Posted on March 31st, 2008 in fluid, labor, law | Comments Off
Yes, I feel rather silly and naive but it only took me about six months to realize that I was employed in something less than a noble and forthright endeavor. I am not one to speak badly of that which is in the past, so I will simply leave it at that.
So being young and unemployed in America today I know what I have to do: blog about it until someone comes along and bestows upon me a job that I find suitable to my imagined station in life. Clearly.
Well, maybe not. But I am on the job market and am actively pinging several employment sources. So if anyone knows of any economists with exceptionally sharp computer skills, written communication and mathematics skills who are retiring, please do let me know. I am their replacement.
I got the following Email today:
Joe Smith started the day early having set his alarm clock (MADE IN JAPAN)
for 6am. While his coffeepot (MADE IN CHINA ) was perking, he shaved with his electric razor ( MADE IN HONG KONG). He put on a dress shirt ( MADE IN SRI LANKA ), designer jeans ( MADE IN SINGAPORE ) and tennis shoes ( MADE IN KOREA). After cooking his breakfast in his new electric skillet( MADE IN
INDIA) he sat down with his calculator ( MADE IN MEXICO ) to see how much he could spend today. After setting his watch (MADE IN TAIWAN) to the radio ( MADE IN INDIA ) he got in his car (MADE IN GERMANY ) filled it with GAS (from Saudi Arabia) and continued his search for a good paying AMERICAN J OB . At the end of yet another discouraging and fruitless day checking his Computer (Made In Malaysia ) (with tech support in INDIA) , Joe decided to relax for a while. He put on his sandals ( MADE IN BRAZIL ) poured himself a glass of wine (MADE IN FRANCE) and turned on his TV (MADE IN INDONESIA), and then wondered why he can’t find a good paying job in.. AMERICA…..
I had some time, so I replied with the following:
Joe woke up early to his digital alarm clock/radio, which he only paid $10 for and has lasted 6 years. Before these were made overseas, they cost $50 and few people could afford to buy them. He made coffee which was from Columbia, which produces the highest quality coffe in the world. They spend nine months growing it, then pick it by hand, bag it, pack it onto ocean liners then trasnport, refine, grind, package and sell it at Joe’s local store. All of this only cost him $3 for a month’s supply of the best coffe in the world.
Joe got out his calculator to figure out how much he could spend today. He needed the calculator because Joe was never very good at math. His public school was not very good, and largely ignored his poor math abilities. He never figured it was that important anyway, since he had the calculator he got for free with a tank of gas anyway. 20 years ago the same digital calculator would have cost $20.
Then Joe got in his American made car, which hadn’t been running right for over a year. It was only three years old and he wanted to get it so he could “Buy American,” but it was murder on gas mileage and he kept having to pay the mechanic because the warranty was so much shorter than the higher quality, less expensive foreign made cars. But at least he bought American. Finally giving up on getting his car started in the cold weather he borrowed his neighbor’s Toyota.
Joe drove down to the union hall to see if there was any jobs available that day. He had been laid off from his job bolting the legs onto chairs. For fifteen years he had operated a screw gun putting legs onto chairs and earned a union mandated wage of $25 an hour plus full health benefits. Then the company realized they had to charge $200 per chair to pay for Joe’s salaray and benefits, and no one was buying their chairs anymore. Refusing to move the factory overseas they were forced to close their doors. Now all the employees are out of work, and customers have one less choice available for chairs.
Luckily Joe is getting very generous unemployment benefits paid for by the taxes his neighbors pay, and has been since he was laid off six months ago. He can still afford wine from France and his satellite television. His health care is paid for by the state too, and his has another six months to go until he has to find a new job. Since he never was very good at math and never learned to do anything other than screw the legs onto chairs, Joe is waiting for another state agency to tell him where to go work, and what to do.
A proposed law in Wisconsin would mandate teaching students about the history of labor unions in the US.
Not only is this yet another interference in the workings of locally controlled school boards and the shrinking autonomy of educators and administrators, I can’t imagine that this “education” would be at all balanced.
Would the long list of nearly constant corruption that has existed in organized labor be taught as part of the curriculum? How about the fact that labor unions tend to depress employment in unionized sectors, or create barriers to entry to those fields? Would they mention the history of unions being formed to keep minorities out of jobs and out of work?
I doubt if they would, considering the proposal is being pushed by the American Labor Studies Center, which also provides the curriculum and materials for schools to use.
And there is a slippery slope argument, of course:
It makes no sense for the Legislature to dictate to schools what specific subject areas they should teach, said Ryan Murray, spokesman for Senate Minority Leader Scott Fitzgerald, R-Juneau.
“We could do organized labor today and the history of the Republican Party tomorrow,” Murray said. “In a time when we’re having trouble teaching our kids the basic of history, is this really the time to be putting another mandate on when we’re not even doing the current stuff well?”
When the Courier-Journal believes you’re too much in the lap of labor unions, your political career might be in some trouble.
Last week Louisville congressman John Yarmuth voted against the passage of a free trade bill with Peru, largely buying into the hype that it would take away American jobs. Never mind that Peru is ready and waiting for massive numbers of American exports, likely including Kentucky agricultural and industrial products. Never mind that Peru already gets the largest share of its imports, 16.5%, from the US.
Peru is a country with a $186.6 billion GDP. Per capita that’s $6,600 for each of their 28.6 million people. The US has a $13.6 trillion GDP, $43,800 for each man woman and child in the country.
Claiming economic harm at the expense of Peru is like complaining that you were bullied by Tiny Tim.
(actual photo)
As he entered the building and began screaming and shooting, employees ran out of the building to a safe location.
No one was harmed, and law enforcement know exactly who the culprit was: Morgantown Police Officer Travis McIntosh, doing his part in a drill for employees at Casco Products Incorporated.
As McIntosh walked through the building shooting 6 mm blanks into the air and yelling that he was going to kill someone…
This is the second time that Phelps has been involved in such a drill at Casco, he said: The company has decided that it’s important to be prepared in the event someone enters the business with a weapon.
Morgantown Police Chief Billy Phelps said Casco is the only company in Morgantown that has done such planning.
“I’m impressed that the business was this forward-thinking,” he said.
Three questions here. Firstly, does this business also run fire, flood, lightning, tornado and earthquake drills at least twice a year?
Secondly and if not… why do they have reason to suspect that it is MORE likely that someone will come in and start shooting than any of those things will happen? Exactly what kind of place is this to work in?
And finally, this is what Kentucky police officers consider to be forward thinking? Exactly what kind of employment practices does this company have if they feel the need to drill for the violently disgruntled?
Really? Has this been a longstanding position of his? Where have I been?
