Echoing my thoughts of yesterday I've been thinking more on it. I honestly do think envy and jealousy are the reasons behind much of the support of stripping decent pay and benefits from public employees.
How many times in coversation have you heard "I wish I got what they get" in reference to pay or health care or pensions or vacation.
So, the American way is the path of least resistance. Rather than grouping together and fighting for workers rights as happened in the first half of the 20th century, politicians have fractured the middle class which instead of raising up to the level everyone would like, brings everyone down to an unhappy but "equal" level. (Equal??? Isn't that communist!?)
Workers today need unions badly. Not the clunky old, inefficient for modern problems, unions of yesteryear, but agile, flexible and intelligent unions for the future.
The sad thing is too many people have been brainwashed that unions are what caused American jobs to go to other countries. That is true to a limited extent, but that completely disregards the massive spike in executive pay and bonuses that has been going on for decades. The union mentality of "defend everyone equally at any cost" needs to go. They need to look at things case by case and defend everyone, but understand that some workers are useless.
But American workers need to stop the jealousy at those with decent (and they are only decent because being a public employee has as many pitfalls as perks) pay and benefit packages and start striving to get them for themselves. And if a few million or billionaires have to bring in a bit less money, why is that a bad thing?
Thursday, March 10, 2011
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
Feeding Frenzy
Why does part of the middle class hate another part of the middle class?
The current feeding frenzy whipped up mostly by Republicans against public sector employees is bizarre. Well, ok, politically its not bizarre. Its right up their alley of cutting things they don't like rather than actually attempting to deal with difficult issues that might upset voters.
However, while public sector employees can have it pretty darn good, it seems mostly jealousy from workers that have seen their companies move away from pensions, they have no unions to join to fight for their rights, and are constantly forced to do more with less knowing they will be replaced by someone cheaper if possible.
I was thinking about this as I was at the DMV yesterday. Those people have to be saints to put up with the constant stream of crap that's flung at them. How on earth is them getting a decent paycheck, with decent benefits (not nearly what they once were relatively, its only because the private sector has done all its can to shove costs on employees that it seems good), and a pension, bankrupting anyone?
I guess lots of American's are confused by the industry funded bait and switch going on. Our states and country are in debt! Its a disaster! Obviously we must fix this! What's the problem? Well, obviously all those decent middle class wages and pensions! Thus the people turn on their fellows instead of looking to the rich who are fiddling as middle America burns.
Oh, FYI, those pensions that are so horribly underfunded? That's not the workers fault, that's the states/towns/whatever's fault for not paying their share. Its also the fault of the stock market manipulators who have destroyed the market the past few years.
So, please, before you go whining about how someone has better benefits than you and that they have a pension, check the envy at the door and really think about it. I bet after you do, you might think differently about things.
I feel a post from someone at a forum I frequent sums up the situation nicely:
The current feeding frenzy whipped up mostly by Republicans against public sector employees is bizarre. Well, ok, politically its not bizarre. Its right up their alley of cutting things they don't like rather than actually attempting to deal with difficult issues that might upset voters.
However, while public sector employees can have it pretty darn good, it seems mostly jealousy from workers that have seen their companies move away from pensions, they have no unions to join to fight for their rights, and are constantly forced to do more with less knowing they will be replaced by someone cheaper if possible.
I was thinking about this as I was at the DMV yesterday. Those people have to be saints to put up with the constant stream of crap that's flung at them. How on earth is them getting a decent paycheck, with decent benefits (not nearly what they once were relatively, its only because the private sector has done all its can to shove costs on employees that it seems good), and a pension, bankrupting anyone?
I guess lots of American's are confused by the industry funded bait and switch going on. Our states and country are in debt! Its a disaster! Obviously we must fix this! What's the problem? Well, obviously all those decent middle class wages and pensions! Thus the people turn on their fellows instead of looking to the rich who are fiddling as middle America burns.
Oh, FYI, those pensions that are so horribly underfunded? That's not the workers fault, that's the states/towns/whatever's fault for not paying their share. Its also the fault of the stock market manipulators who have destroyed the market the past few years.
So, please, before you go whining about how someone has better benefits than you and that they have a pension, check the envy at the door and really think about it. I bet after you do, you might think differently about things.
I feel a post from someone at a forum I frequent sums up the situation nicely:
Originally Posted by Yarbicus: A public union employee, a tea party
activist, and a CEO are sitting at a table with a plate of a dozen cookies in
the middle of it. The CEO takes 11 of the cookies, turns to the tea partier and
says, 'Watch out for that union guy. He wants a piece of your cookie.'
Monday, March 7, 2011
Interesting thoughts
Read a great column today that brought up some interesting (and oft discussed and ignored) points about Evangelical Christians in the US.
Now, please, get past the intentionally provocative title to read the content of the article. Also, yes, all Evangelicals (a highly diverse group) are lumped together here, but that is because he is discussing trends reflected from research on the subject.
The jist of what he is claiming is true. At least to my eyes.
Jesus the Savior is easy. Jesus the man is difficult. So they tend to ignore him.
Now, please, get past the intentionally provocative title to read the content of the article. Also, yes, all Evangelicals (a highly diverse group) are lumped together here, but that is because he is discussing trends reflected from research on the subject.
The jist of what he is claiming is true. At least to my eyes.
Jesus the Savior is easy. Jesus the man is difficult. So they tend to ignore him.
Thursday, February 24, 2011
Something light and musical
So, I love music. Lots of rock and metal, but I can find something in most genres I can appreciate if not seek out.
Classic NWOBHM, New Wave of British Heavy Metal, is something I've been getting into recently. Iron Maiden in particular is a band I've come to love.
Mashups are a where two songs are "mashed" together. Something DJs have been doing for years but with the advent of youtube its been getting highly popular.
Here is a mashup of the Monkees song "I'm a Believer" with Iron Maiden's "The Trooper." You all know "I'm a Believer" so I'll just post the original The Trooper and the mashup.
I personally find this to be brilliant. Oh, and I WILL be able to play The Trooper on guitar one day. Well, maybe not the solos, cause they're just silly.
Classic NWOBHM, New Wave of British Heavy Metal, is something I've been getting into recently. Iron Maiden in particular is a band I've come to love.
Mashups are a where two songs are "mashed" together. Something DJs have been doing for years but with the advent of youtube its been getting highly popular.
Here is a mashup of the Monkees song "I'm a Believer" with Iron Maiden's "The Trooper." You all know "I'm a Believer" so I'll just post the original The Trooper and the mashup.
I personally find this to be brilliant. Oh, and I WILL be able to play The Trooper on guitar one day. Well, maybe not the solos, cause they're just silly.
Monday, February 21, 2011
Wisconsin Update
Well, as of this writing the blatant assault on worker's rights continues in Wisconsin. Not sure how its being reported nationally, but the Democrats and union heads have agreed to the pension and insurance concessions, if the Governor would budge on pretty much stripping the unions of any union power.
He has refused.
According to the Democrats he has refused to even bother to return phone calls on the issue.
As if it wasn't apparent before this is a politically motivated move, this proves it as the economic aspects have been worked out.
He just refuses to discuss the non-economic sides of the issue. Lovely.
He has refused.
According to the Democrats he has refused to even bother to return phone calls on the issue.
As if it wasn't apparent before this is a politically motivated move, this proves it as the economic aspects have been worked out.
He just refuses to discuss the non-economic sides of the issue. Lovely.
Friday, February 18, 2011
Politics as budget policy
If you're following the situation in Wisconsin right now you're probably feeling a surge of emotion. Most likely you feel a surge of sympathy for the state workers who are unfairly being targeted as the source of all the state's budget woes.
Or you are excited by the crusading Governor who's going to reign in those unions and right the ship!
Well, hang on. Let me illustrate for you how this is nothing but a power grab and will do a little, but not much to help fix their budget.
First, this is nothing more than a chance to essentially destroy the unions in Wisconsin that primarily vote Democrat. By stripping unions of the power to collectively bargain on anything but wages, taking away their right to collect dues, and forcing them to apply for recertification every year they are pretty much saying "We want you to go away."
Interestingly enough, the police, firefighter and state trooper unions aren't going to be effected under this law. Those unions tend to vote Republican in higher numbers. Oddly though, those are the unions that also wrack up the most money in overtime as teachers and most state employees (outside of DOT employees and a few others) generally do no get paid any overtime at all no matter how many hours they work.
Second, this smacks in the face the Republican ideal of "people's rights to make decisions." There is no effort being made to go to the unions and work with them and letting the union's members speak. Its an all out assault on them, stripping away what was agreed too, rightly or wrongly, without actually attempting to work out the issue.
Remember back when everyone was upset the AIG bankers were still getting their multi-million dollar bonuses as AIG was bailed out. But Obama said that they couldn't break the contracts? Well, apparently Wisconsin has no such qualms. And this isn't about multi-million dollar bankers. This is about average everyday people. People who are being unfairly targeted by those jealous that the economic situation hasn't struck them as hard.
Are certain state contracts stupid? Yup. 30 years and then you can instantly start collecting your pension doesn't work. (Note, that's not teachers, who work as hard if not harder than pretty much anyone outside of law enforcement. They have to work between 35-36 years to get their full pension.) However, making radical attacks on these union contracts (and actually the unions themselves) with no attempt to negotiate is 100% political, because let's get to the numbers.
The Republicans claim that by doing this they will be saving the state 300 million over the next two years. Ok, that's nice, but the financial concessions are being accepted this goes way beyond that.
Let me put this out here: Wisconsin, Illinois, many states, and our federal gov't, are in ugly financial condition. The states even more so as they have fewer options on what to do about things.
The "budget cutting" in Wisconsin is every bit as much a political ploy as the Texas redistricting of 2003. However now, it directly effects people's lives, every day working folk, simply because a legislature wasn't able to control itself in the past.
Now, I'm not blindly pro-union. They too often are ancient behemoths, out of touch with reality. They need to reform themselves to the new way of the world. But we the worker NEED them. We need them as almost as badly as we did in the 30s. This blatant political assault on public unions is a BAD THING and sadly just another case of the two-party system utterly failing its constituency.
*Edit:Fixed a numbers mistake
Or you are excited by the crusading Governor who's going to reign in those unions and right the ship!
Well, hang on. Let me illustrate for you how this is nothing but a power grab and will do a little, but not much to help fix their budget.
First, this is nothing more than a chance to essentially destroy the unions in Wisconsin that primarily vote Democrat. By stripping unions of the power to collectively bargain on anything but wages, taking away their right to collect dues, and forcing them to apply for recertification every year they are pretty much saying "We want you to go away."
Interestingly enough, the police, firefighter and state trooper unions aren't going to be effected under this law. Those unions tend to vote Republican in higher numbers. Oddly though, those are the unions that also wrack up the most money in overtime as teachers and most state employees (outside of DOT employees and a few others) generally do no get paid any overtime at all no matter how many hours they work.
Second, this smacks in the face the Republican ideal of "people's rights to make decisions." There is no effort being made to go to the unions and work with them and letting the union's members speak. Its an all out assault on them, stripping away what was agreed too, rightly or wrongly, without actually attempting to work out the issue.
Remember back when everyone was upset the AIG bankers were still getting their multi-million dollar bonuses as AIG was bailed out. But Obama said that they couldn't break the contracts? Well, apparently Wisconsin has no such qualms. And this isn't about multi-million dollar bankers. This is about average everyday people. People who are being unfairly targeted by those jealous that the economic situation hasn't struck them as hard.
Are certain state contracts stupid? Yup. 30 years and then you can instantly start collecting your pension doesn't work. (Note, that's not teachers, who work as hard if not harder than pretty much anyone outside of law enforcement. They have to work between 35-36 years to get their full pension.) However, making radical attacks on these union contracts (and actually the unions themselves) with no attempt to negotiate is 100% political, because let's get to the numbers.
The Republicans claim that by doing this they will be saving the state 300 million over the next two years. Ok, that's nice, but the financial concessions are being accepted this goes way beyond that.
Let me put this out here: Wisconsin, Illinois, many states, and our federal gov't, are in ugly financial condition. The states even more so as they have fewer options on what to do about things.
The "budget cutting" in Wisconsin is every bit as much a political ploy as the Texas redistricting of 2003. However now, it directly effects people's lives, every day working folk, simply because a legislature wasn't able to control itself in the past.
Now, I'm not blindly pro-union. They too often are ancient behemoths, out of touch with reality. They need to reform themselves to the new way of the world. But we the worker NEED them. We need them as almost as badly as we did in the 30s. This blatant political assault on public unions is a BAD THING and sadly just another case of the two-party system utterly failing its constituency.
*Edit:Fixed a numbers mistake
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
Spring
Well, its not here yet, but today, its sunny about 50ish out. I'm stuck inside working, and the sun will be preparing to set when I head home, but that's ok. Its a taste of what's just a matter of weeks away.
I'm trying to prepare for spring. My goal this year is to ride at least 2,000 miles on my bike.
If you're not a cyclist, that may sound like a lot. Its not really, because if you do even a few longer rides the miles add up fast.
As of today with a guesstimated average of 10mph on my indoor trainer I'd done a paltry 37.7 miles or thereabouts in the last 8 days.
I'm hoping to have a few hundred under my legs by the time it gets nice enough for me to ride out regularly.
I've missed biking the last few years and not only because I've put on more than a few pounds. There's a peacefulness associated with it that I don't get from any other form of physical activity. Its very theraputic, which while my life isn't overly stressful is something we can all use.
Looking forward to the coming time when its in the 50s every day. Then instead of getting up early and wandering to the basement, I can wander outside and put in a few miles.
We'll see how close to my goal I get.
I'm trying to prepare for spring. My goal this year is to ride at least 2,000 miles on my bike.
If you're not a cyclist, that may sound like a lot. Its not really, because if you do even a few longer rides the miles add up fast.
As of today with a guesstimated average of 10mph on my indoor trainer I'd done a paltry 37.7 miles or thereabouts in the last 8 days.
I'm hoping to have a few hundred under my legs by the time it gets nice enough for me to ride out regularly.
I've missed biking the last few years and not only because I've put on more than a few pounds. There's a peacefulness associated with it that I don't get from any other form of physical activity. Its very theraputic, which while my life isn't overly stressful is something we can all use.
Looking forward to the coming time when its in the 50s every day. Then instead of getting up early and wandering to the basement, I can wander outside and put in a few miles.
We'll see how close to my goal I get.
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