Texsox

QUOTE (NorthSideSox72 @ Jun 24, 2010 -> 12:28 PM) A little anecdotal addition to this disussion.. A few doors down from us, back in 2008, someone bought a single city lot (in a slot between Bucktown and Lincoln Park), with an existing but dilapidated 2-flat, for $580k. He took out a total loan of $1.1M for the property and cost to build. Asked for a zoning variance to go 3 units, was denied due to neighborhood resistance, and decided to build a single family home. Needless to say, things didn't go well - I don't see what single family home you can build on a single lot in our neighborhood that would net you above $1.1M. The building went up, framed, but the guy lost the building in foreclosure before anything other than the frame could be finished. So there was this partially built structure just sitting there for 2 years. Bank just sold the property for... wait for it... $180,000. It listed at that price from the bank, and was under contract within a week (hell, the land is worth twice that, even with the big price drops). Someone, long run, got a steal there. Hopefully we won't have a derelict building there for long. There was a similar story down here, but the kicker was the group that bought the lot and partially finished building was controlled by the guy who originally had it.

Over the last twenty years a growing segment of the population doesn't care what happens to America as long as their side "wins". So we have Liberals wanting Bush to screw up and Republicans wanting Obama to screw up. That same segment will defend anything "their" party does and turn around and attack the other party for doing the exact same thing. The Tea Party folks are perhaps the most visiable of that group, but there are a lot more, and again, on both sides. There has never been a better time to be a politician. When they screw up, and they do, their mistakes can be blamed on the media, judges, the other party, you name, anyone and anything other than themselves. One way to turn the tide is to have people demand that their party be fixed. Sadly, I do not see that happening anytime soon. The other is for people to be greedy and cheerfully accept gains the other party makes. But I don't see that happening. Too many GOP fanboys want, for example, health care to be an epic fail, much like Dem fanboys wanted Bush's war to fail. Running our country has now become much like sports and soft drinks. It would be funny if it wasn't so damn tragic.

QUOTE (NorthSideSox72 @ Jun 25, 2010 -> 10:17 AM) I've brought this up in here many times. If the insurance industry didn't exist, then the natural consumer/provider dynamic would mean that the profit drivers align with quality of product, so yes, it would work. But as this is an insured industry, the buffering throws the at equation out the window. Your posts certainly weighed heavily in my thinking. It is a fundementaly flawed system with consumers as the big loser.

I forgot there is a reason they play all the games.

QUOTE (KyYlE23 @ Jun 24, 2010 -> 06:15 PM) Fine, you dont have to agree. I see Nix with 412 career AB hitting .200/.291/.347 and Lillibridge with 200 career AB hitting .185/.264/.281. Nothing in either of those slash lines says that one is so much better that you have to keep him over the opposite player. Lillibridge is cheaper and more versatile. Sorry Jayson, see ya yeah, what he said. They could have thrown both names in a hat and pulled out one and basically it wouldn't have made a difference.

As I've been pondering this whole process I've come to a single thought, actually a question, about health care in this country. Does the requirement for profit that drives a corporation help or hurt the quality of health care they deliver to the patient? When a customer walks into a car dealer, the employee of the car dealer they meet has the task of maximizing the profit the company makes both short term and long term. Same with walking into a restaurant, beach shop, or gas station. Does that also work in a Doctor's office or hospital? For most Americans, the people who are paying the bill (your insurance) and the people preparing the bill (the provider) both are trying to earn a profit from your visit. Seems like a losing play.

QUOTE (Steve9347 @ Jun 22, 2010 -> 10:52 PM) That's one of the few things you've posted that is actually cool. It's too bad you were being sarcastic, gramps! Stay drunk!! It's the only way to have fun. Reality is too tough, makes babies cry.

Oops, just saw he lost. Duh

What will be interesting is how well he plays in his next match. This reminds me of the old joke about Stevie Wonder and Ray Charles playing tennis, endless love . . .

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Jun 25, 2010 -> 07:50 AM) One plausible response to that argument Tex is that the goverment is actually going out of its way to encourage college education as a method for improving society...because it's generally thought that increasing education levels promotes better lives and a stronger economy. Thus, it makes sense for the government to be doing exactly that because there is a general benefit to society, and the college is actually helping the government achieve its goal. OTOH, the idea behind food stamps, for example, is to provide food assistance to people who are in need, not to give lower paying employers a method to undercut their competition. If those programs are not helping society, than they should be eliminated. That case can be made for every employer who is paying their people wages that qualify them for these programs. It shouldn't matter who the employer is.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Jun 24, 2010 -> 08:46 PM) I'll bet my governor against yours. I'd rather have yours.

QUOTE (StrangeSox @ Jun 24, 2010 -> 11:54 AM) Yes. And Walmart relies on them remaining on government programs to keep their prices superficially low. As is every other employer who has employees on any government program. The only difference between Walmart and othere employers is Walmart actually helps employees learn about those programs. Other employers don't care enough to let their employees know about those programs, or don't bother to find out. If we want to help the working poor, the programs are good, if we don't get rid of the program but let;s not have the program and complain when people use it. Again, I use University Financial Aid offices as another Walmart type company that encourages people to apply for government assistance programs. Would you also fault them for relying on government programs instead of lowering tuition?

QUOTE (CanOfCorn @ Jun 24, 2010 -> 12:21 PM) Does that include Rick Perry's Texas of the Future? Rick Perry will be the GOP nominee for President.

We really need to seal off the US from everything. Nothing gets in or out. . .

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Jun 24, 2010 -> 09:01 AM) If you're a restaurant buying your supplies there you deserve to go out of business. More than a few use Sam's Club. If you price items at Sysco, Ben E. Keith, et al you will find Walmart and most larger grocers sell for less. Depending on scale, it isn't such a bad alternative. Not every restaurant has the need or menu prices to shop at the (only sometimes) local wholesale markets.

QUOTE (StrangeSox @ Jun 23, 2010 -> 05:57 PM) Hey, nice false dichotomy! But now with Walmart in town, the owners of those Mom & Pop stores are going to be unemployed, soon. Maybe they can get a nice job at Walmart! This, basically, is what I've been driving at: And a link to the study done by Loyola and UIC: http://www.luc.edu/curl/pdfs/Projects/WalM...port2009122.doc So it drives out other jobs and replaces them with lower-paying, lower-benefits dead end jobs. Why, exactly, is this a positive for everyone? Lower prices compared to Mom and Pop. Every national retailer, Target, Jewel, Costco, Sams, Best Buy undercut the locals. So a few jobs are lost but all their customers are paying lower prices, improving their quality of life. This is the ugly side of our economy. Walmart and others found a better way to distribute goods and kicked local asses.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Jun 24, 2010 -> 08:44 AM) Even if they have a universal recipe, think about the supply chain. If you want to do things right, you need things like tomatoes, dough, cheese, sausage. You may have a local supplier in Chicago that you use all the time, but then what does your shop in Florida do? You can ship stuff from Chicago, but you're stuck canning or freezing stuff to do that, or you can find local suppliers for fresh stuff but they're never going to be the same. Especially if there isn't a Walmart in the neighborhood . . .

QUOTE (StrangeSox @ Jun 23, 2010 -> 05:34 PM) Also those poverty levels are national rates. Now consider that we're talking about urban Chicago. And also consider that the poverty rate is that low because of government assistance, i.e. we all get to pay for Walmart's employees through taxes because Walmart doesn't actually pay them enough or give them benefits. Which is better, Mom & Pop Grocery Co. employing someone at $7.15 an hour and not telling them about programs that can help them with housing, education, health, etc. or an employer that tells them about these programs? Of course, they could just buy this book . . . Walmart isn't doing anything different than colleges with financial aid offices. They practically force kids to sign up for government aid just so they can increase their enrollment.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Jun 23, 2010 -> 05:28 PM) Also worth noting is that Walmart employees typically don't work 40 hour weeks because management doesn't want them getting close to overtime. 35 hours a week for a full year at $7.15 is $13013 before taxes. I do have a hard time accepting that every job in America should be one that can support a family. There are people who want to work part time. There are people who are looking for a second job, etc. As far as Walmart shuffling people into government programs for the working poor, I think it is a shame that more employers are not helpful to their employees and help them to find these programs. If the program is good, people should be encouraged to use it, if the program is wrong, we should get rid of it.

QUOTE (Jenksismyb**** @ Jun 23, 2010 -> 05:10 PM) Well, it's not poverty unless you're assuming there's a family of 4 being provided for with that income. Poverty level 1 person about $5.25 2 @ $7.05 3@ $9.10 These are national poverty rates. Obviously someone living in areas with lower consumer prices will live better. Anyone want to work out a budget for someone earning $7.15 per hour?

This is going to be interesting. Basically the fun part is if Michigan, Wisconsin, and Indiana can show economic hardship and sucessfully sue to have the locks closed. I love a state versus state fight.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Jun 23, 2010 -> 04:04 PM) Like i said, between coupons, rebates, grocery stores, Walgreens, CVS, Target, Aldi, and occasionally a few other stores, I haven't had any need to stop at Walmart, I'm constantly beating their prices. If I want something higher quality, I'll go to the farmer's market or the organic store nearby. Then again, I have lots of options nearby. The whole reason why I'm inching towards your side is that in truly blighted areas, there aren't that many options. How do you know you are beating their prices?

QUOTE (FlaSoxxJim @ Jun 23, 2010 -> 03:30 PM) I think that's probably a good comparison. Uno's and Giordano's both down here just don't get it right. Wrong sausage mostly, but wrong sauce and spices as well. Man do I miss Chicago pizza! Yep, the sausage is always wrong. There is a plakce by me that makes a decent pie, NY style, but still pretty good.

First off, I agree with most of Jenks post. Second, does Illinois tax food? Texas does not, and I thought Illinois stopped as well. I'm wondering if this was similar to the problem we had down here, the nearest Jaguar dealer was 200 miles away in San Antonio. Eventually, one moved here.

As is well know here, I really like McCain, and reading his quotes, he seems to back the Pres 100%. If it is good enough for John, it is good enough for me. And btw, I wonder how many Americans thought, "we're still fighting a war there"?