Minimum Wage Movement

I think that a lot people are sympathetic to increasing the minimum wage but I think that the movement will flame out without accomplishing anything.  It is a lot like the occupy movement or the 99%; a lot of people identify with the goals and are in those respective groups figuratively speaking but the majority politicians and the mainstream media will not take up the cause.  This would create popular sustaining support and that is lacking.  You have billions being spent to convince would be members of these groups to act against their own best interests.  What we should look at is how many of these low wage workers are voting for Republicans.  It has to be a lot because the Republicans keep getting elected and they are not going to raise the minimum wage.  The silver lining might be that some editorial writers and cartoonists have seized on the fact that many of these workers get food stamps, housing assistance, and medical care covered by all taxpayers and that this amounts to a business subsidy.  I think that this tact could be successful because people are tired of give aways to business in exchange for jobs that never seem to materialize in the numbers or wages that the companies said they would.  So her's to hope that something will move because right now the majority in this country is being crushed by low wages, rising costs and a growing income disparity.

Why Does the Media Consult with Dick Cheney

Ever wonder why when a quote is needed the media turns to former Bush officials including Dick Cheney?  This is a group of people who were wrong about everything and yet they are treated as authoritative sources by news organizations.  Maybe it is because W's poll numbers are increasing (don't ask me how this could be) the media seems to have forgotten just how wrong these people are.

Seasonal Hiring

First Kohl's and then Walmart announced that they are planning to hire huge numbers of people.  This news was treated as being an indicator that the economy is turning around because it is a bigger number than last year.  Nothing could be further from the truth, this was not news.  These companies are taking on seasonal staff.  The number is bigger because they are hoping for better business nothing more but we need to look at the kinds of jobs they are hiring.  They are part-time and minimum wage and many who work them already have other jobs.  In other words they have very little effect on the unemployment number.  What they do is help the 47% and those nearly in the 47% pay bills.  These are jobs that the 1% and the media really don't understand.