Balta1701

QUOTE (Tex @ Nov 22, 2013 -> 02:19 PM) yeah, they may have a lot of money to spend. And if it hits mid January, they may have no one left to spend it on.

The OF?

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Nov 22, 2013 -> 01:43 PM) @AndrewMarchand A-Rod Hearing is over. Decision likely mid-to--late December or early January. The longer this drags on the more it hurts the Yankees.

QUOTE (Y2HH @ Nov 22, 2013 -> 10:21 AM) I'm not really opposed to this or for it. I just think it's a shortsighted mistake for democratic voters to be happy about this change. There will come a time that this is used against them, and when that time comes, they'll be singing a much different tune. This is typical loving a rule when it favors you now, and not thinking that there will come a day that it favors your opponent. And it didn't stop the wars because both parties voted for the wars before they voted against them (after their votes were in saying yes, no less). The one thing that I really would fear is the Republicans getting all 3 and enacting the Ryan budget...but because that's a budget, there is already a 50 vote maneuver to get around the filibuster for that if they had all 3, so it wouldn't really matter.

QUOTE (Y2HH @ Nov 22, 2013 -> 10:13 AM) I think that filibuster still exists...I think this is for NON supreme justices only. But the threat of "getting rid of it even more" doesn't seem too strong when it didn't stop those guys, it didn't stop the wars, it didn't stop the tax policy of the last administration, etc. At the very least, this makes it possible to fire Kathleen Sebelius.

QUOTE (Jake @ Nov 22, 2013 -> 10:06 AM) I'm going to think that whoever the next R POTUS nominates sucks. Let's put that out there. If I like 1 out of 10 appointments from the next Republican POTUS, that will really be something. I know that he or she will not be appointing liberals, so I see no need for my hypothetically minority party to be able to completely f*** up that process. If the appointee is really so horrible, people in the majority party will oppose the appointment as well -- and we will all have to do it out in the open. Having the Filibuster didn't stop Roberts or Alito from getting onto the court.

QUOTE (Y2HH @ Nov 22, 2013 -> 09:59 AM) I again say the same thing to you, while this favors your party now, there will be a day it doesn't...and then you'll be crying that the minority party has no power. The only reason you are for this, is because you're a democrat. If the republicans were in the senate majority right now and did this, you'd be singing a different tune. And you know it. The remarkable thing is that there are so many other ways to gum up the process which have been deployed over the last few years...it'll take the next step of the Republicans taking the Senate and removing more of the filibuster just to bring the senate back to basic funcionality.

QUOTE (Jake @ Nov 22, 2013 -> 09:09 AM) Who's DH'ing down there? I'd expect Fielder to get a lot of time there given Texas's weather.

Has anyone noted that this trade probably removes the most likely potential landing place for Dunn?

QUOTE (raBBit @ Nov 22, 2013 -> 02:13 AM) I know his contract isn't right for the timeframe but Colby Rasmus would fit perfectly on this team. Unfocused guys who have a reputation for mental errors, sloppy performance, and being difficult to coach?

QUOTE (RockRaines @ Nov 21, 2013 -> 09:32 PM) Whoa http://deadspin.com/jameis-winston-isnt-th...teac-1467707410 I might damn well know one or two of those guys. Though of one in particular in there.

QUOTE (elrockinMT @ Nov 21, 2013 -> 09:43 PM) There is sure some overpaying for middle of the road talent so far That's one of the only 2 things available on the Fa market these days. That or huge priced talent. In either case it ought to be the guy you think you need to put you over the top. You might find bargains in Jan and Feb.

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QUOTE (DukeNukeEm @ Nov 21, 2013 -> 07:58 PM) Its funny isnt it, the electoral mandate now trumps everything whereas during the last administration it meant nothing. Yeah. I mean, that's why the last administration was so hesitant about advancing policies like huge upper class tax cuts or insane wars during their first term. After all they lost the popular vote, it was only fair.

QUOTE (NorthSideSox72 @ Nov 21, 2013 -> 04:27 PM) Beware small sample size. Still though, very encouraging. The tools have always been there. If he starts 2014 in AAA for a few months and hits like he did in the AFL, he could very quickly rocket up prospect boards. That said, for me, he still needs to have that increased contact rate and average trend in AAA for those few months before I consider him more than a fringe guy. Yeah small sample size, but I don't think he even had a week like that all year. Maybe in a year and a half.

QUOTE (Stan Bahnsen @ Nov 21, 2013 -> 04:43 PM) Catcher or lefty reliever. They can always clear spots out later if they want, but it makes sense to have your 40 man roster full or at 39 when the Rule 5 happens to protect as many as you can and leave yourself an opening if you want to pick someone up. If they want to sign someone later, they can find people to drop.

QUOTE (BigHurt3515 @ Nov 21, 2013 -> 04:49 PM) Freese has played 2 full seasons, not like he has 6 or 7 to go off of. One pretty good year and one bad. Like I said he has an injury filled past too so you can't really say "injury-plagued year." He will always have some injuries going on. He still managed to play 138 games this year, only 6 more then the previous year. 2 full seasons for a guy described as nearly 30 doesn't sound positive?

QUOTE (Y2HH @ Nov 21, 2013 -> 03:01 PM) Yes, but in the meantime you just forced many more poor people, especially minorities into unemployment, because the jobs they'd otherwise get are now being taken by higher skilled, more intelligent college kids. That doesn't solve the problem you were attempting to solve. That assumes though that there's a large number of college kids who aren't taking jobs because they don't pay quite enough. I don't imagine that number is significant compared with, for example, the number of people who work minimum wage jobs.

QUOTE (Y2HH @ Nov 21, 2013 -> 02:54 PM) I think drastically increasing the minimum wage would simply assure that companies hire more white people and less minorities in which the law is intended to benefit most, which is Friedmans point. They will simply attempt to hire higher skilled workers that the new wage justifies. College kids would be more likely to take these jobs they'd otherwise pass on if the minimum wage was jacked to 15-20$. And the people it was actually intended to help, it would harm further. There's another way to look at that though...if college students are able to make better wages in part-time positions, they are out of debt sooner, they're better able to afford to start households, they're able to start businesses or find long-term jobs of their own, which in turn creates more of those positions. I get what MF is saying there and as I said if you pushed to $15 maybe he starts becoming right, but in the current situation that's just not going to happen. You're not going to push a substantial number of people out of the work force with a $10 minimum wage because the positions that pay those rock-bottom wages right now don't take extreme skill levels anyway - if they did they'd have to offer higher wages. The only things that could change that relationship would be if you pushed the wage so high that additional automation became more cost-effective.

QUOTE (Iwritecode @ Nov 21, 2013 -> 02:34 PM) Raising minimum wage is a good idea in theory but there may be some unintended consequences. If it goes up to 10 or 12/hour, what do we do about all the people with quite a few years of experience who are making less than that? Is it fair that they make the same amount as someone with no experience? How many small businesses would be forced to close or lay off employees because they couldn't afford that much of an increase? 1. Generally, I believe a person with significant experience making $9 an hour would probably be happy with the raise. 2. We haven't tried spiking the minimum wage up to $15 or anything like that, but there is a lot of economic research on the subject and it basically finds that there's very little impact on the job market from the minimum wage hikes we've done. There are probably a few jobs lost yes, but at the same time people on minimum wage are able to purchase more goods and services, leading to creation of jobs as well. If you're going to push the minimum wage too far, like $20 an hour or something like that you're correct and you might well reach a point where you're overwhelming that effect and just making it impossible to hire people, but the change in employment associated with minimum wage hikes winds up being within the noise by almost every credible study. Worth adding...we actually have a very low minimum wage compared to comparable countries in the developed world and we also have a very low rate of formation of new small businesses. Having a low minimum wage does not currently get us more small businesses than the UK, France or Germany, we get fewer. I contend that a much larger cause of that issue is health care costs - people who might start small business don't do so because they'd have to give up their health insurance to do so, leaving them "job locked".

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Nov 21, 2013 -> 02:25 PM) That study defines them as "core front-line workers in the fast-food industry". I think they're endeavouring to exclude upper management in there but can't tell if that would include a store manager or not. Only 18% of the employees they found were under age 19 and living with parents. Ok, got the extra detail. That number is specifically counted by the BLS and had to go to their page for the definition (thank god the shutdown is over). It included: "the people who take orders or cook food) workers, including those at fast-food restaurants and excluding managers". The median age of that group is 29.2. Only 18% of them are age 19 and under and living at home. About 1/2 of the front line, fast food cooks and order-takers in this country are in their 30's or older.

QUOTE (HickoryHuskers @ Nov 21, 2013 -> 02:23 PM) The median age being 29--is that including management or just entry-level positions? That study defines them as "core front-line workers in the fast-food industry". I think they're endeavouring to exclude upper management in there but can't tell if that would include a store manager or not. Only 18% of the employees they found were under age 19 and living with parents.

QUOTE (Jenksismyb**** @ Nov 21, 2013 -> 02:21 PM) Not in one move, and not in this s***ty economy, but yes, it should be increased gradually. I'm fine with that. And btw, as soon as it happens we can all agree that anyone who complains they need more money can just shut up because they have everything society should provide them. Right? You'd probably have me moving on to complaining about the failure of the 401k as a retirement plan, if that counts.

QUOTE (HickoryHuskers @ Nov 21, 2013 -> 02:17 PM) That is too complicated, however, I'm not against singling out certain industries where the majority of workers are under 21 (thinking mainly about fast food here) and having a slightly lower minimum wage for those positions. Problem with that of course is that fast food isn't a job where the majority of workers are under 21. The median age of fast food workers is 29; 1/2 of fast food employees are over 29. Furthermore, about 1/2 are on some sort of government assistance at present (food stamps, aid for children, etc.)

QUOTE (Jenksismyb**** @ Nov 21, 2013 -> 02:16 PM) No it's not. I was a little low, it's 10.74. In 1968, the supposed high point of minimum wage purchasing power, it was $1.60 http://www.bls.gov/data/inflation_calculator.htm Ok, you're right I'm conflating the actual minimum wage with the number Rep. Blackburn quoted. Are you on board with a $10.75 minimum wage with an inflation adjustment and states like NY/Ca allowed to set their own higher values? Combined with the PPACA I think you've actually come fairly close to a living wage scenario there.