A recent pew poll showed 39% favorable reaction to OWS and a 32% favorable reaction to the Tea party. In addition the Tea party was veiwed negatively at a greater percentage 44% as opposed to 35% for the OWS protesters.
I wonder why people generally are viewing the OWS protesters more favorably even if only slightly. Could it be that at least right now the OWS group is suggesting little and mostly playing to a vague sense of inequality. Where as the Tea party is equally disappointed with the government but they have made real world demands for change. Where OWS points at the 1% and the need for shared sacrifice the Tea party and it's demands for spending cuts is the true advocate for shared sacrifice.
Shared sacrifice sounds good but nobody really wants to sacrifice.
Saturday, October 29, 2011
Sunday, October 9, 2011
Power
My son runs a McDonalds and they are in the process, nearly complete of tearing down and rebuilding the restaurant. So when we were out yesterday we stopped by to check out the progress. Charlie was there so we got the in side the store preview tour. There have been many headaches but they are scheduled to reopen on Thursday only a month late. It sure doesn't look at this point like they will make it without very long days by construction and clean up crews.
So where am I going with all this? While walking around the store and hearing about all the little hang ups something he said really set me off. McDonalds has templates for interior and exterior design, you get a design catalog and pick features you like. Turns out the mayor in Middleburg Hts. decided that he should pick all the design elements for the outside of the building. I'm not just talking zoning requirements like distances to the street and adjoining properties. This mayor feels he should decide brick colors and styles,and detailing on the overhangs, and what style lights should run across the front of the property. Now this is a 2.5 million dollar project and if I was spending the money I would be royally pissed to have somebody come in and dictate in such a heavy handed way how to spend my money. The mayor's lighting demand alone is adding around 50 grand.
This is power at it's worst. I told my wife on the way home it makes me want to move to Middleburg hts. so I could run for mayor. People that are that heavy handed in wielding power need to be deposed.
So where am I going with all this? While walking around the store and hearing about all the little hang ups something he said really set me off. McDonalds has templates for interior and exterior design, you get a design catalog and pick features you like. Turns out the mayor in Middleburg Hts. decided that he should pick all the design elements for the outside of the building. I'm not just talking zoning requirements like distances to the street and adjoining properties. This mayor feels he should decide brick colors and styles,and detailing on the overhangs, and what style lights should run across the front of the property. Now this is a 2.5 million dollar project and if I was spending the money I would be royally pissed to have somebody come in and dictate in such a heavy handed way how to spend my money. The mayor's lighting demand alone is adding around 50 grand.
This is power at it's worst. I told my wife on the way home it makes me want to move to Middleburg hts. so I could run for mayor. People that are that heavy handed in wielding power need to be deposed.
Saturday, October 1, 2011
Public sector unions
Reading the paper this week I saw a picture in the business section accompanying a story on the Greek financial crisis. The picture showed a group of angry protester protesting austerity measures being taken to try to save the Greek's economy.
So what does the Greek situation have to do with public sector unions? They both seem to think money can be produced like magic from thin air. For years promises have been made to the Greeks and public sector unions that are impossible to keep.
It may be too late for the Greeks with the low birth rate that is common in Europe there is not enough people to come close to meeting the promises. You see these promises of early retirements and socialized medicine were fine with a rising tide of workers to pay for them but the tide quit rising.
There may still be time in the U.S. we are one of the few developed countries without a drastic fall off in births. This is why I saw similarities between the Greeks and the public sector unions they both seem to think that they are entitled to money that just isn't there.
The reality train has been rolling for the last few years let's hope we can make the right decisions to make the drastic and painful changes that are necessary for our country. I don't mean to pick solely on the unions but the government and it's workers the unions are collectively us the people of the U.S. and therefor the place to start cutting. We need to do this through across the board reduction in budgets, attrition, and revamping the budgets of our future expenses(government retirement packages).
So what does the Greek situation have to do with public sector unions? They both seem to think money can be produced like magic from thin air. For years promises have been made to the Greeks and public sector unions that are impossible to keep.
It may be too late for the Greeks with the low birth rate that is common in Europe there is not enough people to come close to meeting the promises. You see these promises of early retirements and socialized medicine were fine with a rising tide of workers to pay for them but the tide quit rising.
There may still be time in the U.S. we are one of the few developed countries without a drastic fall off in births. This is why I saw similarities between the Greeks and the public sector unions they both seem to think that they are entitled to money that just isn't there.
The reality train has been rolling for the last few years let's hope we can make the right decisions to make the drastic and painful changes that are necessary for our country. I don't mean to pick solely on the unions but the government and it's workers the unions are collectively us the people of the U.S. and therefor the place to start cutting. We need to do this through across the board reduction in budgets, attrition, and revamping the budgets of our future expenses(government retirement packages).
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