It’s Friday. You know what to do.
Thank you for stopping by, God bless you all, Wear Red on Fridays, support Warriors for Innocence, and write in Cary Cartter for President in 2008!
This morning’s paper brought the easiest target to me.
There is an article (I don’t know how long the link will be good; azcentral seems to not like being linked) that talks about the length a particular zinc-supply company has gone to ensure a couple of things: that the penny is still used, and that the mint continues to use zinc as the core for the pennies.
The company, Jarden Zinc Products, has paid lobbyists to kill bills relevant to their industry – one, in 2006, that would have made the penny extinct (legislation that would have rounded transactions to the nearest nickel) and now they are lobbying against the ability of the United States Mint itself to decide what materials to use in the minting of coins, in order to best keep costs down (it currently costs 1.7 cents to make a brand new penny, and nearly 10 cents to make a nickel). This would, in effect, cause Jarden to lose their number one customer. According to the article, Jarden has been paid more than $170 million dollars between 2004 and 2006 under a contract with the United States Mint. Also according to the article, the change in legislation would save the American taxpayer $100 million annually.
This is, in my opinion, a clear case of the greater good being usurped for a special interest. Going back to a pure supply-an-demand model, a single zinc supplier is being kept alive (or at least highly profitable) by law, rather than by market forces. If the legislation passes, and the Mint is allowed to choose the materials, then the free market would drive the costs, not an ironclad contract.
This is an example of Common Sense being allowed to drive a need instead of a network of backroom deals. This is, in the end, how I would urge the entire government to do business – by best price, not best friends.
In other news, papers have been filed for the creation of casework by cary, inc., a custom-woodworks firm. Finally, a boss I can’t disagree with and that I can have a reasoned discussion with when he makes a boneheaded mistake.
Thank you for stopping by, God bless you all, Wear Red on Fridays, support Warriors for Innocence, and write in Cary Cartter for President in 2008!
Go here. Buy a shirt, wear it on Fridays, and declare your support for the troops.
Today, I have on my “Lightning Sharp” polo – I’m going to be out and about, doing some final collecting on the delivery contract. Paul‘s right – I should wear a jacket with these things when I’m elected. That will really look sharp. Sues, I may need to order a few more of these shirts in about a year and a half.
I’ve come to realize that with a child as young as MEG (7 months and 1 week, thanks for asking. She’s a real cutey. I’ll get some pics up soon.) my posting is going to be sporadic. I had quite a few great ideas over the last few days, but I couldn’t get in here and get them “on paper” so to speak, since MEG likes to help with the keyboard action.
Weight update – I’ve plateaued at about 197. Can’t seem to drop anymore right now, but I’m hoping the fact that I’ve quit drinking soda again (note – watch for Coka-Cola to restate a quarterly profit soon) will help me break past that and keep dropping.
Thank you for stopping by, God bless you all, Wear Red on Fridays, support Warriors for Innocence, and write in Cary Cartter for President in 2008!
Legislation has been passed here in the state of Arizona to raise the state minimum wage.
Federally, they are considering the same thing.
I am not in favor of raising the minimum wage. People say that by raising the minimum wage, we are giving a “raise” to people who are working for minimum wage. I say we are enabling the people who are working for minimum wage to stay working for minimum wage.
Minimum wage, or entry level, positions are just that – entry level. If you are still working for minimum wage six months after you have started a job, then something needs to change. Your job, your employer, your drive – something.
Liberals are all for raising the minimum wage – it allows their main allies and bestest of friends, the illegal immigrants (invaders) to keep a low profile. If the minimum wage is not raised, and border laws are enforced, then perhaps the youth of the United States would be empowered to get that entry level position that an illegal has been camping in for the last five years. A combination of no increase and enforcement would drive the illegal invaders back where they came from, opening up a whole need for fresh recruits to fill the positions that “No American will do.” This vacuum of people to fill these positions would (gasp!) force some liberals to actually work hard labor for the first time in their lives, since they would no longer be needed to extol the virtues of having illegals do these jobs, and besides, how many doom-saying economists does this country need, anyway?
Once a young person of United States citizenry is hired at a minimum wage job, then reality kicks in rather quickly and they develop the motivation needed to further their station in life – which is, after all, the basis for fulfilling the American Dream.
Next week – I’ll chat about economics again – see if I can get another rise out of some book-bound economist who has never held a real job in their life.
Thank you for stopping by, God bless you all, Wear Red on Fridays, support Warriors for Innocence, and write in Cary Cartter for President in 2008!
By the way, it is accurate.
Thank you for stopping by, God bless you all, Wear Red on Fridays, support Warriors for Innocence, and write in Cary Cartter for President in 2008!