How the Nanny State Destroys Jobs

August 31, 2007 | Filed Under Business, Democrats/Leftists, Economy/Finances, Immigration/Immigrants, Publius Contributor, Society/Culture, Uncategorized, Warner Todd Huston | No Comments

-By Warner Todd Huston

In Sidney, Montana the owner of the local McDonald’s fast food joint cannot get workers to staff his restaurant. This sounds like a bad thing, and for owner John Francis, it is, but, this loss of workers is because of the good economic news and low unemployment rates that is occurring throughout the Western United States.

According to a recent report by the AP, unemployment rates have been as low as 2 percent in specific areas and no higher than a general rate of 3.5 in the North Western states, a rate that has been dropping steadily over the last 15 years since the economic doldrums of the 1980s faded in the area.

Unemployment rates have been as low as 2 percent this year in places like Montana, and nearly as low in neighboring states. Economists cite such factors as an aging work force and booming tourism economies for the tight labor market.

“This is actually the biggest economic story of our time, and we don’t quite grasp it because it is 15 years in the making,” said economist Larry Swanson, director of the O’Connor Center for the Rocky Mountain West at the University of Montana.

At this rate, there just isn’t anyone to take those McDonald’s jobs, or other lower skilled labor jobs in the Great American West. For that matter, entry-level jobs in police work and other mid level jobs are difficult to fill and this is causing wages to rise as the labor pool thins even more.

As Mark Knold, chief economist at the Utah Department of Workforce Services, said to the AP, “The hardest thing is to keep the economy growing at a strong rate when you have a low unemployment rate. Take a company that wants to expand. Where is the next worker going to come from?”

And therein lies the problem. Where are those workers coming from? In the past, many of them would come from areas in the US experiencing less prosperity. Many would point to illegal immigrants and claim that business “needs” this pool of labor to fill those “jobs Americans don’t want.” This illegal labor pool, however, is not as necessary as many would have you believe.
Read more

Another law we don’t need

August 31, 2007 | Filed Under Business, Democrats/Leftists, Economy/Finances, Michael Bates, Publius Contributor, Society/Culture, The Law, Uncategorized | No Comments

-By Michael M. Bates

Let’s say you own a retail establishment in Illinois. Some of your employees want you to close on Sundays so they can enjoy the day off. It’s not a bad idea, especially when you consider the overhead you’d save.

There is one problem. Unless your competition also is closed when you are, you’ll lose business. So you approach your competitors and encourage them to do what you’re thinking of doing: Stay closed on Sundays.

Some say it’s a fine idea. Others tell you to get lost; they’ll be more than happy to take whatever sales you lose by taking the day off.

So you can either close on Sundays, losing potential profits, or you can stay open, disappointing your employees and paying more overhead. You’re stuck between the proverbial rock and a hard place, right?

Not necessarily. In the Land of Lincoln you have an alternative. If you can’t persuade people to embrace what you believe is a good idea, go to Springfield and have a law passed making them do what you think they should do.

And that, ladies and gentlemen, is why Illinois is one of the few states in which auto dealers are closed on Sundays. Some dealers might actually wish to be open on a day when plenty of people have the time to shop. Some, perhaps many, customers would like to have the option of buying a car on Sundays. For folks working traditional Monday through Friday jobs, it would be a genuine convenience. All that makes no difference.
Read more

‘Bush Motorcade Kills Cop’ — Well, not Really

August 30, 2007 | Filed Under Democrats/Leftists, Media Bias, President, Publius Contributor, Society/Culture, Uncategorized, Warner Todd Huston | 2 Comments

-By Warner Todd Huston

Time Magazine has a headline today that screams out “Bush Motorcade Kills Cop.” After reading that one, you’d think Bush’s limo ran over a policeman or something (I’ll say policeman instead of the more vulgar “cop” Time used) Talk about a misleading headline! It turns out that Bush’s motorcade didn’t “kill” anyone. The unfortunate death occurred when an officer lost control of his motorcycle and died in the wreck. But Time has to turn an unfortunate accident into an accusation that Bush killed a “Cop” with his motorcade! This is Bush Derangement Syndrome at its finest and most ridiculous.

(ALBUQUERQUE, N.M.) — A police officer in President Bush’s motorcade crashed his motorcycle and died Monday, less than a year after a crash in Hawaii killed another motorcycle officer accompanying the president.

And, then there is the bringing up of the other incident as if it is a sure thing that Bush’s motorcade is somehow negligent, even as they make no such accusation directly. Quite a deft way to cause doubt in a reader by stealth.

But after the blaring and misleading headline and the first questionable paragraph, we finally get some truth:
Read more

UPI Makes Hillary Clinton Into a Victim of ‘Hillary Haters’

August 29, 2007 | Filed Under Democrats/Leftists, Elections, Media Bias, Publius Contributor, Society/Culture, Uncategorized, Warner Todd Huston | No Comments

-By Warner Todd Huston

Today the UPI news service published a story aimed at making Hillary Clinton out to be a victim of “swift boating” and “haters” by focusing on those who are gearing up to oppose her candidacy for president on the Internet. UPI dismisses all opposition to Hillary as “old news,” and “rumors,” calls anti-Clinton forces “snide” and “haters,” but what do they say of the target? All they say is she is “ready to fight back” as if she is a stalwart hero waiting to defend her honor. And not once does this short and rather pointless report deal with a single substantive argument against her candidacy presenting opposition as if it is just crazy extremism gone wild. In the end, this report is little else but UPI shilling for their favored candidate; Hillary Clinton.

‘Hillary Haters’ have claws out

CHICAGO, Aug. 26 (UPI) — The Internet is helping so-called “Hillary Haters” prepare for battle should Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton become the Democratic presidential nominee.

Now that isn’t even logical writing. “So-called ‘Hillary Haters’”? Either they hate her or they don’t. But, what group of people organize themselves under such a rubric specifically named, anyway? Do gun control advocates call themselves “Gun haters”? Do environmentalists call themselves “capitalism haters”? No, they don’t — even though they are those things. But, have you ever seen a gun control group called a “so-called ‘gun haters’” group in the media?

The UPI goes on to dismiss all opposition as “old news” and “rumors” after that absurd opening.
Read more

‘God’s Warriors’: CNN’s Biggest Faux Pas

August 29, 2007 | Filed Under Democrats/Leftists, Education, Entertainment, History, Islam, Islamofascism, Marie Jon, Media Bias, Publius Contributor, Religion, Security/Safety, Society/Culture, Uncategorized, War on Terror | 1 Comment

-By Marie Jon’

Christiane Amanpour is a skillful manipulating propagandist. When presenting offerings like her series “God’s Warriors,” Amanpour and her ilk prove themselves to be absolutely noxious. Don’t be impressed with her many awards. “The world loves its own.” (John 15:19)

Those who willfully err to gain recognition and power ultimately find it fleeting. Only by faith in a loving God will one receive his just reward before His presence.
Read more

‘Thompson’s Image Cultivated by Hollywood’ — Another He’s-Just-an-Actor Attack by Media

August 28, 2007 | Filed Under Democrats/Leftists, Elections, GOP, Media Bias, President, Publius Contributor, Society/Culture, Uncategorized, Warner Todd Huston | No Comments

-By Warner Todd Huston

In “Thompson’s Image Cultivated by Hollywood” we get another MSM attempt to make Fred Thompson seem to be just a hollow, fake actor. The AP offers us an analysis that Thompson’s “image” is just a Hollywood invention and that he had no “conscious decision” in shaping the perception that he exhibits the sort of strong, take charge kind of leadership that Americans might want in a president. Of all the lines of attack they’ve tried thus far, this is the MSMs favorite way to belittle Fred Thompson. This meme has it that Thompson’s acting persona is an invention of Hollywood and that his political life is a reflection of this invented persona, that he capitalized on the illusion to launch a political career — they want to make Thompson out to be a fake. But, in reality, Thompson’s roles are a reflection of his real life persona, not an invention by Hollywood but an amplification of reality by Hollywood.

AP does their level best to make Thompson seem the illusionist…

If Fred Thompson is auditioning for the role of a lifetime, he could hardly be any better prepared.

As Thompson prepares for a likely run for the presidency … his image has been cultivated as much by Hollywood as by his time as a real-life Republican senator in Washington.

Notice how the AP continually links all the less than serious actor euphemisms to Thompson’s campaign and Senate career? His running for president is just “auditioning,” his image “cultivated,” by Hollywood. They insist in seeing Thompson through the lens of a manufactured, Hollywood facade.

The AP tries to cajole readers into viewing Thompson’s political career as a mere byproduct of his acting as opposed to a meritorious result of his real-life actions.
Read more