Thursday, November 13, 2008

More Re: Blacks Versus Gays

Check out the Gregalogue on Prop 8 and blacks versus gays. It hilariously picks up on what we started discussing here. But this has got to be my favorite line:

Yeah, I know gays have been treated like crap over the years - but they were never slaves - unless it was requested in a Craigslist ad.

...unless it's this one...

Lastly, although I don't give two poops about the right to marry - I wonder why they'd want it. Seriously - you're called gay for a reason. You get to leave the toilet seat up whenever you want.

One plus one is still equal to two

Anthony Bradley explains the relationship between the government-imposed minimum wage laws and unemployment in this piece. Excerpt:

When revenues decline, companies cannot afford to pay workers wages that are artificially set above their productivity and demand for their skills. Additionally, laying off capable workers is not preferable in the long-run because unemployed workers are not continuing to develop the skills and experience that enables them to increase their productivity or move beyond low-skilled and entry level jobs to those of higher pay.

Only economic history can provide the definitive narrative regarding the additional role the recent increase in the minimum wage is playing in the current surge in joblessness. Back in 2007, Congress voted to increase the minimum wage to $6.55 per hour effective July 24, 2008 and $7.25 per hour effective July 24, 2009.

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce opposed a minimum wage increase because it destroys entry-level jobs, stunts new job growth, and harms small businesses. In a 2007 survey, the Chamber found that 60 percent of small business owners would not be able to off-set the cost of the minimum wage increase. That, in turn, would lead businesses to make tough decisions like slashing benefits, raising prices, and laying off workers.

Although many industrialized countries have minimum wage laws there are many exceptions, including Norway, Sweden, Finland, Denmark, Switzerland, Germany, Austria, Italy, and Cyprus. Switzerland has no minimum-wage laws and one of the lowest unemployment rates in the world. The latest numbers are 2.6 percent.

He ends by calling upon Congress and the incoming Obama administration to unshackle the private sector from these artificial regulations. That's a purely academic exercise 'cause it ain't gonna happen. Instead, if unemployment continues to rise, I'd be on the lookout for a new Pelosi dog-n-pony show whereby businesses are further regulated disallowing lay-offs, or mandating a longer notification period before laying off or suchlike. These actions would, of course, have the effect of scaring companies from hiring people without straight A's in gradeschool and 750+ credit scores. In other words, look for government intrusiveness to jack the unemployment rate up even higher.

Tuesday, November 11, 2008

Lil' bit o' fun with "Rick Obama"



JND, you're a wild man.

Something with which I can heartily agree

Someone from our area's Dennis Prager discussion group replied to a group email with this comment:

Even though I voted for McCain, Obama is now my President. I will respect him and the office that he will occupy. If I disagree with his policy I will not disparage the man, but I will attack what is wrong with the policy and suggest an alternative. In many instances over the last eight years we have witnessed those who disagree with President Bush's policies attack the man in a vicious manner. How many times has our President been called stupid, racist, war monger, a Nazi? I will not occupy the gutter with people that do that.

Bravo. If nothing else, this should be the ideal for which we strive.