T1B

Tom In VA wrote:I honestly think the cost of living increases BECAUSE I get a raise.

Everybody, tryin' to keep a brutha down.

More likely because your boss got one a hella lot bigger than you, for doing the same or less work.

I mean look at John Walton. He was worth, what, 18 billion? I guess he just pulled himself up by his bootstraps, all by himself and worked, literally, a million times harder than a Wal-Mart employee making 18k.

RadioFan wrote:

Diogenes wrote:The reason that the cost of living is so high is because (among other things, including automatic COLAs) unions manage to drive said price of living up by using extortionary means to get more than they could via the free market.

If unions are roughly 12 percent of the market, and continuing to decline, how could they be a significant factor in the cost of living?

Because of their political clout, and the fact that a disproportionate number of them represent government employees (did I mention COLAs?)

And if someone is trying to make a living working at Wal-mart, Burger King, or the local car wash, they might just want to consider getting some fucking job skills or something.

Just a thought.

I agree.

But unless you get some kind of help (via parents/relatives or student loans), it's virtually impossible to get out of that hole.

That's the job of the parents, not the federal government.

If you don't have parents that are worth a shit...

Work two jobs and study truck driving.

Join the military.

Do something.


Take responsibility.

mvscal wrote:

RadioFan wrote:But unless you get some kind of help (via parents/relatives or student loans), it's virtually impossible to get out of that hole.

Join the Army.

Tom In VA wrote:I honestly think the cost of living increases BECAUSE I get a raise.

Everybody, tryin' to keep a brutha down.

You are correct.

And it rises faster than wages.

Diogenes wrote:

RadioFan wrote:

Diogenes wrote:The reason that the cost of living is so high is because (among other things, including automatic COLAs) unions manage to drive said price of living up by using extortionary means to get more than they could via the free market.

If unions are roughly 12 percent of the market, and continuing to decline, how could they be a significant factor in the cost of living?

Because of their political clout, and the fact that a disproportionate number of them represent government employees (did I mention COLAs?)

What political clout?

The GOP is running the country now.

Maybe if I were around leftist whack jobs (and there were plenty in Lawrence when I was there) instead of self-righteous rightist whack jobs, I'd be a little more sympathetic to the argument about unions being some sort of drain on the economy.

That's the job of the parents, not the federal government.

If you don't have parents that are worth a shit...

Work two jobs and study truck driving.

Join the military.

Do something.


Take responsibility.

I agree.

And if I'm divorced and have a kid? Or I don't qualify for the military? Or if my parents got laid off and had to take jobs at Wal-Mart?

Easy to pontificate if you've never been there. I've been lucky in that I haven't. I had parents who forced me to work my ass off for everything. But I've known friends who have been there, especially female friends. Took them years to get out of it, and usually a marriage as well. And believe me, most of them hated the state welfare department more than I hate the California court system.

RadioFan wrote:

Diogenes wrote:

RadioFan wrote: If unions are roughly 12 percent of the market, and continuing to decline, how could they be a significant factor in the cost of living?

Because of their political clout, and the fact that a disproportionate number of them represent government employees (did I mention COLAs?)

What political clout?

The GOP is running the country now.

Maybe if I were around leftist whack jobs (and there were plenty in Lawrence when I was there) instead of self-righteous rightist whack jobs, I'd be a little more sympathetic to the argument about unions being some sort of drain on the economy.

Be glad you you don't live in Kali.

besides, they rule the dems, and the dems are doing everything they can to obstruct any type of reform the GOP proposes.

Add to that their anti-trust exemptions, their campaign finance exemptions, their constant attempts to raise the minimum wage (in order to further inflate the economy and their own wages, even though the cost of living will outstrip wage increases).


Don't even get me started on what they are doing to the schools.

That's the job of the parents, not the federal government.

If you don't have parents that are worth a shit...

Work two jobs and study truck driving.

Join the military.

Do something.


Take responsibility.

I agree.

And if I'm divorced and have a kid? Or I don't qualify for the military? Or if my parents got laid off and had to take jobs at Wal-Mart?

Easy to pontificate if you've never been there.

I have.
I've been lucky in that I haven't. I had parents who forced me to work my ass off for everything.

I didn't.

I joined the Navy when I was 17, the day I graduated HS.

(Not the only reason of course, I would have even if I had had a stable home life.

Reading too much Robert Heinlein and Thomas Jefferson among others.)
But I've known friends who have been there, especially female friends. Took them years to get out of it, and usually a marriage as well. And believe me, most of them hated the state welfare department more than I hate the California court system.

It isn't a matter of whether it is difficult and unpleasant.

It is a matter of what works.

Diogenes wrote:It isn't a matter of whether it is difficult and unpleasant.

It is a matter of what works.

Exactly.

And the whole political debate today, imho, is about how it is people like John Walton make billions for flying ultra lights around, while people trying to fucking survive take jobs at Wal-Mart, not because they want to, but because they have to.

Or are you going to argue that working at Wal-Mart is a "noble" profession?

If they are so righteous, why is that still a stigma?

Hell, their managers make on average 95k a year, from Googling my own fucked up assumption in this thread.

Actually, the whole political argument these days is about where the goverment should "be fair," or "draw the line."

Cut my taxes or cut Wal-Mart's taxes? Currently, it's the latter ... with the philosophy being, "Wal-Mart will 'invest' in the economy.'"

Sure they will. They've invested to the point of being the biggest retailer on Earth.

Name one community where they've actually enhanced it, and I will cease in this thread.

And the whole political debate today, imho, is about how it is people like John Walton make billions for flying ultra lights around, while people trying to fucking survive take jobs at Wal-Mart, not because they want to, but because they have to.

Or are you going to argue that working at Wal-Mart is a "noble" profession?

It isn't any type of "profession".

It is unpaid labor, and paid as such.

And IMNSHO, any type of work done honestly is noble.

If they are so righteous, why is that still a stigma?

It isn't a stigma, it's a stepping stone.

You have to start somewhere.

Hell, their managers make on average 95k a year, from Googling my own fucked up assumption in this thread.

If the cheap ass Walton's think they are worth that much, then good for them.

Actually, the whole political argument these days is about where the goverment should "be fair," or "draw the line."

Cut my taxes or cut Wal-Mart's taxes? Currently, it's the latter ... with the philosophy being, "Wal-Mart will 'invest' in the economy.'"

Cut all of our taxe rates.

Not onlybecauseit is fair, but because itis economicly beneficial.

Sure they will. They've invested to the point of being the biggest retailer on Earth.

Name one community where they've actually enhanced it, and I will cease in this thread.

The community of the poor.

Where do you start with such nonsensical crap??

RF:

And the whole political debate today, imho, is about how it is people like John Walton make billions for flying ultra lights around, while people trying to fucking survive take jobs at Wal-Mart, not because they want to, but because they have to.

Who is engaged in that debate except for libs that want the government to set prices?

I'm sorry, but your typical lefty paternal arrogance is burning through, again. Who are you to demean millions of employees and tell them that they are too stupid to recognize they are working for predatory employer? I'll take the fact that millions of Americans are choosing to work for Wal-Mart and what that represents over your bullshit ranting about how bad Wal-Mart is.

BTW - you state that they have to work at Wal-Mart. Says who?

Or are you going to argue that working at Wal-Mart is a "noble" profession?

Who the hell are you to characterize it as noble or otherwise? There you go, again.

It's honest work. And millions are choosing to work there. And no amount of blustering from you idiots is going to change that.

If they are so righteous, why is that still a stigma?

"Stigma?" What's the supposed to mean?

To millions of employees Wal-Mart is employing them, paying them fair wages, and keeping them employed.

To even more millions Wal-Mart offers products at cheap prices so that these consumers may spend the "savings" elsewhere.

Sorry, but the only people complaining about Wal-Mart are schisters and hucksters.

Actually, the whole political argument these days is about where the goverment should "be fair," or "draw the line."

Oh, now that's the whole political debate, eh?

Where the government should be fair?
Where the government should the line?

Sorry, but I don't trust the government to do either. The government shouldn't be trying to be fair or unfair, it should just step the fuck out of my business.

Cut my taxes or cut Wal-Mart's taxes? Currently, it's the latter ... with the philosophy being, "Wal-Mart will 'invest' in the economy.'"

Well, it seems that this administration has cut taxes for both consumers and for business and look at the economy. Employment is at an all time high. Wages are slightly up with after-tax income decidedly up. Tax revenues are skyrocketing filling government coffers (that Laffer things keeps nipping the liberal economists in the ass, don't it?).

And is Wal-Mart not reinvesting in America? Openning new stores here. Employing thousands and thousands of new people. Offering low priced products to millions more Americans (who then spend that "savings" elsewhere in the economy).

WTF are you talking about you ignorant twit?

Name one community where they've actually enhanced it, and I will cease in this thread.

Not until you demonstrate that Wal-Mart is actually bad for the economy.

Sorry, but only people who believe that they are entitled to everything believe that Wal-Mart should be paying way above market value wages and offering health care insurance to its part-time employees.

You people have lost the debate on the living wage and minimum wage. So rather than working there, you are going after employers to shake them down.

Kinda Jesse Jackson-esque, imo.

Diogenes wrote:And the whole political debate today, imho, is about how it is people like John Walton make billions for flying ultra lights around, while people trying to fucking survive take jobs at Wal-Mart, not because they want to, but because they have to.

Or are you going to argue that working at Wal-Mart is a "noble" profession?

It isn't any type of "profession".

It is unpaid labor, and paid as such.

And IMNSHO, any type of work done honestly is noble.

If they are so righteous, why is that still a stigma?

It isn't a stigma, it's a stepping stone.

You have to start somewhere.

Rack and Rack.

Where do you start with such nonsensical crap??

Actually, I was somewhat playing devil's advocate, because I enjoy banter/discussion with Dio. He gets it. You don't.

RadioFan wrote:

Diogenes wrote:And the whole political debate today, imho, is about how it is people like John Walton make billions for flying ultra lights around, while people trying to fucking survive take jobs at Wal-Mart, not because they want to, but because they have to.

Or are you going to argue that working at Wal-Mart is a "noble" profession?

It isn't any type of "profession".

It is unpaid labor, and paid as such.

And IMNSHO, any type of work done honestly is noble.

If they are so righteous, why is that still a stigma?

It isn't a stigma, it's a stepping stone.

You have to start somewhere.

Rack and Rack.

Where do you start with such nonsensical crap??

Actually, I was somewhat playing devil's advocate, because I enjoy banter/discussion with Dio. He gets it. You don't.

Yeah but DrD is obviously a way better typist.