NorthSideSox72

QUOTE(Texsox @ Sep 13, 2007 -> 08:51 AM) If you "train your customers" and I do business the way they prefer, who will have more business and better satisfied customers? So you are in favor of a less efficient post office, INS, etc.? How do you keep coming around to less efficient? Spending a bajillion dollars, via the government (which never does anything efficiently), to do something that the people of this country can and should do themselves, is not efficient. It can't be. I don't understand how you don't see that. If you run a private business, you will do whatever it takes to make the most money. If that means you want to go bilingual, then great, so be it. But for a "business" the size of the federal government, that incremental cost is enormous - like many billions of dollars enormous. If instead, immigrants are expected to learn English (and given the tools to do so), that makes not only government agencies but everyone else more efficient, as everyone has to spend less money. Better to invest a little in supplemental education where necessary, and expect a little effort from new immigrants as well, then to try to massively shift the government to be bilingual.

QUOTE(sox4lifeinPA @ Sep 13, 2007 -> 08:52 AM) I never said anything about not believing in global warming...don't pawn that right wing s*** on me. I said that pollution is the problem. When we use stupid, vague labels like "global warming" it allows stupid people on both sides room to manipulate the issue. You can't manipulate pollution: I got with Pollution as the issue... Carbon emissions and green house gases are the nice way of saying...people waste too much and conserve too little and in general we're fat, lazy slobs on some level...even if you're a skinny workaholic. In that case, I stand corrected, and agree heartily with your view. I especially like that your view brings focus to the fact that what we are doing to our environment goes well beyond just how much carbon we throw into the air.

QUOTE(Texsox @ Sep 13, 2007 -> 08:33 AM) They have been going down because companies have been willing to relocate here (Mexico) and the Pacific rim. Then those are no longer American wages. Look, here is a common scenario... Company A makes techno widgets Company A employs all the usual executives, managers, engineers, designers, administrative staff, and manufacturing staff Company A can get labor cheaper in Mexico Company A moves their techno widget factory to Mexico Company A lays off most of their manufacturing staff, and maybe a couple administrative staff Company A saves X amount of dollars Company A retains the services of all the non-factory staff in the U.S. (instead of potentially losing them), and can even pay increases* Company A also retains a greater profit, and plows some of the money into expansion, and more hiring on both sides of the border* *Note here that the last 2 both result in more money and more jobs in the U.S. economy The laid off factory staff in the U.S. split into multiple groups: --those who find work in the same field that is still in the U.S. (would be wage-static or wage-decreased) --those who find work in another field (most likely.. in the short, run, wage-decreasing in temp jobs... in the long run, wage-increased in new jobs) Now, look at that result. Many of the factory workers will make less money at first, but get into other jobs, which are NOT as subject to the wage decreases of their previous employment. Others though will stay in field or go into another field and make less money. Those two groups, positive and negative in result, should be somewhere close to evening out. But, meanwhile, that Company A can now hire more, higher waged people in the U.S., and inject more money into the economy, AND decrease the cost of goods, all of which are positive effects on income. So you see, those layoffs suck, but in the long run they are better for the health of the economy than a lingering, propped up, wage-decreasing job base that makes American companies go out of business. And as I've said before, you can make this transition better for everyone if this country had a better education system - both traditional and adult-level.

QUOTE(Texsox @ Sep 13, 2007 -> 08:23 AM) I was at the post office yesterday and thought about y'all. I have a question for you English only types. To have English only do you mind waiting longer in line while other citizens and visitors try to make sense out of English forms? Many of you also talk about how much more efficient private business is compared to public. What does a private business do in the same situation? They become bilingual for faster, more efficient service. But you are suggesting that your government should not strive to be more efficient, why is that? The most efficient thing to do would not be to bilingualize the postal service and a bazillion other government agencies - which I cannot even fathom the cost of. The better solution is education and training for immigrants. If the expectation is set that you need English to function, then immigrants will learn English. That is the efficient methodology we should be targeting.

QUOTE(Texsox @ Sep 13, 2007 -> 08:25 AM) We are losing higher paying jobs and replacing them with lower paying jobs. The demand for these jobs go up, the qualified and willing pool goes up. Wages remain low. Manufacturing jobs paid very well. Tool and Die makers well over $50,000 per year. Industrial Maintenance equal to that. All the way down to line assembly work. Same formerly with customer service. Your first sentence, again, isn't really accurate. Manufacturing jobs (and customer service jobs), in most industries, had been going down in relative wage for some time. By sending them overseas, if a person loses (or cannot get) a manufacturing job, they will get a different one eventually. Yes, I suppose some will end up flipping burgers (which, sadly, doesn't pay a lot less than many of those industrial jobs do). But many will also find other jobs with wages that are not decreasing like the manufacturing ones were. In the long run, wages go up due to the effect. IN short, you have fewer, higher paying jobs. Now, they would go up MORE, and for more people, if we had a better education system, which is something I mentioned earlier.

QUOTE(Texsox @ Sep 13, 2007 -> 08:17 AM) Manufacturing jobs being moved overseas Customer Service jobs being moved overseas These do not have a depressing effect on wages - in fact, they have an increasing effect. Its negative effect in the short run is more people WITHOUT wages. In the long run, it ships lower paying jobs overseas, decreases corporate costs, and allows them to invest more in higher level folks here in the states. So long run, those have an increasing effect on wages.

QUOTE(southsider2k5 @ Sep 13, 2007 -> 08:04 AM) The total workforce in the US is only 150 million people. Adding somewhere around 10% of people to the supply who are willing to work for anything has a huge depressing effect on wages. It takes a hell of a lot more money out of workers pocket than any CEO stock option bonus, which is what most of the huge bonus numbers that you see today are. But then again, paper gains don't make for good arguements either. I agree they have an effect - but I'd suggest there are other, stronger forces at work. These for example: --An education system that is underwhelming, and getting worse, when compared to other first world countries (also includes lacking in adult training) --The growing habituation of Americans to acquiring more "stuff" - products that are cheaply made, by cheap labor, all competing for fewer dollars --The continued decrease in union leverage in labor (which, while necessary for the good of the economy, has a short term negative effect) --Massively increasing costs of health care (lots of parties carry some blame here) I'd suggest all of those have a greater negative effect than the presence of illegal labor, or at least on par with it.

QUOTE(southsider2k5 @ Sep 13, 2007 -> 08:01 AM) I am curious about something. Do you have knowledge of the feduciary duties, rights, and responsibilities of a board of directors and upper management teams? Of course, part of the problem there is that nowadays, boards of directors are so intertwined with the companies they are supposed to oversee (sometimes even being the same people), that the check and balance they are supposed to provide no longer exists. The other major check that is supposed to keep executive salaries under some degree of control is the publishing of those salaries and their effect on public entities' stock prices. That's why the push lately to show FULL compensation information. But, unfortunately, the markets are now so used to the absurdly high salaries of executives that they no longer flinch at a CEO making $25M a year at a company that is losing $50M a year.

QUOTE(southsider2k5 @ Sep 13, 2007 -> 07:51 AM) The irony is that you are forgetting to mention the biggest source of wage depression in the US today... Are you referring to illegal immigration? Because I'd suggest there are other, bigger players.

QUOTE(sox4lifeinPA @ Sep 13, 2007 -> 06:37 AM) Pollution is the real problem, global warming is a politicized lame and useless catch phrase: end of debate. Global warming has been established in thousands upon thousands of scientific pieces as being pretty much a given. A few outlier pieces say otherwise. If you agree with the small minority, great - then establish you reasoning for us. But to simply say its no more than a catch phrase is just an unwillingness to see anything outside your comfort zone. ... LCR, I am glad you are having the debate over the issue, and I am sure you will play devil's advocate from both sides of the discussion. I am also glad to see the Columbus Day thing come up - so much material there.

QUOTE(Gregory Pratt @ Sep 12, 2007 -> 10:39 PM) Greg Pratt wouldn't have hired KW Jerry Reinsdorf did Thread Poster wants to give KW one more year Reinsdorf is giving him forever /thread This is great on so many levels.

QUOTE(Balta1701 @ Sep 12, 2007 -> 04:43 PM) He wants him to quite simply say he will vote against any funding bill that does not include his deadline. The idea being, you can say you're for all the deadlines you want, but if you're not out trying to stop funding bills from going through without them, then you're all just talk. Which is sort of true. I am not aware how Dodd has been voting lately, but I am pretty certain he has voted for plenty of funding until now. I think the only Senate/House member who is a Prez candidate who can honestly say they've been truly against this thing from Day 1 is Dennis Kucinich.

QUOTE(mr_genius @ Sep 12, 2007 -> 04:31 PM) huh? if i was a state rep from down state i sure as hell would. LMAO And you'd get nowhere. But, as a downstate rep, I suppose you would be expected to put up the good fight anyway.

QUOTE(Balta1701 @ Sep 12, 2007 -> 04:10 PM) Dodd replies: Well, Dodd is full of it on this one. Obama said end of 2008, and he said a phased withdrawal to that point. What does Dodd want, someone to say "11:59pm GMT on December the 31st, 2008 A.D."?

QUOTE(Texsox @ Sep 12, 2007 -> 04:04 PM) Public transportation in this country has never been a prioroty, never been world class, never been respected. And yet, I haven't heard a single of the Prez candidates in either party even mention it. In fact, they speak very little about energy independence, which is linked in a big way to an effective transit system. Its just not even being discussed.

QUOTE(Gregory Pratt @ Sep 12, 2007 -> 03:51 PM) It's a bluff. Always has been. A bluff means they have no intention of carrying it out. I'd bet that if this hadn't happened, the CTA would have done it. It makes perfect sense to them to do so. So the term bluff isn't really accurate. If one thinks the CTA is capable or reparing its own problems, then maybe a more accurate term would be blackmail. Because, again, I think they had every intention of following through if no funding came out.

QUOTE(BigSqwert @ Sep 12, 2007 -> 03:49 PM) Link In another article I read covering that speech, they emphasized that Obama was specific to the 20 combat brigades coming out, but not going so far as to say no troops at all would be left. He is leaving that door open, for specialized forces to remain there to help with things like advising on border security, etc. So he is getting his footing on this issue - more forceful on pulling out than Clinton, but not as dramatic about "no troops" as Kucinich and Richardson.

I would hate for them to cancel the Iowa-ISU game, just as I would any good rivalry games like that. They are always a huge fan draw, and help both programs draw more interest. Besides, I doubt they drop it.

QUOTE(southsider2k5 @ Sep 12, 2007 -> 02:45 PM) No offense, but I hope he gets it today. After the way that the Indians fans treated him, I would love to see Big Jim stick it to them. I am offended... ...by this team.

QUOTE(BigSqwert @ Sep 12, 2007 -> 02:54 PM) From the Trib: Well good, but we've seen this limp-along scenario before, and it does nothing to make things safer or move the system forward. Something long term is needed as well.

Cool, I've got tickets for Friday. Thursday is an off day. I think I might have a chance to see 500.

I think we need to see more of them. But I must admit, I can't figure out Phillips. He was effective for 2 years at Charlotte, but was scouted to have pretty pedestrian stuff. And yet somehow, he got guys out. He gets here - so far, same thing. So I ask... how is he getting people out? I for one would like to see him get a start, just to see what happens, since Danks is now going to be shut down for the year anyway.

QUOTE(BigSqwert @ Sep 12, 2007 -> 01:12 PM) Not sure where else to put this: *applause* I think the buy-back programs that energy companies are starting to try are a really good way to prompt people to install solar panels and what not. It just makes so much sense. You produce extra during the day and contribute it to the system when the system needs it most, and use some during the night, and get billed for the net usage. No need for giant solar or wind farms - just individual people and businesses doing this as an investment.

Gametime and no game thread? I'm not allowed to start it, since I started one yesterday and they lost.

QUOTE(Cknolls @ Sep 12, 2007 -> 10:50 AM) Real reform would include reforming the cushy union contracts and pensions that are not only ruining the CTA but also the state budget and county budget. These people should have to pay for their healthcare like everyone else. Retired CTA workers get 100% healthcare for their entire families for life. Major problem. I agree that should stop. But, you can't stop it for those already in the system - in other words, you can't pull a government version of an Enron. I would be all for stopping it for all new employees, though. And for buying out people's pensions if they so choose. In that way, the costs would go down over the years.