Monday, January 31, 2011

The Public-Sector Squeeze

Monday 31 January 2011

Max Fraad-Wolff and Richard D. Wolff, Truthout:

"A national campaign is now fully launched to make local, public-sector employees pick up a major share of the costs of the economic crisis. Years of rising spending and falling revenue have carved a path of destruction through federal, state and local budgets. Deficits and debts have mounted, eroding taxpayer support for government spending in general and for public employees particularly. In response to deep economic pains in middle-class communities, major efforts are under way, from California to Maine, to balance budgets through major cuts in services, wages, benefits and employment."

Read more

And oh yes, have a nice Day?

Wjc

Caveat Lectores by Jeff Carnes

Read at your own risk. 9400 Readers in 576 Cities, 46 States and 23 Countries

Lectores Labor Consulting 813-240-8165



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Saturday, January 29, 2011

Caveat Lectores on Drop Plans

1-29-11

So there I was attending a largely republican social gathering to honor public safety employees. Things were going well, then this “person” butts into a conversation the Lector was having with a firefighter union leader about the unfair attacks on public sector pensions. This “person”, who I easily identified as a right wing conservative nut job tea bagger type idiot (RWCNJTBTI), flatly stated that public employees who “DROP” were “unethical”, “immoral” and “wrong” to do so.

Things did not go so well after that.

The Lector has actually accomplished some research into DROP plans. Something I doubt this RWCNJTBTI would even consider. Fox News, the Florida League of Cities Newsletter and worse are probably the sources for the ridiculous views of the RWCNJTBTI. (I am not going to waste space describing DROP plans to readers who already know about DROP. It is a non-subject to those who are unaware or disinterested, but the link below provides a pretty good description.)

http://www.allbusiness.com/human-resources/benefits-retirement-benefits/854593-1.html

Facts did not dissuade the RWCNJTBT’s rancor.

Also, the Lector has an alter ego who teaches Business Ethics at a rather large university. I may not be a genuine for real PhD expert academic and philosopher on Business Ethics, but I claim to be and did read at the very least one book on the subject more than once.

For anyone to suggest than an employee is immoral and unethical for taking an opportunity offered by the employer that is perfectly legal is absurd. All the employees are doing is redistributing the way they will collect the money owed to them.

The overly simplified original idea for DROP plans came from management to entice employees to retire early while allowing the employer to plan for transitioning of the retiring employee on a date certain. If things went according to the plan, the employer would save money in a number of ways while the employee would gain the illusion of amassing a large fund of dollars they would otherwise not be able to amass.

These DROP plans were either unilaterally imposed upon non-union employees or bargained into collective bargaining agreements. All went well until the stock market and economy tanked and the “have nots” decided some employees were actually prospering from an idea that came from management. All hell has broken loose in the RWCNJTBT’s attempts to demonize workers for the failures of management. The facts are that many employers did not properly fund the pension plans in good times making it all the more difficult to pay back the underfunded liabilities, but we blame the employees for the misfeasance, nonfeasance and even the malfeasance of management and the politicians who control management. BOHICA

Fortunately for me, I exited the conversation with the RWCNJTBT before saying what should have been said but to my detriment. I do recall saying the day would never come when I would agree an employee was unethical and immoral for following the reasonable and legal rules of the employer. I wanted to say a lot more but E/S, who was unaware of the exchange, pulled on my sleeve and saved me from myself.

And oh yes, have a nice Day?

Wjc

Caveat Lectores by Jeff Carnes

Read at your own risk. 9400 Readers in 576 Cities, 46 States and 23 Countries

Lectores Labor Consulting 813-240-8165
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Sunday, January 23, 2011

Caveat Lectores: Abolish Collective Bargaining Now

1-23-2011

The Lector has the answer to the problems with government funding. Abolish collective bargaining. Removing any rights afforded public employees in the past will solve all the financial woes created by a myriad of sources. It is that simple. That is what a Nebraska legislator has suggested. Read all about it right here.

http://www.omaha.com/article/20110115/NEWS01/701159845

JFTDC. Life is so simple to simpletons. I wonder if the numbnutz who suggested this is a right wing nutjob or just an insensitive buffoon completely subjugated to the interests of the wealthy. Or are they the same?

That same news article mentions North Carolina as a shining example of what happens in a state where bargaining is forbidden and employers are free to set terms and conditions of employment unilaterally. I wonder if NC state and local governments are having economic difficulty. HMMMMM. Yes, they are. Maybe unionized public employees did not cause the problems.

Ok, perhaps denying what should be a basic human right will not solve all the problems of government, but I have an even better idea.

Government should refuse to bargain all agreements with vendors and just pay what is financially expedient according to the whims of the day. The tax payers will save a lot of money this way. If no one wants to sell goods and services at the unilaterally determined price, the government can just require the vendor to deliver the goods and services or else.

Why did I not think of that before? BOHICA

And oh yes, have a nice Day?

Wjc
Caveat Lectores by Jeff Carnes
9300 Readers in 576 Cities, 46 States and 23 Countries
Read at your own risk.
Lectores Labor Consulting 813-240-8165
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Saturday, January 22, 2011

Caveat Lectores on Grievance Mediation Part 4

1-22-2011

This Blog on grievance mediation contains work by T.W. Young, III and Kevin E. Hyde. Mediation-an offer you can’t refuse? I have fought some really interesting labor arbitrations with Kevin Hyde. He is still practicing labor law in Jacksonville, Florida and is a member of the City Council. This is an excerpt from The Survivor’s Guide to a Successful Labor Union used with permission.

What are the Advantages and Disadvantages of Grievance Mediation?

Upside

• Case assessment by neutral third party (if the mediator uses an evaluative technique);
• No restriction on what is said to the mediator;
• Informal process as opposed to arbitration/court system;
• Employer and grievant will get an opportunity to vent;
• Confidentiality;
• Cost: 1/4 cost of arbitration, 1/10 cost of litigation;
• Personal resources: less staff time involved, few or no witnesses, no formal exhibits;
• Time saved: Settlement is frequently immediate
• 30 days or more for an arbitration decision
• 6 months or more for a PERC/NLRB decision
• 1 year or more in civil litigation;
• Parties control the process and the outcome;
• Hearings, arbitrations and trials are not fun and recreational activities. They take a toll on the parties and the relationships;
• Issues may be narrowed even if no settlement is reached;
• Parties may learn from the process and avoid future impasse situations;
• Mediation waives no future rights to continue to arbitration or civil litigation;
Downside
• Most grievances are resolved without mediation;
• Mediation cannot guarantee resolution to the grievance;
• Mediation cannot overcome either party’s desire or need to “win;”
• Mediation requires voluntary agreement to be successful;
• It is successful only to the extent that each party is willing to accommodate the other in those grievances where the available information indicates accommodation is justified;
• Catch-22: mediation’s success depends on the continued existence of arbitration as the next step, but the existence of arbitration as the next step allows the parties to refuse to accept mediation;
• Union may attempt to use mediation to obtain something not available in negotiation;
• Managerial reluctance to voluntarily agree to change;
• Mediation could undermine the union’s support among rank and file on the grounds that the union accepted a settlement that was less than what could have been achieved in arbitration;
• Mediation is not in the self interest of the arbitration advocates and arbitrators;
• It costs one day’s per diem for the mediator and several hours of work by the parties that would not have been necessary had the parties gone directly to arbitration or court.

Grievance mediation will not settle all grievances (86%), but it is a relatively low cost alternative to just automatically pursuing every grievance to arbitration or dropping it. Arbitration is risky and costly, and dropping grievances may save money on the front end only to require a costly defense to a DFR litigation that could end badly and become even more costly.

And oh yes, have a nice Day?

Wjc

Caveat Lectores by Jeff Carnes
9300 Readers in 576 Cities, 46 States and 23 Countries

Read at your own risk.

Lectores Labor Consulting 813-240-8165

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Caveat Lectores on Buzz Words

1-22-2011

This country is infatuated with “buzz words” and talking points created by the right wing conservative pundits and Tea baggers. They are the current vernacular of the day that clue us in on what is going on in the minds of the mindless. Make no mistake the more liberal elements of the country would like to successfully mold public opinion by using their own terms, but they are not as self defining and inflammatory. The right wing is winning the war of propaganda fueled by simple words that anchor the debate on the right wing’s terms even when later proven false.

You will not hear a right winger speak without using such terms as:

Unsustainable public employee pensions, overly generous benefits, greedy public employees, big labor and labor bosses, privatize and out source, fiscal responsibility: Terms used to demonize public employees as if they are the cause of the financial crisis created and sustained by fighting multiple wars and suffering from the greed of Wall Street and the banking industry just to name a few sources of the Great Recession.

Pro business, deregulation, tax revolt, big government liberals, tax and spend liberals: Terms used to make it sound like the only reason the economy is a shambles is because of regulations originally put in place to protect business and consumers from self destruction created by greed and unlimited self interest.

Gay agenda, welfare moms, individual responsibility, socialist agenda, and un American: Terms used to demonize anyone who is not obviously mainstream and conservative.

Government healthcare takeover and death squads took hold in a way that absolutely defies any factual analysis whatsoever.

BOHICA

And oh yes, have a nice Day?

Wjc
Caveat Lectores by Jeff Carnes

9300 Readers in 576 Cities, 46 States and 23 Countries
Read at your own risk.
Lectores Labor Consulting 813-240-8165
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Sunday, January 16, 2011

Caveat Lectores on the Art of War 2

1-16-11


In January 2010, the Lector posted a Rant about The Art of War, a Chinese military treatise written by Sun Tzu in the 6th century BC. It is one of the oldest and most revered books on military strategy. It has had an influence on Eastern and Western military thinking and business tactics.

I suggested it should be part of labor union leadership, as well. Sun Tzu suggested the importance of positioning in strategy and that position is affected both by objective conditions in the physical environment and the subjective opinions of competitive actors in that environment.

Recently, I watched a TV program of the Military History Channel dedicated to Sun Tzu and The Art of War. This program is available in various venues and should not be missed. You owe it to your members to know how to fight a war unless you are willing to lose because of lack of knowledge. It is available in 10 minute segments on You Tube. As a labor leader, you owe it to your members to learn about The Art of War.

As a political animal who preaches endlessly on the virtue and necessity of political action, my admonitions for civil and diplomatic effort seem to contradict the teachings of Sun Tzu, a warrior. In reality, this is not the case. Sun Tzu recognized that war is merely a means to an end. The political battle ground is where the real war is won or lost. Sun Tzu taught the combatants should weigh the cost versus the gain before committing to the battle.

Here are a few choice quotes from Sun Tzu:

Whoever is first in the field and awaits the coming of the enemy, will be fresh for the fight; whoever is second in the field and has to hasten to battle will arrive exhausted.

He will win who knows when to fight and when not to fight. He will win who knows how to handle both superior and inferior forces. He will win whose army is animated by the same spirit throughout all its ranks. He will win who, prepared himself, waits to take the enemy unprepared. He will win who has military capacity and is not interfered with by the sovereign.

If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles. If you know yourself but not the enemy, for every victory gained you will also suffer a defeat. If you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will succumb in every battle.

The good fighters of old first put themselves beyond the possibility of defeat, and then waited for an opportunity of defeating the enemy. To secure ourselves against defeat lies in our own hands, but the opportunity of defeating the enemy is provided by the enemy himself. Thus the good fighter is able to secure himself against defeat, but cannot make certain of defeating the enemy.

Making no mistakes is what establishes the certainty of victory, for it means conquering an enemy that is already defeated.

The victorious strategist only seeks battle after the victory has been won, whereas he who is destined to defeat first fights and afterwards looks for victory.

There are many lessons for the labor leadership who struggle today in the war to protect the middle class workers from those who seek to destroy them.

You can bet that your enemies study Sun Tzu and The Art of War.

It is not cheating to be prepared.

And oh yes, have a nice Day?
Wjc
Caveat Lectores by Jeff Carnes
8700 Readers in 576 Cities, 46 States and 23 Countries
Read at your own risk.
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Saturday, January 15, 2011

Caveat Lectores on Mediation Part 3

1-15-2011

--A top ten list. A tongue in cheek explanation as to why mediation may not work.

10. The Parties spent the hours before the session watching Roller Derby or Judge Wapner on The People's Court. (The parties do not understand the process and have not been educated about the process.)

9. The Parties have an aversion to old magazines and the 1989 swimsuit edition of Sports Illustrated in the conference room. (The parties do not realize that time and effort on their part are necessary to a mediation and fail to plan for the session accordingly.) 8.

Mediator serves special green chili enchilada casserole for lunch. Attorneys insist on three martini "conference" at lunch. (The parties and the attorneys need to plan putting the mediation first. A break in attention outside of the mediation risks losing momentum and focus in the progress of the discussions.)

7. Dumb lawyers. (Mediation is no substitute for a lawyer planning and analyzing the law and the case. Mediation helps a lawyer advocate a position -- it does not replace the need for advocacy.)

6. Smart lawyers. (Mediation presentations should not be overdone. Too smart can be as bad as too dumb.)

5. Lack of bathrooms and smoking areas. (Speaks for itself. A mediation should reduce stress and allow for special needs. A party should not need to break off a mediation just to get relief from non-legal needs.)

4. One party believes that settlement means that he won't get his deposit back from the hired mob killer that has a contract on the other party. (Lack of good faith by one or more parties.)

3. Parties are disappointed when mediator shows up instead of a fairy godmother. (Unrealistic expectations.)

2. Persons in attendance have permission to settle case only if the other party is burned at the stake after being drawn and quartered (Lack of authority.)

1. Counsel states in opening remarks (and believes) that his client's case will do to the other party what the dinosaur did to the lawyer in Jurassic Park. (Overly contentious party or advocate and/or a failure to recognize or to consider the shortcomings of the case.)

(Excerpt from The Survivor’s Guide to a Successful Public Sector Union by Jeff Carnes from Steven R. Marsh, Esq. Used with permission)

And oh yes, have a nice Day?

Wjc

Caveat Lectores by Jeff Carnes
9300 Readers in 576 Cities, 46 States and 23 Countries

Read at your own risk.

Lectores Labor Consulting 813-240-8165
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Caveat Lectores on Grievance Mediation Part 2

1-15-11

The first installment on Grievance Mediation centered generally on the virtues of grievance mediation. This blog is about why grievance mediation is not used more often.

Not all unions and management are sold on mediating grievances. Sometimes, the attorneys are not so much in favor, and arbitrators would go out of business if all grievances were successfully mediated.

A successful mediation requires compromise and when the parties are absolutely unwilling to consider any compromise, there is no value to mediation. Some advocates believe that willingness to mediate will show weakness in a position already taken. Indeed, the system of using arbitration as the ultimate end to labor hostility would be weakened if the parties merely threaten go to war with an obvious resolve to settle every grievance short of the battle. Arbitration must always be reserved for when a settlement is unavailable, and the cause is worthwhile.

Sometimes, the union cannot compromise because the members would rather lose on an issue than admit their position is flawed. Sometimes, management takes the same viewpoint.

Terminations are particularly sensitive. Since a termination is economic capital punishment to an employee and the union, management has a hard time admitting overkill. This is particularly true when safety or bad behavior is an issue. Management can blame the arbitrator for putting an employee back to work if later the employee has more of the same issues that would expose the employer to liability.

HOWEVER, sophisticated parties should be able to recognize the value is settlement short of an absolute win or loss. The fear of losing negotiation superiority because of a willingness to settle any grievance is short sighted when one considers a broader focus than the individual grievance. The collective bargaining and negotiation include processing grievances. Negotiating an end to the grievance can come from mediation where all options are considered.

All too frequently, both parties set themselves up for negotiation failure by pursuing their positions on a grievance as if there were no alternative but to win or lose.

The whole grievance process is a series of encounters where one side tries to convince the other to reverse its course and give in, with each defending its position as if there is no alternative. Management wants the union to recognize the grievance as nothing more than a frivolous complaint and drop the grievance. The union wants to make credible its belief that management if over-reaching and unfair by trying to get management to admit the deceit or incompetence of its managers. Either scenario is flawed.

Creative mediators and willing participants can craft all sorts of options to the win/lose proposition that comes from an arbitration, but it takes effort that some are not willing to expend.

True, mediation require resources, effort and time that can add to the cost of processing a grievance to arbitration; however, settling the grievance with some sort of positive outcome short of a costly arbitration will always save resources and allows the union and management to say they did not lose. Studies show that mediation works nearly 85% of the time. Those are better odds for the union than winning a labor arbitration.

Another extremely valuable aspect of grievance mediation is that it will make it very difficult for a grievant to have a credible claim of failure of the duty of fair representation when the union has gone through the grievance process and even attempted to mediate the grievance. Some would call it cheap insurance in these days when disgruntled employees are looking for someone, anyone to blame for their troubles even their union. Defending a DFR suit or ULP is more expensive than a good faith effort to settle called Grievance Mediation.

And oh yes, have a nice Day?

Wjc

Caveat Lectores by Jeff Carnes

9300 Readers in 576 Cities, 46 States and 23 Countries

Read at your own risk.
Lectores Labor Consulting 813-240-8165
LectoresIT.com
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Caveat Lectores on Ghost Writers

1-15-2011

It seems that there has been a recent “outing” regarding the brains behind Sarah Palin’s online luster. The Anchorage Daily News reports that Rebecca Mansour is the “ghost writer in charge” of Palin’s brilliant Facebook comments, tweets and other online comments, maybe even her speeches and books.

So what else is new? Reagan had Deaver. Clinton had Carville. W. had Rove.
Maybe it is time for the Lector to admit that Dr. Hooby Boo is the brains behind Caveat Lectores.

OK. I cannot stand it anymore. Caveat Lectores has Dr. Hooby Boo. When we post a blog that is too vulgar, too left wing, too silly or too true, Dr, Hooby Boo is the author. He stole the Blogger password and will not give it back.

I just write the stuff that is important, interesting, insightful and worthwhile.

And oh yes, have a nice Day?

Wjc

Caveat Lectores by Jeff Carnes
9300 Readers in 576 Cities, 46 States and 23 Countries
Read at your own risk.

Lectores Labor Consulting 813-240-8165

LectoresIT.com

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Thursday, January 6, 2011

Caveat Lectores on Mesothelioma and Firefighters

1-06-2011

Here is a submission from a Caveat Lectores reader. Matthew Phillips is a student at the University of Central Florida. He is aspiring writer with a passion for people's health. This Rant is about asbestos exposure of public safety employees. It is worth a read. The Lector will consider all submissions for publication.

“The heat is unbearable. But the firefighters arrive just in time. They reduce the flames and before long the situation is under control. Then come the paramedics, ready to attend to seared lungs and surface burns. Police officers tape off the area and manage the crowd of worried neighbors. Heroes. All of them.

Little do they know the dangers that float through the air and cling to their clothes as they work.

In older buildings and homes, manufacturers used a natural mineral called asbestos. It can still be found in dry wall and in insulation in those homes. Asbestos is fire-resistant and heat-resistant, and was supposed to make a lot of homes safer for a lot of people.

Today, when those homes are disturbed, for example, as you break down the walls of a burning building, asbestos fibers are released into the air. When inhaled, they may cause a deadly cancer to attack the lungs: mesothelioma.

Mesothelioma symptoms can include shortness of breath and chest heaviness. These symptoms subtle and are often confused with other more common, more treatable diseases. Even worse, mesothelioma symptoms are subject to extremely long latency periods, often for nonexistent for up to 50 years. By then, the cancer has metastasized and treatment is either difficult or impossible. The life expectancy of mesothelioma victims is incredibly short.

The government has taken measures to protect professionals like firefighters, paramedics, and law enforcement officers from asbestos exposure. Though they passed laws, like 1971's OSHA, that were supposed to ban further use of asbestos, there are still thousands of homes and buildings built before those laws that contain asbestos.

Organizations like the AFL-CIO and other unions are rallying behind those who have already been exposed to asbestos and have developed mesothelioma. Through their efforts, many victims are receiving the support that they deserve.
But what can we do? Find out more about asbestos exposure and the dangers of mesothelioma. Search the web; ask a doctor; visit a library. There are resources designed to provide us with what we need to know. With more information, we have a better chance of stopping mesothelioma.

Our heroes have always protected us. It's time for us to protect them.”
Submitted by Matt Phillips: mattphillips00@gmail.com

And oh yes, have a nice Day?

Wjc

Caveat Lectores by Jeff Carnes
8700 Readers in 576 Cities, 46 States and 23 Countries
Read at your own risk.
Lectores Labor Consulting 813-240-8165
LectoresIT.com

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Monday, January 3, 2011

Caveat Lectores on Underfunded Pensions #2

The Lector received this from the Cypen & Cypen Newsletter and posted a Rant in July 2010. Things have gotten worse not better since then. Here it is again.

UNFUNDED PENSIONS WILL NOT CAUSE MUNICIPAL INSOLVENCY:
Unfunded public pension liabilities will not result in defaults by municipal bond issuers because the problem is not severe enough to cause financial distress, a report by Herbert J. Sims & Co. says. Reviewed by businessweek.com, the report finds that state and city retiree funds are not insolvent and forecasts of widespread defaults and municipal bankruptcies are overblown. A historic review of pension history shows that underfunding has not led to budgetary insolvency and default.

Separately, Standard & Poor's said in its own report that the funded pension level for state plans fell to 80 percent in 2008 from 83 percent in 2007 and 100 percent in 2000. The funded ratio is the amount of assets available to pay expected future benefits. S&P said the decline in public pension assets is contributing to significant budget challenges for U.S. states
.

http://www.cypen.com/pubs/07-10/2010jul08.htm

Here is what you need to know and share it with others:

• Yes, there are some pension funds that are in trouble. Some not all
• Yes, there are some funds that are giving generous benefits. Success is a virtue to many.
• Yes, the benefits cost some money in the form of taxes to citizens. Government costs money.
• Yes, the problem was not caused by the employees. Employees ask for things, they do not demand anything.
• Yes, the stock market is down. It will rebound and always has.
• Yes, the employers selectively underfunded the pension funds when they could get away with it. Now, the politicians and right wingers do not want to pay up. They blame the employees.
• Yes, the taxpayers will have to make up for the bad judgment of the professional managers and politicians. We call that representative democracy.
• Yes, this is seen by right wingers and big corporate interests as an opportunity bring public employees in line with the private sector employees whom they raped in years past.
• Yes, employee benefits reduce profits. All expenses reduce profits. Government is NOT a profit making enterprise. Duh!
• No, big business can never make enough profits to make sharing a virtue to them.
• No, unions did not cause the problem.

If there is anything about this Rant you do not understand, feel free to respond. I will take what you say under advisement and place it where any right wing, tea bagger bullshit should go.

and Oh yes, have a nice Day?

wjc



Sunday, January 2, 2011

caveat Lectores on Throwing Public Employees Under the Bus

Sunday 02 January 2011

by: Shamus Cooke, t r u t h o u t

News Analysis

"Teachers unions are being twice targeted, having suffered under Obama's nefarious Race to the Top program." The stage is set and the main actors in Congress and in the corporate establishment are ready to perform after rehearsing behind closed doors for the coming assault on organized labor's most powerful sector: public workers."
http://www.truth-out.org/throwing-public-unions-under-bus66362

Now may be a good time to consider buying a copy of the Survivor's Guide to a
Successful Public Sector Union
.

And oh yes, have a nice Day?

Wjc
Caveat Lectores by Jeff Carnes
8700 Readers in 576 Cities, 46 States and 23 Countries
Read at your own risk.
Lectores Labor Consulting 813-240-8165
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Caveat Lectores on the Unfairness of Taxation:

January 2, 2011

Why do the wealthy and corporate interests dislike taxes so much? What a ridiculous question.

The poor pay very little in taxes as opposed to what they receive. The middle class looks at taxes as a burden imposed by law for which they hope to receive a benefit. The rich look at taxes as an unwanted and unprofitable investment. The rich pay more taxes per capita than the poor and middle classes, and they want to make sure they get a larger share returned to them. Government employee’s wages and benefits, social services and even essential services rob the rich of money they could have used for their own benefit. That is not rocket science. Nor is it a new concept. It takes a lot of money to be rich and stay rich. The rich do not need many of the services provided by government and they do not like paying for them.

The problem for people like me is that in 2011, wealthy people and corporate interests are now firmly in charge of federal, state and local governments. They will make sure the unworthy poor and working people no longer benefit from their wealth. It is that simple.

The Lector is accepting of the concept that “the rich get richer and the poor get poorer” as long as I am not relegated to the poor list. I have been avoiding inclusion on that list all of my life. Now as I am running out of time to get rich, the wealthy are ganging up on me to make sure I die in poverty. Dying in poverty is one thing. Living in poverty is something else. That is where many of us are headed.

It sucks to be me right now. How about you? If you are rich, you probably would rather I quit whining or just die soon to relieve you of the pressure to take care of me in my old age. I understand your attitude, but I am not giving up the fight.

“…when the laws undertake... to make the rich richer and the potent more powerful, the humble members of society... have a right to complain of the injustice to their Government.” President Andrew Jackson.

And oh yes, have a nice Day?

Wjc
Caveat Lectores by Jeff Carnes
8700 Readers in 576 Cities, 46 States and 23 Countries
Read at your own risk.
Lectores Labor Consulting 813-240-8165
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Caveat Lectores on Universal Truths: Death and Taxes: January 2, 2011

Call me brilliant if you must. The Lector has identified two of the major contributors to stress and unhappiness in the world. Death and Taxes. It is so simple why did not someone as brilliant as I think of it before. Although each is inevitable (Or are they?), we spend a lot of effort avoiding each.

Death is easy to dispose of. Yes, we are going to die but some people spend much of their lives in denial or chasing spiritual avoidance systems that encourage them to long for an afterlife that will be better than their life on earth. It seems kinda silly to do that but…

So much for death. It’s gonna happen. When? …is the real question. I am in no hurry to find the answer. Every day for me is better than no day at all. I call it life even if it is not everlasting.

Taxes are another matter. Benjamin Franklin said, "The only things certain in life are death and taxes." He was not the only notable person who has commented on taxes:

""Tax reform means, 'Don't tax you, don't tax me. Tax that fellow behind the tree.'" -- Russell Long

“The hardest thing in the world to understand is the income tax." -- attributed to Albert Einstein

"The income tax has made more liars out of the American people than golf has." -- Will Rogers

"If Patrick Henry thought that taxation without representation was bad, he should see how bad it is with representation." -- Farmer's Almanac

"The avoidance of taxes is the only intellectual pursuit that carries any reward." -- John Maynard Keynes

"Death and taxes may be certain, but we don't have to die every year." -- Unknown

"Income tax returns are the most imaginative fiction being written today." -- Herman Wouk


We now have a body of politicians, bought and paid for by the wealthy and corporate America, who are making a serious attempt at making taxes avoidable by destroying government. The only reason for taxes is to support government. There are no taxes associated with anarchy, just misery.

They will not succeed, but you will suffer from lack of services because of their failure.

BOHICA

And oh yes, have a nice Day?

Wjc

Caveat Lectores by Jeff Carnes
9122 Readers in 578 Cities, 46 States and 23 Countries
Read at your own risk.

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