Political Discussion

RenegadeMonster said:
That right there is another benefit of unions that is not as obvious. 20% raise is very very hard to get get outside of unions in corporate America.

Even with a promotion, many companies have a cap on raises. Whether it be 10% or something like that for a promotion and 3% for cost of living adjustments.

Thus, if you stick with one company you fall behind others who move around. As moving around is really the only real way to securing those raises.
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The last raise I got was about 5 years ago. I’m in a public sector union that is highly organized. A lot of unions aren’t that organized. We are pushing politicians in the area to address affordable housing. Unions used to advocate for more common good things like this in the past, but their power has greatly diminished.
 
RenegadeMonster said:

Poverty rate jumps in 2022 after end of enhanced child tax credit​

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Hmmm color me not surprised…

The Pew Research Center did a study about the wealth gap about 10 years ago where they looked at longitudinal data since the 1980’s and found that the wealth gap was growing larger and larger. One of the main findings regarding why younger cohorts of people are having a tough time now versus then was because of cash aid programs to young families that were slashed or done away with entirely through the 1990’s and aughts. Cash aid to families is the number one way to lower child poverty rates. If we want a work force in the future, we are going to need to start incentivizing having children instead of forcing women to have unwanted children.
 
nolalady said:
Hmmm color me not surprised…

The Pew Research Center did a study about the wealth gap about 10 years ago where they looked at longitudinal data since the 1980’s and found that the wealth gap was growing larger and larger. One of the main findings regarding why younger cohorts of people are having a tough time now versus then was because of cash aid programs to young families that were slashed or done away with entirely through the 1990’s and aughts. Cash aid to families is the number one way to lower child poverty rates. If we want a work force in the future, we are going to need to start incentivizing having children instead of forcing women to have unwanted children.
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One of the things that drives me crazy is people saying "they could just get a job" rather than have uncle sam take their hard earned money to give as handouts.

There are a couple of issues here.

First, child care is more expensive than low income earners could make at any job. Second, in many cases, these people already have a job.
 
nolalady said:
Hmmm color me not surprised…

The Pew Research Center did a study about the wealth gap about 10 years ago where they looked at longitudinal data since the 1980’s and found that the wealth gap was growing larger and larger. One of the main findings regarding why younger cohorts of people are having a tough time now versus then was because of cash aid programs to young families that were slashed or done away with entirely through the 1990’s and aughts. Cash aid to families is the number one way to lower child poverty rates. If we want a work force in the future, we are going to need to start incentivizing having children instead of forcing women to have unwanted children.
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Yea I have a more conservative friend that tows the self responsibility line, but my counter argument is always “the kids are powerless to affect their parents ‘inability’ to be personally responsible.”
 
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nolalady said:
Hmmm color me not surprised…

The Pew Research Center did a study about the wealth gap about 10 years ago where they looked at longitudinal data since the 1980’s and found that the wealth gap was growing larger and larger. One of the main findings regarding why younger cohorts of people are having a tough time now versus then was because of cash aid programs to young families that were slashed or done away with entirely through the 1990’s and aughts. Cash aid to families is the number one way to lower child poverty rates. If we want a work force in the future, we are going to need to start incentivizing having children instead of forcing women to have unwanted children.
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I’m in favour of less new people and just letting the existing people elsewhere come unrestricted to fill those jobs…

But yes free high quality childcare is absolute silver bullet to cure so many ills.
 

McCarthy calls for formal impeachment inquiry into Biden amid pressure from conservatives​


🍿 🍿 🍿 🍿 🍿

I knew things were getting tough for McCarthy and he would start to really feel the pressure from the far right this fall and would be lucky to end the year still as the house speaker. But looks like he's caving into their demands sooner rather than latter to get ahead of what their demands are.

All while you know, we need to pass a budget by the end of the month to prevent a government shutdown.
 
CNN —
The initiation of an impeachment investigation against a president ought to be an earthshaking moment in the nation’s history.

Yet when Republican House Speaker Kevin McCarthy announced the opening of such a probe into President Joe Biden Tuesday, it felt like more of an inevitable consequence of America’s diseased politics than a constitutional thunderclap



Yup, that pretty much sums it up.

The end goal here is likely to stick it back to the Dems for impeaching Trump (twice) and firing up there base with suspicious against Biden and motivation to vote for Trump.
 
RenegadeMonster said:
CNN —
The initiation of an impeachment investigation against a president ought to be an earthshaking moment in the nation’s history.

Yet when Republican House Speaker Kevin McCarthy announced the opening of such a probe into President Joe Biden Tuesday, it felt like more of an inevitable consequence of America’s diseased politics than a constitutional thunderclap



Yup, that pretty much sums it up.

The end goal here is likely to stick it back to the Dems for impeaching Trump (twice) and firing up their base with suspicious against Biden and motivation to vote for Trump.
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Agreed. This is revenge for impeaching the orange one, not once, but twice. Its pathetic.
Indymisanthrope said:
I think McCarthy’s end goal is simply to remain Speaker, and this is the price his own party is exacting for that.
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Exactly why he caved, yet I still think his days as speaker are numbered. He’s spineless.

Meanwhile, the government is facing a shutdown because these toddlers won’t do their jobs. I wish that their salaries could be defunded when facing a shutdown, but they are guaranteed their wages. That needs to change.
 
My father is rooting for the impeachment. I swear this news made him light up a like a child on Christmas morning.

In any case, I told him it will not amount to anything. Even if by some chance the house does impeach Biden it's DOA in the senate.

To that my fathers response was "He can be removed for treason without a vote in the senate". What treason would that be exactly? And I still don't think it works like that...

Meanwhile, my fathers prediction is Bidden will be "hanged" after this impeachment for treason.
 
Joe Mac said:
I’m in favour of less new people and just letting the existing people elsewhere come unrestricted to fill those jobs…

But yes free high quality childcare is absolute silver bullet to cure so many ills.
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I am just in favor of less people. I agree that immigrants can fill jobs, but I think all people should be valued and given a living wage. Often, immigrants are used as employee chattel and seen as expendable.

Birth rates in rich countries are declining due to the expense of having children and the availability of birth control. Environmentally speaking, this is a wonderful thing; however, if there’s not enough people around to low-ball on wages, then there is a crisis in the current economic environment because shareholder profits are eaten by wage inflation—I.e. workers are paid a fair wage at the expense of the investor class.
 
RenegadeMonster said:
My father is rooting for the impeachment. I swear this news made him light up a like a child on Christmas morning.

In any case, I told him it will not amount to anything. Even if by some chance the house does impeach Biden it's DOA in the senate.

To that my fathers response was "He can be removed for treason without a vote in the senate". What treason would that be exactly? And I still don't think it works like that...

Meanwhile, my fathers prediction is Bidden will be "hanged" after this impeachment for treason.
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🙄🙄🙄
 
nolalady said:
I am just in favor of less people. I agree that immigrants can fill jobs, but I think all people should be valued and given a living wage. Often, immigrants are used as employee chattel and seen as expendable.

Birth rates in rich countries are declining due to the expense of having children and the availability of birth control. Environmentally speaking, this is a wonderful thing; however, if there’s not enough people around to low-ball on wages, then there is a crisis in the current economic environment because shareholder profits are eaten by wage inflation—I.e. workers are paid a fair wage at the expense of the investor class.
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We can agree on that but as the capital and resources are disproportionately concentrated in a small number of countries and the impending environmental crisis is by far and away affecting the countries lacking in these the most we have to go back to an open borders immigration model. Otherwise we’re hoarding and leaving the poorest to be wiped out by being fried or drowned. It’s the current restrictions and the vulnerable position that undocumented migrants are in that allows for so much of the exploitation.

Also I think we’re long overdue a crisis in the current economic environment. Especially given most in the investor class aren’t actually investing in companies, they’re speculating on stocks based on historic investments.
 
The UAW strike is looming. If a deal is not reached by 11:59 pm ET Thursday night, the UAW will strike.

The UAW is the union representing the 3 largest automakers in the United States.

Today, the former CEO of Ford had a lot to say about this pending strike, and had strong words of caution for both sides.

The UAW is seeking was initially trying to get the following:
  • 40% pay hike over four years
  • restoring annual cost of living increases
  • returning to traditional pension plans
  • restoring healthcare coverage for retired employees
  • restoring healthcare plans to what they traditionally were
The UAW is going in with their entire wishlist, and hoping to get concessions from GM, Ford and Stellantis. However, so far the big 3 auto makers have said what the UAW is demanding is completely unreasonable and won't even entertain bargaining at the table stating that they are two far apart to reach a deal.

The automakers are citing poverty and listing their bankruptcies and bailouts as justification for holding strong against these demands saying they have to live within their means.

The caution Ford's former CEO has to give to the UAW is that they very likely can win this battle, but will likely end up losing the war. If their demands are met, even at 50%, it almost certainly will mean mass layoffs and offshoring manufacturing where there is cheaper labor.

“The automakers are going to be very rational about this. If this is what my cost per unit is here in the US — including labor — and it’s uncompetitive, I’m going to have to move it to where it’s more competitive, like Mexico,” said Fields, who is currently a senior advisor to private equity firm TPG Capital. “You don’t want the UAW to win the battle but lose the war.”
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He is also saying EAW's leader is completely wrong about the economic fallout these demands will have.


The caution he has for the automakers is pretty much find a compromise to avoid a strike. This could be a prolonged strike and cost millions if not billions of dollars for the industry.

Over the last 4 years the average price of new cars went up by 30% and the average CEO salary by 40%. The UAW is looking for union members to get their fair share form increased profits. Especially after years of wage stagnation and benefits cuts.
 
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