The one thing that I hear over and over from the GOP supporters is how dismayed they are with the "big mess" that Obama has made of the economy and how he has accomplished nothing while in office. There are things that he did which I was against, like bailing out the American automakers, GE and such. These multi billion dollar industries were stealing from both the government AND the people and many of the consumers turned to buying imports that were more techno advanced and reliable. That's one of the basic rules of business...you must produce a product that people will want to buy again. I bought my first Toyota Camry in 1984 during it's grand entrance and have driven one ever since.
One of the things that I think contributed to the downfall of the economy is labor unions. When they were invented, workers needed a voice and protection for their health and well being on the job. These days it's all about bargaining power and many folks have bargained themselves right out of a job. There was a time, not too long ago, when workers at the tire plant up the highway were making more than me as a healthcare professional simply because they had their employer by the balls via the union. The plumber and baker and candle stick maker have all outpaced my salary by a long shot. Last year's increase was, shall we say *negligible*, just enough to hint that "we gave you a little something for your loyalty." Hey..thanks ya'll. I've been told that this year's market study indicated that we are behind for my job grade so I might expect a bit more. Let's pray and be specific on that one. The healthcare plan that is supported by BOTH parties is one that is doable if the system of providers is set up carefully and monitored for fraud. One of the reasons Medicare is where it is today is because of physician abuse, particularly in the office setting, through diagnostics and self-referral. I was a consultant for one of them and he never could understand why he wasn't making a million off his lab. Puleeez, dude. He went on to commit suicide years later.
Brandi and KBug are here changing for an after school dip at Gigi's pool. This pool season is coming to a close and I tell ya'll, there is nothing more depressing to me than peering out her kitchen window in the winter. The family neighborhood dog Smokey has cancer and he's being visited slowly and surely by all the people who have been poolside or on the road with him. He belonged to their parents, both long gone. One more mark on that list of long goodbyes. I thought about Ms. Olive today and how I was summoned to her bedside. There is a lovely picture of my mother and her sister taken during their lunch yesterday of the elder (mom) with a finger up in the younger's face. Hilarious!!! Because I'm OLDER that's why!
Keep the faith and remember who you are ^j^
You are one of the wisest women I've ever gotten to know out here on the InterWeb. The little hairs on the back of my neck stood up and quivered when I read this sentence. "These days it's all about bargaining power and many folks have bargained themselves right out of a job." I KNOW you are correct in that assessment of labor unions. I've been on both sides of that line. I've always stated that no union has ever saved a job for me because I did my best in every job I've had except my first one when I was only 16 years old and hadn't figured life out yet. Not only did the union in the last plant I worked at bargain themselves out of a job, they also bargained the salaried employees out of theirs. You mentioned bargaining power specifically and having an employer by the balls. Most of this nation's current problems can be traced back to political POWER-stuggles in our nation's capital or state governments. The difference between them is only SCALE. The same can be said for all the nations of this world. The one's with the most power use it to manipulate and man-handle the one's with lesser power of one kind or another. We use weapon technology to demonstrate our great power while smaller nation's throw rocks. It all gets old after a while and then wars begin. If we continue on the way we are going, there's going to be a war nobody wins. It may be international or it may start within our borders but human beings do have certain limitations, then they lose it and don't consider the results of their actions. Violence is escalating all around us; in our movie theaters, temples,schools, etc. May God have mercy on us and show us the error of our ways before it's too late.
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