Author Topic: Letters to the editor, a Friday night "two-fer"  (Read 3059 times)

Monkeyleg

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Letters to the editor, a Friday night "two-fer"
« on: September 09, 2011, 11:48:02 PM »
Tonight was gold mine of liberalthink in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel's letters to the editor section.

First we begin with this gem:

Quote
PAID SICK DAYS

Law would have provided protection

School has begun for most Milwaukee students. This means flu season is just around the corner. It's the time of year many parents begin to worry about the impossible decision they must make if their child gets sick or is forced to be around other children who are sick.

Why? A lot of parents don't have paid sick days that will allow us to stay home and care for children until they are well. Parents are in a position to choose between staying home with their children or sending them to school so they can work. This not only places kids at risk of struggling in the classroom, but also of getting sicker and possibly spreading the cold or flu. It's a losing battle for the parents and the community.

If Milwaukee's paid sick days law wouldn't have been stolen by Gov. Scott Walker, working parents could easily keep sick children home and have the job protection needed to keep our children, schools and communities as healthy as possible.

As a working parent, I have more than enough to worry about during this season without worrying about losing pay and possibly losing a very much-needed job. It's time for elected officials to make paid sick days a priority in Wisconsin.

Torrie Moffett
Milwaukee

Torrie, Torrie, Torrie. I'm sure that nobody is denying you sick days. I'm sure your boss would gladly let you take unpaid days of absence to tend to your sick children. What's that? You can't afford to take unpaid days? Well, we can fix that, too. You can have your paid sick days.

There's one little problem, though, and that's called economics. If your employer is going to give you paid days off, your pay and the pay of everyone else in the company will have to be reduced to compensate for those days. There isn't a free lunch, really, or in this case a free flu.

Here's a radical idea to think about the next time you consider having a child: can you afford to have that child? Do you make enough money to have the child? Can you afford to take days off to tend to the child if necessary? Radical stuff, I know, but it's been thought of before. 

Quote

ECONOMY

Middle class needed to grow economy

I'm not an economist, but I do have a brain and am capable of rational thought, and this one is, frankly, a no-brainer.

The main reason the United States' economy and employment are in the tank, and will continue to be for the foreseeable future, is the fact that the buying power of the American middle class continues to shrink. The spending of the middle class is the engine that drives our economy - always has been. As the buying power of the average American has shrunk, so has U.S. economic growth.

As the income gap between the average American and the wealthy widens, so, too, does the economic malaise. Cutting taxes for the wealthy does not create jobs, but cutting taxes for the middle class does.

The only way to fix America's economy is to reverse this growing income inequality. How is this accomplished? Through strong labor unions that work for decent-paying jobs and improvements in education so people qualify for higher paying jobs.

What is the Republican agenda (especially in Wisconsin) based on? Busting unions, cutting funding for education and cutting taxes for the rich. Duh!

So if you think the right wing is going to improve America's economy, don't hold your breath. On second thought, go right ahead.

Todd Firer
Waukesha

Mr. Firer, you should have ended your letter after the clause, "I'm not an economist". The rest of the letter only hammered home that fact. Remember the old adage, "better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak and remove all doubt".

As for having a brain, I'm sure your motor cortex is operational, as you apparently typed a letter. Have you had a scan to check your cerebral cortex? It may well be that this letter is indeed a "no-brainer".

Perd Hapley

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Re: Letters to the editor, a Friday night "two-fer"
« Reply #1 on: September 09, 2011, 11:53:51 PM »
Quote
If Milwaukee's paid sick days law wouldn't have been stolen by Gov. Scott Walker

 :facepalm:  If grammar wouldn't have been poorly taught by the teachers, maybe public education would be worth the massive level of spending. Gotta love the passive voice, too.
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dm1333

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Re: Letters to the editor, a Friday night "two-fer"
« Reply #2 on: September 10, 2011, 12:03:15 AM »
Meh!  People in San Francisco have much more to worry about than a bunch of cheese heads!  

Quote
As you can see, public nudity is beneficial to some and unarguably harmless to all. (except for the harm done to my eyes)I quote the old adage, “No harm. No foul.” Come September/October, we are planning a promotion for the Nude Beach Olympics II, Baker Beach, San Francisco, noon, Oct. 10. This is a free event. We did it last year; we had 15 nude participants and about 25 clothing optional spectators. We made no special effort to get the spectators. We all had fun. This year we should have twice as many people. We model the Nude Beach Olympics towards the ancient Greek Olympics.


This is the kind of event that could grow bigger than Burning Man and Bay-to-Breakers and continue San Francisco’s avante garde image. We are friendly and we expect to meet friendly and well trained professional San Francisco police. Please realize that the end goals of the Free Body Culture are body acceptance, abolition of censorship, health and fitness, civil liberties, reality, and having fun. We think these ideas meet everyone’s check list for a progressive social/cultural movement. Please let me know of updated police training and police bulletin notices concerning nudity issues.


George Davis
San Francisco

http://www.sfbaytimes.com/index.php?sec=article&article_id=11401

Sorry George.  SF's avante garde image has been ruined by aggressive pan handlers, intolerant people (unless of course you are just as liberal as they are) and nudists who are upset that people don't want to see their junk hanging out.  On public streets.  Or in restaurants.  

Here is a little more.

http://www.thestar.com/news/world/article/1050355--san-francisco-may-restrict-public-nudity-at-least-sometimes

Quote
One of the guys, Eric Anderson, said people offended by public displays of nudity need to examine why they have issues with the human body.

“To force their conservative views on me isn’t fair,” he told the Chronicle while sitting on a metal chair in a Castro plaza with a book, a sandwich and a sarong separating his backside from the seat.

It isn't from a letter to the editor but it is classic for this area.  Eric, I just don't want to see your junk!  Hell, even in Berkely public nudity is against the law!  It is ironic that he is doing this in Castro and that the pol who is trying to restrict the public nudity a bit is named Scott Weiner!
« Last Edit: September 10, 2011, 12:08:41 AM by dm1333 »

Monkeyleg

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Re: Letters to the editor, a Friday night "two-fer"
« Reply #3 on: September 10, 2011, 12:06:52 AM »
Oh, yeah. I forgot the "sick day law" that she says Governor Walker "stole". That's the one that passed on a ballot referendum, and the liberal mayor of Milwaukee had the city go to court to have the law blocked. Even he realized it would drive businesses out of the city.

As Reagan said, "the trouble with our liberal friends is not that they are ignorant, but that they know so much that isn’t so."

dm1333, there are nudists in Wisconsin. They don't appear in public, though, as the National Guard has been called out before when they have. Ever seen a naked cheesehead?  [barf]

dm1333

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Re: Letters to the editor, a Friday night "two-fer"
« Reply #4 on: September 10, 2011, 12:11:18 AM »
I don't want to see a naked cheesehead.  Living on the U.P. for two years cured me of wanting to see anybody up there naked!   =D 

Monkeyleg

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Re: Letters to the editor, a Friday night "two-fer"
« Reply #5 on: September 10, 2011, 12:15:21 AM »
Cheeseheads and yoopers are different. A subtle difference, but it's there.


P5 Guy

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Re: Letters to the editor, a Friday night "two-fer"
« Reply #6 on: September 10, 2011, 11:55:43 AM »
I get paid sick  [barf] days. My boss makes me use my accrued vacation time. When that runs out I get no more pay.
 :facepalm:

Monkeyleg

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Re: Letters to the editor, a Friday night "two-fer"
« Reply #7 on: September 10, 2011, 12:22:27 PM »
I don't get paid sick days, paid vacation days, or sometimes any pay. It's the life I chose.

The paid sick day ballot referendum in Milwaukee just blew me away. I didn't think that people would be so ignorant of simple economics to understand that requiring all employers to give all employees --full or part time, new hires or long-time employees--paid sick days would require employers to make a choice: let some employees go, raise prices, or move. Since most businesses have a hard enough time competing as it is, raising prices is usually the least likely option.

But, the referendum passed, and by a large margin, and it was binding.

it would be poetic justice to see the sick leave law instituted and this woman lose her job because of it.

Ben

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Re: Letters to the editor, a Friday night "two-fer"
« Reply #8 on: September 10, 2011, 12:34:37 PM »
Meh!  People in San Francisco have much more to worry about than a bunch of cheese heads!  

I saw this on the news as well. One of the protestors was actually offended that people like restaurant owners "forced' them to put a towel down on the seat before they sat in it. These people are no better than five-year olds.

Tangent to Monkeyleg's "sick day" post, I also saw the CA legislature is now looking to pass a "babysitter law" that would require families to pay babysitters minimum wage, pay into Worker's Comp, and guarantee Nannys undisturbed lunch breaks and eight hours uninterrupted sleep at night. Interesting that when we're trying to put people to work, we look at passing this kind of crap. All that will happen is that two income families will decide paying worker's comp, etc. is not affordable, so one of the parents will quit work and stay at home, thereby taking two jobs off the market.   
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brimic

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Re: Letters to the editor, a Friday night "two-fer"
« Reply #9 on: September 10, 2011, 03:12:10 PM »
Quote
The paid sick day ballot referendum in Milwaukee just blew me away. I didn't think that people would be so ignorant of simple economics.....

How many years did you live in the Milwaukee area without realizing that the majority of people who live in Milwaukee proper have a huge disconnect with reality?

A population that consistantly votes themselves free stuff is not surprisingly going to vote themselves free stuff.
"now you see that evil will always triumph, because good is dumb" -Dark Helmet

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Barack Obama

RocketMan

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Re: Letters to the editor, a Friday night "two-fer"
« Reply #10 on: September 10, 2011, 05:13:14 PM »
I've worked for several companies that provided paid sick days separate from vacation.  I'm sure many others on the forum have, too.  However, the companies that provide sick days generally do so because it makes economic sense for them.  It is one of those benefits that can keep valuable employees around longer.
But many businesses cannot begin to provide benefits at that level because their pockets are not that deep.   So, .gov forcing companies, especially smaller ones, to provide paid sick days is a sure way to higher unemployment.
« Last Edit: September 10, 2011, 05:16:48 PM by RocketMan »
If there really was intelligent life on other planets, we'd be sending them foreign aid.

Conservatives see George Orwell's "1984" as a cautionary tale.  Progressives view it as a "how to" manual.

My wife often says to me, "You are evil and must be destroyed." She may be right.

Liberals believe one should never let reason, logic and facts get in the way of a good emotional argument.

MillCreek

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Re: Letters to the editor, a Friday night "two-fer"
« Reply #11 on: September 10, 2011, 06:37:35 PM »
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2016150236_sickleave09m.html

The Seattle City Council will be passing a similar ordinance early next week. 
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MechAg94

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Re: Letters to the editor, a Friday night "two-fer"
« Reply #12 on: September 10, 2011, 10:25:34 PM »
I've worked for several companies that provided paid sick days separate from vacation.  I'm sure many others on the forum have, too.  However, the companies that provide sick days generally do so because it makes economic sense for them.  It is one of those benefits that can keep valuable employees around longer.
But many businesses cannot begin to provide benefits at that level because their pockets are not that deep.   So, .gov forcing companies, especially smaller ones, to provide paid sick days is a sure way to higher unemployment.
Hourly employees get it at my work.  I think it is 24 hours of time in addition to vacation/floating holidays.  In addition, that time is reimbursed if they don't use it.  Most of the guys use vacation first.

Most of the people I know with little kids and two working parents depend a lot on relatives to help in those times.
“It is much more important to kill bad bills than to pass good ones.”  ― Calvin Coolidge

KD5NRH

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Re: Letters to the editor, a Friday night "two-fer"
« Reply #13 on: September 10, 2011, 10:54:17 PM »
I get paid sick days...as long as I go in and work while I'm sick.