Hi Everyone:
Today's blog is different from any of my other blogs. With a little more then 2 weeks until election day, I would like to make a request to each of you.
Before you go to the polls on 11/2, I would like each and every one of you to do your homework on each candidate from every party. Please use your common sense to pick the best person you believe will do the best job. I have kept to my promise in my very first blog that my blog will be apolitical and I will still adhere to that promise. But please don't be afraid to cross party lines if you believe that someone from another party is the best qualified candidate. You must also try to filter out the lies, smears and fear mongering etc., in order to know the truth. The truth counts more than any thing else because everything else just blurs your vision in order to "see" the truth.
I will be back in 2 weeks. Til then.
Monday, October 18, 2010
Sunday, October 10, 2010
Past Its Prime?
Hi Everyone:
Today's topic is definitely a "hot button" issue. A long, long time ago, during the beginning of the 20th century, business owners did whatever they wanted to their employees to be able to maximize profits. Employers locked their employees in rooms even without proper ventilation and restrooms. That worked until sometime after the 1911 New York City Triangle Shirt Company fire where every single sweatshop employee either jumped to their deaths or were burned alive. Employees were unable to escape because the doors were locked from outside of the room where they worked. There were also no fire escapes. Employers also worked their employees long hours without breaks and paid the employees as little as they could. That is just a few items of a very long laundry list on how employers abused their employees.
Employees began to take notice and became mad as hell and they weren't going to take it anymore. Rightfully so, employees organized themselves and voila, unions were born. Employers had nobody to blame except themselves. Being a member of a union, meant being guaranteed protected workers rights, fair wages, hours worked, overtime and a pension etc. Then later, a benefit package was negotiated and added to the contract that included medical, dental and life insurance etc. Again, since the employees were so mad at the employers that all of the above rights and benefits were and still are be paid solely by the employers.
As the decades rolled on by, the costs of the benefit packages, including retirement plans, were crippling huge companies; think GM etc. It is not just manufacturing companies, now police, fire and teachers benefit plans are killing taxpayers due to the exorbitant costs. In New York State Teacher contracts also give them tenure after only 3 years. After a teacher receives tenure, it is very hard to fire a teacher. I have read articles where teachers are placed in rooms where they sit all day and do not teach, while their case lingers on to a conclusion, sometimes it takes years to resolve the case. Who wants bad teachers in their schools? It shouldn't take so long to terminate a poor performing teacher.
Now another contract that I am well versed in is the union contract that protects hotel employees in New York City. With this contract if an employee is fired for theft, the hotel must cough up a 3 - 4 week severance pay. For an employee who stole? Outrageous!!! But wait; the union receives 1 day for each week of the severance. Why should the union benefit for an employee who stole? Additionally, if an employee is called in to work, on their day off, they are given a 1 1/2 hour travel time that when added to the hours worked on their day off becomes overtime. Who gets paid travel time to get to work?
The point that I am trying to make is that union contracts were once a necessity and not so much now since their is a federal law that covers almost every item in a contract. Employees can sue under NLRB, EEOC, Title VII, Human Rights and for whatever other reason they see fit. If their charges are found to be true, employees win their case and are paid. It is unreasonable to think that unions will just go away. Instead, it seems to me a lot of common sense is urgently and desperately needed to renegotiate all of the above contracts and more. For a start, new contracts have to include having all union employees pay their "fair" share of all benefit programs just like all non-union employees (who have benefit plans available) do right now. This must include medical, dental, life insurance and pension plans etc. Second, perks like severance for stealing and travel time, etc., etc. must be eliminated from contracts.
Common sense must prevail in all future union contract negotiations because taxpayers and companies can no longer afford them.
Til next week.
Today's topic is definitely a "hot button" issue. A long, long time ago, during the beginning of the 20th century, business owners did whatever they wanted to their employees to be able to maximize profits. Employers locked their employees in rooms even without proper ventilation and restrooms. That worked until sometime after the 1911 New York City Triangle Shirt Company fire where every single sweatshop employee either jumped to their deaths or were burned alive. Employees were unable to escape because the doors were locked from outside of the room where they worked. There were also no fire escapes. Employers also worked their employees long hours without breaks and paid the employees as little as they could. That is just a few items of a very long laundry list on how employers abused their employees.
Employees began to take notice and became mad as hell and they weren't going to take it anymore. Rightfully so, employees organized themselves and voila, unions were born. Employers had nobody to blame except themselves. Being a member of a union, meant being guaranteed protected workers rights, fair wages, hours worked, overtime and a pension etc. Then later, a benefit package was negotiated and added to the contract that included medical, dental and life insurance etc. Again, since the employees were so mad at the employers that all of the above rights and benefits were and still are be paid solely by the employers.
As the decades rolled on by, the costs of the benefit packages, including retirement plans, were crippling huge companies; think GM etc. It is not just manufacturing companies, now police, fire and teachers benefit plans are killing taxpayers due to the exorbitant costs. In New York State Teacher contracts also give them tenure after only 3 years. After a teacher receives tenure, it is very hard to fire a teacher. I have read articles where teachers are placed in rooms where they sit all day and do not teach, while their case lingers on to a conclusion, sometimes it takes years to resolve the case. Who wants bad teachers in their schools? It shouldn't take so long to terminate a poor performing teacher.
Now another contract that I am well versed in is the union contract that protects hotel employees in New York City. With this contract if an employee is fired for theft, the hotel must cough up a 3 - 4 week severance pay. For an employee who stole? Outrageous!!! But wait; the union receives 1 day for each week of the severance. Why should the union benefit for an employee who stole? Additionally, if an employee is called in to work, on their day off, they are given a 1 1/2 hour travel time that when added to the hours worked on their day off becomes overtime. Who gets paid travel time to get to work?
The point that I am trying to make is that union contracts were once a necessity and not so much now since their is a federal law that covers almost every item in a contract. Employees can sue under NLRB, EEOC, Title VII, Human Rights and for whatever other reason they see fit. If their charges are found to be true, employees win their case and are paid. It is unreasonable to think that unions will just go away. Instead, it seems to me a lot of common sense is urgently and desperately needed to renegotiate all of the above contracts and more. For a start, new contracts have to include having all union employees pay their "fair" share of all benefit programs just like all non-union employees (who have benefit plans available) do right now. This must include medical, dental, life insurance and pension plans etc. Second, perks like severance for stealing and travel time, etc., etc. must be eliminated from contracts.
Common sense must prevail in all future union contract negotiations because taxpayers and companies can no longer afford them.
Til next week.
Sunday, October 3, 2010
At It Again
Hi Everyone:
Sometimes I wonder if politicians actually think before they speak. If they did, common sense would dictate to them if they should say something or not. Case in point is Carl Paladino yet again.
Carl Paladino is the Republican Gubernatorial candidate here in NY. I wrote about Mr. Paladino on 9/12/10, yet it seems that he will never cease to amaze me by his words. This past week, a reporter from a major NYC newspaper was interviewing him (which was caught on video) and Mr. Paladino got upset with the reporter and then told the reporter that he was going to "take him out." The reporter asked "how he was going to do that"? Paladino responded "watch."
I'm pretty sure that Paladino isn't going to take the reporter out to dinner or out on a date. So taking him out then means to kill him. WTH?!!!!! How can a candidate for Governor say he is going to kill someone? Even with a camera focused on him, Paladino obviously said what he meant. But did he mean what he said? Too late now, he said what he said and the spin doctors can try their best to subdue the damage he did to himself. Maybe, just maybe, if Paladino had an ounce of common sense he would not have said that. Why would a political wannabe shoot himself in the foot while sticking his other foot in his mouth by saying something so outrageous? It would appear that Paladino has a short fuse, is thin skinned, speaks before thinking and most of all, lacks any common sense what-so-ever. If this doesn't end his political aspirations, I don't know what will.
Enough said!
Til next week.
Sometimes I wonder if politicians actually think before they speak. If they did, common sense would dictate to them if they should say something or not. Case in point is Carl Paladino yet again.
Carl Paladino is the Republican Gubernatorial candidate here in NY. I wrote about Mr. Paladino on 9/12/10, yet it seems that he will never cease to amaze me by his words. This past week, a reporter from a major NYC newspaper was interviewing him (which was caught on video) and Mr. Paladino got upset with the reporter and then told the reporter that he was going to "take him out." The reporter asked "how he was going to do that"? Paladino responded "watch."
I'm pretty sure that Paladino isn't going to take the reporter out to dinner or out on a date. So taking him out then means to kill him. WTH?!!!!! How can a candidate for Governor say he is going to kill someone? Even with a camera focused on him, Paladino obviously said what he meant. But did he mean what he said? Too late now, he said what he said and the spin doctors can try their best to subdue the damage he did to himself. Maybe, just maybe, if Paladino had an ounce of common sense he would not have said that. Why would a political wannabe shoot himself in the foot while sticking his other foot in his mouth by saying something so outrageous? It would appear that Paladino has a short fuse, is thin skinned, speaks before thinking and most of all, lacks any common sense what-so-ever. If this doesn't end his political aspirations, I don't know what will.
Enough said!
Til next week.
Sunday, September 26, 2010
God's Fault or Mother Nature's Fault
Hi Everyone:
Torrential rains this past July and August in Pakistan has devastated the country with flooding and has left thousands of people dead. Unfortunately, the worst is yet to come. After the flood waters recede, there will be tens of thousands, maybe even hundreds of thousands left homeless. More importantly there will not be enough food or clean water to drink. Drinking tainted water will lead to diarrhea and dysentery, which left untreated will almost certainly lead to death. Consequently, the death toll will continue to rise weeks and even months after the water has receded.
The US government has pledged millions of dollars to aid the people of Pakistan. Unfortunately, the Pakistani government has been very slow to help its own. I believe that the government is inundated to the point where their slow response time was a predictable consequence of not being prepared due to not having a "battle plan" in case of such an emergency.
The weather-related cataclysms that so affected Pakistan fit patterns predicted by climate scientists at the Geneva based World Meteorological Organization. The rains were obviously due to Mother Nature. Whether or not global warming is to blame remains uncertain. But, could there be any other reason for the rains that so devastated Pakistan? If yes, what could it possibly be?
Both the Pakistan based Taliban and Al-Qaeda have been repeatedly saying very loudly that the torrential rains are God's punishment to Pakistan for being a friend to the United States and for the Pakistani government's fight against its own people. Meaning that the government should stop fighting the Taliban and Al-Qaeda. Excuse me for saying this but what the hell! It is also very obvious that both the Taliban and/or Al-Qaeda want to take over and rule Pakistan. Consequently, militant Islamist extremists will say and do anything to sway people to their side even when there is no truth in what they say. Unfortunately, their statements don't surprise me in the least. Additionally, their lack of common sense also doesn't surprise me. What does surprise me is that there is an alarming rate of Pakistan people believing this utter gibberish. If more people support the extremists they just might have the ability to take over the government. If they were able to take over the government, the extremists would be in possession of nuclear bombs and then all bets are off.
The Pakistani government must do its own grandstanding asap and tell its people that it is Mother Nature's fault and in no way is its God's punishment. Common sense dictates that the Pakistani government has to inform all of its people quickly and use all available resources, (including all forms of media etc.) to stem the tide before it is to late. Islamist extremists in possession of nuclear bombs is a nightmare that the region and the world can't live with. The Pakistan government must also help their own people faster and better. Asking for more outside help wouldn't hurt either.
Til next week.
Torrential rains this past July and August in Pakistan has devastated the country with flooding and has left thousands of people dead. Unfortunately, the worst is yet to come. After the flood waters recede, there will be tens of thousands, maybe even hundreds of thousands left homeless. More importantly there will not be enough food or clean water to drink. Drinking tainted water will lead to diarrhea and dysentery, which left untreated will almost certainly lead to death. Consequently, the death toll will continue to rise weeks and even months after the water has receded.
The US government has pledged millions of dollars to aid the people of Pakistan. Unfortunately, the Pakistani government has been very slow to help its own. I believe that the government is inundated to the point where their slow response time was a predictable consequence of not being prepared due to not having a "battle plan" in case of such an emergency.
The weather-related cataclysms that so affected Pakistan fit patterns predicted by climate scientists at the Geneva based World Meteorological Organization. The rains were obviously due to Mother Nature. Whether or not global warming is to blame remains uncertain. But, could there be any other reason for the rains that so devastated Pakistan? If yes, what could it possibly be?
Both the Pakistan based Taliban and Al-Qaeda have been repeatedly saying very loudly that the torrential rains are God's punishment to Pakistan for being a friend to the United States and for the Pakistani government's fight against its own people. Meaning that the government should stop fighting the Taliban and Al-Qaeda. Excuse me for saying this but what the hell! It is also very obvious that both the Taliban and/or Al-Qaeda want to take over and rule Pakistan. Consequently, militant Islamist extremists will say and do anything to sway people to their side even when there is no truth in what they say. Unfortunately, their statements don't surprise me in the least. Additionally, their lack of common sense also doesn't surprise me. What does surprise me is that there is an alarming rate of Pakistan people believing this utter gibberish. If more people support the extremists they just might have the ability to take over the government. If they were able to take over the government, the extremists would be in possession of nuclear bombs and then all bets are off.
The Pakistani government must do its own grandstanding asap and tell its people that it is Mother Nature's fault and in no way is its God's punishment. Common sense dictates that the Pakistani government has to inform all of its people quickly and use all available resources, (including all forms of media etc.) to stem the tide before it is to late. Islamist extremists in possession of nuclear bombs is a nightmare that the region and the world can't live with. The Pakistan government must also help their own people faster and better. Asking for more outside help wouldn't hurt either.
Til next week.
Sunday, September 12, 2010
Unbelieveable Statement
Hi Everyone:
I really didn't imagine that I would write about a politician so soon after last week's announcement. But the political season is in motion and politicians never seem to amaze me in what they will say to get themselves elected, or at least try to.
Case in point is a New York state republican gubernatorial candidate Carl Paladino. Paladino is a plain spoken Buffalo businessman and millionaire who has never run for public office. So you would think that a person who is smart enough to start up and run a successful business would know that what you say speaks volume of who you are. Not so with Paladino.
Regarding the mosque (that I wrote about 2 weeks ago) near ground zero, Paladino said he would use the power of eminent domain to stop the mosque. WHAT? In essence what Paladino said is that he would abuse the Fifth Amendment by, get this............................ by trampling on the First Amendment. Who is this moron? Does he really think that he would or even could get away with doing that if he was elected? Hopefully not, but he said that to appease some people to sway them to vote for him. It is obvious that Paladino's comment has no common sense and will/should hurt him come primary day this Tuesday. It is also apparent that he just doesn't get it. Hopefully after losing the primary, he will get it. If a politician or politician wannabe thinks that he/she can abuse our constitution, which is what our country was founded on and to this day is based on, they have another thing coming.
Enough said!!!!!!!!!
Til next week.
I really didn't imagine that I would write about a politician so soon after last week's announcement. But the political season is in motion and politicians never seem to amaze me in what they will say to get themselves elected, or at least try to.
Case in point is a New York state republican gubernatorial candidate Carl Paladino. Paladino is a plain spoken Buffalo businessman and millionaire who has never run for public office. So you would think that a person who is smart enough to start up and run a successful business would know that what you say speaks volume of who you are. Not so with Paladino.
Regarding the mosque (that I wrote about 2 weeks ago) near ground zero, Paladino said he would use the power of eminent domain to stop the mosque. WHAT? In essence what Paladino said is that he would abuse the Fifth Amendment by, get this............................ by trampling on the First Amendment. Who is this moron? Does he really think that he would or even could get away with doing that if he was elected? Hopefully not, but he said that to appease some people to sway them to vote for him. It is obvious that Paladino's comment has no common sense and will/should hurt him come primary day this Tuesday. It is also apparent that he just doesn't get it. Hopefully after losing the primary, he will get it. If a politician or politician wannabe thinks that he/she can abuse our constitution, which is what our country was founded on and to this day is based on, they have another thing coming.
Enough said!!!!!!!!!
Til next week.
Sunday, September 5, 2010
Tis The Season, Again
Hi Everyone:
This weeks blog is totally different from any other. Today's blog will inform you of what is going to happen with my blog in the near future.
Since election season is upon all of us again (does it really ever end?), I have decided to closely watch some of the tri-state politians. I will be looking for signs of a lack of common sense that politicians notoriously and seemingly, easily do. Some examples are: out right lies (which includes stretching the truth), mindless smears, misinformation and fear mongering etc., etc.
Before I blog about something, I will research the facts of the story etc. This will definitely be a "no spin zone". I will be an equal opportunity abuser reporting on anyone from any party who, I believed showed a lack of common sense.
Let the games begin!!!
Til next week
This weeks blog is totally different from any other. Today's blog will inform you of what is going to happen with my blog in the near future.
Since election season is upon all of us again (does it really ever end?), I have decided to closely watch some of the tri-state politians. I will be looking for signs of a lack of common sense that politicians notoriously and seemingly, easily do. Some examples are: out right lies (which includes stretching the truth), mindless smears, misinformation and fear mongering etc., etc.
Before I blog about something, I will research the facts of the story etc. This will definitely be a "no spin zone". I will be an equal opportunity abuser reporting on anyone from any party who, I believed showed a lack of common sense.
Let the games begin!!!
Til next week
Monday, August 30, 2010
My Common Sense Solution
Hi Everyone:
Since I am not a DJ, I don't usually take topic requests. But a reader challenged me to figure out a common sense solution to the situation where a mosque might be built close to ground zero. I accept the challenge and here is how I figured out what to do.
In order for me to figure out a common sense solution I must, as always, look at the facts which are as follows:
1) The First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States guarantees the freedom of religion including practicing and praying where you want.
2) The building in question is the old Burlington Coat Factory building at 45-51 Park Place. The landing gear of one of the planes that hit one of the World Center buildings damaged the top of the building.
3) According to my research, a mosque has a dome roof and a minaret.
4) According to developer Sharif El-Gamal, the owner of the building, he said on record that it is not a mosque but an Islamic cultural (community) center that also has a prayer chapel. I read a description that it would be like an Islamic 92nd street Y.
5) The center would be called Park 51.
6) Depending on how you measure, Ground Zero is 2 to 5 blocks away.
7) The person that would be in charge of the center is Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf. He has been a trusted ally of the Clinton and G.W. Bush administrations as an Islamic religious leader on behalf of moderate Islam. The Obama administration just sent him overseas for another sanctioned fence mending trip.
8) The Imam stood in the rubble of the World Trade Centers and repudiated the cruel violence unleashed on innocent civilians.
9) The Imam stands for (amongst other things), fence mending and healing, his own words.
10) There are many people who approve of the Cultural Center being built there.
11) There are many people who oppose the Cultural Center being built at that specific location.
12) If the Cultural Center is built at the current location, more probably than not, there will be violence by a few American extremists who are totally against the Center.
So there are the facts that I know about the situation. Now I'm not saying that I have all of the facts, but I believe that I have enough facts to render my common sense solution. First of all, the owner of the building, if all approvals are met, has the right to build there. Secondly, if the center is built, I believe that there will be no peace and violence may occur. Some 9/11 victim's family's may find it totally insensitive. Thirdly, if the Imam is truly serious about his wanting to heal the rift between Islamic and the non-Islamic world, building his center there at that specific sight, would not help the healing process, but would keep the wound, left by 9/11, festering and not in a healing state.
Consequently, even though they may have the legal right to build the center there, my common sense solution based on all of the above would be to not build the cultural center at the Burlington Coat Factory building; but else where in the city. There are lots of of locations that are available and would not be cause for any more needless pain or insensitivity. The Imam then could say that he is indeed a man of healing.
Til next week.
Since I am not a DJ, I don't usually take topic requests. But a reader challenged me to figure out a common sense solution to the situation where a mosque might be built close to ground zero. I accept the challenge and here is how I figured out what to do.
In order for me to figure out a common sense solution I must, as always, look at the facts which are as follows:
1) The First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States guarantees the freedom of religion including practicing and praying where you want.
2) The building in question is the old Burlington Coat Factory building at 45-51 Park Place. The landing gear of one of the planes that hit one of the World Center buildings damaged the top of the building.
3) According to my research, a mosque has a dome roof and a minaret.
4) According to developer Sharif El-Gamal, the owner of the building, he said on record that it is not a mosque but an Islamic cultural (community) center that also has a prayer chapel. I read a description that it would be like an Islamic 92nd street Y.
5) The center would be called Park 51.
6) Depending on how you measure, Ground Zero is 2 to 5 blocks away.
7) The person that would be in charge of the center is Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf. He has been a trusted ally of the Clinton and G.W. Bush administrations as an Islamic religious leader on behalf of moderate Islam. The Obama administration just sent him overseas for another sanctioned fence mending trip.
8) The Imam stood in the rubble of the World Trade Centers and repudiated the cruel violence unleashed on innocent civilians.
9) The Imam stands for (amongst other things), fence mending and healing, his own words.
10) There are many people who approve of the Cultural Center being built there.
11) There are many people who oppose the Cultural Center being built at that specific location.
12) If the Cultural Center is built at the current location, more probably than not, there will be violence by a few American extremists who are totally against the Center.
So there are the facts that I know about the situation. Now I'm not saying that I have all of the facts, but I believe that I have enough facts to render my common sense solution. First of all, the owner of the building, if all approvals are met, has the right to build there. Secondly, if the center is built, I believe that there will be no peace and violence may occur. Some 9/11 victim's family's may find it totally insensitive. Thirdly, if the Imam is truly serious about his wanting to heal the rift between Islamic and the non-Islamic world, building his center there at that specific sight, would not help the healing process, but would keep the wound, left by 9/11, festering and not in a healing state.
Consequently, even though they may have the legal right to build the center there, my common sense solution based on all of the above would be to not build the cultural center at the Burlington Coat Factory building; but else where in the city. There are lots of of locations that are available and would not be cause for any more needless pain or insensitivity. The Imam then could say that he is indeed a man of healing.
Til next week.
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