Showing posts with label Andrew Puzder. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Andrew Puzder. Show all posts

Wednesday, December 28, 2016

Minimum wage increases to depend on local governments



Twenty-one states and twenty-two cities are increasing the minimum wage while Donald Trump's selected Secretary of Labor, Andrew Puzder, is a longtime critic of the concept. He's the guy who heads up fast food chains, Hardee's and Carl's Jr., so those of you out there who are minimum wage increase advocates might want to avoid these eateries. Try McDonalds or Burger King. In the case of one state, Arizona, where I live, they are fighting the minimum wage bill that passed in November, blaming it on the harm it will do to the state's health care system, which is pure bullshit.

The Arizona Republic claims that is only a smoke screen to cover the fact that businesses just don't want the minimum wage increased. I have lived in Arizona for over 20 years and this state has always been the backward state of the Union, all because it is and has been under Republican control for years. But that may be changing. In the state increases, some are piddly, like five or ten cents an hour, with others higher. Arizona voted $10 and hour, the biggest of all at 24%. In my judgment, that is a reaction by Progressives, finally coming out of the woodwork, to the long GOP control here.

CNN Money says...
"In the absence of action from Congress in terms of raising the federal minimum wage, which has remained at $7.25 since 2009, states and localities have taken matters into their own hands."
The restaurant industry is also a critic of raising the minimum wage, which is allowed to pay a minimum of $2.13 an hour, if the salary combined with tips equals the federal minimum wage of $7.25. Anyone who doesn't think that is poverty wage--and apparently Andrew Puzder doesn't and if he does, he simply doesn't care--is completely without compassion. But then, that would describe the majority of the Republican Party, particularly its new leader, Donald Trump. My guess is, though, some of these unfortunates even voted for Trump with hope that will never be realized. 

Tuesday, December 27, 2016

God forbid I might agree with Trump


I am all for creating jobs, something Progressives make a major priority in their ideology. Donald Trump spewed how he would help the working man during his 2016 campaign then picked Andrew Puzder as his Labor Secretary. Puzder is against sick leave, expanding overtime pay, wants to repeal Obamacare and most of all, is reluctant over raising the minimum wage. But that's not what this post is all about. If Lockheed is screwing the U.S. government in the building of the F-35, and it would appear they agree to a change, I am for correcting this, even if it means the loss of some jobs.

146,000 jobs, both within Lockheed and its suppliers, is what the company estimates are the number that depend on the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter program. The incoming U.S. president says, "...due to the "tremendous cost and cost overruns of the Lockheed Martin F-35 I have asked Boeing to price-out a comparable" fighter jet to possibly replace the F-35." Here's how Marilyn Hewson, CEO of Lockheed responded...
She had a "..."very good conversation" with Trump Friday, the day after he tweeted that he was considering replacing the costly F-35 Joint Strike Fighter with a modified version of a cheaper jet. I've heard his message loud and clear about reducing the cost of the F-35. I gave him my personal commitment to drive the cost down aggressively. We're ready to deliver."
So, what does that mean in terms of the new aircraft she had in mind in relation to the F-35? Did Lockheed overprice the F-35 to begin with? Were the overruns just for the purpose of jacking up the price? Was the F-35 allowed to continue overpriced and with overruns just to bring revenue to states like Texas and California? Or, is this all just a continuation of the cooperative efforts between big business and Congress to bring pork to the states to get representatives and Senators re-elected and fill the greedy coffers of corporations? You be the judge. Check out this YouTube video...



But what will a cheaper version of the F-35 mean to the men flying it? Will it be as effective, have the same armor plate protection, run on the latest technology, and there are even more questions? And yet another question arises, why didn't they build the less expensive version in the first place? Did Lockheed propose the over-priced model and Congress approved it because of the political donations from Lockheed? Bingo! $2.6 million dollars to be sure. The majority spread around Republicans can have an amazing effect on people's decisions.

So, back to having to agree with a psychopathic lunatic. Yes, if a cheaper F-15 is just as effective, just as well armored with the latest technology, I am in favor of building that and getting rid of the other version. Sorry for the jobs but this is probably a major reason for the size of the U.S. budget.

However, why do I keep feeling there is something here that will end up in Donald Trump's pocket?

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