tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8193628934721963907.post5452619106055364606..comments2024-03-28T10:08:06.291-05:00Comments on Give2Attain: Come One Come All For Free StuffJohnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14991027705809503541noreply@blogger.comBlogger59125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8193628934721963907.post-76230134581575593172015-10-24T09:03:23.074-05:002015-10-24T09:03:23.074-05:00OK, in the "buck stops here" sense, it i...OK, in the "buck stops here" sense, it is the voters that elect the politicians, but I think you need to go Abe Lincoln one better. He said "It is true that you may fool all of the people some of the time; you can even fool some of the people all of the time;<br />but you can’t fool all of the people all of the time."<br /><br />Unfortunately, in politics, it is only necessary to fool 51% of the people once every two years. Those who claim there isn't a dime's worth of difference between Republicans and Democrats are provably wrong, but it nonetheless seems like only the Democrat agenda ever advances. jerrye92002https://www.blogger.com/profile/01858692298982859775noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8193628934721963907.post-57153847590084020272015-10-24T08:46:10.727-05:002015-10-24T08:46:10.727-05:00Well it seems that the Left and Right agree on one...Well it seems that the Left and Right agree on one thing.<br /><br />"NOT the voters fault."<br /><br />To which I say as usual... We live in very free republic.<br /><br />Of course it is "the voters", "the home buyers", "the consumers", "the families", etc fault. We are free to choose how we vote, we choose our mortgage / home, we choose the products and services we buy, we choose our values, we choose our parenting level, etc. <br /><br />Now there are some exceptions: people with disease, disability, mental illness, etc.<br /><br /><a href="https://docushare.edutech.org/dsweb/Get/Document-11514/great.pdf" rel="nofollow">Remember</a>Johnhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14991027705809503541noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8193628934721963907.post-21134321168528782132015-10-24T08:03:27.254-05:002015-10-24T08:03:27.254-05:00"We the people can...
- refuse to buy high fo..."We the people can...<br />- refuse to buy high foreign content goods and services<br />- continue to learn and improve our individual knowledge and skills<br />- vote to deport every last illegal immigrant so wages, and job opportunities will increase for the low skill low knowledge American citizens. (assuming they have the ambition to take those positions)<br />- vote to stop paying welfare, Medicaid, etc for those who fail in our free schools, have more children than they can afford and are costing tax payers far more than they are contributing<br />- vote to stop public employee unions who demand that the tax payers pay more than their services would cost on the open market..." <br /><br />I don't believe that is correct, or certainly not realistic.<br /> -- The first is an individual economic decision, based on all that the unions and government have done to disadvantage domestic enterprises. <br /> -- The second is made necessary and at the same time difficult because of our failed government school monopoly.<br /> -- The third is unreasonable and you know it. Fortunately it isn't necessary to either "round up" nor to actively deport these folks. The Social Security Administration knows where the overwhelming majority of them are; we could order something like universal e-Verify tomorrow and most of them would self-deport if their jobs were gone (or we could allow them to apply for guest worker status, maybe). It's already happened here in Minnesota on a small scale. <br /> -- You're still blaming the victim. And I still believe government has created both a "welfare trap" and an "attractive nuisance" with welfare spending, making it easy for people to fall into, and difficult for them to get out. Most of us don't have a quibble with a "temporary helping hand," though some of us would rather do it ourselves rather than let government screw it up. It's the long term and inter-generational dependence we object to. 1997 welfare reform was working, but government refused to follow through with it. NOT the voters fault.<br /> -- The problem with the last one is that the unions get to vote also, and to contribute to campaigns for people that WANT to spend more money on public employees. The average voter gets a) persuaded by the union campaign spending and b) outvoted by the union workers, voting themselves a raise. <br /><br />There are solutions, but it's going to take a true revolt at the ballot box-- say by electing Trump and 60 Republicans to the Senate-- to make it happen. Then I think 5 simple initiatives would solve the problem. <br />jerrye92002https://www.blogger.com/profile/01858692298982859775noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8193628934721963907.post-8154051125572213042015-10-22T14:40:51.201-05:002015-10-22T14:40:51.201-05:00A bit dated but interesting<a href="https://www.minnpost.com/business/2012/03/does-licensing-occupations-amount-protectionism" rel="nofollow">A bit dated but interesting</a>Johnhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14991027705809503541noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8193628934721963907.post-32319271563575280352015-10-22T13:28:48.309-05:002015-10-22T13:28:48.309-05:00Both parties support occupational licensing. Even...Both parties support occupational licensing. Even nationally this is true. By far the state that issues the most occupational licenses is Louisiana. Arizona is #2. Of the top 21 states in licensing, 11 are blue states, 10 are red states.<br /><br />In the Minnesota State House last session, there were 10(!) bills proposing new occupational licenses. 7 of those bills were authored by Republicans.Seanhttp://brickcityblog.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8193628934721963907.post-18619289401458252092015-10-22T12:43:01.552-05:002015-10-22T12:43:01.552-05:00How can we fix this in MN? That may be a start.How can we fix this in MN? That may be a start.Johnhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14991027705809503541noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8193628934721963907.post-10214013325630436972015-10-22T12:42:36.912-05:002015-10-22T12:42:36.912-05:00Sean,
The Democrats also support the Unions, Profe...Sean,<br />The Democrats also support the Unions, Professional Boards, State Departments of Licensure, etc. I can guarantee you that the GOP will challenge these entities before the Democrats will. Though they would do it by having the individual States deal with it.Johnhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14991027705809503541noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8193628934721963907.post-39860736088881001162015-10-22T12:39:12.958-05:002015-10-22T12:39:12.958-05:00As for extra funding for processing... It sounds ...As for extra funding for processing... It sounds like that is a more complicated topic. <a href="http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2014/jul/8/obama-requests-37-billion-fight-surge-illegals/?page=all#!" rel="nofollow">WT Money</a>Johnhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14991027705809503541noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8193628934721963907.post-27834687065256689312015-10-22T12:37:13.011-05:002015-10-22T12:37:13.011-05:00"They are Conservatives who believe in unfett..."They are Conservatives who believe in unfettered free trade"<br /><br />But, as we've established in the other thread, they're not for "unfettered free trade" at all. They're for free trade that puts some jobs at risk, but not others.Seanhttp://brickctiyblog.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8193628934721963907.post-65302710737990076752015-10-22T12:32:39.050-05:002015-10-22T12:32:39.050-05:00I meant "republicans support the items that r...I meant "republicans support the items that require legislation"...<br /><br />They are Conservatives who believe in unfettered free trade... Of course they will buy what they think is the best value for themselves.<br /><br />It is the Liberals who complain when companies choose the best value... Then turn around and personally send their own money overseas to purchase the best value.Johnhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14991027705809503541noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8193628934721963907.post-55835400856943228232015-10-22T11:44:18.621-05:002015-10-22T11:44:18.621-05:00"vote to deport every last illegal immigrant&..."vote to deport every last illegal immigrant"<br /><br />Not funded in any way in any of the four Paul Ryan budgets approved by the House, not has any current GOP candidate presented a plan on how to accomplish this.Seanhttp://brickcityblog.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8193628934721963907.post-72812826154276528912015-10-22T11:31:22.289-05:002015-10-22T11:31:22.289-05:00or:
"vote to deport every last illegal immig...or:<br /><br />"vote to deport every last illegal immigrant so wages, and job opportunities will increase for the low skill low knowledge American citizens. (assuming they have the ambition to take those positions)"<br /><br />When President Obama sought funding from the Republican Congress last year to speed up the return process for the minors coming across the border, House Republicans couldn't pass a bill to do so. Nor did they pass any bill making it easier for the U.S. to deport these children. Actions speak louder than words.<br /><br />Need I go on? Your idealized version of "typical Republicans" bear no resemblance to ACTUAL Republicans.Seanhttp://brickcityblog.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8193628934721963907.post-33653491987634017932015-10-22T11:10:50.302-05:002015-10-22T11:10:50.302-05:00"Please note that most of my recommendations ..."Please note that most of my recommendations are supported by your typical Republican candidate."<br /><br />In your mind, perhaps.<br /><br />For instance: "refuse to buy high foreign content goods and services"<br /><br />Ben Carson drives a Mercedes CL (Kogod Index: 40)<br />Donald Trump owns a Mercedes S-Class (Kogod Index: 1)<br />Jeb Bush's wife drives a Mini Cooper S (Kogod Index: 3.5)<br />Rand Paul drives a Mazda 3 (Kogod Index: 6)<br /><br />Marco Rubio drives a Ford F-150, so good for him (Kogod index: 82.5).<br />Seanhttp://brickcityblog.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8193628934721963907.post-53503174544938502102015-10-22T10:51:34.295-05:002015-10-22T10:51:34.295-05:00"By the way, on the good side... It seems bot..."By the way, on the good side... It seems both sides have big donors at the ready. "<br /><br />No, that's not "good" at all.Seanhttp://brickcityblog.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8193628934721963907.post-83100882902237590552015-10-22T10:35:41.402-05:002015-10-22T10:35:41.402-05:00And yes... Most highly capable highly educated pe...And yes... Most highly capable highly educated people who are 35+ are worth quite a bit. Who would you prefer to put in office?<br /><br />By the way, on the good side... It seems both sides have big donors at the ready. Johnhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14991027705809503541noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8193628934721963907.post-3441228992655112732015-10-22T10:30:22.456-05:002015-10-22T10:30:22.456-05:00Please note that most of my recommendations are su...Please note that most of my recommendations are supported by your typical Republican candidate. And everyone can make the life choices I recommend.<br /><br />Of course if you want to:<br />- Buy high foreign content goods and services to save a few bucks, thereby robbing American workers of their jobs and our Government of its revenues.<br />- Supporting people who want higher wages, but are unwilling or unmotivated to learn and improve their skills. Remember: Libraries and the Internet are free. Now are these folks using them? If so, are they trying learn or are they just playing computer games?<br />- Encourage more low cost labor to come here, which raises our employment and drives down our wages in lower level jobs.<br />- Pay people who waste their time in our schools, are lacking ambition or have more kids than they can afford.<br />- Support the Public employees getting paid more than other workers at the expense of us tax payers.<br /><br />If you believe in the above, you will need to find a Liberal Democrat to vote for. One who supports these "shoot ourself in the foot" actions by paying for them with tax dollars and legislated minimum wages.Johnhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14991027705809503541noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8193628934721963907.post-67546371339317635642015-10-22T08:28:09.775-05:002015-10-22T08:28:09.775-05:00You dramatically overstate the power we have to ch...You dramatically overstate the power we have to change things by voting? Why? Because the names that appear on the ballot are (or are controlled by) big money. <br /><br />The average net worth of our Presidential candidates (excluding Trump's $4.5B) is $13 million, according to Forbes. (Only Sanders, Rubio, and O'Malley are worth less than $1 million.) The median net worth in our country is about $45,000. 158 families have provided half of the spending ($176M) in this Presidential election cycle so far, according to the New York Times.<br /><br />Even the costs for lower offices have skyrocketed. The Dorholt-Knoblauch race for State House last year had spending just short of $1 million. Minneapolis and St. Paul City Council and School Board races often now require spending nearly $100,000.<br /><br />When this situation is allowed to happen, you're not getting folks who are representative of the population as a whole. The control you say folks have is largely illusory.Seanhttp://brickcityblog.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8193628934721963907.post-82745713482018501732015-10-21T19:48:06.947-05:002015-10-21T19:48:06.947-05:00We the people can...
- refuse to buy high foreign ...We the people can...<br />- refuse to buy high foreign content goods and services<br />- continue to learn and improve our individual knowledge and skills<br />- vote to deport every last illegal immigrant so wages, and job opportunities will increase for the low skill low knowledge American citizens. (assuming they have the ambition to take those positions)<br />- vote to stop paying welfare, Medicaid, etc for those who fail in our free schools, have more children than they can afford and are costing tax payers far more than they are contributing<br />- vote to stop public employee unions who demand that the tax payers pay more than their services would cost on the open market<br /><br />It is "the people" who control things, now are they willing to do so? That is the question...Johnhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14991027705809503541noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8193628934721963907.post-74930426534307953782015-10-21T12:25:00.501-05:002015-10-21T12:25:00.501-05:00I merely want to equalize the power of capital and...I merely want to equalize the power of capital and labor. Capital is advantaged under our current laws and regulations.<br /><br />You, on the other hand, want to make capital even more advantaged than it is today. By limiting the power of individiuals to "extort", you leave that power only in the hands of the wealthy and corporations.Seanhttp://brickcityblog.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8193628934721963907.post-18358574260112586082015-10-21T12:08:43.392-05:002015-10-21T12:08:43.392-05:00"subsidize"... We will have to agree to..."subsidize"... We will have to agree to disagree.<br /><br />Protecting their own jobs/incomes no matter the cost to the tax payers/customers is what unions, boards, bureaucrats, etc are all about...<br /><br />Why do you think I keep saying this over and over and over...<br /><br />The frustration I have with your view is that you want to let some extort us, as you villify others who do the same thing. It seems inconsistent.Johnhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14991027705809503541noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8193628934721963907.post-60289887434114815272015-10-21T09:41:25.949-05:002015-10-21T09:41:25.949-05:00"Do you really want to bankrupt American comp..."Do you really want to bankrupt American companies by forcing them to keep jobs here, while their foreign competitors produce where costs are lower, and the American Consumers buy the less expensive product from those foreign firms?"<br /><br />No one is forcing them to keep their jobs here. All I am suggesting is that American taxpayers should not be asked to subsidize that activity.<br /><br />"must compete or they die"<br /><br />Except for those occupations which we have chosen to protect.Seanhttp://brickcityblog.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8193628934721963907.post-79646288202024470742015-10-21T09:31:18.400-05:002015-10-21T09:31:18.400-05:00As for the Licensing standards, that linked site s...As for the Licensing standards, that linked site seemed really high level. I think the "Devils are in the Details".<br /><br />And as I said, if we can not even get something as Teacher straightened out... How will we ever straighten out Doctors with all the liability risk involved? I wish you good luck on that.Johnhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14991027705809503541noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8193628934721963907.post-87227369042476021752015-10-21T09:28:01.311-05:002015-10-21T09:28:01.311-05:00What is the benefit of letting citizens buy Subaru...What is the benefit of letting citizens buy Subarus or any of the other vehicles on the bottom of this <a href="http://www.american.edu/kogod/autoindex/2015.cfm" rel="nofollow">List</a>?<br /><br />America taxes profits (ie revenues - expenses) and closing a factory is an expense. What you want to do is make companies pay extra taxes if they close American facilities to move Overseas. (ie a dis-incentive to moving)<br /><br />Now for the big question... Do you really want to bankrupt American companies by forcing them to keep jobs here, while their foreign competitors produce where costs are lower, and the American Consumers buy the less expensive product from those foreign firms?<br /><br />As I keep saying... It always comes back to the Buyer. If they are unwilling to pay more for the American Made Product to support the higher cost of American workers and regulations, companies must compete or they die. Now if you want to apply a Foreign Made Tax at the time of sale so consumers know the cost of their choices, please feel free.<br /><br />To pick on Laurie and all of her fellow Prius owners, should we have applied a $5,000 / car tax because of all the American workers that were put out of work and tax dolars lost by her purchase of an almost 0 domestic content choice?<br /><br />Back to your question... What is the benefit to American taxpayers of allowing that to occur?Johnhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14991027705809503541noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8193628934721963907.post-79195930197141007232015-10-21T09:01:36.392-05:002015-10-21T09:01:36.392-05:00"Being allowed to claim the costs of shutting..."Being allowed to claim the costs of shutting down a plant is a typical deductible expense whether the company is moving across town or to China. Not some "special benefit". "<br /><br />I've cited other examples higher in the thread. But I guess I would dispute the notion that allowing companies to deduct their costs of shutting down a plant to move the activity offshore isn't a "special benefit". What is the benefit to American taxpayers of allowing that to occur?<br /><br />"This organization compares check lists but apparently does not go into the details. "<br /><br />It accredits the accreditors. The larger point is we have at least partial mechanisms in place to accomplish this -- it's not that difficult. Besides, based on the number of Americans who die due to preventable medical errors and our rate of infections inside hospitals, it's not like our medical system has a lot to be haughty about.Seanhttp://brickcityblog.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8193628934721963907.post-46342815628520344172015-10-20T16:51:24.566-05:002015-10-20T16:51:24.566-05:00"facilitate the process of moving jobs overse..."facilitate the process of moving jobs overseas." Source or example please. Being allowed to claim the costs of shutting down a plant is a typical deductible expense whether the company is moving across town or to China. Not some "special benefit". <br /><br />This organization compares check lists but apparently does not go into the details. "The NCFMEA does not review or accredit individual foreign medical schools." It looks like it is just a resource for students who want to study abroad... <br /><br />Again fixing the Teacher issue should be easy. No one dies if they are inadequate... They just get fired.Johnhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14991027705809503541noreply@blogger.com