It’s nice to get back to basics once in a while and write about the things that compelled me to start this blog in the first place.
Sunday’s Janesville Gazette ran an article about the Federal government's drive to finally begin enforcing employment rules employers were obligated to follow but ignored in their quest to hire cheaper and cheaper labor.
The article Somebody is going to pay was an explanation of the potential consequences from the expected rule enforcement on employers of illegal immigrants and contained commentary and opinion supporting a business-only view without regard to national or social security issues. Not a problem if presented in the op-ed section of the newspaper, but unfortunately the Gazette pasted this as frontpage headlines of the local news section. The journalist was then able to morph an obviously one-sided opinion piece loaded with conjecture, assumptions and warnings into a news event targeting primarily consumers and local employers.
Participants in the story also were allowed to stray by mixing definitions and issues of illegal immigration in with legally documented workers.
I’m not taking anything away from the supporting cast but every perspective and opinion offered fell in line with a no-amnesty, pro-temporary worker visa policy as the solution to the problem when there are alternatives. How they can reconcile the importance and high value manual labor brings to the economy with poverty level pay is difficult to understand. If our economy must rely on millions of poverty wage undocumented workers in order to survive – then we have a failed economy. That is the real story here.
Showing posts with label wages. Show all posts
Showing posts with label wages. Show all posts
Tuesday, September 11, 2007
Monday, September 10, 2007
WMC Likes Things Just The Way They Are
This is a list of Rock County businesses and individuals who have signed a petition drawn up by the WMC to stop the Senate (democrats) state budget. You can view the entire list here.
The folks below say there are ways to grow our economy and create jobs better than what the democrats have to offer.
Sunday’s Janesville Gazette headline story, Wages just aren’t keeping up reports on the census results of growing the economy "their way." Poverty in Janesville has DOUBLED and the average median household income has gone DOWN in a period of only seven years. Worse yet, the most current trend showed the largest increase in statewide poverty ballooned since 2005. But the WMC doesn't want anyone especially the democrats to screw around with this. They must figure "hey, why ruin a good thing."
The folks below say there are ways to grow our economy and create jobs better than what the democrats have to offer.
Sunday’s Janesville Gazette headline story, Wages just aren’t keeping up reports on the census results of growing the economy "their way." Poverty in Janesville has DOUBLED and the average median household income has gone DOWN in a period of only seven years. Worse yet, the most current trend showed the largest increase in statewide poverty ballooned since 2005. But the WMC doesn't want anyone especially the democrats to screw around with this. They must figure "hey, why ruin a good thing."
JG Excerpt:We might not have the answer but after 15 years of "Contract with America" topped off by the last six years of Bush-style trickle-down economics, wrong-headed trade agreements, outsourcing jobs, shipping in labor, privatization for profits, misguided tax cuts and massive foreclosures on Bush's ownership society, we know what clearly doesn't work. IT'S TIME FOR NEW DIRECTION.
Is there a solution out there? "Boy, I don't have an answer to that one, I wish there were." -- Kennedy Elementary Principal, Niel Bender
Wednesday, April 18, 2007
Expensive American Hospitals - Does Toyota Make One?
In a town that seems to go to great lengths to hide its politics, the Janesville Gazette on Monday ran a McClatchy-Tribune article titled, “Politics can get you down.” Obviously you didn’t have to read the article to figure it out, but as long as you glanced the title I’m sure the Gazette felt comfortable with that reminder.
In Tuesday's Gazette, the paper dropped a five article bomb all written objectively by the same journalist in what appears to be part of giant 3-day Mercy Hospital promotion. The articles today centered around economic growth, the importance of the business community and finally, the compensation of its CEO.
There was a lot of side activity going on within the stories. For instance, Mercy has displaced GM as the largest single employer in the area and could spell political trouble for those over-paid democrats. And of course the ever present peer comparisons made to justify the salaries of white-collar positions including that of the CEO. Forward Janesville was described simply as “the communities private economic development organization” and not as a “special interest right-leaning institution” and all of the those interviewed just offered each other the kind of support and back-slapping one would expect at a “good ol’ boy” rally.
But two things stood out, number one, the Mercy executives interviewed and their supporters collecting multi-million dollar salaries expect criticism from the community and perhaps this blog for their multi-million dollar compensation packages. But they don’t care because they are busy people and do a lot for the community, they are irreplaceable and they deserve the money….period.
Mercy CEO Javon Bea collected $14 million in 2002 and was asked by the Gazette how the community would react to his salary.
The story also revealed that it’s top five physicians earned an average of $1.1 million a year and that Mercy has 10 vice presidents whose average salary was $163,690 during the 2004-2005 fiscal year.
Regardless, I see problems with all of their salaries but I’ll let the Gazette attack them in their editorials like they would GM executives and their overpaid union workers. The second thing here is, this giant exposé or info-commercial or whatever you want to call it is really not newsworthy, it’s very lop-sided and the Gazette goes out of their way to defend anything that might appear extreme or excessive. Too bad Gazette journalists can’t spin like this for the Rock County Board, unions, teacher health insurance or Democrats just for balance.
The only question I have after reading it is: Why is healthcare so expensive? Refresh me.
Mercy Gazette Promotional page
In Tuesday's Gazette, the paper dropped a five article bomb all written objectively by the same journalist in what appears to be part of giant 3-day Mercy Hospital promotion. The articles today centered around economic growth, the importance of the business community and finally, the compensation of its CEO.
There was a lot of side activity going on within the stories. For instance, Mercy has displaced GM as the largest single employer in the area and could spell political trouble for those over-paid democrats. And of course the ever present peer comparisons made to justify the salaries of white-collar positions including that of the CEO. Forward Janesville was described simply as “the communities private economic development organization” and not as a “special interest right-leaning institution” and all of the those interviewed just offered each other the kind of support and back-slapping one would expect at a “good ol’ boy” rally.
But two things stood out, number one, the Mercy executives interviewed and their supporters collecting multi-million dollar salaries expect criticism from the community and perhaps this blog for their multi-million dollar compensation packages. But they don’t care because they are busy people and do a lot for the community, they are irreplaceable and they deserve the money….period.
Mercy CEO Javon Bea collected $14 million in 2002 and was asked by the Gazette how the community would react to his salary.
JG Excerpt:Bea is one smart cookie. This is exactly how every civic leader and politician should respond to anything from the mainstream media before they answer their question. Has he been reading my blog? Don't worry Javon, the Gazette did a great job explaining it. Apparently Javon Bea deferred large parts of his salary for thirteen years, invested it during the Clinton 90’s and had the wherewithal to pull it all out before Bush came in, and walked away with $14 million. You know, he did what most of us Janevilleans do.
"Whatever they choose," he told the Gazette. "It depends on how you represent it, if you represent it accurately or not."—Javon Bea
The story also revealed that it’s top five physicians earned an average of $1.1 million a year and that Mercy has 10 vice presidents whose average salary was $163,690 during the 2004-2005 fiscal year.
Regardless, I see problems with all of their salaries but I’ll let the Gazette attack them in their editorials like they would GM executives and their overpaid union workers. The second thing here is, this giant exposé or info-commercial or whatever you want to call it is really not newsworthy, it’s very lop-sided and the Gazette goes out of their way to defend anything that might appear extreme or excessive. Too bad Gazette journalists can’t spin like this for the Rock County Board, unions, teacher health insurance or Democrats just for balance.
The only question I have after reading it is: Why is healthcare so expensive? Refresh me.
Mercy Gazette Promotional page
Tuesday, October 24, 2006
Its a Republican Economy, Stupid
Take one $26 dollar an hour union job with profit sharing and full health benefits, eliminate it and create two $9 an hour jobs with personal investment accounts and a share-pay HMO. What to do with the leftover $8 and hour? That’s easy.
At least two dollars would go to the investors in the form of tax-free dividends and one dollar would cover the CEO’s initial company stock purchase and compensation package.
Another dollar would pay for public relations and lobbyists in Washington to bribe Congress into reforming OSHA, change labor and pollution laws and freeze the $5.15 minimum wage. Why freeze the minimum? The best way to make workers happy and feel good about their nine dollar an hour job is to constantly remind them that others are paid much less. The CEO’s first order of business is to post the minimum wage on large placards in the lunchroom and HR office. Two more dollars would cover the cost for outsourcing high-liability tasks to China and Mexico and create new customer service centers in India.
With two dollars left, one would pay for the extra accountants, lawyers and consultants needed to protect itself from bankruptcy, worker injury and sexual harassment lawsuits.
The last dollar could be split several ways. But for the sake of simplicity, fifty cents is divided and distributed to tax deductible charities such as food pantries, local churches, bonuses and other perks for non-management employees and waste. Finally, the last half-dollar is given to the Republican Party to keep this ball rolling.
I may have missed something but you get the idea. We have low unemployment because of the minimum wage freeze and the “double” jobs created build a work force on the edge with little leverage. What about the Bush tax cuts for the wealthy? Where did that money go? Hey, someone’s got to buy those second and third vacation homes, push the DOW to 15,000 and buy expensive imported cars.
At least two dollars would go to the investors in the form of tax-free dividends and one dollar would cover the CEO’s initial company stock purchase and compensation package.
Another dollar would pay for public relations and lobbyists in Washington to bribe Congress into reforming OSHA, change labor and pollution laws and freeze the $5.15 minimum wage. Why freeze the minimum? The best way to make workers happy and feel good about their nine dollar an hour job is to constantly remind them that others are paid much less. The CEO’s first order of business is to post the minimum wage on large placards in the lunchroom and HR office. Two more dollars would cover the cost for outsourcing high-liability tasks to China and Mexico and create new customer service centers in India.
With two dollars left, one would pay for the extra accountants, lawyers and consultants needed to protect itself from bankruptcy, worker injury and sexual harassment lawsuits.
The last dollar could be split several ways. But for the sake of simplicity, fifty cents is divided and distributed to tax deductible charities such as food pantries, local churches, bonuses and other perks for non-management employees and waste. Finally, the last half-dollar is given to the Republican Party to keep this ball rolling.
I may have missed something but you get the idea. We have low unemployment because of the minimum wage freeze and the “double” jobs created build a work force on the edge with little leverage. What about the Bush tax cuts for the wealthy? Where did that money go? Hey, someone’s got to buy those second and third vacation homes, push the DOW to 15,000 and buy expensive imported cars.
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