Alright so lets go through the consequences of what happens when the minimum wage is raised. Wal-Mart will then have to start paying more to it's employees. Wal-Mart will also raise it's prices to keep the profit margin constant, go to make a buck you know. At that point in time, all the people who work at Wal-Mart will start paying more for all the things they also buy from Wal-Mart, and they will be just as poor after the minimum wage hike as they were before.
Secondly, I will get screwed because my prices at Wal-Mart will also go up, but my wages won't.
Sunday, January 14, 2007
Saturday, January 13, 2007
A little sunlight will clear the air
I have been thinking and reading about credit because it is so important these days. I have learned a lot and have also learned how little I actually know about it. Such as, how is my credit score figured out, how do i improve my credit score, can I trust these companies that have so much control over my life?
Credit – how to figure it. When i first started reading about credit I though that I would find a few sites that gave me a some formulas. I thought figuring out my credit score would be as easily as figuring out my BMI. Well it is not. You can get a credit history report for free (best site is this one: https://www.annualcreditreport.com/cra/index.jsp) , but you have to pay money for your credit score. Hear that!! You have to pay money for something that is supposedly already yours. Truth in advertising would make them say, “You have to pay money for their ranking of your credit”. Also, the formula the three different credit companies use to figure out your credit score is apparently classified. The best the FTC can do is this (http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/pubs/consumer/credit/cre03.htm):
“Information about you and your credit experiences, like your bill-paying history, the number and type of accounts you have, late payments, collection actions, outstanding debt, and the age of your accounts, is collected from your credit application and your credit report. Using a statistical formula, creditors compare this information to the credit performance of consumers with similar profiles. A credit scoring system awards points for each factor. A total number of points — a credit score — helps predict how creditworthy you are, that is, how likely it is that you will repay a loan and make the payments on time. Generally, consumers with good credit risks have higher credit scores.”
You do not have exact details on how your credit score is calculated. All you have are general details on being a good indebted serf, and making all your payments on time like a good boy. Remember to eat your veggies, too. Keep in mind these credit companies sale YOUR information to other companies. Is it possible that they are telling those companies information that they want to hear. For example, a credit card company would want a person who would never default on their payments, but who also carries a balance. Best of both words. You do not pay these companies, anything you really have no say in what they are telling their clients, the banks and profiteers of the world.
How do we solve the problem of these private companies having so much control over your information. For most people, dropping off of the credit map would be impossible. I think all they would have to do is post their formulas to the web. Once we know how they are computing our scores, we can determine for ourselves if they are fair and honest and which companies to trust.
cube
Credit – how to figure it. When i first started reading about credit I though that I would find a few sites that gave me a some formulas. I thought figuring out my credit score would be as easily as figuring out my BMI. Well it is not. You can get a credit history report for free (best site is this one: https://www.annualcreditreport.com/cra/index.jsp) , but you have to pay money for your credit score. Hear that!! You have to pay money for something that is supposedly already yours. Truth in advertising would make them say, “You have to pay money for their ranking of your credit”. Also, the formula the three different credit companies use to figure out your credit score is apparently classified. The best the FTC can do is this (http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/pubs/consumer/credit/cre03.htm):
“Information about you and your credit experiences, like your bill-paying history, the number and type of accounts you have, late payments, collection actions, outstanding debt, and the age of your accounts, is collected from your credit application and your credit report. Using a statistical formula, creditors compare this information to the credit performance of consumers with similar profiles. A credit scoring system awards points for each factor. A total number of points — a credit score — helps predict how creditworthy you are, that is, how likely it is that you will repay a loan and make the payments on time. Generally, consumers with good credit risks have higher credit scores.”
You do not have exact details on how your credit score is calculated. All you have are general details on being a good indebted serf, and making all your payments on time like a good boy. Remember to eat your veggies, too. Keep in mind these credit companies sale YOUR information to other companies. Is it possible that they are telling those companies information that they want to hear. For example, a credit card company would want a person who would never default on their payments, but who also carries a balance. Best of both words. You do not pay these companies, anything you really have no say in what they are telling their clients, the banks and profiteers of the world.
How do we solve the problem of these private companies having so much control over your information. For most people, dropping off of the credit map would be impossible. I think all they would have to do is post their formulas to the web. Once we know how they are computing our scores, we can determine for ourselves if they are fair and honest and which companies to trust.
cube
Open immigration
There are many ideas in the immigration. Close the borders with wall or electronic fence. Open those borders, because we can't close them anyways and it is the nice human thing to do. An idea occurred to me recently. I have never heard the idea before, though I am sure someone has brought it up, but like i said I have never heard the idea before.
Do not get rid of all immigration quotas, just get rid of them for one country at a time. Make a bid deal of it in the news, maybe hire some pr guys from these international corporations to advertise for us. There would be requirements of course. Such as the person, should be trying to learn English, any American flare (office space lingo) would also help speed the process of acceptance. A test for any incurable and communicable diseases would be nice. Though if it was curable or not communicable, i don't see why it should matter. We could pay for the people's moving expenses, this will ensure that we will get the most people possible. Also put an expiration date on the offer, maybe a year or two.
A year after closing the offer we should then turn around and declare war on the country we opened quotas on and KILL every single living human thing in it using our new citizens are soldiers. This will have the effect of weeding out the ones who are weak or really did not like America as much as they though. Obviously the people that were left did not like America enough to move, or they were fence sitters, which are just as bad. We could probably solve a whole heck of a lot of problems if we were able to separate the good American loving civilians, from all the other people. We could clear out those last hand holds of communism, terrorism, drug lords, and circus clowns.
cube
Do not get rid of all immigration quotas, just get rid of them for one country at a time. Make a bid deal of it in the news, maybe hire some pr guys from these international corporations to advertise for us. There would be requirements of course. Such as the person, should be trying to learn English, any American flare (office space lingo) would also help speed the process of acceptance. A test for any incurable and communicable diseases would be nice. Though if it was curable or not communicable, i don't see why it should matter. We could pay for the people's moving expenses, this will ensure that we will get the most people possible. Also put an expiration date on the offer, maybe a year or two.
A year after closing the offer we should then turn around and declare war on the country we opened quotas on and KILL every single living human thing in it using our new citizens are soldiers. This will have the effect of weeding out the ones who are weak or really did not like America as much as they though. Obviously the people that were left did not like America enough to move, or they were fence sitters, which are just as bad. We could probably solve a whole heck of a lot of problems if we were able to separate the good American loving civilians, from all the other people. We could clear out those last hand holds of communism, terrorism, drug lords, and circus clowns.
cube
Giving Conundrum
Being generous is one of the key traits that separates humans from the animals. The animal kingdom is famous for its brutality and its pecking orders. Because of our humanity we are able to give to the lessor among who don't share our own genes or who we will not receive any direct benefit from.
In the past you could be reasonably certain that when you give money to people, they were in real need and that they had done all that they could to secure the three basic necessities. Even further back, you would not give cash because all you had to give was your time or physical belongings. In my society, these assumptions no longer hold true. We are at near full employment. There is a free public education system to take advantage of (and if you are nice you can even stay there a few years longer than normal). There are tons of sources to get free money to go to college – the government, the army, the sweat of your own brow, private loans from financial institution. If you are poor it is most likely because of the choices you have made. Are there exceptions? Yes. Are they the rule? I do not believe so.
Secondly, the progression of the welfare state has created a class of people dependent of the government for food, education, health care, and even reduced cost transportation.
Therein lies the dilemma. Giving makes you human but giving to unworthy causes creates guilt. I have no good answers to this problem, though I can tell you the strategy that I have taken. I try to give to local causes or local causes dealing with children. The children are the future and that means you are the past and therefore less important. I also try to give to organizations that share my value of hard work. One organization I give to, is willing to give you money for work (mowing the yard, picking up trash, etc.). They seldom have takers.
cube
In the past you could be reasonably certain that when you give money to people, they were in real need and that they had done all that they could to secure the three basic necessities. Even further back, you would not give cash because all you had to give was your time or physical belongings. In my society, these assumptions no longer hold true. We are at near full employment. There is a free public education system to take advantage of (and if you are nice you can even stay there a few years longer than normal). There are tons of sources to get free money to go to college – the government, the army, the sweat of your own brow, private loans from financial institution. If you are poor it is most likely because of the choices you have made. Are there exceptions? Yes. Are they the rule? I do not believe so.
Secondly, the progression of the welfare state has created a class of people dependent of the government for food, education, health care, and even reduced cost transportation.
Therein lies the dilemma. Giving makes you human but giving to unworthy causes creates guilt. I have no good answers to this problem, though I can tell you the strategy that I have taken. I try to give to local causes or local causes dealing with children. The children are the future and that means you are the past and therefore less important. I also try to give to organizations that share my value of hard work. One organization I give to, is willing to give you money for work (mowing the yard, picking up trash, etc.). They seldom have takers.
cube
Friday, January 12, 2007
The State of Security
So as the count of dead soldiers surpasses the number of people killed in the 9/11 attacks, can you really say that Bush has been keeping the country safer? Or just selecting which ones die? 0 senators, 0 fortune 500 members, 0 investment bankers. The Global War on Terrorism has a lot more to do with us enforcing police measures at home rather than overthrowing governments through military measures.
Monday, January 08, 2007
Trite Wanderings
So I may have missed a step by talking about candidates. Who cares who they are? What is important to me? Or you? So here is my list of concerns for the next four years, in no particular order; Iraq-win or leave, Global Warming-dying polar bears and the rest of the environment, Controlling the Mexican Border, which leads into the next one-National Security, and finally balancing the budget and keeping the economy healthy. To be honest, I am don't take a polarizing view of abortion. I support it in extreme cases but not as a form of birth control. I don't advocate legalizing drugs. I support gays having the same rights as everyone else, as long as it doesn't ascend into preferential treatment. I support free trade generally, but I think Friedman makes good points about each country, company, and person being held responsible for making decisions to benefit the whole.
Wednesday, January 03, 2007
Pick Your Pony (Part 2)
BTW, here is a list of the official and announced presidential candidates care of wikipedia; John Edwards, Mike Gravel, Dennis Kucinich, Tom Vilsack, and Joe Biden. You can read more about them and the potentials at wikipedia.
Pick Your Pony
I recently completed a poll at selectsmart, and was matched with these presidential candidates as ones that most supported the issues that I valued.
(100%) 1: Gov. George Pataki (R) Information
(95%) 2: Ex-VP Al Gore (D) Information
(91%) 3: Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D) Information
(89%) 4: Gov. Bill Richardson (D) Information
(87%) 5: Sen. Joseph Biden (D) Information
(86%) 6: Ex-Rep. Newt Gingrich (R) Information
(86%) 7: Sen. Barack Obama (D) Information
(84%) 8: Gov. Mitt Romney (R) Information
(81%) 9: Sen. Evan Bayh (D) Information
(79%) 10: Sen. John Kerry (D) Information
Which is strange because I am not particularly fond of any of them. Kerry is a huge a loser. Biden's daughter is not the most upstanding of individuals (I knew her in college), and I would be reluctant to let her dad lead the country. I am also not a huge Newt Gingrich fan, and admit to being fairly oblivious toward the rest of them.
(100%) 1: Gov. George Pataki (R) Information
(95%) 2: Ex-VP Al Gore (D) Information
(91%) 3: Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D) Information
(89%) 4: Gov. Bill Richardson (D) Information
(87%) 5: Sen. Joseph Biden (D) Information
(86%) 6: Ex-Rep. Newt Gingrich (R) Information
(86%) 7: Sen. Barack Obama (D) Information
(84%) 8: Gov. Mitt Romney (R) Information
(81%) 9: Sen. Evan Bayh (D) Information
(79%) 10: Sen. John Kerry (D) Information
Which is strange because I am not particularly fond of any of them. Kerry is a huge a loser. Biden's daughter is not the most upstanding of individuals (I knew her in college), and I would be reluctant to let her dad lead the country. I am also not a huge Newt Gingrich fan, and admit to being fairly oblivious toward the rest of them.
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