When Jimmy McMillan, New York's perennial candidate ran for office on “The Cost Of Rent Is Too Damn High” platform and party, he had valid point. The cost of rent is “too damn high.” As a matter of fact, the cost of virtually all of life's necessities are “too damn high.” I say almost everything because I can just about guarantee that if you are middle-class or poor, there is one thing that isn't “too damn high” and that would be your paycheck! Due to the corporate job offshoring free for all of high paying manufacturing jobs depressing the U.S. job market, turning it into a corporate buyer's market and turning American workers into virtual serfs, most workers haven't seen a pay increase in years! Paying low wages to their employees hasn't stopped the very same corporations from constantly raising the prices of their products at the drop of a hat and it hasn't stopped greedy commodities gamblers...er, I mean speculators from driving up the price of everything from gasoline to coffee to milk. All of that is happening right before our eyes, for all to see. That's why I was a little taken aback when I read a tweet from President Obama's Twitter account that endorsed raising the minimum wage (a great idea that is long overdue). So why am I shocked by President Obama tweeting out his support for raising the minimum wage? Here is the tweet, you decide “A lot has changed in five years—but the minimum wage has stayed the same. #TBT #LiveTheWage.” It included a graphic from an organization that I fully agree with called Live The Wage that is as follows “From 2009 To 2014, The Price Of A Dozen Eggs Increased 23% But the minimum wage hasn't changed.” Can you see the inconsistencies in what the President is saying? The true cost of living, as opposed to some cooked statistics, have gone up drastically on his watch! Over the past few years, the Federal Reserve has kept the interest rates that it charges banks at near zero percent. Much of that money has found its way into speculative investments a.k.a. gambling (we so need Glass-Steagall.) Part of that near zero percent gift to banksters and Wall St. is gambled on everything from gasoline to butter, turning the very food that we put on the table into betting opportunities for the greedy! Translation, government's bailout policy has helped the rich and destroyed the middle-class and the poor by causing the price of life's essentials to go through the roof. While raising the minimum wage in an important temporary band-aid to slightly reduce the suffering endured by the working poor, it doesn't fix the underlying causes of income inequality and it doesn't help those on a fixed income. Those were created by the electeds of both parties when they vigorously supported and still support job killing, wage lowering, “free” trade agreements and when they support bailout policies that line the pockets of the wealthy and rob us. If the President calls for an increase in the minimum wage without also addressing the underlying issues that to some extent, he helped cause, he is being disingenuous. Can you say Trans-Pacific Partnership?
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A few days ago, I was watching the evening news and heard a quick mention that coffee prices are rising, due to something, somewhere. The story registered in my mind and was filed in the section of my brain that alerts me to future retail price increases due to greedy, bloodsucking Wall Street leeches. Another section of my mind reminded me that the same leeches helped to cause the high oil prices of a few years ago that contributed to the start of this recession.
No more than a couple of days later, I was shopping in a super market chain that, in it's advertising likes to pretend that it's in business solely to satisfy it's customers. I went to the coffee aisle to replenish my supply of the awesome coffee that's packed in the red and gold bag. A few days ago, this coffee was selling for $5.10 for a 12 Oz. bag. Several times a year, this grocery chain has a buy one, get one free sale, making my favorite coffee an amazing deal. To my astonishment, they are now selling it for $6.50 per 12 Oz. bag. Did the wholesale price increases travel through the supply chain that quickly? No way! Many of the bags on the shelf were dusty, but were selling for $6.50 none the less. The moral of the story is that in our wonderful "free" market system, everyone is "free" to shaft everyone else! |
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May 2017
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