some penny ante scheme bilking nickels & dimes at IDOT? :o)
"...he is suddenly very concerned about the tax problem in the city/county! I think I may barf!"
Hmmmmmm, wonder what would The Bent1 do in this instance???
GOT IT!!
Announce to -- the nation -- the Windy City of Chicago's going to soon join their kindred spirit city of San Francisco & begin performing *gay* marriages!!!
~eh?
(~The equivalent of bombing an aspirin factory, only on a national level...)
Yup, it's only "right" & "For *The* people"; which, we all know [read: been conditioned] has been the hallmark of the 'Rat Party from the very beginning at all levels of government. :o)
"BUT, how much you wanna bet, that the true RAT believers re-elect Ritchie and all of the other thieves??"
Whaaaaaat, that's a sucker's bet of which I want no part.
~Ain't that right, Mud.
"Either the voters are very stupid or there is more election fraud in Cook County than we ever imagined."
Or *just* maybe?
...both. ;^)
At any rate. We used to haul a lot of freight outta their main plant in Webster NY. The dock workers (union) were making an unbelievable salary. Around $30 per hour to load freight unto the trailers. The shipping area was mostly automated. They'd punch in some numbers on the computer and then the automated rack system would bring the machines down from wherever they were and than the dock worker would shrink rap them (via another machine) and then via forklift put them into the trailer.
One extremely cold winter we were up there (Andy in his condo box, I in the Freight shaker) and we were talking to the dock supervisor and we asked him about Christmas and what they were planning to do. He said (now get this) that Xerox had offered the entire plant triple time if they'd work up to 3 days before Christmas, take off, and come back 3 days after Christmas. Work until a day before new years day, take off new years eve, new years day and the next day. The reason was they had a lot of orders that had to be shipped out.
TRIPLE time. That meant $90 per hour for the dock workers. The union had a meeting and take a wild guess what they voted, yep they voted NO. They wanted their 2.5 weeks off.
Andy and I told the supervisor that we'd work those two weeks for 1/2 ($45 per hour each) and that we'd work in two 12 hour shifts. I'd work the night shift with the night supervisor and Andy would work the day shift with the day super.
The supervisors (both are management) said they'd love that but, the union would consider that bringing in scabs and they'd call a strike.
Now I can't stand seeing our jobs being out sourced to other countries but, I can understand it (in some instances) because of the above encounter.
When I heard that Xerox was closing down their Webster plant and moving to Mexico, I felt kindda bad for the family's of the workers but, I still cheered. I felt (and still feel) that if anyone would turn down $90 per hour, they deserved to loose their job.
Good plans. Also you might add, *don't buy big-ticket items* that are made in slave-labor countries like China, Vietnam, etc. Today's Wall Street Journal had an article about how US furniture makers are wiping out jobs in favor of China-made wooden furniture (chairs, tables, etc.)
Don't forget to include prison guards and companies that build prisons: someone has to warehouse and guard all those "useless eaters" no longer needed to work in the US - the ones who just can't seem to make the switch to doing PhD work in biochemistry.
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