Well, now we know how Obamacare is going to be paid for...

[floplag]

Nice 1 Triilion tax increase.. thanks Dems

[Jason]

The funny thing is that the voters knew this would happen and still re-elected him.

[TennAngelsFan]

Americans are buying thicker mattresses to hide assets. This just might be what's wrong with the economy. Fear at what they are going to do next.

[arch stanton]

It passed the Senate. No chance it passes the House. That aside, let's talk tax increases.

 

The stock market is soaring, corporate profits are through the roof because they cut their costs by limiting their labor cost. They outsource and cut benefits to keep their profitability up. The people you elect with the understanding that they will represent your interests are owned and operated by mega-merged conglomerates of what used to be a somewhat free enterprise system.

 

So, a) bring back the good jobs with decent pay and benefits, b ) accept a huge tax increase to offset the cost of supporting the workers who can no longer support themselves on your wages c) continue to own and operate the US government as your personal pawns and screw the anyone or anything that gets in your way.

 

I'm guessing they choose c.

[bdavis621]

Gone are the days when our government actually cared about its people.

[floplag]

oh the governemnt cares about people, just not those within its borders unless they are wealthy enoug to sway elections.

 

there is zero chance that decades worth of off shoring can suddenly be just brought back... it shoukd have been stopped long ago.  the only answer now would be to make it cost less to bring them back and rebuild here, a la more corporate tax breaks, than to continue to do it, and that is simply not possible under the watchful eyes of obamacare and that nasty old minimum wage which is still not even close to the poverty line.

[arch stanton]

They're gonna get a big incentive this year. They're gonna get huge labor cost reductions by making a few million more workers available to flood the market.

[Jason]

But then the stupid unions will rear their ugly heads and make it unprofitable to hire more American workers.

[arch stanton]

Yes. American workers should ensure record corporate profits and only demand the same standard of living that Chinese workers enjoy.

[floplag]

But then the stupid unions will rear their ugly heads and make it unprofitable to hire more American workers.

unions jumped the shark long ago, they care nothing for their people and only for their pwn power.

that having been said the minimum wage is a patheic joke that cant sustain even a single person living in their parents basement so its rather moot anyway

[Jason]

Yes. American workers should ensure record corporate profits and only demand the same standard of living that Chinese workers enjoy.

Not what I said. Unions are never happy and make unreasonable demands. Just look at the California teacher's retirement system being $64 billion in the hole. Unions have politicians by the short and curlies.

[Glen]

When people complain about unions for some reason they rarely mention the prison worker's union and the prison industry in general (and make no mistake, it's a booming industry).  We always hear about teacher's union, though.  

[Spirit]

When people complain about unions for some reason they rarely mention the prison worker's union and the prison industry in general (and make no mistake, it's a booming industry).  We always hear about teacher's union, though.  

 

The Teachers Union runs more commercials at election time then the Prison Unions do. 

[arch stanton]

Not what I said. Unions are never happy and make unreasonable demands. Just look at the California teacher's retirement system being $64 billion in the hole. Unions have politicians by the short and curlies.

Are you implying that teachers don't deserve a pension? 

[Jason]

When people complain about unions for some reason they rarely mention the prison worker's union and the prison industry in general (and make no mistake, it's a booming industry).  We always hear about teacher's union, though.  

In California the Correctional Officer's union is just as bad or worse. All those COs with the 3% @50 is going to wreck this economy further.  I mentioned the teacher's because of the $64 Billion issue that was just announced.

[Jason]

Are you implying that teachers don't deserve a pension? 

Not if it brings the California economy to halt because the state is on the hook for the majority of it.

[HaloMagic]

Who else would be on the hook for the pension of a teacher?

[arch stanton]

Not if it brings the California economy to halt because the state is on the hook for the majority of it.

Is it the pensions that are breaking the state or is it the payouts to people who don't actually spend their adult lives working?

[Jason]

Is it the pensions that are breaking the state or is it the payouts to people who don't actually spend their adult lives working?

Both

[Jason]

Who else would be on the hook for the pension of a teacher?

I don't see why employees, especially public ones shouldn't be responsible for their own retirement with a smaller contribution from their employer. Regardless, something needs to be done with the pensions.

[arch stanton]

So who should pay for teacher pensions?

[Jason]

The worker contributes a higher percentage while the state/county contributes less. Also the retirement age would have to be higher (62). That would help.

[mtangelsfan]

This is the problem with public employee pensions.   A little money here, a lotta of money there to the right people and like magic, you have some of the best pensions out there.  Most companies do not offer those kind of pensions for their employees.

[Jason]

I am a county employee but I also believe that public employees work for the citizens not the other way around.

[arch stanton]

Speaking of teachers and prisons, maybe if California spent more on education, including teacher salaries and pensions, they wouldn't have to spend $8 billion to incarcerate 167,000 people. It's the circle jerk of government folly. Follow your money to the groups with the best group of former elected officials turned lobbyist.