Visit http://www.shadethemotionpicture.com to order a DVD, rent or download the film.
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A dissident frequency
Showing posts with label Business/Economics. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Business/Economics. Show all posts
2.19.2014
SHADE (Full-length Motion Picture)
Shade exposes the true power structure embedded in our global reality,
showing the true controllers their plans to Geo-engineer our planet and
control the populace.
Visit http://www.shadethemotionpicture.com to order a DVD, rent or download the film.
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Visit http://www.shadethemotionpicture.com to order a DVD, rent or download the film.
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2.10.2014
Straight talk About the Gender Wage Gap (VIDEO)
Independent Women's Forum, in a continued effort to set the record straight about the real reason for the statistical difference between men and women's earnings , releases an informative, stop-frame animation web video -- Straight Talk About the Wage Gap . The video explains how women's choices ultimately determine how much they earn and how government intervention in the workplace can backfire on women.
The stop-frame animation consists of a sequence of digital photographed frames, roughly one every second, creating the illusion of movement when the frames are played in a continuing sequence.
Visit www.iwf.org
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The stop-frame animation consists of a sequence of digital photographed frames, roughly one every second, creating the illusion of movement when the frames are played in a continuing sequence.
Visit www.iwf.org
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1.24.2014
A Few Reasosns Why It Is Impossible to Get Ahead Being Poor
Visit Yahoo! Finance to see this article in the original format.
It’s a counterintuitive idea to say the least, but it costs a lot to be poor in the United States. When money is at its tightest, cost-saving choices are often impossible to make, digging impoverished Americans deeper and deeper into the pit of day-by-day living.
Ben Hecht, CEO and president of Living Cities, an organization that works to revitalize impoverished areas, joined The Daily Ticker to discuss why it costs so much to be poor.
“Many of us are salaried employees and many poor people, if they’re working, are hourly employees,” explains Hecht.
If you’re an hourly employee who needs to apply for benefits or even see a doctor, you’re missing out on vital pay, Hecht points out.
“In many cities there are food deserts where you can’t even go to get the fresh food that we’re used to everyday," Hecht says.
One of the biggest disadvantages that those in poverty experience is a lack of broadband Internet. “One of the fundamentals about poverty is a lack of access to economic opportunity,” says Hecht. “And we all know that the number one factor in economic opportunity is education and we know that in today’s world much education, even in public schools, is done online.”
Furthermore, the Internet provides social networks where we can exchange vital information. Hecht gives this example: “I gave a speech years ago to 500 folks who helped people get jobs and I said to them -- how many of you got your job by a reference? All of them. How many of you got your doctor by reference? All of them. The power of those networks is being shut out in these neighborhoods and without the access to those types of technology.”
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It’s a counterintuitive idea to say the least, but it costs a lot to be poor in the United States. When money is at its tightest, cost-saving choices are often impossible to make, digging impoverished Americans deeper and deeper into the pit of day-by-day living.
A common narrative in today’s political arena is that the nation’s least fortunate only need to pull themselves up by their bootstraps – that they’re just not working hard enough. What often goes unnoticed, however, are the overwhelming barriers that those living below the poverty line face on a daily basis.
A car, for example, is a necessity for many jobs but the down payment can be insurmountably high. And even after the down payment poor drivers still face monthly payments, high gas prices, and the fact that low-income car buyers pay 2% more for a car loan than affluent people. Low-income drivers can also pay up to $400 more annually than wealthier drivers to insure their cars (for a car of the same model and with the same driver risk).
Related: Here's how to win the War on Poverty
A lack of capital can also make it impossible to afford the security deposit on an apartment causing those in poverty to live day-to-day in expensive hotels. Chris Arnade, a friend of The Daily Ticker, has documented this phenomenon. Those in poverty who are able to rent or buy homes are also more likely to get household appliances through rent-to-own companies and end up paying more due to added interest.
Even saving money is a burden for the poor, as banks often charge large fees for those who don’t have a minimum amount of capital in their accounts—this makes cash checking establishments, who charge incredibly high interest rates on pay-day loans, the only choice for many.
“Many of us are salaried employees and many poor people, if they’re working, are hourly employees,” explains Hecht.
If you’re an hourly employee who needs to apply for benefits or even see a doctor, you’re missing out on vital pay, Hecht points out.
Another challenge that low-income Americans face is a lack of services. “If you walk in many neighborhoods they’ll have one store—it may even be a corner store and not a grocery store,” Hecht says. The competition that neighborhood stores typically face doesn’t exist in poorer areas, allowing them to charge more for goods.
High quality food and produce is also often hard to come by. “You can’t find fresh broccoli…and if you think about it, it’s a logical, rational and economic choice for people to pick fast food in cheaper and larger quantities,” Hecht explains. This leads to obesity and other health issues that end up costing individuals more down the line.
Furthermore, the Internet provides social networks where we can exchange vital information. Hecht gives this example: “I gave a speech years ago to 500 folks who helped people get jobs and I said to them -- how many of you got your job by a reference? All of them. How many of you got your doctor by reference? All of them. The power of those networks is being shut out in these neighborhoods and without the access to those types of technology.”
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11.26.2013
Black Thanksgiving and The Madness of a Lost Society
I find it absolutely sickening that stores will open for Black Friday, on Thursday, Thanksgiving. With that in mind I present the following series of videos. You might also be interested in the following list of businesses who have now destroyed a cherished holiday in favor of the abomination of naked greed.
Boycott Shopping on Thanksgiving Day
"The underlying principles of modern consumerism, as designed by Edward Bernays (the father of modern propaganda) is to create demand where there is no real need. These people are victims of Bernays, and most of them cannot be reached, they cannot be helped... This micro-doc, is not for them."
A message from an anonymous supporter:
Here is a list of big box stores, mall stores, and outlets who have decided to open their doors on Thanksgiving day this year. It reveals who are the biggest offenders of corporate greed, lacking family values and being unAmerican. Some stores will open up at midnight and others even earlier at 9 or 10:00PM. Their employees wont miss out on too much even though it is still unnecessary and a slap in the face to their work force. Then there are the stores that will open around 6 or 8 which also sucks but those employees will still get to spend time with their families, watch the parade, see some football, and have a great dinner. The real problem are the retailers who are so obsessed with making a buck, the same buck they would still make over the following 3 days, that they require their entire staff to work that day. No request granted and just like Black Friday where no exceptions are allowed. KMart is the absolute worst open for a full 20 hours on Thanksgiving day followed closely by Gander Mountain open for 18 hours. Big Lots is the 3rd worst retailer open for 16 hours, followed by WalGreens 14, Dollar General 12, Shopko 11, and Michaels 10. Who the hell needs to buy a shotgun at Gander Mountain, Arts and Crafts at Michaels, or cheap crap Big Lots and Dollar General on Thanksgiving day? It is completely unnecessary and makes absolutely no sense. The negative effects of doing this will be unmeasurable and will surely backfire in the long run. People have clearly taken a stand and refuse to support retailers who care so very little about their own employees to support them. Take a stand and let’s reverse the trend. DO NOT SHOP ON THANKSGIVING!
Stores Open On Thanksgiving Day
RETAILER / STORE HOURS / # Of HOURS OPEN
Kmart / 6:00AM- / 20
Shpko / 6:00AM-1:00PM; 8:00PM-/11
Big Lots / 7:00AM – 11:00PM / 16
Dollar General / 7:00AM-7:00PM / 12
Gander Mountain / 8:00AM-2:00AM / 18
Walgreens / 8:00AM-10:00PM / 14
Michaels / 4:00PM-2:00AM / 10
The Gap / 9:00AM-4:00PM / 7
J&R Electronics / 11:00AM-5:00PM / 6
Toys ‘R Us / 5:00PM - / 7
Bealls / 6:00PM-1:00AM / 7
Best Buy / 6:00PM- / 6
Goody’s / 6:00PM-1:00AM / 7
Palais Royal / 6:00PM-1:00AM / 7
Peebles / 6:00PM-1:00AM / 7
Shoe Carnival / 6:00PM-12:00AM / 6
Sports Authority / 6:00PM-12:00AM / 6
Stage Stores / 6:00PM-1:00AM / 7
Walmart / 6:00PM- / 6
2B Bebe / 6:00PM- / 6
AIX Armani / 6:00PM- / 6
Adidas / 6:00PM- / 6
Aeropostale / 6:00PM- / 6
American Eagles / 6:00PM- / 6
Ann Taylor / 6:00PM- / 6
Banana Republic / 6:00PM- / 6
Bare Minerals / 6:00PM- / 6
Brooks Brothers / 6:00PM- / 6
Calvin Klein / 6:00PM- / 6
Carter’s / 6:00PM- / 6
The Children’s Place / 6:00PM- / 6
Cinnabon / 6:00PM- / 6
Claire’s / 6:00PM- / 6
Coach / 6:00PM- / 6
Coach Men’s / 6:00PM- / 6
Cole Hann / 6:00PM- / 6
Converse / 6:00PM- / 6
Crocs / 6:00PM- / 6
Desert Moon / 6:00PM- / 6
Designer Fragrances / 6:00PM- / 6
Diesel / 6:00PM- / 6
Disney Store / 6:00PM- / 6
DKNY / 6:00PM- / 6
Ecko Unltd / 6:00PM- / 6
Elizabeth Arden / 6:00PM- / 6
Fossil / 6:00PM- / 6
G.H. Bass & Co. / 6:00PM- / 6
G-Star Raw / 6:00PM- / 6
Gap / 6:00PM- / 6
Guess / 6:00PM- / 6
Hugo Boss / 6:00PM- / 6
Izod / 6:00PM- / 6
J.Crew / 6:00PM- / 6
Jockey / 6:00PM- / 6
Jones New York / 6:00PM- / 6
Jos. A. Bank / 6:00PM- / 6
Juicy Couture / 6:00PM- / 6
Kasper / 6:00PM- / 6
Kate Spade New York / 6:00PM- / 6
Kenneth Cole / 6:00PM- / 6
Loft / 6:00PM- / 6
McDonald’s / 6:00PM- / 6
Nathan’s / 6:00PM- / 6
Nautica / 6:00PM- / 6
Nautica Kids / 6:00PM- / 6
Nine West / 6:00PM- / 6
The North Face / 6:00PM- / 6
Oakley Vault / 6:00PM- / 6
OshKosh B’gosh / 6:00PM- / 6
PacSun / 6:00PM- / 6
Perfumania / 6:00PM- / 6
Perry Ellis / 6:00PM- / 6
Puma / 6:00PM- / 6
Reebok / 6:00PM- / 6
Rockport / 6:00PM- / 6
Saks Fifth Avenue / 6:00PM- / 6
Samsonite / 6:00PM- / 6
Sketchers / 6:00PM- / 6
Solstice Sunglass / 6:00PM- / 6
Sony / 6:00PM- / 6
South Philly Steak / 6:00PM- / 6
Superdry / 6:00PM- / 6
Sunglass Hut / 6:00PM- / 6
Tommy Hilfiger / 6:00PM- / 6
Tommy Hilfiger Kids / 6:00PM- / 6
True Religion Jeans / 6:00PM- / 6
Tumi / 6:00PM- / 6
UGG Australia / 6:00PM- / 6
Under Armor / 6:00PM- / 6
Van Heusen / 6:00PM- / 6
Vera Bradley / 6:00PM- / 6
Longchamp / 6:30PM- / 5.5
Old Navy / 7:00PM- / 5
Sears Outlet / 7:00PM- / 5
Haagen Daz/Frozia / 7:00PM- / 5
Subway / 7:00PM- / 5
Wasabi Jane’s / 7:00PM- / 5
American Eagle / 8:00PM- / 4
Belk / 8:00PM- / 4
Bon-Ton / 8:00PM- / 4
Dick’s Sporting Goods / 8:00PM- / 4
H.H. Gregg / 8:00PM- / 4
JCPenney / 8:00PM- / 4
Kohl’s / 8:00PM- / 4
Macey’s / 8:00PM- / 4
Modell’s Sporting Goods / 8:00PM-1:00AM / 5
Office Depot / 8:00PM- / 4
Office Max / 8:00PM- / 4
Sears / 8:00PM- / 4
Staples / /8:00PM- / 4
Target / 8:00PM- / 4
Ecco / 8:00PM- / 4
Le Creuset / 8:00PM- / 4
New York Pretzel / 8:00PM- / 4
Pizza Italia / 8:00PM- / 4
Time Factory / 8:00PM- / 4
Toys ‘R Us / 8:00PM- / 4
Vitamin World / 8:00PM- / 4
7 For All Mankind / 9:00PM- / 3
AG Adriano Goldschmied / 9:00PM- / 3
Au Bon Pain / 9:00PM- / 3
China Taste / 9:00PM- / 3
Corner Café / 9:00PM- / 3
Crabtree & Evelyn / 9:00PM- / 3
Furla / 9:00PM- / 3
Gucci / 9:00PM- / 3
Guess Accessories / 9:00PM- / 3
IIori Eyewear Boutique / 9:00PM- / 3
Jack Spade / 9:00PM- / 3
John Varvatos / 9:00PM- / 3
Johnston & Murphy / 9:00PM- / 3
Lacoste / 9:00PM- / 3
L’Occitane / 9:00PM- / 3
The Luggage Factory / 9:00PM- / 3
Max Studio / 9:00PM- / 3
Michael Kors / 9:00PM- / 3
Starbucks / 9:00PM- / 3
Swarovski / 9:00PM- / 3
TSE / 9:00PM- / 3
Zales / 9:00PM- / 3
Aerosoles / 10:00PM- / 2
Aldo / 10:00PM- / 2
BCBG Max Azria / 10:00PM- / 2
Bose / 10:00PM- / 2
Chloe / 10:00PM- / 2
Columbia Sportswear / 10:00PM- / 2
Corningware Corelle / 10:00PM- / 2
The Cosmetic Company / 10:00PM- / 2
Geox / 10:00PM- / 2
Kipling / 10:00PM- / 2
Levi’s / 10:00PM- / 2
Maidenform / 10:00PM- / 2
Movado Company / 10:00PM- / 2
Salvatore Ferragamo / 10:00PM- / 2
Sarar / 10:00PM- / 2
Saucony / 10:00PM- / 2
Sperry Top-Sider / 10:00PM- / 2
Spyder / 10:00PM- / 2
Theory / 10:00PM- / 2
Theory Men / 10:00PM- / 2
Thomas Pink / 10:00PM- / 2
Timberland / 10:00PM- / 2
Tory Burch / 10:00PM- / 2
Vineyard Vines / 10:00PM- / 2
Dooney & Bourke / 11:00PM- / 1
Godiva Chocolatier / 11:00PM- / 1
Sunglass Station / 11:00PM- / 1
TAG Heuer / 11:00PM- / 1
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10.17.2013
Mind-Blowing Presentation of Wealth Distribution In the U.S. (VIDEO)
Day after day I am disheartened by the rhetoric of my fellow countrymen slamming poor folks, and blaming the poor as the reason the rest of us have to work so hard. In reality, nothing could be further from the truth. The poor are simply the victims of flawed economic policy. The poor were once middle class too, just like the rest of us.
Also see:
90% of Americans Earn Less Than 1950 Minimum Wage Standard
Money as Debt (VIDEO)
McDonald's Delusional Budget for Low-Wage Workers
Analyzing A Practical Minimum Wage
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"Lemme tell ya somethin'. It's like that game we used to play as kids. Crack the whip. You run around like an idiot holding hands as tight as you can, and then the line snaps. Somebody let's go... and you're next." -Junior Soprano
Also see:
90% of Americans Earn Less Than 1950 Minimum Wage Standard
Money as Debt (VIDEO)
McDonald's Delusional Budget for Low-Wage Workers
Analyzing A Practical Minimum Wage
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10.14.2013
Historic Sell-off Highlights Peril of Trusting Banking Cartel
What we see happening now in Europe is an example of history repeating itself, and highlights the perils for a nation who makes a deal with the devil so to speak. In this case, the devil being the vampires of the international banking cartel.
In 1913, the United States made such a bargain, allowing the privately owned and newly formed Federal Reserve Bank to take control of our economy. At the time, it was sold to the American people as a way to stabilize our economy and to prevent all future woes. Of course, the bank was not about to fund the Federal government without some collateral.
Enter, the 16th Amendment which mandated a compulsory individual income tax, in direct violation of Article I, Section 2, Clause 3. What this meant was that the United States government now held control, through taxation, of all the fruits of the labors of its people from that point forward, and could thereby promise such as collateral to the Federal Reserve. By 1933, the Federal government was bankrupt, by design of the Federal Reserve bank of course. What happens when you go bankrupt? That's right, the bank takes ownership of your collateral. It's the same common scam used by mafia loansharks to take control of your car, your business, whole neighborhoods even while leaving you still making payments long after the initial debt was satisfied. Usury. In this case though we are talking about the entire national economy, your very identity as numbered through Social Security, along with all of the nation's gold was handed over by FDR in 1933 to keep the economy operating. That's the painfully short version anyway. That is the basis of how our economy has operated ever since. Perpetual and compounding debt, and every citizen a slave in the literal sense of the word.
This is what we are seeing happen right now in Europe. The economic turmoil in Greece, the banking crisis in Spain, even the failed attempt for the Euro to take over in Iceland. You can read more about the EuroZone crisis in that link. It all goes back to the consolidation of banking interests with nation-states willingly stripping themselves of sovereignty in order to participate in the Euro system. The banks reap the rewards, while the members are left saddled with debt.
Which bring us now to today's little example. Italy is now liquidating historic properties to private investors in order to keep their economy afloat and to keep the wolves from the door. In a sense, this is how Americans have recently come to find themselves locked out of public parks such as the Grand Canyon and Mt. Rushmore. Those parks really are not public at all. They are owned by the corporation called the UNITED STATES.
28 USC § 3002
(15) “United States” means—
(A) a Federal corporation;
Source: Cornell University Law School
“The reality is that any government in Europe is looking to raise funds where they can.” -Rupert Fawcett
Cash-for-Castles: Italy sells off historic sites to plug budget holes
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In 1913, the United States made such a bargain, allowing the privately owned and newly formed Federal Reserve Bank to take control of our economy. At the time, it was sold to the American people as a way to stabilize our economy and to prevent all future woes. Of course, the bank was not about to fund the Federal government without some collateral.
Enter, the 16th Amendment which mandated a compulsory individual income tax, in direct violation of Article I, Section 2, Clause 3. What this meant was that the United States government now held control, through taxation, of all the fruits of the labors of its people from that point forward, and could thereby promise such as collateral to the Federal Reserve. By 1933, the Federal government was bankrupt, by design of the Federal Reserve bank of course. What happens when you go bankrupt? That's right, the bank takes ownership of your collateral. It's the same common scam used by mafia loansharks to take control of your car, your business, whole neighborhoods even while leaving you still making payments long after the initial debt was satisfied. Usury. In this case though we are talking about the entire national economy, your very identity as numbered through Social Security, along with all of the nation's gold was handed over by FDR in 1933 to keep the economy operating. That's the painfully short version anyway. That is the basis of how our economy has operated ever since. Perpetual and compounding debt, and every citizen a slave in the literal sense of the word.
This is what we are seeing happen right now in Europe. The economic turmoil in Greece, the banking crisis in Spain, even the failed attempt for the Euro to take over in Iceland. You can read more about the EuroZone crisis in that link. It all goes back to the consolidation of banking interests with nation-states willingly stripping themselves of sovereignty in order to participate in the Euro system. The banks reap the rewards, while the members are left saddled with debt.
Which bring us now to today's little example. Italy is now liquidating historic properties to private investors in order to keep their economy afloat and to keep the wolves from the door. In a sense, this is how Americans have recently come to find themselves locked out of public parks such as the Grand Canyon and Mt. Rushmore. Those parks really are not public at all. They are owned by the corporation called the UNITED STATES.
28 USC § 3002
(15) “United States” means—
(A) a Federal corporation;
Source: Cornell University Law School
“The reality is that any government in Europe is looking to raise funds where they can.” -Rupert Fawcett
Cash-for-Castles: Italy sells off historic sites to plug budget holes
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10.04.2013
Obamacare and the Police State
So as the government shutdown continues more and more memes are popping up about it. Figured maybe I would put in my two-cents on the matter finally.
First, let me say I do not support Obamacare. Not because it is socialist, but because it is fascist. This isn't about nationalizing healthcare, it is about mandating our participation in capitalism. Requiring us to purchase a product from a private company. Though I am no Lefty, I have to admit that at this point, I would sooner accept government hospitals and doctors, than a mandate to participate in a system that has royally screwed us without vaseline for the past two decades with insane cost increases.
Why is a so-called "Leftist" President and a Democrat, forcing us to participate in what amounts to highway robbery by layers, pharmaceutical companies, and most of all those damned insurance companies? A program that was originally implemented in Massachusetts by Obama's last Presidential opponent, the Republican, Mitt Romney. Now more than ever it should be clear to the American people that political ideals mean nothing in the face of The Agenda being visited on us by globalists and banker scum.
At the same time though, I want to talk about another facet of this evil, the now ubiquitous police state. Like in Fascist Italy, and even more so in Nazi Germany, these extreme right-wing measures coincided with the build up of a totalitarian police-state apparatus through which all dissent was silenced, and eventually exterminated.
Police-state Captain Six, of what speaketh thou?
Well, it really doesn't get much more obvious than the dry-run for total and utter martial law than what happened in the wake of the Boston Marathon bombing where innocent civilians were ripped from their homes in true Gestapo fashion, door to door.
Let's cut to the chase here now. This is the pic that got me riled up tonight.
So what exactly is a non-essential employee? Certainly not the police who just shot an unarmed woman at the nation's Capitol. Not the NSA watching my every keystroke as I write this piece. Not the park rangers patrolling national parks that have been closed, in order to bar civilians from public property. (As if we needed the government to take a walk in the woods in the first place.)
Now this got me to thinking about the non-essential nature of even the so-called "essential" workers in the government. The non-essential nature of the police-state we live in. Everything from suspected child molesters molesting kids at airports on your dime, through the TSA, to the government extortion scheme known as the War on Drugs.
When Americans think of a police-state, they tend to think of places like Communist China. But despite the fact that they have nearly 4 times as many people as America, they actually have fewer prisoner. Not per-capita mind you, literally fewer prisoners. Per capita, we lead the world by far. We have only 5% of the total human population on the planet, yet 1 out of every 4 people in prison on Earth, live in an American prison.
So let's really cut to the chase here now, when we are talking about non-essentials. No one really wants to talk about the real cost to taxpayers to enslave ourselves, so there really aren't too many studies to go by. But there was one implemented in the state of Maryland a few years ago, that was quite enlightening. I believe this is something that should be done annually, in every state, and of course by Federal law agencies as well. But since we don't have that sort of clarity and accountability from our government. Let this serve as an example, to show you where your money is really going.
(Disclaimer: The following quoted text is presented for educational and conversational purposes only. as part of the larger theme presented. Rreaders are encouraged to read the original text and related material at reason.com.)
When considering the validity of the American police-state, and what your tax dollars are actually paying for, you might also consider these articles.
SWAT Get Medals For Shooting Innocent Family at Christmas
Crime-Lab Tech Who Acted As Judge Puts 34k Felons Back On Streets
First Known American Execution of Innocent Man Happens In Texas
101 Death-Row Inmates Proved Innocent
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First, let me say I do not support Obamacare. Not because it is socialist, but because it is fascist. This isn't about nationalizing healthcare, it is about mandating our participation in capitalism. Requiring us to purchase a product from a private company. Though I am no Lefty, I have to admit that at this point, I would sooner accept government hospitals and doctors, than a mandate to participate in a system that has royally screwed us without vaseline for the past two decades with insane cost increases.
Why is a so-called "Leftist" President and a Democrat, forcing us to participate in what amounts to highway robbery by layers, pharmaceutical companies, and most of all those damned insurance companies? A program that was originally implemented in Massachusetts by Obama's last Presidential opponent, the Republican, Mitt Romney. Now more than ever it should be clear to the American people that political ideals mean nothing in the face of The Agenda being visited on us by globalists and banker scum.
At the same time though, I want to talk about another facet of this evil, the now ubiquitous police state. Like in Fascist Italy, and even more so in Nazi Germany, these extreme right-wing measures coincided with the build up of a totalitarian police-state apparatus through which all dissent was silenced, and eventually exterminated.
Police-state Captain Six, of what speaketh thou?
Well, it really doesn't get much more obvious than the dry-run for total and utter martial law than what happened in the wake of the Boston Marathon bombing where innocent civilians were ripped from their homes in true Gestapo fashion, door to door.
Let's cut to the chase here now. This is the pic that got me riled up tonight.
So what exactly is a non-essential employee? Certainly not the police who just shot an unarmed woman at the nation's Capitol. Not the NSA watching my every keystroke as I write this piece. Not the park rangers patrolling national parks that have been closed, in order to bar civilians from public property. (As if we needed the government to take a walk in the woods in the first place.)
Now this got me to thinking about the non-essential nature of even the so-called "essential" workers in the government. The non-essential nature of the police-state we live in. Everything from suspected child molesters molesting kids at airports on your dime, through the TSA, to the government extortion scheme known as the War on Drugs.
When Americans think of a police-state, they tend to think of places like Communist China. But despite the fact that they have nearly 4 times as many people as America, they actually have fewer prisoner. Not per-capita mind you, literally fewer prisoners. Per capita, we lead the world by far. We have only 5% of the total human population on the planet, yet 1 out of every 4 people in prison on Earth, live in an American prison.
So let's really cut to the chase here now, when we are talking about non-essentials. No one really wants to talk about the real cost to taxpayers to enslave ourselves, so there really aren't too many studies to go by. But there was one implemented in the state of Maryland a few years ago, that was quite enlightening. I believe this is something that should be done annually, in every state, and of course by Federal law agencies as well. But since we don't have that sort of clarity and accountability from our government. Let this serve as an example, to show you where your money is really going.
(Disclaimer: The following quoted text is presented for educational and conversational purposes only. as part of the larger theme presented. Rreaders are encouraged to read the original text and related material at reason.com.)
4.5 SWAT Raids Per Day
Maryland's SWAT transparency bill produces its first disturbing results
Cheye Calvo's July 2008 encounter with a Prince George's County, Maryland, SWAT team is now pretty well-known: After intercepting a package of marijuana at a delivery service warehouse, police completed the delivery, in disguise, to the address on the package. That address belonged to Calvo, who also happened to be the mayor of the small Prince George’s town of Berwyn Heights. When Calvo's mother-in-law brought the package in from the porch, the SWAT team pounced, forcing their way into Calvo's home. By the time the raid was over, Calvo and his mother-in-law had been handcuffed for hours, police realized they'd made a mistake, and Calvo's two black Labradors lay dead on the floor from gunshot wounds.
As a result of this colossal yet not-unprecedented screw-up, plus Calvo's notoriety and persistence, last year Maryland became the first state in the country to make every one of its police departments issue a report on how often and for what purpose they use their SWAT teams. The first reports from the legislation are in, and the results are disturbing.
Over the last six months of 2009, SWAT teams were deployed 804 times in the state of Maryland, or about 4.5 times per day. In Prince George's County alone, with its 850,000 residents, a SWAT team was deployed about once per day. According to a Baltimore Sun analysis, 94 percent of the state's SWAT deployments were used to serve search or arrest warrants, leaving just 6 percent in response to the kinds of barricades, bank robberies, hostage takings, and emergency situations for which SWAT teams were originally intended.
Worse even than those dreary numbers is the fact that more than half of the county’s SWAT deployments were for misdemeanors and nonserious felonies. That means more than 100 times last year Prince George’s County brought state-sanctioned violence to confront people suspected of nonviolent crimes. And that's just one county in Maryland. These outrageous numbers should provide a long-overdue wake-up call to public officials about how far the pendulum has swung toward institutionalized police brutality against its citizenry, usually in the name of the drug war.
But that’s unlikely to happen, at least in Prince George's County. To this day, Sheriff Michael Jackson insists his officers did nothing wrong in the Calvo raid—not the killing of the dogs, not neglecting to conduct any corroborating investigation to be sure they had the correct house, not failing to notify the Berwyn Heights police chief of the raid, not the repeated and documented instances of Jackson’s deputies playing fast and loose with the truth.
Jackson, who's now running for county executive, is incapable of shame. He has tried to block Calvo's efforts to access information about the raid at every turn. Last week, Prince George's County Circuit Judge Arthur M. Ahalt ruled that Calvo's civil rights suit against the county can go forward. But Jackson has been fighting to delay the discovery process in that suit until federal authorities complete their own investigation into the raid. That would likely (and conveniently) prevent Prince George's County voters from learning any embarrassing details about the raid until after the election.
But there is some good news to report here, too. The Maryland state law, as noted, is the first of its kind in the country, and will hopefully serve as a model for other states in adding some much-needed transparency to the widespread use and abuse of SWAT teams. And some Maryland legislators want to go even further. State Sen. Anthony Muse (D-Prince George's), for example, wants to require a judge's signature before police can deploy a SWAT team. Muse has sponsored another bill that would ban the use of SWAT teams for misdemeanor offenses. The latter seems like a no-brainer, but it's already facing strong opposition from law enforcement interests. Police groups opposed the transparency bill, too.
Beyond policy changes, the Calvo raid also seems to have also sparked media and public interest in how SWAT teams are deployed in Maryland. The use of these paramilitary police units has increased dramatically over the last 30 years, by 1,000 percent or more, resulting in the drastic militarization of police. It's a trend that seems to have escaped much media and public notice, let alone informed debate about policies and oversight procedures. But since the Calvo raid in 2008, Maryland newspapers, TV news crews, activists, and bloggers have been documenting mistaken, botched, or disproportionately aggressive raids across the state.
Lawmakers tend to be wary of questioning law enforcement officials, particularly when it comes to policing tactics. They shouldn't be. If anything, the public employees who are entrusted with the power to use force, including lethal force, deserve the most scrutiny. It's unfortunate that it took a violent raid on a fellow public official for Maryland's policymakers to finally take notice of tactics that have been used on Maryland citizens for decades now. But at least these issues are finally on the table.
Lawmakers in other states should take notice. It's time to have a national discussion on the wisdom of sending phalanxes of cops dressed like soldiers into private homes in search of nonviolent and consensual crimes.
Radley Balko is a senior editor at Reason magazine.
When considering the validity of the American police-state, and what your tax dollars are actually paying for, you might also consider these articles.
SWAT Get Medals For Shooting Innocent Family at Christmas
Crime-Lab Tech Who Acted As Judge Puts 34k Felons Back On Streets
First Known American Execution of Innocent Man Happens In Texas
101 Death-Row Inmates Proved Innocent
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Over a Thousand US Parks Are PRIVATELY Funded, So Why Are They Closed?
Its Official: US Forest Service Closing over 1000 Privately-Funded Parks
The US Forest Service, under pressure apparently from the White House, has reversed both its historical precedent as well as its position yesterday and will close over 1000 public parks and campgrounds that are operated by private companies without using one dime of public money. Why does the fact that our landlord the US Forest Service is going on an unpaid vacation mean that tenants of theirs have to close up shop too? We have no idea.This is how I explained it in my letter to my senators:
My company, based in North Phoenix, operates over 100 US Forest Service campgrounds and day use areas under concession contract. Yesterday, as in all past government shutdowns, the Department of Agriculture and US Forest Service confirmed we would stay open during the government shutdown. This makes total sense, since our operations are self-sufficient (we are fully funded by user fees at the gate), we get no federal funds, we employ no government workers on these sites, and we actually pay rent into the Treasury.
However, today, we have been told by senior member of the US Forest Service and Department of Agriculture that people “above the department”, which I presume means the White House, plan to order the Forest Service to needlessly and illegally close all private operations. I can only assume their intention is to artificially increase the cost of the shutdown as some sort of political ploy.
The point of the shutdown is to close non-essential operations that require Federal money and manpower to stay open. So why is the White House closing private operations that require no government money to keep open and actually pay a percentage of their gate revenues back to the Treasury? We are a tenant of the US Forest Service, and a tenant does not have to close his business just because his landlord goes on a vacation.
In the interest of news and information-sharing, we have copied this blogger's post verbatim and entire. But please visit the original post, at Coyote Blog to join the discussion there.
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8.30.2013
Supermarket of The Beast, Sponsored by IBM
The mark of the beast is the sign of the Antichrist, and is mentioned in Revelation 13:15-18:
The second beast was given power to give breath to the image of the first beast, so that the image could speak and cause all who refused to worship the image to be killed. It also forced all people, great and small, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hands or on their foreheads, so that they could not buy or sell unless they had the mark, which is the name of the beast or the number of its name.
This calls for wisdom. Let the person who has insight calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man. That number is 666.
Also see:
Take the Mark of The Beast or Don't Eat
And let's make sure your Obamacare is valid.
Bonus video:
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8.26.2013
Housing Authority Bans Little Girl's Garden
4 Year Old’s Veggie Garden Must Go Says USDA Subcontractor
by(Be sure to follow link to source for more info and updates.)
With each passing day, it seems the United States of America, “Land of the Free and Home of the Brave” is becoming more and more like the Communist Russia I learned about in elementary school where people weren’t allowed to grow their own food unless the State “allowed” it.
In this latest crackdown on citizens simply trying to provide for themselves using the most basic of skills – gardening – the USDA’s Rural Development Agency is forbidding Rosie, an industrious 4-year old girl in South Dakota from using a small, unused area outside her subsidized housing unit to grow green vegetables.
Rosie’s mother, Mary (names changed to protect the child’s identity), is single and severely disabled. She and her daughter live on a fixed income disability payment of $628/month. The garden vegetables growing just outside her backdoor lovingly tended by Rosie provide a fresh and healthy addition to their diet that they could not otherwise easily afford.Rosie started the garden in May 2013, but now the property management company has ordered the garden be removed this week!
The reason?
The property management company claims that gardening goes against the rules set by the USDA’s Rural Development Agency which forbids residents to have structures of any kind within landscaped areas. It seems to me that the practice of growing vegetables by the most needy in our society would take precedence over landscaping, wouldn’t you agree?
I wonder if the USDA plans to establish “rules” about breathing air in subsidized areas too?
The Federal bureaucracy seems to think that it owns those individuals who receive any sort of government assistance and that their behavior is completely within its jurisdiction to control no matter how ridiculous or blatantly un-American the power-tripping “rules” they decide to put in place may be.
Think this is an isolated case? It’s not. I write regularly on this blog about these outrageous situations where ordinary citizens are bullied by out of control bureaucrats, the most recent being a Mother in Maine who was harassed and threatened by the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) for feeding her healthy, robust 3 month old son homemade goat milk formula instead of horribly unhealthy commercial formula from the store laced with rancid vegetable oils and GMOs!
What You Can Do Now to Help Rosie
It is truly unfathomable that our country has degenerated to the point where a person can no longer garden without permission from bureaucratic thugs who get paid with our hard earned tax dollars to think up these rules – not laws - rules that have never been voted on by the elected representatives of the citizens expected to abide by those rules.
If you recall, this is exactly the sort of authoritarian insanity that started the American Revolutionary War (tea party anyone?).
Tell the USDA where it can put its “rules” against gardening by those living in rural, subsidized areas.
You can either sign the petition to save Rosie’s garden by clicking here or send an outraged letter directly to Elsie Meeks, State Director for South Dakota, USDA Rural Development Agency.
Sample Email to USDA
You can copy/paste the email template below to send directly from your email provider. Template provided courtesy of Kitchen Gardeners International, the source of this story.
To: elsie.meeks@sd.usda.gov
Cc: kevin.strickler@sd.usda.gov, trace.davids@sd.usda.gov
Subject: Allow USDA-subsidized housing residents to grow vegetable gardens
Message body:
Dear Director Meeks,
I urge you to make a loud and clear statement to all the property management companies your agency contracts that USDA-subsidized residents have the right to keep their own vegetable gardens provided that these gardens are actively maintained. Vegetable gardens grow healthy and affordable foods as well as a sense of community. Rather than preventing low-income and disabled residents from providing for themselves, we should be doing everything we can to encourage them. Thank you for your attention to this matter.
Sincerely yours,
(Your name, your town, your state)
Also see:
Fat Tax: The Socio-Economics of Obesity
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7.23.2013
McDonald's and Visa Team Up to Budget Slave-Wage
This article courtesy Minimum Wage Workers Union of America
McDonald's and Visa have come together in a new initiative which purports to show low-wage workers how to survive, and even thrive financially on their meager earnings.
At their new Practical Money Skills for Life™ website you can find a pdf file sample budget, ostensibly designed to be a framework for workers to use in order to successfully manage their income while working at McDonald's.
It is certainly a good idea to have a budget, to practice good financial techniques, to minimize spending and the like, but no budget will solve the problem of not having enough money to meet the most basic living expenses. This core truth is completely overlooked by McDonald's and their collaborator. This then sets the stage for victim-blaming, rather than making a factual presentation. The premise they present here, is that if a worker is having financial troubles it is the worker's own fault.
The introductory video is immediately condescending to the viewer/worker and assumes that you lack the elementary concepts of basic addition and subtraction arithmetic, or even common sense. While some workers may be woefully uneducated and lacking in life experience, it appears that the true ignorance here rests with the creators of the fast-food giant's presentation.
As an example, almost any worker knows full well that taking a pay-day loan is financially unsound, being both risky and costly. What the creators of the video ignore is that a worker does not need to be taught this point as a lesson, as if it were some great revelation bestowed by a benevolent corporation out of sheer good will. The worker who does take such a costly risk by taking out a pay-day loan does it out of necessity, not stupidity. The payday loan industry thrives on the desperation of the poor, not on people who ant some extra spending money.
The video also encourages the viewer to get direct-deposit for their paycheck, and to have a bank account, in order to save on check-cashing fees. But again we see that the creators have ignored the reality of the situation for many of their workers. Some financial institutions will not let a person with poor credit have an account. Low-wage workers are, of course, more likely than most to have a poor credit rating. In other instances, a bank or credit union may not be easily accessible in their neighborhood or along their travel routes. Banks often require a large minimum balance, leaving substantial funds inaccessible to the depositor.
But most important of all perhaps, is that bank accounts are riddled with costly pitfalls. Visa check-cards exacerbate those dangers to workers who are subject to an array of hidden maintenance, access, and penalty fees.
For many people it is not only easier, but actually wiser to just spend a few dollars to cash their paycheck at a local supermarket, or check-cashing store. In this instance, a former McDonald's worker has been forced to sue for her right to be paid in legal tender, after her employer refused to pay her in any form other than a fee-laden debit card like those issued by Visa.
Even with the best financial practices, no human mistakes, and no unforeseen emergencies, a person still needs enough money to meet basic expenses. A sound budget will never work without enough money to put into that budget in the first place. So let's have a look at what McDonald's sees as a reasonable budget for a worker to, as they put it, "have almost anything you want as long as you plan ahead and save for it."
Right at the start, McDonald's is admitting that a full-time worker at one of their restaurants does not earn enough to support themselves. Their budget demands from you that you get a second job, if you are lucky enough to find one at all, much less one that is compatible with your full-time and often irregular hours at one of their establishments. If you can't get a second job, for whatever reason, the full-time low-wage worker will be forced to go on welfare, or get at least some sort of public assistance.
What this means is that taxpayers are subsidizing the labor expenses of major corporations like McDonald's. We the taxpayers are now forced to pay a contribution in order to make sure that McDonald's workers actually show up for work in the first place, and that the worker is fed, clothed and healthy enough to perform their task. While these corporations reap billion dollar profits, and the CEO of McDonald's makes about $5,000 an hour, the taxpayers are forced to pay a share of their business expenses. In 2012, Wal-Mart workers were forced to rely on $2.6 billion in taxpayer relief. That directly translates into $2.6B in additional profits for the Walton family, who are more wealthy then the bottom 40% of all Americans combined.
Now let's go ahead and take a look at the person who winds up actually being lucky enough to have two jobs, and is in turn forced to pay taxes to help support the worker standing next to them who works only one full-time job. This budget projects a net monthly income of $2,060. Based on the 2012 IRS tax liability tables, a minimum wage worker earning $7.25 an hour would have to work 76 hours per week in order to have a net monthly income of $2,060. So much for the notion that poor people are lazy. This is essentially two full-time jobs, especially since employers won't usually let a worker hit the 40 hour mark in a week, for fear of having to pay an overtime wage.
This obviously leaves no time for continuing education, and precious few hours to spend with family or trying to raise your children. Contrary to the popular notion, teens do not make up the majority of minimum-wage workers. Roughly 90% are over the age of 20, and about 30% of minimum wage workers are trying to raise a family on that budget.
But surely a person working two full time jobs, nearly 80 hours a week, must be living fairly well, right? Well, let's have a look at budgeted expenses.
The first line item in that section is savings. Anyone who can afford to save, must actually have an income that exceeds the rest of their expenses. Saving for the future is not only good advice, but absolutely necessary in order to build any sort of future It is even necessary to simply offset an array of inflationary factors which have undermined the American worker since our heydey in the 1950's.
90% of Americans Earn Less Than 1950 Minimum Wage Standard
Unfortunately, this budget is actually completely impractical and that $100 figure is completely unrealistic.
Looking at the next item we see how unrealistic it actually is. $600 for rent is unheard of in most parts of the country. The average rent last year in the US was $1,048 monthly. In New York, it is over $3,000 a month. One might suggest getting a roommate to split the rent, but then again we might also assume that this budget is actually written out for two people working at McDonald's full time, and who decided to move in together to share the bills because they couldn't find a second full-time job for themselves. So even with a roomate or spouse also working full time, this budget is still not practical, as we shall further see.
(It could also be noted here that forced cohabitation can set someone up for all sorts of costly and life-damaging problems. Roomates can be an annoyance when they interfere with necessary sleep, but you are also vulnerable to thievery, fraud, and even being named as a criminal conspirator if they use the residence as part of an illicit enterprise. This socioeconomic dynamic has also pushed unwed couples to cohabitate prematurely, leaving them trying to force a frustrating and volatile relationship work out of simple economic necessity. This of course, is at the root of so many instances of domestic violence. Problems like these can wind up costing a worker for court fees, time missed from work, and more.)
Their budget does account for a car payment, but that figure is unrealistically low for the actual cost of operating a car. Insurance alone would easily double that figure, not to mention gasoline, maintenance, and repairs. Our own research has shown that the expense for basic auto transportation is roughly $500 a month. Public transportation may not give a significant reduction in transportation costs, and is not often available in many areas.
The next item combines home and car insurance into one item. Renters insurance is an excellent idea, and protects against all sorts of mishaps, like losing everything you own in a fire, or to a break in, but it is not really something that most low-wage workers can actually afford. Insurance for a homeowner is far more expensive than their figure, but we can assume that most people who work at McDonald's do not, and probably never will own their own home. They should not have even included car insurance there, but even for liability only that figure is very low, especially for younger drivers, or someone who may have had an accident. If you are making payments though, you need full coverage, which would be many time more per month than what they have calculated for.
For health insurance they have posted an absolutely absurd figure of $20 per month. Over-the-counter medicine to treat the flu would cost you more than that. McDonald's own basic plan for a single person with no children is $61 a month, with a maximum annual payout of $2000. (See: pdf) The plan also requires you pay a deductible and a single co-pay is $20. That $20 is, as you see, all they have budget for here, but not the actual cost of the insurance. Hardly sound financial advice from these supposed experts who worked on this project with them.
They must also assume that you live in Hawaii where it is practically 75-degrees year-round, because this budget allot for $0 in heating (or air-conditioning) expenses.
Cable and phone at $100 a month. This is possible, but you would not be able to afford a cellphone which is a nice convenience that can actually save you money and is indispensable in an emergency. Someone who is working 76 hours a week would probably choose to have a cellphone and eliminate television entertainment for the few hours that they are actually at home. They can just sit and stare at a wall until they fall asleep.
Their calculation for electric is not entirely unreasonable, but will vary widely from region to region and in different rental units. If there is electric heating for example, that figure could easily be two or three times as much per month. That would obviously wipe out their "other" category instantly.
At the end of the McDonald's budget we see they have allotted for $27 a day in spending money. Perhaps they expect workers to take all of their meals where they work, as the budget has not accounted for any food or grocery expenses. The health consequences alone would be devastating for a worker who made fast-food the staple of their diet, but $27 a day is not really enough for that anyway. The average cost in the US for a Big Mac value meal is $6.64, though it is often several dollars more in metro areas like NY. This would leave you with about $7 for gas, and nothing to feed your family. You also wouldn't have money for garbage bags, light bulbs, toothpaste, aspirin, haircuts, deodorant. You also wouldn't have money to do laundry, but you don't have a budget to buy clothes anyway, so go ahead an just wear that stinky McDonald's uniform without any underwear on, every single day.
For a much more practical and realistic budget, please see:
Analyzing a Practical Minimum Wage
You can sign a petition at:
Low Pay Is Not Okay
Tweet
McDonald's and Visa have come together in a new initiative which purports to show low-wage workers how to survive, and even thrive financially on their meager earnings.
At their new Practical Money Skills for Life™ website you can find a pdf file sample budget, ostensibly designed to be a framework for workers to use in order to successfully manage their income while working at McDonald's.
It is certainly a good idea to have a budget, to practice good financial techniques, to minimize spending and the like, but no budget will solve the problem of not having enough money to meet the most basic living expenses. This core truth is completely overlooked by McDonald's and their collaborator. This then sets the stage for victim-blaming, rather than making a factual presentation. The premise they present here, is that if a worker is having financial troubles it is the worker's own fault.
The introductory video is immediately condescending to the viewer/worker and assumes that you lack the elementary concepts of basic addition and subtraction arithmetic, or even common sense. While some workers may be woefully uneducated and lacking in life experience, it appears that the true ignorance here rests with the creators of the fast-food giant's presentation.
As an example, almost any worker knows full well that taking a pay-day loan is financially unsound, being both risky and costly. What the creators of the video ignore is that a worker does not need to be taught this point as a lesson, as if it were some great revelation bestowed by a benevolent corporation out of sheer good will. The worker who does take such a costly risk by taking out a pay-day loan does it out of necessity, not stupidity. The payday loan industry thrives on the desperation of the poor, not on people who ant some extra spending money.
The video also encourages the viewer to get direct-deposit for their paycheck, and to have a bank account, in order to save on check-cashing fees. But again we see that the creators have ignored the reality of the situation for many of their workers. Some financial institutions will not let a person with poor credit have an account. Low-wage workers are, of course, more likely than most to have a poor credit rating. In other instances, a bank or credit union may not be easily accessible in their neighborhood or along their travel routes. Banks often require a large minimum balance, leaving substantial funds inaccessible to the depositor.
But most important of all perhaps, is that bank accounts are riddled with costly pitfalls. Visa check-cards exacerbate those dangers to workers who are subject to an array of hidden maintenance, access, and penalty fees.
For many people it is not only easier, but actually wiser to just spend a few dollars to cash their paycheck at a local supermarket, or check-cashing store. In this instance, a former McDonald's worker has been forced to sue for her right to be paid in legal tender, after her employer refused to pay her in any form other than a fee-laden debit card like those issued by Visa.
Even with the best financial practices, no human mistakes, and no unforeseen emergencies, a person still needs enough money to meet basic expenses. A sound budget will never work without enough money to put into that budget in the first place. So let's have a look at what McDonald's sees as a reasonable budget for a worker to, as they put it, "have almost anything you want as long as you plan ahead and save for it."
Right at the start, McDonald's is admitting that a full-time worker at one of their restaurants does not earn enough to support themselves. Their budget demands from you that you get a second job, if you are lucky enough to find one at all, much less one that is compatible with your full-time and often irregular hours at one of their establishments. If you can't get a second job, for whatever reason, the full-time low-wage worker will be forced to go on welfare, or get at least some sort of public assistance.
What this means is that taxpayers are subsidizing the labor expenses of major corporations like McDonald's. We the taxpayers are now forced to pay a contribution in order to make sure that McDonald's workers actually show up for work in the first place, and that the worker is fed, clothed and healthy enough to perform their task. While these corporations reap billion dollar profits, and the CEO of McDonald's makes about $5,000 an hour, the taxpayers are forced to pay a share of their business expenses. In 2012, Wal-Mart workers were forced to rely on $2.6 billion in taxpayer relief. That directly translates into $2.6B in additional profits for the Walton family, who are more wealthy then the bottom 40% of all Americans combined.
Now let's go ahead and take a look at the person who winds up actually being lucky enough to have two jobs, and is in turn forced to pay taxes to help support the worker standing next to them who works only one full-time job. This budget projects a net monthly income of $2,060. Based on the 2012 IRS tax liability tables, a minimum wage worker earning $7.25 an hour would have to work 76 hours per week in order to have a net monthly income of $2,060. So much for the notion that poor people are lazy. This is essentially two full-time jobs, especially since employers won't usually let a worker hit the 40 hour mark in a week, for fear of having to pay an overtime wage.
This obviously leaves no time for continuing education, and precious few hours to spend with family or trying to raise your children. Contrary to the popular notion, teens do not make up the majority of minimum-wage workers. Roughly 90% are over the age of 20, and about 30% of minimum wage workers are trying to raise a family on that budget.
But surely a person working two full time jobs, nearly 80 hours a week, must be living fairly well, right? Well, let's have a look at budgeted expenses.
The first line item in that section is savings. Anyone who can afford to save, must actually have an income that exceeds the rest of their expenses. Saving for the future is not only good advice, but absolutely necessary in order to build any sort of future It is even necessary to simply offset an array of inflationary factors which have undermined the American worker since our heydey in the 1950's.
90% of Americans Earn Less Than 1950 Minimum Wage Standard
Unfortunately, this budget is actually completely impractical and that $100 figure is completely unrealistic.
Looking at the next item we see how unrealistic it actually is. $600 for rent is unheard of in most parts of the country. The average rent last year in the US was $1,048 monthly. In New York, it is over $3,000 a month. One might suggest getting a roommate to split the rent, but then again we might also assume that this budget is actually written out for two people working at McDonald's full time, and who decided to move in together to share the bills because they couldn't find a second full-time job for themselves. So even with a roomate or spouse also working full time, this budget is still not practical, as we shall further see.
(It could also be noted here that forced cohabitation can set someone up for all sorts of costly and life-damaging problems. Roomates can be an annoyance when they interfere with necessary sleep, but you are also vulnerable to thievery, fraud, and even being named as a criminal conspirator if they use the residence as part of an illicit enterprise. This socioeconomic dynamic has also pushed unwed couples to cohabitate prematurely, leaving them trying to force a frustrating and volatile relationship work out of simple economic necessity. This of course, is at the root of so many instances of domestic violence. Problems like these can wind up costing a worker for court fees, time missed from work, and more.)
Their budget does account for a car payment, but that figure is unrealistically low for the actual cost of operating a car. Insurance alone would easily double that figure, not to mention gasoline, maintenance, and repairs. Our own research has shown that the expense for basic auto transportation is roughly $500 a month. Public transportation may not give a significant reduction in transportation costs, and is not often available in many areas.
The next item combines home and car insurance into one item. Renters insurance is an excellent idea, and protects against all sorts of mishaps, like losing everything you own in a fire, or to a break in, but it is not really something that most low-wage workers can actually afford. Insurance for a homeowner is far more expensive than their figure, but we can assume that most people who work at McDonald's do not, and probably never will own their own home. They should not have even included car insurance there, but even for liability only that figure is very low, especially for younger drivers, or someone who may have had an accident. If you are making payments though, you need full coverage, which would be many time more per month than what they have calculated for.
For health insurance they have posted an absolutely absurd figure of $20 per month. Over-the-counter medicine to treat the flu would cost you more than that. McDonald's own basic plan for a single person with no children is $61 a month, with a maximum annual payout of $2000. (See: pdf) The plan also requires you pay a deductible and a single co-pay is $20. That $20 is, as you see, all they have budget for here, but not the actual cost of the insurance. Hardly sound financial advice from these supposed experts who worked on this project with them.
They must also assume that you live in Hawaii where it is practically 75-degrees year-round, because this budget allot for $0 in heating (or air-conditioning) expenses.
Cable and phone at $100 a month. This is possible, but you would not be able to afford a cellphone which is a nice convenience that can actually save you money and is indispensable in an emergency. Someone who is working 76 hours a week would probably choose to have a cellphone and eliminate television entertainment for the few hours that they are actually at home. They can just sit and stare at a wall until they fall asleep.
Their calculation for electric is not entirely unreasonable, but will vary widely from region to region and in different rental units. If there is electric heating for example, that figure could easily be two or three times as much per month. That would obviously wipe out their "other" category instantly.
At the end of the McDonald's budget we see they have allotted for $27 a day in spending money. Perhaps they expect workers to take all of their meals where they work, as the budget has not accounted for any food or grocery expenses. The health consequences alone would be devastating for a worker who made fast-food the staple of their diet, but $27 a day is not really enough for that anyway. The average cost in the US for a Big Mac value meal is $6.64, though it is often several dollars more in metro areas like NY. This would leave you with about $7 for gas, and nothing to feed your family. You also wouldn't have money for garbage bags, light bulbs, toothpaste, aspirin, haircuts, deodorant. You also wouldn't have money to do laundry, but you don't have a budget to buy clothes anyway, so go ahead an just wear that stinky McDonald's uniform without any underwear on, every single day.
For a much more practical and realistic budget, please see:
Analyzing a Practical Minimum Wage
You can sign a petition at:
Low Pay Is Not Okay
Tweet
7.21.2013
Drug Companies Can't Be Sued Says Supreme Court
Supreme Court rules Drug Companies exempt from Lawsuits
July 7, 2013. Washington. In case readers missed it with all the coverage of the Trayvon Martin murder trial and the Supreme Court’s rulings on gay marriage and the Voting Rights Act, the US Supreme Court also made a ruling on lawsuits against drug companies for fraud, mislabeling, side effects and accidental death. From now on, 80 percent of all drugs are exempt from legal liability.
In a 5-4 vote, the US Supreme Court struck down a lower court’s ruling and award for the victim of a pharmaceutical drug’s adverse reaction. According to the victim and the state courts, the drug caused a flesh-eating side effect that left the patient permanently disfigured over most of her body. The adverse reaction was hidden by the drug maker and later forced to be included on all warning labels. But the highest court in the land ruled that the victim had no legal grounds to sue the corporation because its drugs are exempt from lawsuits.
Read more at: Whiteout Press
Supreme Court vs. The People: 5-to-4 Does It Again
...In other words, a drug company that kills or maims us by pushing drugs on us through the corrupt health care system and is beholden to profit only, stands protected in law. Yet, these same drug companies fund medical training and "made to order" research, as well as, exert extensive influence on FDA drug approval process. They wine and dine doctors and pay them consultant fees to ghost write on their behalf and become their front-line sales force. We the people take the risks with our lives...
See the full article at: HuffPost Politics
See additional coverage at: Natural News
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July 7, 2013. Washington. In case readers missed it with all the coverage of the Trayvon Martin murder trial and the Supreme Court’s rulings on gay marriage and the Voting Rights Act, the US Supreme Court also made a ruling on lawsuits against drug companies for fraud, mislabeling, side effects and accidental death. From now on, 80 percent of all drugs are exempt from legal liability.
In a 5-4 vote, the US Supreme Court struck down a lower court’s ruling and award for the victim of a pharmaceutical drug’s adverse reaction. According to the victim and the state courts, the drug caused a flesh-eating side effect that left the patient permanently disfigured over most of her body. The adverse reaction was hidden by the drug maker and later forced to be included on all warning labels. But the highest court in the land ruled that the victim had no legal grounds to sue the corporation because its drugs are exempt from lawsuits.
Read more at: Whiteout Press
Supreme Court vs. The People: 5-to-4 Does It Again
...In other words, a drug company that kills or maims us by pushing drugs on us through the corrupt health care system and is beholden to profit only, stands protected in law. Yet, these same drug companies fund medical training and "made to order" research, as well as, exert extensive influence on FDA drug approval process. They wine and dine doctors and pay them consultant fees to ghost write on their behalf and become their front-line sales force. We the people take the risks with our lives...
See the full article at: HuffPost Politics
See additional coverage at: Natural News
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6.27.2013
FBI Hides Identity of Conspirators in Plot to Assassinate Protest Leaders
The FBI knew of a plot to assassinate persons seen as protest "leaders" in the Occupy Wall Street movement, but failed to act and has continued to protect the identity of the would-be assassins.
An identified [DELETED] as of October planned to engage in sniper attacks against protestors (sic) in Houston, Texas if deemed necessary. An identified [DELETED] had received intelligence that indicated the protesters in New York and Seattle planned similar protests in Houston, Dallas, San Antonio and Austin, Texas. [DELETED] planned to gather intelligence against the leaders of the protest groups and obtain photographs, then formulate a plan to kill the leadership via suppressed sniper rifles. (Note: protests continued throughout the weekend with approximately 6000 persons in NYC. ‘Occupy Wall Street’ protests have spread to about half of all states in the US, over a dozen European and Asian cities, including protests in Cleveland (10/6-8/11) at Willard Park which was initially attended by hundreds of protesters.)
This document shows that the plot remains in effect.
On 13 October 20111, writer sent via email an excerpt from the daily [DELETED] regarding FBI Houston’s [DELETED] to all IAs, SSRAs and SSA [DELETED] This [DELETED] identified the exploitation of the Occupy Movement by [LENGTHY DELETION] interested in developing a long-term plan to kill local Occupy leaders via sniper fire.
The FBI's failure to act against this clear act of domestic terrorism against American citizens practicing Constitutionally protected activities, was "explained" by the director of the FBI's media office, Paul Breeson, as follows:
The FOIA documents that you reference are redacted in several places pursuant to FOIA and privacy laws that govern the release of such information so therefore I am unable to help fill in the blanks that you are seeking. Exemptions are cited in each place where a redaction is made. As far as the question about the murder plot, I am unable to comment further, but rest assured if the FBI was aware of credible and specific information involving a murder plot, law enforcement would have responded with appropriate action.
Yeah right, rest assured my left butt-cheek.
Is the FBI a Terrorist Organization?
Read more about the assassination plot against OWS at: Who What Why
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An identified [DELETED] as of October planned to engage in sniper attacks against protestors (sic) in Houston, Texas if deemed necessary. An identified [DELETED] had received intelligence that indicated the protesters in New York and Seattle planned similar protests in Houston, Dallas, San Antonio and Austin, Texas. [DELETED] planned to gather intelligence against the leaders of the protest groups and obtain photographs, then formulate a plan to kill the leadership via suppressed sniper rifles. (Note: protests continued throughout the weekend with approximately 6000 persons in NYC. ‘Occupy Wall Street’ protests have spread to about half of all states in the US, over a dozen European and Asian cities, including protests in Cleveland (10/6-8/11) at Willard Park which was initially attended by hundreds of protesters.)
This document shows that the plot remains in effect.
On 13 October 20111, writer sent via email an excerpt from the daily [DELETED] regarding FBI Houston’s [DELETED] to all IAs, SSRAs and SSA [DELETED] This [DELETED] identified the exploitation of the Occupy Movement by [LENGTHY DELETION] interested in developing a long-term plan to kill local Occupy leaders via sniper fire.
The FBI's failure to act against this clear act of domestic terrorism against American citizens practicing Constitutionally protected activities, was "explained" by the director of the FBI's media office, Paul Breeson, as follows:
The FOIA documents that you reference are redacted in several places pursuant to FOIA and privacy laws that govern the release of such information so therefore I am unable to help fill in the blanks that you are seeking. Exemptions are cited in each place where a redaction is made. As far as the question about the murder plot, I am unable to comment further, but rest assured if the FBI was aware of credible and specific information involving a murder plot, law enforcement would have responded with appropriate action.
Yeah right, rest assured my left butt-cheek.
Is the FBI a Terrorist Organization?
Read more about the assassination plot against OWS at: Who What Why
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6.23.2013
IRS Sends $46M Refund to 24K Illegal Immigrants at One Address
That was not the only Atlanta address theoretically used by thousands of “unauthorized” alien workers receiving millions in federal tax refunds in 2011. In fact, according to a TIGTA audit report published last year, four of the top ten addresses to which the IRS sent thousands of tax refunds to “unauthorized” aliens were in Atlanta.
The IRS sent 11,284 refunds worth a combined $2,164,976 to unauthorized alien workers at a second Atlanta address; 3,608 worth $2,691,448 to a third; and 2,386 worth $1,232,943 to a fourth.
Other locations on the IG’s Top Ten list for singular addresses that were theoretically used simultaneously by thousands of unauthorized alien workers, included an address in Oxnard, Calif, where the IRS sent 2,507 refunds worth $10,395,874; an address in Raleigh, North Carolina, where the IRS sent 2,408 refunds worth $7,284,212; an address in Phoenix, Ariz., where the IRS sent 2,047 refunds worth $5,558,608; an address in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., where the IRS sent 1,972 refunds worth $2,256,302; an address in San Jose, Calif., where the IRS sent 1,942 refunds worth $5,091,027; and an address in Arvin, Calif., where the IRS sent 1,846 refunds worth $3,298,877.
Since 1996, the IRS has issued what it calls Individual Taxpayer Identification Numbers (ITINs) to two classes of persons: 1) non-resident aliens who have a tax liability in the United States, and 2) aliens living in the United States who are “not authorized to work in the United States.”
The IRS has long known it was giving these numbers to illegal aliens, and thus facilitating their ability to work illegally in the United States. For example, the Treasury Inspector General’s Semiannual Report to Congress published on Oct. 29, 1999—nearly fourteen years ago—specifically drew attention to this problem.
Read more at: CNSNews
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6.10.2013
American Manufacturing Replaced by Eating and Drinking
With socioeconomic trends such as this, it is little wonder why the American obesity epidemic shows no signs of slowing no matter what deluded programs are put in place to curb our expanding waistlines. From incessant commercial brainwashing, to denial of access to healthy products, to making you sick for profit, to a global population control program, it is little wonder why Americans are in such poor health. Not just physically, but economically as well.
In the 1950's, the heydey of American capitalism, manufacturing was the backbone of our economic vitality. These blue-collar jobs paid well, and provided the benefits that raised our quality of life to be the most superior in human history. As you can see from this chart below, those jobs have all been replaced by a service industry specifically designed to profit from obesity and drunkenness. The jobs in bars and restaurants are low-wage and usually provide no worker-benefits of any kind.
When factoring for worker productivity overall, 90% of Americans now make less than the minimum wage standard in 1950. This is at a time when American poverty has reached unprecedented proportions, and more people than ever are relying on government subsidies for the very basic necessities of life. If today's SNAP benefit (foodstamps) was measured as a bread-line like we saw during the Great Depression, there would be a line 7 miles long at every single Wal-Mart in America. Then to add insult to injury, even these low-paying obesity-industry jobs are being eliminated through technology.
This chart plots the collision course explaining why we are so physically sick at the same time our economic vitality has gone stale.
The source of this chart's information is the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, but was first seen at: Zero Hedge
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In the 1950's, the heydey of American capitalism, manufacturing was the backbone of our economic vitality. These blue-collar jobs paid well, and provided the benefits that raised our quality of life to be the most superior in human history. As you can see from this chart below, those jobs have all been replaced by a service industry specifically designed to profit from obesity and drunkenness. The jobs in bars and restaurants are low-wage and usually provide no worker-benefits of any kind.
When factoring for worker productivity overall, 90% of Americans now make less than the minimum wage standard in 1950. This is at a time when American poverty has reached unprecedented proportions, and more people than ever are relying on government subsidies for the very basic necessities of life. If today's SNAP benefit (foodstamps) was measured as a bread-line like we saw during the Great Depression, there would be a line 7 miles long at every single Wal-Mart in America. Then to add insult to injury, even these low-paying obesity-industry jobs are being eliminated through technology.
This chart plots the collision course explaining why we are so physically sick at the same time our economic vitality has gone stale.
The source of this chart's information is the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, but was first seen at: Zero Hedge
Tweet
5.29.2013
Google Glass Goes Balls Out With New Porn App
- Adult app store MiKandi reportedly confirmed it is already making content
- Comes after porn directors pledged to explore 'full potential' of technology
- Likely to be embarrassing revelation for Google over the technology
- Glass has already been banned in some cafes, cinemas and casinos in U.S.
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4.19.2013
Exploded Fertilizer Plant Plant Was Suing Monsanto
As details emerge about the Texas fertilizer plant that was the site of Wednesday’s fatal explosion and fire, a few tidbits can be gleaned from a 2007 lawsuit that the plant’s owners filed against agribusiness giant Monsanto Co.
The suit, filed as a potential class action in U.S. District Court for the western district of Texas, claimed that Monsanto had artificially inflated prices for its herbicide Roundup through anti-competitive actions. The suit did not relate to storing fertilizer, believed to be at the root of Wednesday’s blast.
The suit was filed by Texas Grain Storage Inc. The company now calls itself West Fertilizer Co.
Read more at: WSJ BLOGS
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The suit, filed as a potential class action in U.S. District Court for the western district of Texas, claimed that Monsanto had artificially inflated prices for its herbicide Roundup through anti-competitive actions. The suit did not relate to storing fertilizer, believed to be at the root of Wednesday’s blast.
The suit was filed by Texas Grain Storage Inc. The company now calls itself West Fertilizer Co.
Read more at: WSJ BLOGS
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3.17.2013
Pepsi Replaces Sugar With Aborted Fetuses
So what exactly is this magic ingredient that will be appearing in a new version of Pepsi, and how is it made? Unfortunately, those questions are hard to answer. Senomyx... refers to them only as 'enhancers' or 'ingredients'... The products work by triggering receptors on the tongue and tricking your taste buds into sensing sweetness — or saltiness or coolness, in the case of the company's other programs...Also see:
So are Senomyx's covert ingredients safe? That, too, is anyone's guess... many of its enhancers have 'been granted'GRAS (Generally Recognized As Safe) status, but all that means is that the company did its own assessment and then concluded everything was fine. We don't know whether Senomyx did any testing since the company isn't required to submit anything to the FDA.
There's no reason to think that Senomyx's products will cause harm, but until or unless Pepsi decides to share details about how exactly it's achieving a 60 percent reduction in sugar while keeping the taste the same, customers will be drinking their 'scientifically advantaged' sodas completely in the dark.”
The lack of labeling requirements is particularly troublesome and will probably become an issue in the future. Since these compounds (whatever they are) are used in such minute quantities, they don’t have to be listed on the label. They’ll simply fall under the generic category of artificial and/or natural flavors. What this means is that the product will appear to be much “healthier” than it might otherwise be, were a flavor enhancer not used.
According to a 2010 CBS report, Senomyx’s flavor enhancers were already being sold outside the US at that time. For example, Nestle was by 2010 using an MSG flavor enhancer in its Maggi brand soups, sauces, condiments and instant noodles, and Ajinomoto was also using a similar ingredient in products for the Chinese market. This means less of the artificial sweetener is needed to create the same sweet taste as before, but while one could argue that this is a good thing, I suspect we will ultimately learn that this flavor enhancement method has multiple unforeseen adverse consequences — metabolically, and biologically.
Consequences of Food Alteration are More the Rule than the Exception...
There are many reasons why you're better off choosing natural whole foods in lieu of processed alternatives, but one of the primary ones is that junk foods contain additives that increase your toxic load, which in turn may increase your tendency to develop cancer. As of yet, there is NO medical research to back up the assertion that manipulating your taste buds in the way Senomyx’ products do is safe and healthy in the long term. As an example, I would point to the evidence now available showing that one of the reasons why artificial sweeteners do not work as advertised is because the taste of sweet itself is tied into your metabolic functioning in a way that we still do not fully understand... As a result, artificially sweetened products, oftentimes boasting zero calories, actually result in greater weight gain than sweetened products when used “in the real world.”
It's easy to forget that the processed, pre-packaged foods and fast food restaurants of today are actually a radical change in terms of the history of food production. Much of what we eat today bears very little resemblance of real food. Many products are loaded with non-nutritive fillers — purposely designed to just “take up space” to make you think you’re getting more than you really are — along with any number of additives. Many additives have been shown to have harmful effects on mood, behavior, metabolic functioning and biochemistry.
Now, with the introduction of untested engineered flavor enhancers, you’re left wondering whether processed foods with “cleaner” labels really are safer and healthier or not...
Remember, because Senomyx’ flavor enhancers are used in such low concentrations they are not required to undergo the FDA's usual safety approval process for food additives.
The disease trends we're now seeing are only going to get worse as much of the processed foods consumed today are not even food-based. Who knows what kind of genetic mutations and malfunctions we're creating for ourselves and future generations when a MAJORITY of our diet consists of highly processed and artificial foods that contain substances never before consumed by humans in all of history.
Read more at the original source:
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2013/03/17/senomyx-flavor-enhancers.aspx?e_cid=20130317_SNL_Art_1&utm_source=snl&utm_medium=email&utm_content=art1&utm_campaign=20130317
Tastes Like Baby
You Ate Beaver Ass Juice
11 Disgusting Ingredients You Eat Every Day That Food Companies Don't Talk About
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