Virus thread, the political one.

[Clean39T]

It's complicated, especially 'in the trenches.' I say this as someone who leans progressive on many issues (and who believes in a strong social safety net). But I work in an organization where we had a tough time getting some people to return to work because their unemployment benefits were richer than their on the job package. We pay market rates. Market rates enable many of these people to eke out a pretty meager existence. So I get that these people are making a rational economic decision, but I also get that it hamstrings companies, because I have seen it happen.

It's a nuanced issue for sure - much more than be covered here. I just hope folks can have some empathy for those who are risking their lives (due to the reality of the pandemic) to show up to a job that pays them minimum wage with no health-insurance or safety-net. These people deserve more than thoughts and prayers. As a nation, we have the money to significantly improve their lives - we simply choose not to. This isn't an indictment of you or @bigbill's individual business decisions, which I imagine are complex and difficult. This is a systemic problem, largely brought on by the R- run Senate and the current leadership [sic] in the WH.

[jimcav]

I'd argue the more root problem is the incessant demand for low process coupled with the nearly sole focus on corporate profits. The role of a publicly traded company as a member of society, as an engine of prosperity for clients, employees, and consumers has been far too subsumed to simply maximizing profit and driving stock prices and executive salaries. cheapest labor, cheapest supplies, minimalized benefits. That has occurred regardless of D vs R in office as far as I can tell. One party seems to ALSO want to fund programs to provide assistance/resources for those who aren't prospering, and eliminate some gross inequities (e.g. at least ACCESS to healthcare); but WITHOUT any true boat-rocking changes to the system; and the other party doesn't pretend to care abut those that aren't able to partake in the prosperity, and instead directly or indirectly fosters misinformation campaigns so that those that are being left behind don't understand the actual factors at play or system.

I just started reading "Waste" and the fact that folks in AMERICA (actually RED state) have RAW SEWAGE in their yards and have parasites that I learned about in the Navy as things to worry about while OCUNUS in third world "shitholes" is extremely infuriating, sad, and should be inexplicable--but see comments above as to why it isn't

[vertical_doug]

It is essentially regulatory capture. Labor Unions did help with middle class wages, but post-WW2, the NLRB (National Labor Review Board) general counsel was very conservative decided the federal laws were tilted too much in favor of unions, and began to rule against unions in labor relations. (It is not unlike what Trump did now- you put conservatives who hate the agencies function and dismantle it, or do the opposite from the inside). In 1965, the CEO-Median worker pay was 20-1. By 1989, CEO-Median was 58-1 and in 2018, it was 278-1. This is not so much inequality as inequity. The pay consultants are hired by boards to justify high awards for CEOs, while other labor consultants to prevent unions.

A side effect of the red-scare in 1950's was to allow conservatives to paint unions as communists with the Taft-Harley act.

[bigbill]

It's a nuanced issue for sure - much more than be covered here. I just hope folks can have some empathy for those who are risking their lives (due to the reality of the pandemic) to show up to a job that pays them minimum wage with no health-insurance or safety-net. These people deserve more than thoughts and prayers. As a nation, we have the money to significantly improve their lives - we simply choose not to. This isn't an indictment of you or @bigbill's individual business decisions, which I imagine are complex and difficult. This is a systemic problem, largely brought on by the R- run Senate and the current leadership [sic] in the WH.

My company pays for the market and has medical/dental/vision/401K plans. I manage the Engineering and Maintenance departments and my hourly guys make almost 3X the median income because they possess skill sets. You can't pay entry-level more than entry-level pay. Additionally, with the mandated raise in the minimum wage, I am tasked with incorporating automation to reduce the number of people required for a process. There is a balance between paying for labor and spending money on automation with a decent ROI. This has been the business model since manufacturing was invented. It's not dependent on who is in power politically, they couldn't run a business if their lives depended on it.

[bigbill]

It's complicated, especially 'in the trenches.' I say this as someone who leans progressive on many issues (and who believes in a strong social safety net). But I work in an organization where we had a tough time getting some people to return to work because their unemployment benefits were richer than their on the job package. We pay market rates. Market rates enable many of these people to eke out a pretty meager existence. So I get that these people are making a rational economic decision, but I also get that it hamstrings companies, because I have seen it happen.

Spot on. We were understaffed because the state wasn't investigating UI claims due to the huge surge of applications. Employees would point out (absenteeism) and get fired which should have prevented UI but they got it anyway, plus the kicker. It was a very attractive offer. Now we're getting several applications for every job and filling up the orientation classes. Many former employees are trying to get their jobs back and we've reduced the minimum wait time from six months to three months to reapply.

[sine]

edit

As a nation, we have the money to significantly improve their lives - we simply choose not to.

Significant government budget deficits indicates otherwise. In the real world there are some US states that would have declared bankruptcy years ago.

Corporations may have the money but it is a competitive global economy. Saying that, a friends son recently got a job at Amazon....US$22/hr. Great pay for a recent HS grad living at home with mom and dad.

[johnmdesigner]

France and Portugal have pledged to vaccinate their citizens for free.
This country is a disgrace.

[ides1056]

If Donald had won I would agree with you.

[johnmdesigner]

If Donald had won I would agree with you.

74,122,605 think an anus topped with Cheetos is just fine.

[sine]

France and Portugal have pledged to vaccinate their citizens for free.
This country is a disgrace.

It's paid for one way or another........

[sk_tle]

France and Portugal have pledged to vaccinate their citizens for free.
This country is a disgrace.

https://twitter.com/JoeBiden/status/1334573366410264577

[HorsCat]

74,122,605 think an anus topped with Cheetos is just fine.

Yes, it is extraordinarily disappointing to know that that many of our fellow citizens looked at Trump, looked at the last 4 years, and decided that 4 more would be in order.

[johnmdesigner]

https://twitter.com/JoeBiden/status/1334573366410264577

That’s fine if he can do it by executive order.
If it’s up to Mitch then no way.

[Saab2000]

That’s fine if he can do it by executive order.
If it’s up to Mitch then no way.

Not to get too deep into the weeds here, but we need to stop thinking presidents can solve the world's ills, or this nation's ills, by issuing executive orders. That's a temporary and divisive workaround. The framers/founders wanted three branches of government for a reason.

[echappist]

Not to get too deep into the weeds here, but we need to stop thinking presidents can solve the world's ills, or this nation's ills, by issuing executive orders. That's a temporary and divisive workaround. The framers/founders wanted three branches of government for a reason.

That reason is to clog up the works as much as possible and to make any sort of changes as difficult as possible.

By doing so, they perhaps believed it would ward off the autocratic tendencies of British Parliamentary system, but in doing so, it only opened new can of worms.

[johnmdesigner]

Not to get too deep into the weeds here, but we need to stop thinking presidents can solve the world's ills, or this nation's ills, by issuing executive orders. That's a temporary and divisive workaround. The framers/founders wanted three branches of government for a reason.

If he can get it done with a signature then I say fine.
Expecting bipartisan cooperation from this point on is delusional.

[Wisco]

Not to get too deep into the weeds here, but we need to stop thinking presidents can solve the world's ills, or this nation's ills, by issuing executive orders. That's a temporary and divisive workaround. The framers/founders wanted three branches of government for a reason.

The challenge is when the system the Framers created stops cold when one Branch simply says NO... I won't hold hearings for your SC choice, I won't confirm your Judges, I won't bring House-passed bills to the Floor for a vote.

What then?

I don't think the Framers fully envisioned than men and now women would simply say no we won't carry out our Branch's function or in the case of Trump simply ignore the facets of the job, law and precedents. They assumed positive intent, and that doesn't exist from McConnell or most of the Republican party.

[johnmdesigner]

The challenge is when the system the Framers created stops cold when one Branch simply says NO... I won't hold hearings for your SC choice, I won't confirm your Judges, I won't bring House-passed bills to the Floor for a vote.

What then?

I don't think the Framers fully envisioned than men and now women would simply say no we won't carry out our Branch's function or in the case of Trump simply ignore the facets of the job, law and precedents. They assumed positive intent, and that doesn't exist from McConnell or most of the Republican party.

Thank you.
And if Biden wants to get off to a good start he should use his pen as much as possible.

[vertical_doug]

It's funny because Trump just wanted 'acting' appointees since many were unqualified and could not be confirmed.

Now at the tail end, you have the faithful burrow in deep.

https://www.propublica.org/article/h...den-takes-over

[bcm119]

Does anyone know the rules of holding senate confirmation hearings for Biden's cabinet picks? Can the Turtle just refuse to confirm anyone?