Minimum Wage = Maximum Unemployment



Cloy Richards, Op-Ed Contributor
CPA with over 50 years in Business & Finance

About forty years ago, I was the CFO of a small, but successful, restaurant chain in California. There was a big push to change the minimum wage law as it pertained to restaurants. It meant about a 20% increase in labor costs at the time.

I was highly in favor of the increase. I pointed out in heated discussions with the other officers of our company, and fellow restaurateurs that all of us could find enough time savings through better time scheduling and labor saving devices and methods to reduce employee hours and operate our business with fewer employees. It would also give us an opportunity to raise sale prices without a customer backlash.

Fast forward to today in the Missouri Ozarks where I retired.

Jobs are hard to come by here. That was true before the current recession, and it is especially true now. All the subsidized housing is occupied. The food pantries would be bare if it wasn’t for one especially generous millionaire who lives here. The last month saw over 2,500 visitors to one of the food pantries. We only have 15,000 people in the entire county.

You can get yard work done, or fire wood cut for $4 per hour. I know of two people who are thrilled to have a job which pays them $20 for four hours of janitorial work in a local restaurant. The waitresses are paid $20 for an eight hour shift, and worry about losing their job.

It wasn’t always like this. There were over 400 people employed in the clothing business, and over 100 in a shoe manufacturing plant back before free trade hit these industries. Their jobs paying minimum wages were effectively shipped overseas. This was also true of the people who woked at the Black and Decker assembly plant nearby. Daisy BBs were shipped to Peru.

The theory is, of course, that all these people will find new higher paying jobs. They are presumably better educated and therefore better use will be found for their skills.

Tell that to my grandson who is still trying to find a minimum wage job six months after getting his college degree.

The real problem is the Minimum Wage Law. Most of the unemployed people in this town would jump at a job which paid $3 or $4 an hour and was steady work. Factories and assembly plants would reopen and create higher paying jobs for the companies that ship the goods, manufacture the needed tools and weave the clothing.

We do not live in a fishbowl any more. We live in an ocean with China, India and other low wage countries. Duties and tariffs protecting U.S. manufacturers and workers no longer exist.

If you don’t believe me, then raise the minimum wage to $25 and see what happens to your job. We are paying for welfare, Medicaid, food stamps, food for children and all the other necessities of life anyway. Why not allow people the dignity of working? Get rid of the Minimum Wage and put this country back to work again.

Geronimo!

Geronimo!

Or as they will be saying in Guam, “Squeak, Squeak, Squeak”.

I haven’t seen the exact details yet, but evidently they are going to parachute poisoned mice into the jungle so that the Brown Snakes will eat them and die. They’re doing this because the snakes are killing the native bird population.

I wonder who is harnessing up the parachutes to the mice? Probably people with little hands.

Do they give them back-up parachutes, or do they bother seeing as how the poor mice are going to die no matter what?

Did anyone do any research to make sure the birds wouldn’t snatch the mice out of the air before the snakes could get to them?

I suspect this was an Interior Department project. I am sure the Defense Department would have developed drones with snake smelling missiles to take care of the problem.

It might be a CIA project. They are using helicopters as mice transports.

Maybe it’s a Department of Energy project and the dead snakes will be decomposed to provide biomass fuel for electric turbines. That way there won’t be a lot of rotting dead snakes smelling up the air.

Cloy Richards, Op-Ed Contributor

I am breathlessly awaiting the details and result of this advanced scientific project.

Geronimo

Editorial: Gay Marriage Vs. The 4th Commandment

“Do not let Sunday be taken from you. If your soul has no Sunday, it becomes an orphan.”

- Albert Schweitzer

"The Bible contains six admonishments to homosexuals and 362 admonishments to heterosexuals. That doesn't mean that God doesn't love heterosexuals. It's just that they need more supervision."



Oh the joys of Sunday.  Church, relaxation, BBQ’s, hypocrisy and hate. Using the bible to justify morally reprehensible actions is no new phenomena.  Just last century Southern Christians used the bible to justify segregation and the denial of basic human rights to blacks.  Before that it was used to justify slavery.  

The more things change, the more they stay the same.  

I’m not going to insult anyone’s intelligence by declaring that the era of social injustice towards racial minorities in America is a thing of the past.  However, our fellow Americans in the LGBT community are undeniably in the same position black Americans were in just last century.  Until it was deemed unconstitutional in 1967, 16 different states observed laws banning interracial marriage.  

They say you can tell a lot about a person by the company they keep.  Who else banned interracial marriage?  Hitler’s Germany and Apartheid-era South Africa.  


Now, the same hypocrisy, ignorance and fear-mongering used to oppress an entire culture based on the color of their skin is being used to deny God-given rights to an entire community of Americans based on their BIOLOGICALLY PREDETERMINED-BY-GOD sexual orientation.  
God and religion are not mentioned in our constitution in any context other than the strict prohibition of state-sponsored establishment of.   But if some “Christians”  want to play the Old Testament card and ignore Jesus’ teachings, then the War Room is taking the initiative to draft new legislation based on Old Testament law.   Fear not LGBT community, for under the new laws, your sexual transgressions are not punishable by death.  I’m screwed though for writing this on the Sabbath.  

Exodus 31:15 - “Six days may work be done; but in the seventh is the sabbath of rest, holy to the LORD: whosoever doeth any work in the sabbath day, he shall surely be put to death.”


If man lying with man is an abomination, then anyone working on the Sabbath is equally, if not more so, worthy of being put to death.  This was so important to God, he made it one of the Ten Commandments.  Throughout the Old and New Testament, there are hundreds of references to obeying the fourth commandment.  Can’t say that about homosexuals.

I’m glad I never made it to the NFL or I would be doubly screwed because touching the skin of a dead pig makes you unclean according to Leviticus 11.  

Before the Moral Majority decries gay marriage, I say remove the plank from thy own eye.  Stop working on the Sabbath.  Stop doing the devil’s work by going out and eating lunch after Church.  Aren’t you inducing others to break the 
Fourth Commandment?  

Leviticus 19:19 - "Neither shall a garment mingled of linen and woolen come upon thee."  
I’m glad my shirt is 100% cotton or else I might find myself in jail tomorrow under the new laws.


Leviticus 25:24-  “ Both your slaves, and your bondmaids, which you shall have, shall be of the heathen that are round about you; of them shall you buy slaves and bondmaids.” 

Watch out Canadians, the Bible says you can be my slave. Imagine how the NHL will change...Why pay an American for a million dollar contract when you can just import slaves from Canada? I mean, lets face it, Hockey tickets are expensive. With this, we can start charging baseball prices.


And remember the 2008 election where V.P. Biden was denied Communion? Not just him, but any pro-choice politician. Well lets draw from the Old Testament and start denying Communion to all with a defect as Leviticus 21:17-23 calls upon us to do.  I wear glasses, so I’m out.  Have a scar?  Sorry, no goeth to Communion.  Broke a foot or a hand, Yup, you are now banned from Communion.   

I'm sure by now you get the picture of how ridiculous Old Testament laws are.  Thankfully, in America, we don't live by the Old Testament.  We live by the constitution.  We live by a principle of majority rule with minority rights.  I choose to live my life by Christian values and morals because that is how I was raised.  I love my neighbor, I try not to judge others and if I see someone in need of help I do what I can.  My God does not tell me to take it upon myself to judge, alienate, or punish others for their sins.  My constitution does not tell me to oppress, injure or infringe upon my fellow Americans. 

"Once you attempt legislation upon religious grounds, you open the way for every kind of intolerance and religious persecution." - William Butler Yeats

A Public Trust, Or "So You Want to Run for Office"

I encourage everyone to seriously consider running for public office.  I consider it a duty of our Republic.  I'm not talking Governor or Senator, or even for Congress, but for a local office.  If you don't like  the outlook for the future of our country, it is the single most important action you can take.


How does running for Mayor change the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), or running for Alderman stop the bombing of other countries with drones?


It all begins with a simple step, the first one.  When you decide you want to make a difference, you have to begin somewhere.  The easiest step to take for someone that has never run for office is to run in a local election.


Consider it on-the-job training if you have higher aspirations as mentioned above.  We all demonize politicians and make jokes about the corruption and the lies they tell us.  It's easy to do, I know, I do it all the time.


But there is a sacred trust politicians hold and its a club anyone can join.  Unfortunately, most of the people that consider it a trust are too busy criticizing and trying to change it from the outside.  I say join the club.  Become that politician who tells the truth, rejects the corrupt money, lives and dies by the constitution.  But first, put your training wheels on.
Run for a local office.  Which one?  Does it matter?  Well, yes.


Many offices require certain background requirements, i.e., sheriff may require so many years in law enforcement, a coroner may require a medical background.  Or as you do your research, you may find, as in my town, all you need is an EMT certificate.  Beyond research, I recommend contacting someone who previously held that office.  I DON'T recommend going to an incumbent or your aspirations may be ruined before you start.  Human nature.  Incumbents don't like to help someone that may challenge them later on.  Is there exceptions? Of course, but why chance it when there are so many retired politicians that usually love to share their experience with others.  Few politicians turn down a chance to talk.


Once you have checked out the local city and state laws, you are on your way to changing the world. Well, okay, on your way to deciding if this is something you can do.


There are many steps along the way before you decide and I'll be blogging various tips to help you make that decision, but the first step is the one only you can decide.  It's never too early, either.  Running for office takes a lot of planning and research.  The best campaigns I've worked on were the ones where the candidate did the proper research and preparation beforehand.
As an example of not properly researching:
I ran for congress for the Green Party in Maryland and quickly my boss received a letter from Nancy Pelosi that my Press credentials would be yanked.  My boss explained without my credentials, I'd be out of a job.  I quickly found out that when Fox News (they were heading up the credentialing that year) and Nancy Pelosi (she was still Speaker of the House) team up together, your political career may not exactly work out.
There's a terrific 5 part ebook that gives you guidelines, tips and everything else you need to get started.  How to Win any Election Kit

Also, How to win a Local Election

If you're still reading this, then I hope you'll take that first step. I truly believe that each of us has the power to change the world, and joining in the political process and changing it from the inside out is as important as changing it from the the outside in.

Bare Bumpers by Cloy Richards

I went to a great Kentucky Derby party the other day. There were 200 people in a big horse barn with free beer, sodas, mint juleps, 300 pounds of BBQ meat and side dishes brought by the attendees. We left early, before the live band started.  As I was driving off, I realized that my car, out of the 50 or so vehicles, was the only one with bumper stickers. This piqued my interest and I started looking for cars with bumper stickers.



Cloy Richards, Op-Ed Contributor



Several days later a friend explained that bumper stickers have disappeared primarily because car bumpers are now painted rather than chromed. The paint scrapes off when you scrape off the stickers.

How will the NRA get a gun into everyone’s hands so we can have that well- armed militia to shoot down the missiles as they come cruising in from the Middle-East? How will we stop the government from becoming a dictatorship? Maybe we should investigate the auto industry to make sure this is not a conspiracy.

How will the feminists win their fight for equality now that the ERA is a dead issue? Is this a continuation of the war against women? I wonder if any women were involved in this switchover to painted bumpers?

What about education? How will I know an honor student or baby is on board the SUV in front of me? How will I find out where a driver went to college?

How will anyone know what team you root for? I have Broncos stickers on my car so people will know I’m a Broncos fan. I haven’t seen a single Rams or Chiefs sticker and I’m in Missouri.

How will anyone be able to make a statement about one of the most contentious issues of our time? Will they have to call a truce between the pro-choice and anti-abortion crowd?

Speaking of truce, how will we be able to stop the war, to bring the troops home and fully support them without the daily urging by millions of bumper stickers?

Let’s not forget the politicians. This is a presidential election year. How will I know what the issues are? How will I know who you will vote for? I have yet to see an Obama or Romney sticker.

Maybe Facebook and Twitter have replaced bumper stickers as the advertising platform to let the rest of the world know where we stand on all these things. Maybe we have become such a contentious society that we are afraid to let other people know what we like and what we don’t.

All I know for sure is that it is boring when you are driving some place and all you see around you is

Bare Bumpers.

The Break Down of the Constitution

Article I

The first article of the constitution is a pretty straightforward guide to how our legislature is to be operated.  There is very little up for debate or discussion in this first article, but the few bits and pieces that are, make for some very heated arguments.  In Section 8 the congress is enumerated certain powers.  One of these powers is as follows:

“To coin Money, regulate the Value thereof, and of foreign Coin, and fix the Standard of Weights and Measures”

If the congress is vested with this power, do they have the authority to subcontract this out to a private party, namely the Federal Reserve?

Our forefathers must have thought these enumerated powers to be pretty important to explicitly assign them to the officials elected to represent the best interest of the people.  

What if the congress decided to delegate other powers to unelected parties?

Imagine a committee of the heads of Wal-Mart and Exxon given responsibility for regulating
commerce with foreign nations.

Why not give DynCorp or Academi (Formerly Blackwater USA) the power to declare war?

Why not give me power to borrow money on the credit of the USA?  I promise I’m good for it.

Section. 8.The Congress shall have Power To lay and collect Taxes, Duties, Imposts and Excises, to pay the Debts and provide for the common Defence and general Welfare of the United States; but all Duties, Imposts and Excises shall be uniform throughout the United States;

To borrow Money on the credit of the United States;

To regulate Commerce with foreign Nations, and among the several States, and with the Indian Tribes;

To establish an uniform Rule of Naturalization, and uniform Laws on the subject of Bankruptcies throughout the United States;

To coin Money, regulate the Value thereof, and of foreign Coin, and fix the Standard of Weights and Measures;

To provide for the Punishment of counterfeiting the Securities and current Coin of the United States;

To establish Post Offices and post Roads;

To promote the Progress of Science and useful Arts, by securing for limited Times to Authors and Inventors the exclusive Right to their respective Writings and Discoveries;

To constitute Tribunals inferior to the supreme Court;

To define and punish Piracies and Felonies committed on the high Seas, and Offences against the Law of Nations;

To declare War, grant Letters of Marque and Reprisal, and make Rules concerning Captures on Land and Water;

To raise and support Armies, but no Appropriation of Money to that Use shall be for a longer Term than two Years;

To provide and maintain a Navy;

To make Rules for the Government and Regulation of the land and naval Forces;

To provide for calling forth the Militia to execute the Laws of the Union, suppress Insurrections and repel Invasions;

To provide for organizing, arming, and disciplining, the Militia, and for governing such Part of them as may be employed in the Service of the United States, reserving to the States respectively, the Appointment of the Officers, and the Authority of training the Militia according to the discipline prescribed by Congress;

To exercise exclusive Legislation in all Cases whatsoever, over such District (not exceeding ten Miles square) as may, by Cession of particular States, and the Acceptance of Congress, become the Seat of the Government of the United States, and to exercise like Authority over all Places purchased by the Consent of the Legislature of the State in which the Same shall be, for the Erection of Forts, Magazines, Arsenals, dock-Yards, and other needful Buildings; — And

To make all Laws which shall be necessary and proper for carrying into Execution the foregoing Powers, and all other Powers vested by this Constitution in the Government of the United States, or in any Department or Officer thereof.

Section. 9.The Migration or Importation of such Persons as any of the States now existing shall think proper to admit, shall not be prohibited by the Congress prior to the Year one thousand eight hundred and eight, but a Tax or duty may be imposed on such Importation, not exceeding ten dollars for each Person.

The Privilege of the Writ of Habeas Corpus shall not be suspended, unless when in Cases of Rebellion or Invasion the public Safety may require it.

No Bill of Attainder or ex post facto Law shall be passed.

No Capitation, or other direct, Tax shall be laid, unless in Proportion to the Census or Enumeration herein before directed to be taken.

No Tax or Duty shall be laid on Articles exported from any State.

No Preference shall be given by any Regulation of Commerce or Revenue to the Ports of one State over those of another; nor shall Vessels bound to, or from, one State, be obliged to enter, clear, or pay Duties in another.

No Money shall be drawn from the Treasury, but in Consequence of Appropriations made by Law; and a regular Statement and Account of the Receipts and Expenditures of all public Money shall be published from time to time.

No Title of Nobility shall be granted by the United States: And no Person holding any Office of Profit or Trust under them, shall, without the Consent of the Congress, accept of any present, Emolument, Office, or Title, of any kind whatever, from any King, Prince, or foreign State.

Section. 10.No State shall enter into any Treaty, Alliance, or Confederation; grant Letters of Marque and Reprisal; coin Money; emit Bills of Credit; make any Thing but gold and silver Coin a Tender in Payment of Debts; pass any Bill of Attainder, ex post facto Law, or Law impairing the Obligation of Contracts, or grant any Title of Nobility.

No State shall, without the Consent of the Congress, lay any Imposts or Duties on Imports or Exports, except what may be absolutely necessary for executing it's inspection Laws; and the net Produce of all Duties and Imposts, laid by any State on Imports or Exports, shall be for the Use of the Treasury of the United States; and all such Laws shall be subject to the Revision and Controul of the Congress.

No State shall, without the Consent of Congress, lay any Duty of Tonnage, keep Troops, or Ships of War in time of Peace, enter into any Agreement or Compact with another State, or with a foreign Power, or engage in War, unless actually invaded, or in such imminent Danger as will not admit of delay.