I knew inequality happened when I received an email from the social security administration today that praised the tax breaks of the current administration. Anyway I remember 1976 as a young teenager, there was red white and blue everywhere. 76 edition cars and license plates decorations everywhere. The celebration seems subdued for the 250 and most of the festivities revolve around a bankrupt felon. We must unite and make America great again, happy anniversary to all Americans
But, but, but Trump has been saying his economy is so great and we are all making so much money in our 401Ks! Seriously, how many working people do you know have a 401K? How many people who work for small businesses, the largest employer category, even know what a 401K is? Trump has always lived in an entitled bubble and is so delusional about hard working Americans.
In light of this story, I feel like doing a crazy thing like going to a restaurant, and when the waitperson comes over, tipping them twenty dollars and then leaving.
Why when you eat out, tip in cash and hand it to waitstaff. Owners and managers have been known to take tips or not turn over what's on credit cards.
BTW, because of the hard to trace cash income, these workers are often subjected to IRS audits. They could be <gasp> tax cheats! Lessers cannot be allowed the same privileges as 1%ers, right?
Democracy is Self-Government. Self-Government is Political Freedom!
RICK OSBOURNE (edited)
Democracy is all about self-government (a government of the people, by the people, and for the people). And self-government is just another way to say “Political Freedom!” In this sense, democracy, self-government, and political freedom all belong in the same sentence. When you have one, you effectively have the others in the process.
In the words of President Abraham Lincoln, “As I would not be a slave, so I would not be a master. This expresses my idea of democracy. Whatever differs from this, to the extent of the difference, IS NOT A DEMOCRACY.”
The late, great University of Chicago philosopher Dr. Mortimer Adler asks, “How can you make people citizens if they’re dependent on the arbitrary will of other people for their subsistence?”
And to boil this line of thought down even further, Dr. Norman G. Kurland simply asks, “Do you want to own? Or do you want to be owned?”
In other words, people who own enough income-producing capital such as stocks, real estate, machinery, copyrights, patents, etc., don’t depend on someone else to put food on the table, a roof over their heads, and clothes on their backs. Economically speaking, they are free.
All that said, over the past half century, wealth and power have become so concentrated in the hands of so few (the top 1% own and control more wealth/power than the bottom 90% combined) that America has devolved into what can only be described as an oligarchy, a government of the people, by the wealthy, and for the wealthy. Democracy is being strangled. Self-government is being suffocated. And political freedom is being suppressed.
In that light, the question becomes, how can we SYSTEMATICALLY re-orient America’s ship of state in such a way that we can salvage what is left of democracy, what’s left of self-government, what’s left of political freedom that has historically been associated with the USA? The answer to that question can be found in a strategy that systematically counters concentrated wealth and power without creating more government debt.
All the hoopla about the number of new jobs added, but no discussion about the average pay of those jobs. If the wages are not living wages, then it doesn’t matter. People who are employed shouldn’t have to rely on food stamps and welfare to survive.
I read the link to the history of tipping--it comes out of post Civil War Southern racism!!! This is from EPI (Econ Policy Institute) whose work I highly recommend. I didn't know that history and I've worked in restaurants and hotels.
As a hotel engineer (meaning I did electrical, plumbing, HVAC, door mechanisms, painting, etc.) I was an activist with the Hotel Employees and Restaurant Employees Union (H.E.R.E.) local 8 Seattle. Given my political background, in the early '90s I went with a union delegation to the state capitol in Olympia to testify about the tip credit bill. It was to allow owners to pay half min wage for tipped employees, meaning for the most part the waitstaff. I did the math; the amount saved per employee was $12.06 per day. If a marginally competent manager or owner can't find a way to budget for that, they shouldn't be in the business. I pointed out this was no more than reverse Robin Hood.
The kicker was two well-known D party donors, one who owned upscale restaurants and one a "progressive" who owned vegan restaurants, were the big names behind the bill.
I always tip in cash. I used to waitress & work at fast food places for a while in my youth. My motto: if you can't afford to tip, you shouldn't eat out
Trumpolini and his invertebrate Trumpkins(GOP) just can't do enough for their corporate masters.To snare the unsuspecting bigots, they demonized the politically powerless immigrants...hence ICE.
Trumpolini's presidency,has netted him over $two billion ...so far.How about us?Just a bill for his war.
I knew inequality happened when I received an email from the social security administration today that praised the tax breaks of the current administration. Anyway I remember 1976 as a young teenager, there was red white and blue everywhere. 76 edition cars and license plates decorations everywhere. The celebration seems subdued for the 250 and most of the festivities revolve around a bankrupt felon. We must unite and make America great again, happy anniversary to all Americans
But, but, but Trump has been saying his economy is so great and we are all making so much money in our 401Ks! Seriously, how many working people do you know have a 401K? How many people who work for small businesses, the largest employer category, even know what a 401K is? Trump has always lived in an entitled bubble and is so delusional about hard working Americans.
In light of this story, I feel like doing a crazy thing like going to a restaurant, and when the waitperson comes over, tipping them twenty dollars and then leaving.
Why when you eat out, tip in cash and hand it to waitstaff. Owners and managers have been known to take tips or not turn over what's on credit cards.
BTW, because of the hard to trace cash income, these workers are often subjected to IRS audits. They could be <gasp> tax cheats! Lessers cannot be allowed the same privileges as 1%ers, right?
Democracy is Self-Government. Self-Government is Political Freedom!
RICK OSBOURNE (edited)
Democracy is all about self-government (a government of the people, by the people, and for the people). And self-government is just another way to say “Political Freedom!” In this sense, democracy, self-government, and political freedom all belong in the same sentence. When you have one, you effectively have the others in the process.
In the words of President Abraham Lincoln, “As I would not be a slave, so I would not be a master. This expresses my idea of democracy. Whatever differs from this, to the extent of the difference, IS NOT A DEMOCRACY.”
The late, great University of Chicago philosopher Dr. Mortimer Adler asks, “How can you make people citizens if they’re dependent on the arbitrary will of other people for their subsistence?”
And to boil this line of thought down even further, Dr. Norman G. Kurland simply asks, “Do you want to own? Or do you want to be owned?”
In other words, people who own enough income-producing capital such as stocks, real estate, machinery, copyrights, patents, etc., don’t depend on someone else to put food on the table, a roof over their heads, and clothes on their backs. Economically speaking, they are free.
All that said, over the past half century, wealth and power have become so concentrated in the hands of so few (the top 1% own and control more wealth/power than the bottom 90% combined) that America has devolved into what can only be described as an oligarchy, a government of the people, by the wealthy, and for the wealthy. Democracy is being strangled. Self-government is being suffocated. And political freedom is being suppressed.
In that light, the question becomes, how can we SYSTEMATICALLY re-orient America’s ship of state in such a way that we can salvage what is left of democracy, what’s left of self-government, what’s left of political freedom that has historically been associated with the USA? The answer to that question can be found in a strategy that systematically counters concentrated wealth and power without creating more government debt.
Check out this podcast presentation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GBz0UE_K4To
Here is a presentation of the Economic Democracy Act: https://www.cesj.org/learn/economic-democracy-act/overview/
More information is available at www.cesj.org.
All the hoopla about the number of new jobs added, but no discussion about the average pay of those jobs. If the wages are not living wages, then it doesn’t matter. People who are employed shouldn’t have to rely on food stamps and welfare to survive.
I read the link to the history of tipping--it comes out of post Civil War Southern racism!!! This is from EPI (Econ Policy Institute) whose work I highly recommend. I didn't know that history and I've worked in restaurants and hotels.
As a hotel engineer (meaning I did electrical, plumbing, HVAC, door mechanisms, painting, etc.) I was an activist with the Hotel Employees and Restaurant Employees Union (H.E.R.E.) local 8 Seattle. Given my political background, in the early '90s I went with a union delegation to the state capitol in Olympia to testify about the tip credit bill. It was to allow owners to pay half min wage for tipped employees, meaning for the most part the waitstaff. I did the math; the amount saved per employee was $12.06 per day. If a marginally competent manager or owner can't find a way to budget for that, they shouldn't be in the business. I pointed out this was no more than reverse Robin Hood.
The kicker was two well-known D party donors, one who owned upscale restaurants and one a "progressive" who owned vegan restaurants, were the big names behind the bill.
Dear Jim, Why couldn't you have been our US President?!! That would be wonderful!! We have always needed you -- and still do.
I always tip in cash. I used to waitress & work at fast food places for a while in my youth. My motto: if you can't afford to tip, you shouldn't eat out
Trumpolini and his invertebrate Trumpkins(GOP) just can't do enough for their corporate masters.To snare the unsuspecting bigots, they demonized the politically powerless immigrants...hence ICE.
Trumpolini's presidency,has netted him over $two billion ...so far.How about us?Just a bill for his war.