This is such an explosive topic. First of all, I am a UAW member that works in a Japanese owned auto plant, and I do drive forklifts from time to time and I am sorry, but I would have to get my a$$ off of the forklift to move an extension cord. There are a lot of things bad about unions but allot of good also. As far as politics go, I used to vote almost exclusively republican, but now I dont know who I will vote for. Both the reps and the dems are all CROOKS. Our government sold us out to the highest bidder (lobbyists). If you are an outsider you will not be elected because of a lack of money, so only the people that go along with the system get in. I think the movie 'the distinguished gentleman' is more documentary than comedy. Our government was supposed to be made up of a cross section of the people. Lawyers comprise the executive branch, the judicial branch and I think the number is something like 90% of the legislative branch. They make laws that create more laws that create more jobs for lawyers (I know there are lawyers on this board- Please don't take offense. I don't hate the players...just the game.) All the frivilous lawsuits are dragging our companies down more than any union ever has. Everytime my company gets sued by some bunch of people who don't want to work for a living, they pay just to keep their name out of the newspaper. I work alongside people who raped my company for $300k and I am expected to treat them like we are best friends, or I can face discipline. Healthcare is hurting our companies more than any other cost. My company pays my family's medical insurance- about $600 per month and going up over 10% per year. But what do you expect when you have a food supply that is industrialized to the point that we grind up dogs and cats and feed them to cattle and pigs. Or that we give a flouride to kids, yes the same flouride that the Nazis used for mind control. Or instead of using good old fashioned sugar, we consume millions of gallons of 'high fructose corn syrup' , or aspartame the ingredient in nutrasweet here Remember- you are what you eat. Alan Greenspan does not work for taxpayers, he is the chairman of the federal reserve which is a group of privately owned banks that control our money, and have no concern for the financial well being of our country (they make more money with additional federal debt). I am going to quit my rant now, because I could go on and on. But my opinion of why our country is in the conditon that it is in, is that we have lost our morals in this country, and we have turned our back on God and so he is closing his eyes and ears to us.
This has been an interesting read to say the least. I read an article a few weeks back that put my thoughts to words but don't remember where it was. Democracy has a history of failing and history is repeating itself. The problem with democracy is that the voters learn that they can vote things or earnings to themselves to the point where no one wants to pay for what they are getting. If you have the oportunity to vote a tax cut for yourself would you do it, if you had the oportunity to vote yourself free healthcare would you do it. The answer is yes, most people will vote for any personal gain they can get and don't pay much attention to how they will get the benefit only that they do get it. Now with everyone voting for themself who is left to pay for it. The companies that have to pay for most of the cost through whatever channel they decide have to make more profit just to break even after all of the tax on tax on tax on tax........... which is unconstitutional by the way. With the current trend of voting for personal improvment the whole will suffer until fail and return to dictatorship where many things will back up by 100 years and begin to straighten back out. Democracy is a wonderful idea with many hidden flaws. I have a reply that would take me all day to write so I will only give a very condensed version. Our country is dying because of pleasures not inefficiency. Who needs a heated seat in their car, who needs GPS or onstar to get through life. As we start to ask for more crazy options through our life and expect to pay a fair price for them the quality suffers or people who can't afford the products themselves have to build them for us. Where other then North America can a dumb kid that couldn't get into college because he was too stupid make 10 million a year to dribble a basketball. Where else could a talentless hosebag dance half naked for 20 million a year. And why would anyone be dumb enough to put up with it. How many average paid Americans does it take to pay for each one of these entertainers and why can't we find someone to do nearly the same job for less than 10% of what these people make. Learn to drive an old car instead of a new one every 2-3 years, learn to live in a modest house and learn to open the front door and meet your neighbor for entertainment instead of paying $100 to see Shaq be big and tall for aprox. 40 million a year after wages and endorsements. China and Mexico are not going to pay for these benefits so they don't have to charge for them. If we all wait long enough the other countries will probably end up being as selfish as us and we will be able to compete again, until then try to do your part to make life as good as it can be with what you have. If being an employee is such a bad deal start your own business and make what you are really worth, I did and have no employees because they are too hard to please (me included). Please don't take this personal, this is as much my wake up call as making one for anyone else.
Hi All, I have seen the decline of manufacuring for the past couple of years and it keeps getting worse. We ship so much product to Mexico and other countries I can bearly keep up with the paperwork. When I started at my job 12 years ago, we sent one shipment to Canada and that was it. Has anyone seen the trade deficit lately? Since 1995 it has changed by like 40%! Oh, but productivity is up in the U.S(they say)., because we are all working more with less help since so many have loss their jobs. I think its all about greed. I always try to buy American because everything made overseas is low quality and seems to break. Many companies we deal with are slow and they keep saying the same thing..Mexico, China,etc. Anyone tried to buy a pair of sneakers not made in China? Even Levi Strauss(since 1873) moved their last US plant overseas this year. Can you imagine if they made Harley's there? (I think I'm gona hurl). Great to read all your thoughts guys. At least my Buick was made here and is still here after 37 years thanks to Americans and the pride they have! Mark
Man you guys are right on the money. I wish i could express myself in the written word as well as those who posted. It seems that we all know what the problem is, but how can you do anything about it except vote?
I can't always express myself too well either, but I will say this. It's high time we stop giving tax breaks to companies to stay here only to leave anyway when the free ride is over. Corporate welfare is at an all time high and the working people all work for less money but have to foot the bill for employers in the form of higher taxes to pay for all these free rides.:af:
two hundred years ago the people and the govt were equally armed and our forefathers had a cure for these things. today the govt has us outgunned and if someone were to try to bring about real change, the govt would just kill em. waco & ruby ridge come to mind. they will brand the trouble makers as home grown terrorists. history books list those kind as being freedom fighters, but remember, the winners get to write the history books. i am not advocating anything, except staying within the law. henry
big brother is everywhere. like i say, i advocate staying within the law. question is, do i say that because i think that, or because the G man may be watching ? i totally agree with your post about corporate welfare. this thread is getting hot , we have talk of jail, etc. lets all think fast and type slow. henry
I think what might be a solution is to get an individual that has the same beliefs and morals as we do and try to get them elected president. If we could get small donations from all the small manufactures and other businesses, plus personal donations from us and a few lottery winners, we can make something happen. After hearing CNN saying the economy is good, but people aren't working is because the foreigners are the ones doing this. If a majority of the large companies workforce is in Mexico or China and the Dow Jones stock market is based off the earnings of those large companies, then the foreigners are running our country. One of us need to win the powerball and use that money for financing a candidate for President of the United States.
legal change is the only way to go. anything else will bring severe hardship and make things far worse. henry
Unions when they were started were necessary .When they were instituted, the union reps worked next to the rest of the employees. The problem arose in the late 60s and early 70s, whem they grew strong enough ,and the the companies involved were complacement enough to allow the unions to dictate policy to the company. GM had 50% market share, and they said" we will give you what you want and raise our product price". The union then set up offices and they did not work for the company anymore, but they were stilll payed by them The reps seemed to think that they had to protect every drunk, and all the malingerers and not the poor slob that was doing his job. I worked 37 years as a union employee, and the last few, I was almost ashamed to admit it. The union is now trying to save itself, but they still are protecting some people that should be out on their ear! They have alcohol abuse and drug abuse programs that leave people working that should not be on ANY job. Dennis said it much better than I did, but I had to add my .02
