Everyone Bitches

I was just sent a link to an amusing blog: http://empireofjeff.wordpress.com/2014/09/05/the-100-hamburger/

I agree with his attitude...  and the premise.  

But, like every other conservative who's angry at liberals, he's actually missing the bigger problem with the economy.  

The increasing cost of goods is not due to increased labor costs.   Of course there's an impact, but that's actually not the big problem.   The increasing cost of goods is due to increased real estate costs and increased fuel costs.  Additionally, large corporations are able to reduce costs with automation of every damn thing added to optimization of manufacturing and off shoring.  

It means that joe blow uneducated guy is competing with recent college graduates for that same burger flipping job, because jobs that pay the bills just aren't available.  

The unemployment rate is far higher than the stats will show because just about everyone making less than 60 grand a year is under employed, not to mention the fact that 60 grand used to be a good salary. Now, for anyone making that or less is barely scraping by.  

I agree that there are too many people in this country that have their hand out and expect someone else to solve their problems.  

But bitching about those folks is NOT the solution.  

The banks have more control than ever.  Why?

- money became "cheap" in the 90's and real estate prices outpaced income growth by 3 times over a ten year period. 

- in that same span, college tuition has significantly outpaced income. 

And the fed's response?   Make money easier to borrow.  

And the banks' answer?   THANK YOU VERY MUCH.  

So we spend more and more money on real estate (residential and commercial). We spend more and more on college tuition, which has an increasingly bad return on investment as jobs are harder to find.  

Public companies no longer function for customers or employees, they function for shareholders.   

Even non-profits like many hospitals end up with increased virtual costs due to the expectation if bond-holders for capital improvement projects.  

Are there good for nothing's out there who don't deserve more than the minimum wage?

Yeah.  Probably.  

Have unions outlived their usefulness?

For the most part, yes.  Unions are now as corrupt and political and generally as ineffective as the morons in Washington.  Do some people need the protection of unions?   Yes.  But there are VERY few unions that effectively protect their members.  

But the real problem is not with the folks on the ground.  It's not with illegal immigrants stealing all the jobs that no self-respecting American would dare stoop to perform (please note tongue firmly in cheek).  The real problem is the banks and pretty much everyone in Wall Street which has turned otherwise functional companies into irrational and desperate Scrooge's.  

And lest I be accused of being a liberal and a supporter of the idiot in chief, I am not.  Liberals refuse to admit that Democrats are in the money as much as Republicants.  With all due respect Mr. President, it's time you grew a set and started acting presidential.  The next time you whine about how the Republicans are gumming up the works, im gonna throw a brick at my TV.   

Grow some stones.  Stop pointing fingers and negotiate compromise.  Stop listening to the polls and stop checking with your inept White House staff.    YOU sir are in charge.   

Do your job and stop giving us shit to bitch about.