Discussion: The Economy, Fiscal Cliff, National Debt, And Other Financial Issues IV

[wiegeabo]

Wal-Mart Elevates 70,000 Workers Amid Stocking Complaints

35,000 part time workers being bumped up to full time (and not eligible for benefits)

35,000 temp workers bumped up to part time

and an extra 5,000 seasonal workers (55,000 total) for the holidays this year.


The reason for the change? Consumers complaining and abandoning Wal-Mart stores because they don't have enough employees to meet demand (restock shelves and work registers).

 

[dnno1]

I don't think you are reading my posts. The HIGH SCHOOLS do not provide the equipment, the community colleges do. The Community Colleges are the ones that receive the Federal Funding, with the High School receiving some as well for the transportation, ect, expenses. THAT is what is being cut, and funneled into other programs like MECA where Community Colleges provide college classes for Juniors and Seniors. Students that are going to college are flocking to this, but it is not for those students that will be working on our countries infrastructure, classes like Diesel mechanics, plumbing, construction trade and other blue collar areas where we are really hurting in this country. All the MECA program is doing is making it where students that are going to a 4 year University go in as Juniors rather than Freshmen. The Federal funding is being switched from those CATE programs with the Community Colleges to these MECA programs instead. I see that as a problem. NOT ALL STUDENTS need to go to college, and saying, well then they can go to trade school when they graduate from college. These CATE programs enhance the education of those students that are just not classroom type of kiddos....and they are being "left behind" and that for the future of our country is a problem.

I'm not sure you know what CATE programs do.....they provide WITH the help of the Community Colleges in that area an opportunity for kids that DO NOT want to go to a 4 year University the opportunity to learn skills that they can use right out of High School with plumbers, mechanics, construction, etc.....and these programs have them ALREADY WORKING in those fields, and help them find jobs during their Senior year. So, I'm not really sure what you are talking about in your post....

You are right. I don't know about the Texas programs in detail, but I do know what was done in California prior to the late 1970's. Today most of these programs are at the community college level. You have a lot of young adults in high school who are not very interested nor mature enough to want to seek a trade (the seem to be more interested in their social media and dating). To me it is a waste of money to even invest in them unless they are focused and dedicated on learning a trade.

 

[SV Fan]

Not sure where to put this but

http://www.forbes.com/sites/andrewb...anada-much-of-europe-in-happiness-study-says/

U.S. Lags Behind Mexico, Canada, Much Of Europe In Happiness, Study Says

So you’ve been thinking that people in the good ol’ U.S. of A. aren’t as happy as they could be. The 2013 World Happiness Report to the United Nations confirms it.

The U.S. came in 17th among 156 nations surveyed. In the top 10 are much of Europe plus Canada and Australia. Mexico and Israel, countries not always known for lives of ease, are happier than we are, and the U.S. is only slightly ahead of Venezuela.

 

[Kelly]

You had me until the "the United Nations confirms it". They can't confirm where their ass is...

 

[SV Fan]

You had me until the "the United Nations confirms it". They can't confirm where their ass is...

One thing I notice is countries that believed in Thor, rate high in happiness. I think we should change the official religion in the US to Norse gods then we can be happy as well.

 

[Kelly]

You are right. I don't know about the Texas programs in detail, but I do know what was done in California prior to the late 1970's. Today most of these programs are at the community college level. You have a lot of young adults in high school who are not very interested nor mature enough to want to seek a trade (the seem to be more interested in their social media and dating). To me it is a waste of money to even invest in them unless they are focused and dedicated on learning a trade.

You have a group of students, that do not have the money, nor the time or desire to be on social media or dating. They are not classroom type of students, and they DO, know what they want....they want a job that will support their family. These programs give them that opportunity in a big way, and start them out on a positive note. These classes, give them something that they can grab on to, other than crime, and gives them something that they are good at, in many cases were made for....and you have created, what the education system is supposed to create. Good, solid, educated, hardworking citizens. These programs that I speak of that have been cut, did not take everyone, they took those kids that #1. showed a desire and propensity for specific trades. #2. were willing to work from 3:00 p.m. to at least 7:00 p.m. #3. Showed a financial need.

There was no waste of money whatsoever...

What you now have is money going to a group of students , that start out in the 100's, and end up graduating 50, in the MECA programs because THEY are not ready for a full time college schedule and the studying that goes with it. THAT to me is a waste of money...

 

[Destructus86]

Not sure where to put this but

http://www.forbes.com/sites/andrewb...anada-much-of-europe-in-happiness-study-says/

I actually believe it. Seriously...just go to a few other countries (I mean, aside from broken down 3rd world countries) and you'll see the difference. Here in America we are so overworked, lacking sleep and are generally pissed off because we stress ourselves out so much.

 

[dnno1]

You have a group of students, that do not have the money, nor the time or desire to be on social media or dating. They are not classroom type of students, and they DO, know what they want....they want a job that will support their family. These programs give them that opportunity in a big way, and start them out on a positive note. These classes, give them something that they can grab on to, other than crime, and gives them something that they are good at, in many cases were made for....and you have created, what the education system is supposed to create. Good, solid, educated, hardworking citizens. These programs that I speak of that have been cut, did not take everyone, they took those kids that #1. showed a desire and propensity for specific trades. #2. were willing to work from 3:00 p.m. to at least 7:00 p.m. #3. Showed a financial need.

There was no waste of money whatsoever...

What you now have is money going to a group of students , that start out in the 100's, and end up graduating 50, in the MECA programs because THEY are not ready for a full time college schedule and the studying that goes with it. THAT to me is a waste of money...

According to a Pew Research study, 95% of teens (age 12-17) use the Internet and 81% use social media (94% of that number are on Facebook alone). If it is a small number, it can be more than 5% of the teen population, which is close to 2 million people across the country, and how many would that be in just the State of Texas? It can't be very much and I am more inclined to believe that more of them would join the Army or work at McDonalds if they needed money that bad.

 

[Holiday]

Wal-Mart Elevates 70,000 Workers Amid Stocking Complaints

35,000 part time workers being bumped up to full time (and not eligible for benefits)

35,000 temp workers bumped up to part time

and an extra 5,000 seasonal workers (55,000 total) for the holidays this year.


The reason for the change? Consumers complaining and abandoning Wal-Mart stores because they don't have enough employees to meet demand (restock shelves and work registers).

I got the bump from temp to full-time last week after working there about three months. I'm in the back doing inventory, probably one of the better jobs I've had.

 

[chaseter]

Congrats!

 

[SV Fan]

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702303796404579099632713091994.html

U.S. Says Not 'Rushing' Asia-Pacific Trade Deal

The top U.S. trade official brushed aside concerns from the business community that Washington is pushing too hard to wrap up a trade pact with Asian and Pacific countries this year.


"I don't think we're rushing into anything," U.S. Trade Representative Michael Froman said Thursday at a breakfast sponsored by the Christian Science Monitor.


The U.S. has made plenty of progress during the 19 rounds of formal talks on the potential trade deal, as well as during an informal gathering of top negotiators in recent days, Mr. Froman said. "Anybody who's been involved in trade negotiations knows that the bulk of the work often gets done at the last minute."

Because NAFTA worked so well for the US, now the US wants to expand trading privledges to a bunch of poorer Asian countries. Sadly this will be one of those things we get legitimate bi-partisan support(ie not just 1 or 2 people fromt he other side jumping ship, more like 50%+ support from both sides). Hopefully the most vocal people on both sides will come out and bring this to the spotlight(instead of fighting meaningless fights like the should or shouldn't we repeal Obamacare)

 

[DJ_KiDDvIcIOUs]

A 22-year-old Rutgers University student named John Connelly had no idea Cruz intended to use his tale of woe in his marathon speech from the Senate floor on Tuesday night. Cruz got Connelly's name and backstory from a Wall Street Journal story about youth unemployment, and he used them to attack President Obama, saying, "John Connelly thought he was on the right track in life. The son of a New Jersey auto mechanic, he was the first in his family to go to college when he enrolled in Rutgers in 2009. Four years later, the 22-year-old found himself $21,000 in debt, without a permanent job and sleeping on friends' couches in New Jersey and Brooklyn."

Connelly reports to Al Jazeera America that while all of that is true, Cruz took things way out of context:

Connelly has indeed struggled with managing his debt and affording tuition, but he doesn’t blame those circumstances on the Obama administration.

He, in fact, grew up in a working-class union household and describes his politics as “left of most of the people in Democratic party on social and economic issues.” He thinks a single-payer system would be preferable to the Affordable Care Act, but appreciates the provisions of the law that have helped him out already.

His father’s union-provided health insurance still covers him, thanks to the provision of the ACA that allows children to stay on their parents’ plan until they are 26 years old. Private insurers are no longer allowed to deny his younger sister coverage, even though she suffers from a seizure disorder that qualifies as a pre-existing condition.

A for effort though Mr. Cruz

 

[TheComicbookKid]

Students should not have to go to Community College when they can get the certifications they need to get these jobs RIGHT OUT of high school. School's around the country have been doing this in conjunction with Community Colleges, but those programs are being cut.

Yes it has been offered for decades, but many districts around the country are now cutting those programs, because the Federal monies are more specifically being given to SPED programs, LEP programs and GT programs at the expense of Fine Arts programs and CATE programs. That's a problem....

The problem is larger than that, imo.

Those "blue collar" jobs didn't need certificates or anything else traditionally. They were family jobs. A son would work with the company during the summer etc, then basically just grandfathered in.

So on top of that, you have many in the right-wing slamming anything other than a high school diploma as unnecessary, or liberal-elite brainwashing.

Put that on top of the generational shift of people moving a lot more often than they used to/switching jobs in their lifetime, and we have a problem.

Many of those "blue collar" jobs were lifetime appointments. Nowadays, most people work a job for 5 years maybe then move on, so many businesses don't want want to hire people without some sense they have a long term employee which isn't a young person without kids and mobility.

 

[Kelly]

I want my mechanic, my plumber, my electrician, the person working on my PC to be certified to do what they say they can do. Why wouldn't everyone?

 

[TheComicbookKid]

I want my mechanic, my plumber, my electrician, the person working on my PC to be certified to do what they say they can do. Why wouldn't everyone?

I'm saying it's a combination. Many of those jobs were handed down like apprenticeships. You could get a certification but you'd already had real world training for several years before you even graduated high school.

Much of the modern political discourse about education devalues diplomas/certificates and education as unnecessary and expensive, but you need them beforehand now to get the jobs.


Plus, even if they reinstated those high-school programs to a large extent, 21 year-olds today are made like they once were. Most people don't settle down until their mid to late twenties. You don't want to hire a mechanic only to learn he took another job 6 months later. But that's what we as a society need to get used to if you want a new generation of "blue collar" workers that compete with the other jobs of the generation.

 

[dnno1]

I want my mechanic, my plumber, my electrician, the person working on my PC to be certified to do what they say they can do. Why wouldn't everyone?

They become too expensive. Why pay $50 to $60 per hour for a licensed plumber when you can have the job done for one fifth the cost from a handyman or day worker?

 

[Kelly]

Because I want it done right the first time. I'm more than willing to pay for it. : )

Those without the proper licensing cannot offer the money back guarantees, and as far as plumbing and electricians, they HAVE TO HAVE the proper licensing to work on your house, or at least they do in the area where I live.

My mechanic is certified in several areas such as air conditioning, brakes, etc....and he gives me an excellent price.

You just have to shop around, there are licensed and certified people in all of those areas that are very affordable, you just have to look for them. Not using them is pretty dumb in my opinion.

 

[wiegeabo]

So, I learned that the shutdown prevents any new wineries, breweries, or distilleries from opening. Can't get federal licenses if the offices aren't open. And those are small businesses, so thanks Congress.

It also means that alcohol producers can't get approvals for new labels or formulations. So no new alcoholic products. Also screws over marketing teams and sales forces that were planning changes/overhauls to products.

 

[Destructus86]

Are we the people able to vote on making sure the government is not allowed to raise the debt ceiling?

 

[wiegeabo]

No, and why would you want to stop it from being raised?

 

[enterthemadness]

No, and why would you want to stop it from being raised?

The Gov't is just a teenager with a credit card for one.

But the debt limit will get raise and raised until **** hits the fan.

 

[Webfoot Hero]

The Gov't is just a teenager with a credit card for one.

But the debt limit will get raise and raised until **** hits the fan.

I think it's already doing that to some degree.

 

[Destructus86]

No, and why would you want to stop it from being raised?

I can't tell if you're kidding


so we don't go more in debt.

 

[wiegeabo]

That's not what the Debt Ceiling is or does. It has nothing to do with future spending.


The Debt Ceiling is about paying for things that have already been appropriated/bought. It's about paying already incurred debts, and has nothing to do with increasing them further.

It's not the Government's credit card, and it's not like a credit card limit. All it is is the limit on the amount of debt (basically bonds) the Treasury can sell to pay our bills (not a limit on buying new things).

If we don't raise the Ceiling, we can't pay our bills, which means we default on our obligations, which means our economy suffers...a lot.


That's why the debt ceiling has been a no brainer until this last Congress decided, for some reason, it was a good idea to put the entire world economy at risk. It's also why most countries don't even bother with one. Because it does nothing to curb new debt or deficits.

 

[The Question]

Yeah, read this stuff:

http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/RL31967.pdf

Raising the debt ceiling is a good thing. It is, somewhat paradoxically and as weig said, the only way to pay off our debts.