Daily Archives: January 11, 2014

Politics

Obama’s TPP Problems

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Obama’s TPP Problems
by Matt

Obama has gotten himself into a pickle, hoping to sneak through the TPP trade agreement. However, no matter how bad the prior agreements have been, this one has many poison pill requirements that many people are openly opposing the agreement.

If this agreement goes through, it will be a black mark on Obama’s legacy and has the potential to overshadow any good that he is able to walk away with as his eight years as president.

The congress just introduced Fast Track authority for Obama to slam this through without discussion and without exposing the bill to the public. Fortunately the public already has a good handle on what is in the bill and what harm it can do to America.

Hey, Obama, wash your hands of the TPP. It’ll only burn you and if, by some chance it passes, it’ll burn America.

Let’s all keep active on this issue and put it in its grave. A good place to go to join the TPP opposition is the PDAmerica group.

 

Politics

No More Wal-Marts

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No More Wal-Marts
by Matt

Wal-Mart is planning to open a new store in Reno/Sparks, Nevada. This is wrong and we must stop it.

Start by visiting the website, Not Another Sparks Walmarts, and getting the low down.

But even if you don’t care what goes on in Nevada, you can still join the cause. America does not need any more Walmarts. They are not good for America and not good for American workers. Americans tax payers pick up the bill for their poor wages and lack of benefits because most Walmart workers require tax paid benefits to survive.

Nevada’s wages are already low enough.

Does America really need yet another Walmart?

Finance, Labor, Politics

Nevada’s Booming Economy and Right to Work for Less

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Nevada’s Booming Economy
by
David Schlecht

This morning’s news reports that Nevada’s wages in the second quarter of 2013 were the highest ever. Wow, Nevada must be just booming. Imagine, they’re getting paid the highest EVER. You might want to give up your mediocre job in whatever state you live in and move to Nevada.

But wait. Let’s look at those numbers.

2011 Wkly Wage Pct chg
Q1 802
Q2 816 1.7%
Q3 845 3.4%
Q4 852 0.8%
2012
Q1 846 -0.7%
Q2 815 -3.8%
Q3 820 0.6%
Q4 877 6.5%
2013
Q1 844 -3.9%
Q2 829 -1.8%
Q3
Q4

So, over the past 2 1/2 years, a Nevadan’s wages went up a measly 3% During that same time period, inflation went up 6.8%.

In other words, the average Nevadan’s wages were reduced by 4%. In other words, Nevada lost $829 X .04 or $33 a week or $1,716 per year.

This is quite the opposite of what the worthless news media is reporting.

Worse, still, is that the “average” wages is a worthless number because it makes one think that wages on the “average” person has gone up but in reality the average person’s wages went down while the wages of the top 1% of wage earners went up by a greater number. These reports need to report the “mean”, not the “average” The “mean” value is the value where half the population makes more than that number and half of the people make less. This number is going down even though the average is going up.

One reason Nevada’s wages are so miserably low is that we are a “right to work for less” state. In other words, we’re not too smart when it comes to governing ourselves. Having said that, let me finish by saying that I am seeing Nevada coming to our senses. We are now majority Democratic and the majority are getting involved in the political process. Maybe we can reverse this “right to work” nonsense.