Can someone please hand Ted a bottle of Jack and tell him to shut up?
Apparently, there’s a new movie coming out entitled “Wal-Mart: The High Cost of Low Prices.”. This movie, in the spirit of Michael Moore and that “Supersize Me” idiot, intends to show that Wal Mart, one of the largest corporations in the world, essentially practices modern day slavery in order to make the rich get richer.
I should preface this with one very important disclosure: I hate Wal-Mart. Despite the fact that there’s a Wal-Mart one mile away from my house, I won’t step foot in one except in cases of extreme durress or desperation. The service sucks, they’re always overcrowded and, nine times out of ten, they’re filthy. Personally, I’d rather forgo the potential savings I would realize in a Wal-Mart in order to have a more pleasant shopping experience at some other store.
Because Cindy Sheehan has (much to her chagrin) fallen out of the spotlight and because Michael Moore hasn’t put out any new movies lately, the Left has had to latch onto something. What better than a movie which demonizes one of the greatest examples of Free Market Capitalism the world has ever seen?
Because I’m always looking for a good laugh, I check out “The Huffington Post” every now and then just to see what has the far-left moonbat’s collective panties in a twist.. Wal-Mart has dominated coversation over there to such an extent that even Ted Kennedy has thrown in his two cents. Mary Jo Kopechne, of course, has yet to weigh in on the topic.
In his post, Ted manages to express his ideas on “The Ten Commandments of Good Corporate Citizenship.” Much like Moses coming down from the mountain, I present these Ten Commandments for your edification:
1. Thou shalt pay living wages.
2. Thou shalt provide affordable health care.
3. Thou shalt pay overtime.
4. Thou shalt not bust unions.
5. Thou shalt pay and promote women and men equally.
6. Thou shalt not discriminate against people of color.
7. Thou shalt not support sweatshops.
8. Thou shalt not violate child labor laws.
9. Thou shalt provide safe working conditions.
10. Thou shalt not dump toxic waste.
Numbers six through ten are no-brainers. Ted and I at least agree on those 5 things. (Actually, we probably agree on more than that. For example, I like Scotch and love my mother too.) The first five, however, don’t sit well with me:
“1. Thou shalt pay living wages”
Good idea, but not necessarily mandatory. An employer has the right to determine how much they will pay and an employee has the right to determine how much they will accept to do the job. The employee, if they feel they are being underpaid, may choose to find a new job. If they do not choose to improve their situation, it’s their bad, not the employer’s.
If I hire someone to mow my yard and they agree to $25 a pop, why would I, as their employer, volunteer to pay them $35? If my lawn boy suddenly decides that he wants $35, I, as the employer, would then need to decide if I’m willing to pay that much. If I think he’s the greatest lawn boy in the world, chances are, I’d agree, but if I feel that I can get the same talent for $25, I’ll likely tell my lawn boy not to let the door hit him where the Good Lord split him.
In the case of Wal-Mart, the living wage requirement is especially questionable as (it appears), the larger portion of their low-level work staff consists of students and retirees who are looking for a little extra cash, not a living.
“2. Thou shalt provide affordable health care.”
This is just poorly worded. Wal-Mart does not provide health care…doctors do. I understand his point, though, and still disagree with it.
This goes hand-in-hand with the living wage issue. Good idea if you’re trying to attract great talent, but not necessary. Besides, how would you define “affordable” as far as health care is concerned? If you’re a minimum wage employee, affordable for you is going to be a small co-pay per visit. The premium for a small co-pay policy would likely exceed your annual salary.
Trust me, I am sympathetic to this. Despite the fact that my employer pays the majority of my health insurance premium, a large chunk of my monthly income is taken by health care costs…and I have a pretty healthy family and a relatively good policy. Health Insurance is classified as a benefit for a reason. It is not a right that you are entitled to just because you put in a minimum of 30 hours a week for your employer.
“3. Thou shalt pay overtime.”
It all goes back to how you were “contracted” for your services. If you were told “You will be paid $”X” for working “Y” hours,” you should absolutely be paid for those hours you put in in excess of “Y”. The employer, however, has the right to determine if they’re going to pay you for your hours or for the overall job you were given.
In the case of my wife and me, we get paid the same amount whether we put in 40 hours or 60 so I’m not completely sympathetic to this “commandment”
“4. Thou shalt not bust unions.”
In find it extremely ironic that Teddy threw this out on the same day that GM, Delphi and Ford announced that they are going to cut 58,000 jobs in order to stay afloat. Take a guess at what is the greatest contributing factor to their financial difficulties. It’s OK…you can say it.
Because of unions, each of these employers has been required to substantially overpay their workforce. Unions are inches away from causing Delta Airlines to completely collapse. If I were a Delta pilot, I would hate to be in a position to have to take a pay cut. I would hate it even more if I lost 100% of my income because my employer went broke. Delta pilots would be wise to seek out pilots from Eastern and Pan-Am and ask them how things worked out for them when their employers folded. Pilots especially should be a little more concerned with the overall picture considering the relatively limited demand for their services. If they’re going to be more beholden to their union than the folks that actually pay the bills, it serves them right to get canned.
“5. Thou shalt pay and promote women and men equally.”
One of the greatest lies ever forced on the human race is the proposition that all men (and women) are created equal. We’re not.
Please understand that this comment has absolutely nothing to do with gender, race, color, creed, etc., so read further before you label me a misogynist, racist or xenophobe.
In the sight of God and, theoretically, in the sight of the law, all people should be afforded the same rights. However, what you are paid and how you are promoted should have nothing to do with your gender but should be based on your experience, knowledge, work ethic and ability to do your job to the extent that your employer requires it.
For example, let’s say that myself and a woman have the exact same job title and responsibilities. Let’s also say that I have five years experience and she has two. She’s a single mom with two kids and I’m married with one. The job requires travel in order to be most effective at the job.
Should she and I be paid the exact same amount although I’ve got more experience and the ability to do my job more effectively than her because I don’t have to worry about being away from home for a few days at a time? Absolutely not. If the inverse were true, should she be paid more than me? Absolutely.
Now let’s say that we’ve got an equal amount of experience with the job but she’s still a single mom and I’m a married dad. A promotion opportunity comes up which is going to require more travel of the recipient. Should we be given equal consideration for the job although her situation is going to conflict with her ability to pick up and get on an airplane at a moment’s notice, thereby impairing her ability to be most effective at the job? Absolutely not.
Quotas, on any basis, are discriminatory against someone. Women and men, (just like blacks and whites, etc.) should be afforded the same opportunities, but a person’s pay and promotability should be based on experience, dependability, work ethic, job performance, etc Each of those things are affected by one’s intellect, personal situation, mental state-of-mind, etc and not whether they sit or stand when they pee.
In short, equal opportunity = good. Over-weighted consideration in order to fill a quota = bad.
I thought about ending this by saying that Ted Kennedy is an idiot, but that would not be a fair statement. I honestly don’t know if he believes any of this, but I DO know that he has to spew out this crap in order to get elected. The problem is, because Teddy-boy says it, many people will actually believe it.
And, once again, I'd need to state that I hate Wal-Mart and this is not a defense of them. In addition to bad service and filthy stores, I have some other issues and concerns with them. I just think that some people have a very false sense of entitlement when it comes to their employers, perceived rights, etc.
Ugh…I’m exhausted. Thus endeth my rant for the day.
I should preface this with one very important disclosure: I hate Wal-Mart. Despite the fact that there’s a Wal-Mart one mile away from my house, I won’t step foot in one except in cases of extreme durress or desperation. The service sucks, they’re always overcrowded and, nine times out of ten, they’re filthy. Personally, I’d rather forgo the potential savings I would realize in a Wal-Mart in order to have a more pleasant shopping experience at some other store.
Because Cindy Sheehan has (much to her chagrin) fallen out of the spotlight and because Michael Moore hasn’t put out any new movies lately, the Left has had to latch onto something. What better than a movie which demonizes one of the greatest examples of Free Market Capitalism the world has ever seen?
Because I’m always looking for a good laugh, I check out “The Huffington Post” every now and then just to see what has the far-left moonbat’s collective panties in a twist.. Wal-Mart has dominated coversation over there to such an extent that even Ted Kennedy has thrown in his two cents. Mary Jo Kopechne, of course, has yet to weigh in on the topic.
In his post, Ted manages to express his ideas on “The Ten Commandments of Good Corporate Citizenship.” Much like Moses coming down from the mountain, I present these Ten Commandments for your edification:
1. Thou shalt pay living wages.
2. Thou shalt provide affordable health care.
3. Thou shalt pay overtime.
4. Thou shalt not bust unions.
5. Thou shalt pay and promote women and men equally.
6. Thou shalt not discriminate against people of color.
7. Thou shalt not support sweatshops.
8. Thou shalt not violate child labor laws.
9. Thou shalt provide safe working conditions.
10. Thou shalt not dump toxic waste.
Numbers six through ten are no-brainers. Ted and I at least agree on those 5 things. (Actually, we probably agree on more than that. For example, I like Scotch and love my mother too.) The first five, however, don’t sit well with me:
“1. Thou shalt pay living wages”
Good idea, but not necessarily mandatory. An employer has the right to determine how much they will pay and an employee has the right to determine how much they will accept to do the job. The employee, if they feel they are being underpaid, may choose to find a new job. If they do not choose to improve their situation, it’s their bad, not the employer’s.
If I hire someone to mow my yard and they agree to $25 a pop, why would I, as their employer, volunteer to pay them $35? If my lawn boy suddenly decides that he wants $35, I, as the employer, would then need to decide if I’m willing to pay that much. If I think he’s the greatest lawn boy in the world, chances are, I’d agree, but if I feel that I can get the same talent for $25, I’ll likely tell my lawn boy not to let the door hit him where the Good Lord split him.
In the case of Wal-Mart, the living wage requirement is especially questionable as (it appears), the larger portion of their low-level work staff consists of students and retirees who are looking for a little extra cash, not a living.
“2. Thou shalt provide affordable health care.”
This is just poorly worded. Wal-Mart does not provide health care…doctors do. I understand his point, though, and still disagree with it.
This goes hand-in-hand with the living wage issue. Good idea if you’re trying to attract great talent, but not necessary. Besides, how would you define “affordable” as far as health care is concerned? If you’re a minimum wage employee, affordable for you is going to be a small co-pay per visit. The premium for a small co-pay policy would likely exceed your annual salary.
Trust me, I am sympathetic to this. Despite the fact that my employer pays the majority of my health insurance premium, a large chunk of my monthly income is taken by health care costs…and I have a pretty healthy family and a relatively good policy. Health Insurance is classified as a benefit for a reason. It is not a right that you are entitled to just because you put in a minimum of 30 hours a week for your employer.
“3. Thou shalt pay overtime.”
It all goes back to how you were “contracted” for your services. If you were told “You will be paid $”X” for working “Y” hours,” you should absolutely be paid for those hours you put in in excess of “Y”. The employer, however, has the right to determine if they’re going to pay you for your hours or for the overall job you were given.
In the case of my wife and me, we get paid the same amount whether we put in 40 hours or 60 so I’m not completely sympathetic to this “commandment”
“4. Thou shalt not bust unions.”
In find it extremely ironic that Teddy threw this out on the same day that GM, Delphi and Ford announced that they are going to cut 58,000 jobs in order to stay afloat. Take a guess at what is the greatest contributing factor to their financial difficulties. It’s OK…you can say it.
Because of unions, each of these employers has been required to substantially overpay their workforce. Unions are inches away from causing Delta Airlines to completely collapse. If I were a Delta pilot, I would hate to be in a position to have to take a pay cut. I would hate it even more if I lost 100% of my income because my employer went broke. Delta pilots would be wise to seek out pilots from Eastern and Pan-Am and ask them how things worked out for them when their employers folded. Pilots especially should be a little more concerned with the overall picture considering the relatively limited demand for their services. If they’re going to be more beholden to their union than the folks that actually pay the bills, it serves them right to get canned.
“5. Thou shalt pay and promote women and men equally.”
One of the greatest lies ever forced on the human race is the proposition that all men (and women) are created equal. We’re not.
Please understand that this comment has absolutely nothing to do with gender, race, color, creed, etc., so read further before you label me a misogynist, racist or xenophobe.
In the sight of God and, theoretically, in the sight of the law, all people should be afforded the same rights. However, what you are paid and how you are promoted should have nothing to do with your gender but should be based on your experience, knowledge, work ethic and ability to do your job to the extent that your employer requires it.
For example, let’s say that myself and a woman have the exact same job title and responsibilities. Let’s also say that I have five years experience and she has two. She’s a single mom with two kids and I’m married with one. The job requires travel in order to be most effective at the job.
Should she and I be paid the exact same amount although I’ve got more experience and the ability to do my job more effectively than her because I don’t have to worry about being away from home for a few days at a time? Absolutely not. If the inverse were true, should she be paid more than me? Absolutely.
Now let’s say that we’ve got an equal amount of experience with the job but she’s still a single mom and I’m a married dad. A promotion opportunity comes up which is going to require more travel of the recipient. Should we be given equal consideration for the job although her situation is going to conflict with her ability to pick up and get on an airplane at a moment’s notice, thereby impairing her ability to be most effective at the job? Absolutely not.
Quotas, on any basis, are discriminatory against someone. Women and men, (just like blacks and whites, etc.) should be afforded the same opportunities, but a person’s pay and promotability should be based on experience, dependability, work ethic, job performance, etc Each of those things are affected by one’s intellect, personal situation, mental state-of-mind, etc and not whether they sit or stand when they pee.
In short, equal opportunity = good. Over-weighted consideration in order to fill a quota = bad.
I thought about ending this by saying that Ted Kennedy is an idiot, but that would not be a fair statement. I honestly don’t know if he believes any of this, but I DO know that he has to spew out this crap in order to get elected. The problem is, because Teddy-boy says it, many people will actually believe it.
And, once again, I'd need to state that I hate Wal-Mart and this is not a defense of them. In addition to bad service and filthy stores, I have some other issues and concerns with them. I just think that some people have a very false sense of entitlement when it comes to their employers, perceived rights, etc.
Ugh…I’m exhausted. Thus endeth my rant for the day.
posted by Big Bad Dad at 4:11 PM
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