Jobs

Governor Moonbeam Losing It

Published by Papa Giorgio

Steve Hayward ends with this in a recent article on the direction California is headed:

….The whole scene is even too much for the Juice Voxers:

California is about to find out what a truly radical climate policy looks like

. . . It’s hard to overstate how ambitious this is. Few countries have ever achieved cuts this sharp while enjoying robust economic growth. (Two exceptions were France and Sweden in the 1980s and ’90s, when they scaled up nuclear power.) The EU is also aiming for a similar 40 percent cut below 1990 levels by 2030, though they’ve got a head start.

And California is facing some serious hurdles. The state’s largest source of low-carbon electricity, the Diablo Canyon nuclear power plant, may shut down in 2025. The climate plan faces opposition not just from influential industries like oil and manufacturing, but also from a fair number of Democrats. Making things harder still, California’s signature climate policy, an economy-wide cap-and-trade program for CO2 emissions, is in legal peril — and last month’s vote didn’t help.

The stakes are enormous: Policymakers everywhere will be watching to see if California can pull this off. Getting a 40 percent cut will require more than bucking up wind and solar and putting more electric cars on the road. It will mean reshaping virtually every facet of the state’s economy, from buildings to transportation to farming and beyond.

I’ve heard no less a true believe in climate action than Cass Sunstein saying the California targets are crazy and won’t be seriously pursued. I think he underestimates the state’s insanity.

California’s Green Death of a Thousand Cuts

Published by Papa Giorgio

John and Ken read from an L.A. TIMES article that raises the alarm a bit too late for Californians.

  • Californians are likely to pay more for gasoline, electricity, food and new homes — and to feel their lives jolted in myriad other ways — because their state broadly expanded its war on climate change this summer. The ambitious new goals will require complex regulations on an unprecedented scale, but were approved in Sacramento without a study of possible economic repercussions. Some of the nation’s top energy, housing and business experts say the effort may not only raise the cost of staples, but also slow the pace of job and income growth for millions of California families.

Not that most them care about the business climate anyways. The attrition has been happening for many years (More Businesses Leave California), and California is chasing alternative energy companies (Two Models: Prosperity or Egalitarianism) out of the state as well. An earlier discussion mentioned these new regulations hurting the economy of California (Jerry Brown Just Destroyed California’s Economy), but this article is just another nail in the coffin. Not to mention the many other factors killing California… like the teachers unions (California Teacher Unions Draining State Budget) and the pension promised benefits to the state’s other unions (State Deficits Budget Shortfall on Pensions || The Author of “Plunder” Interviewed).

Killing the American Dream

Published by Papa Giorgio

Hat-Tip to WINTERY KNIGHT:

…Where are the jobs for the young people supposed to come from, when the young people keep voting against the private sector businesses that create jobs? I don’t know that their parents and professors are explaining to them how the economy works. Taxes and regulations make job creation harder, and then you have nowhere to work, and just live at home.

The “weak job opportunities” that Pew Research mentioned are especially weak for young people who graduate from non-STEM programs. STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) graduates are able to find jobs that pay enough. Liberal arts graduates end up serving coffee. And then they vote for more environmentalist regulations and a higher minimum wage, and find themselves out of a job entirely. The jobs just go elsewhere where there are lower taxes and fewer regulations.

It’s really important for young people to get into the workforce early and start building their resume and references with work experience. Two years of work experience is better than graduate school in most cases, too. Saving works much better when you start investing early, so watch your spending.

The American Dream is real, but it may not be for much longer. What exactly is the American Dream? And why is it in danger? Elaine Parker of Job Creators Network explains. Find out more about Job Creators Network and Information Station! https://informationstation.org/

Former McDonald’s CEO Ed Rensi Speaks About Minimum Wage

Published by Papa Giorgio

(H/T Breitbart) “I was at the National Restaurant Show yesterday and if you look at the robotic devices that are coming into the restaurant industry — it’s cheaper to buy a $35,000 robotic arm than it is to hire an employee who’s inefficient [while] making $15 an hour bagging French fries,” Rensi said Tuesday.

“It’s nonsense and it’s very destructive and it’s inflationary and it’s going to cause a job loss across this country like you’re not going to believe,” Rensi added.

Labor Force vs. Unemployment Rate

Published by Papa Giorgio

Record 94,610,000 Americans Not In Labor Force

The number of Americans not in the labor force exceeded 94 million for the second time in a row last month hitting a new record high, according to new government data released Friday morning.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that a record 94,610,000 people (ages 16 and over) were not in the labor force in September. In other words they were neither employed nor had made specific efforts to find work in the prior four weeks.

The number of individuals out of the work force last month — due to discouragement, retirement or otherwise — represented a substantial 579,000 person increase over the most recent record, hit in August, of 94,031,000 people out of the workforce.

While the prior two months saw a labor force participation rate of 62.2 percent, September’s participation rate dropped to 62.4 percent, matching the lowest level seen since October 1977….

Record 56,647,000 Women Not In Labor Force

More than 56 million women were not of the U.S. labor force last month, according to new government data released Friday. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that 56,647,000 women, ages 16 and older during the month of September were neither employed nor had made specific efforts to find work in the past four weeks.

The number of women not participating in the workforce was up 394,000 from August, when 56,253,000 women were out of the workforce.

National numbers of people not participating in the work force experienced a similar trend, increasing in September to a record 94,610,000 Americans — both men and women — out of the labor force.

Additionally the number of women in the civilian labor force declined from August’s level of 73,593,000 women to 73,313,000 women. The labor force participation rate among women in September was 53.6 percent, down 0.2 percent from August….

Businesses Forced To Hurt The Poor ~ Thanks Dems

Published by Papa Giorgio

As the #FightFor15 movement get fast food workers to strike in order to get a $15, and they watch businesses in Seattle closing because of the forced raise in wages. Automated cashier options are now an option to be weighed. Of course a business wants a human face to represent it. But the business wants to stay in business, so many are being forced to choose a cheaper, more sustainable option for its budget.

McDonald’s is buying 7,000 automated machines to replace people

Would you like some microchips with that burger? McDonald’s Europe strikes another blow against human interaction by installing 7,000 touch-screen computers to take your order and money.

[….]

McDonalds recently went on a hiring binge in the U.S., adding 62,000 employees to its roster. The hiring picture doesn’t look quite so rosy for Europe, where the fast food chain is drafting 7,000 touch-screen kiosks to handle cashiering duties.

And this real world affect of what politicians can merely raise taxes to meet budgets with (or, on the Federal level just print more money [a dumb move BTW]) is that small business go out of business, thus affecting the poor who want jobs.

But now the option through technology is to replace workers for businesses altogether:

(Washington Policy Center) Everyone is predicting what the real world impact of Seattle’s newly passed $15 minimum wage will be.  The truth is there will not be a mass exodus of businesses from the city, nor will the economy crash.

Certainly, some businesses will move or close down, consumers will pay more, some workers will receive fewer benefits and the lowest skilled workers will have a harder time finding a job because they are competing with more experienced workers. 

But many businesses will simply figure out how to employ fewer low-wage workers.  They will do that by substituting machines and technology for people.

Service industry CEOs have cautioned a higher minimum wage is “encouraging automation,” which can improve efficiency.  Even Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates warns that a higher minimum wage would “encourage labor substitution” and incentivize employers to “buy machines and automate things” and ultimately “cause job destruction.”

He’s right. When government increases the cost of labor, employers find other ways to save money. 

Just look at how McDonald’s has responded to France’s $12 an hour minimum wage.  In 2011, McDonald’s invested in 7,000 touch screen computers in France to reduce the number of workers needed.  Restaurants around the country are already exploring automation as a means to cut costs; Applebee’s is installing 100,000 tabletop tablets for ordering and payments.

Many food businesses are considering a machine that can freshly grind, shape and custom grill 360 gourmet burgers per hour, no human labor needed.   Alpha, the burger-making robot, can even slice and dice the pickles and tomatoes, put them on the burger, add condiments and wrap it up.  The manufacturer makes the point that cashiers or servers aren’t even needed: “Customers could just punch in their order, pay, and wait at a dispensing window.”  The maker says Alpha will pay for itself in a year. 

…read it all…

How We Got 5.6% Unemployment: Obfuscation (UPDATED)

Published by Papa Giorgio

The Big Lie: 5.6% Unemployment

…There’s another reason why the official rate is misleading. Say you’re an out-of-work engineer or healthcare worker or construction worker or retail manager: If you perform a minimum of one hour of work in a week and are paid at least $20 — maybe someone pays you to mow their lawn — you’re not officially counted as unemployed in the much-reported 5.6%. Few Americans know this.

Yet another figure of importance that doesn’t get much press: those working part time but wanting full-time work. If you have a degree in chemistry or math and are working 10 hours part time because it is all you can find — in other words, you are severely underemployed — the government doesn’t count you in the 5.6%. Few Americans know this.

There’s no other way to say this. The official unemployment rate, which cruelly overlooks the suffering of the long-term and often permanently unemployed as well as the depressingly underemployed, amounts to a Big Lie…

Is Obama a Jobs President? Dissecting a White House Graph

Published by Papa Giorgio

A friend showed this graphic to me and I uploaded a response to it by Larry Elder for him. And another acquaintance of mine on FaceBook also responded to the above graph, I will include his commentary as well. Enjoy the excoriation of a White House graph/talking point. Here is what my friend said — sarcastically — with the graphic.:

  • You can’t argue with statistics Sean… Obama the job creator!

Firstly, you underestimate my ability Scott H. Secondly, job growth IS good… but it is how you define “is” and “good.” Did Obama stifle majorly what our engine of the free market is capable of? There are two link below that are worth taking some time rummaging through… especially Amity’s work:

From the video description of the above video:

Larry Elder talks about the harm in having government meddle in the recovery of our free-market systems. Other topics on this from history can be found here:

✦ Uncommon Knowledge: The Great Depression with Amity Shlaes (http://youtu.be/lLeAqbOUt4c);
✦ The History of Herbert Hoover and the Great Depression (http://tinyurl.com/qdgf6eo)

For more clear thinking like this from Larry Elder… I invite you to visit: http://www.larryelder.com/

And here is some input from Brian C.

Scott says you cannot argue with statistics, oh yes I can! You can make statistics say anything you want! That is what Obama does with the jobs numbers and the GDP! Sean those numbers are not the real job numbers. Those are the fixed job numbers that politicians use to make themselves look good, when in fact they are crappy! In fact, every month we have been loosing jobs. They do not count the people who lost their job or left the work force in those numbers. Last month they reported a net loss of over 100,000 jobs in the private sector. We have been loosing around that and more since Obama took office. That is why the number of people working has gone down every year since Obama took office! This is why we have record number of people on the government dole! There have been jobs created but when you take the jobs that have been lost, it is a net loss! Obama is a private sector job destroyer! Even the jobs that are created are mostly low paying jobs! These are the things liberals and the news media will not tell you!

Just wanted to give the reader a few avenues in responding to the above propaganda.

Breathing Causes Asthma? Making CO2 Illegal via Imperil Presidency

Published by Papa Giorgio

See Also, “Dr. William Happer Speaking To The Benefits Of CO2.”

This is via Gay Patriot, and shows how scientific the party of science is:

Bypassing Congress yet again, Obama today announced a unilateral imposition of carbon dioxide emission limits for electrical power plants.

Even the NYTimes admits the regulations will have no discernible impact on Global  CO2 levels. They will, however, cost $50 Billion per year in regulatory costs, raise energy bills an average of $1,200 per family per year, and destroy 224,000 jobs annually through 2030.

The Administration promises none of those outcomes will happen, but then, they also promised “If you like your plan, you can keep your plan,” and “We will be the most transparent administration in history.”

Obama is justifying his dictatorial imposition of carbon dioxide regulations partly on the basis that carbon causes asthma and heart attacks.

You read that right. Carbon. Causes. Asthma.

Party of science my ass.