Here is the story . Fast food workers walked out all over Detroit today – at McDonalds, Popeyes, Long John Silver, and more. If you want to support their unionizing effort, here is the petition. These service workers receive $7.50 an hour, and are mostly kept below full time. These are not children, but fathers and mothers trying to support families and instead, supporting CEOs who make 400 or 500 times what they earn. Least you think this is Detroit only, this is in fact a national movement.
Just wanted to bring it to your attention. Income inequality is alive, kicking, and in fact, affecting a very large number of people. Because of off shoring, automation, loss of manufacturing jobs, and more these are no longer teen jobs. In fact, there may well be a teen generation that hits parent hood never having worked any job. But that is another problem. Or is it?
do what Reagan did, create a booming economy. Today in North Dakota, these jobs start at $17 per hour (more than what they are asking for) and a $300 signing bonus to boot.
“Because of off shoring, automation, loss of manufacturing jobs”..,..Curious who amberpaw voted for, Lynch or Markey.
with sequester nonsense and lack of investment in stimulus and austerity garbage. If the Republicans would get there stupid jack boot off the neck of the American People, we might have a booming economy.
I voted for Ed Markey, in case you are going ask everyone.
I really get tired of that myth.
To avoid grinding partisan or ideological axes, I submit for your consideration two books written in the immediate aftermath of the Reagan Administration by conservatives: The Politics of Rich and Poor by Kevin Phillips, who cited the increase in income inequaity during those years; and The Triumph of Politics: Why the Reagan Revolution Failed , by Reagan’s Director of Management and Budget, who explained the rise of the Free-Lunch Right.
What was created during those years was a hollow economy, based upon debt.
He has a new book called “The Great Deformation”. Here is what David Stockman said about Obama
“He’s dreamwalking. I agree with a few of the things he said, particularly getting out of Afghanistan as fast as possible. But in terms of facing down the real domestic issues, I think he missed the boat. He has this idea that’s been peddled to him by his advisers that we’re making great headway on chiseling away at the deficit, but that’s based on a rosy scenario that makes the one we used in 1981 look pale by comparison. If you do an honest projection, the deficit over the next decade will be $15 to $20 trillion. He’s lost.”
I respect Obama, but I also find it interesting that both he, and Clinton before him are self-identified conservatives.
I have differences – some major – with the policies of both Presidents, but neither dealt with bullshit sophistry. To the degree that progressives have their own problems with mirror-imaging, well that can wait for another post. Both Clinton and Obama were frank about their beliefs.
Both operated as nonsentimental conservatives – and Social Darwinists – and never pretended to do otherwise. Both lowered federal debt obligations as their major economic priorities.
And neither gives a damn about the welfare state.
Both presumed that self-deception on the Left would allow them to do so; all objective information to the contrary. Anyone who reads Obama’s books should know his beliefs.
Face it, Obama is patriotic, albeit ruthless; Reagan and his heirs were a bunch of parasites.
Way too many disciples for the Democratic or Republican Party. Exhibit A is John Tiermey, how anyone voted for that guy, gimme a break.
Yes, Obama is patriotic, but the road to financial ruin was paved with good intentions. Obama, who said the Bush deficits were “unpatriotic”, racked up for debt in one year, than Reagan did in 2 terms. Many here are so concerned about global temperatures in 100 years (like we can do anything about it), yet don’t give a damn about their kids and grand kids who will need to pay all this back. As Stockman said, if interest rates go up, it will eat up the entire budget, in order to pay the interest on the debt.
You said Reagan was a parasite? The guy who cut the misery index, stopped inflation, lowered oil prices thru deregulation, mocked the Soviet Union, and my favorite, saved Harley Davidson. Today, there are just 13 workers to 1 on disability. 13-1 ratio, think about it, will you for a second. Who are the parasites that sold out the American workers like the ones on strike, who can’t find a decent job, because of NAFTA and GATT. 1100 Gillette workers laid off in 2010, jobs went to Mexico. Who are the “parasites” in control of congress and the White House, still allowing this to happen. No excuses or blaming the prior POTUS.
Deficits have gone down under President Obama.
Obama Deficits
FY 2014*: $744 billion
FY 2013*: $973 billion
FY 2012: $1,087 billion
FY 2011: $1,300 billion
FY 2010: $1,294 billion
…that those numbers are going DOWN closer to the present, right?
RepublicanDan does not address the points in paulsimmons’ comment, but instead changes the subject. Which is what he always does, when he’s not misinterpreting what someone said or putting words in their mouths. How long do we have to put up with his dishonest debate tactics? He really adds nothing at all to this site.
Every time Dan types anything, if you feel inclined to respond, don’t – just downrate and move on. If you have to type something, type DFTT.
For a long time. Didn’t work. Now, I don’t respond TO him, but ABOUT him. That may be a violation of the commenting rules, but I don’t much care, since all of his comments are violations of respectful discourse.
Reagan created a deep recession and then complained about the media talking to the unemployed “in South Succotash”.
82, I was working in Plymouth at the time. What a great year it was. Downtown Plymouth was making a comeback, wasn’t as crowded as it is today. Hard working folks, salt of the earth, from what I remember. Oh, I fondly recall volunteering some nights during the week at the Ed King re-election office as well in Plymouth. Thanks for asking.
And Detroit wasn’t the start, we had a fast food strike in Chicago last week and in New York they had one too. Hopefully these can keep happening, and I would even love to see a general strike to stop the sequester, restore the cuts, and stop chained CPI but I doubt it’s gonna happen. If it did though you might see Washington start to take the left seriously again. Occupy and drum circles ain’t gonna cut it.
I thought the reason organizing worked for skilled labor is if you lose all of your employees at once it will be difficult to find qualified people to replace them, thus forcing employers to play ball with people who have a marketable skill. However, it would seem too easy to tell a fast-food worker who leaves to never come back and hire someone else who will tolerate whatever wages and working conditions you offer.
That no one (or way too few) people will be willing to accept the shameful role of replacing these brave, desperate workers.
Unfortunately I’m not optimistic in the current environment. What we need of course are laws whether new or newly enforced regarding wages, hours, and conditions. I am coming to believe more and more that the minimum wage is a joke and needs to be quite a bit higher to mean anything.
If this is an ongoing strike, can people donate to a fund to support the workers?
This also happened a month ago in NYC.
First of all, the idea of a $7.50 per hour wage in 2013 is absurdly low. I also was extremely disappointed in the recent Cantor bill seeking to give the working class more paid time off instead of overtime. All businesses would do is shift to reduce paid vacation time in order to hold down workers take home pay.
I do have a real problem with those of you that think this isn’t a bipartisan problem. Massachusetts has the 4th highest income inequality in the country and the Democratic party has been in charge of the legislature for over 58 years. We can all do better.
It’s really disingenuous to call the party of “no busing” Bulger and “no freakin
Way” Finneran Democratic. DeLeo is cut from the same cloth. Republicans had an easier time working with Beacon Hill Democrats than Patrick has.
I refer you to the diary I posted previously.