We are truly on our own. There’s no hero coming to save us but each of us. What frustrates and horrifies me is that any of this is a surprise. They told us…and put it in writing. And yet, here we are…
Awesome Bernice! I wrote a letter to the editor about a month ago, but it was never printed. It was anti-trump, so maybe that's why. They are still supposedly doing 'maintenance work' on the paper going into a second week.
I happened to pick up a paper copy of the Post-Star yesterday. It was impressive:
I have no reason to doubt that the Post-Star has been suffering from a cyber attack.
And, in yesterday's paper, they provided plenty of pro-science, and pro-democracy, and anti-Trump coverage:
The Front Page, above the fold included "Protecting scientific integrity through new bill," about Paul Tonko's "Scientific Integrity Act." I just now thanked him profusely by calling his Saratoga Springs office at: 518-374-4547).
P. A4: "Power Authority's plan for renewables falls short, advocates say"
P. A5 (Opinion): "Gaza is not America's to occupy"
P. A6 (Letters): 8 letters, 6 of which are anti-Trump and his policies. Headings: "Re: Americans Stand Up for EachOther," "A Piece of Paper" (about our founding documents; one quote: "For some reason he and his party want to destroy America"), "USAID Shutdown," "Trump is Dangerous," "Regarding the Price of Eggs" (one quote: "The Trump Administration has handcuffed the CDC.")
Also on p. A6: "Musk expands power, doges scrutiny."
Yes, there are right-wing articles and occasional shading of language toward the right.
But there's plenty to applaud in yesterday's Post-Star.
I happened to pick up a paper copy of the Post-Star yesterday. It was impressive:
They provided plenty of pro-science, and pro-democracy, and anti-Trump coverage:
The Front Page, above the fold included "Protecting scientific integrity through new bill," about Paul Tonko's "Scientific Integrity Act." I just now thanked him profusely by calling his Saratoga Springs office at: 518-374-4547).
P. A4: "Power Authority's plan for renewables falls short, advocates say"
P. A5 (Opinion): "Gaza is not America's to occupy"
P. A6 (Letters): 8 letters, 6 of which are anti-Trump and his policies. Headings: "Re: Americans Stand Up for EachOther," "A Piece of Paper" (about our founding documents; one quote: "For some reason he and his party want to destroy America"), "USAID Shutdown," "Trump is Dangerous," "Regarding the Price of Eggs" (one quote: "The Trump Administration has handcuffed the CDC.")
Also on p. A6: "Musk expands power, dodges scrutiny."
Yes, there are right-wing articles and occasional shading of language toward the right.
But I found plenty to applaud in yesterday's Post-Star.
LOL. "Impressive"? Shows how badly standards have slipped. It is not dead. It's dying. That's obvious for all to see. The amount of local journalism is shrinking every week as the monthly rate continues to skyrocket. It's sad when I'm finding more local news in the Chronicle of all places than in the Post-Star.
Are you saying my standards have slipped? Careful, there.
In my own estimation -- which might be 'way off -- I'm more and more careful in my old age, more aware of nuance and misinformation than I ever was before.
All newspapers are in financial trouble. And they are under threat from the Trump administration.
When I see a regional or local newspaper that is struggling, unless they are rabidly anti-democratic, plainly anti-freedom, I'll support them.
And that support includes telling them when they do well, and when they do poorly. Works better when I am a subscriber, methinks.
You certainly have the right to call the current Post-Star's standards impressive. But I think you will be one of very few. Certainly this person who has been reading it for 40 years and admired much of its previous work sees it as being in a death spiral, barely on life support.
Three issues a week with three or four local journalist written news pieces, a bunch of press releases and 98% wire service crap is not, in my view, "impressive."
In my older age, I am more clear eyed about newspapers. They are not charities. Individual journalists and editors may have personal notions of the nobility of journalism but newspapers are businesses and have to operate under the exigencies of business. The Post-Star, like most, is a business that strives to make a profit. That is ok but I judge them with that in mind.
As a business that is asking people to pay money for the product, it is not the least bit unreasonable for the consumer to ask if they are getting value for money. And with the incredibly shrinking local content - I don't care about national wire crap and puzzles and jumbles and comics and Dear Abby I can get for free elsewhere - combined with the skyrocketing monthly fee, what it gives me no longer justifies the cost.
If it were wise, it would go to an all local content model. That would make its content unique and thus much more worth paying for. Many newspapers in New England have that model and are doing well. But there is no leadership at the Post-Star or at their corporate overlords Lee.
Let's get into the nitty gritty. Subscribers pay a little over $2 per e-edition (more this month since a few did not appear due to the hacking and I'm sure a credit will not be given). The last e-edition had exactly two P-S journalist written news articles (one about a car accident in Malta, the other the prettying up of a press release) and two sports articles. The previous had three P-S journalist written news articles and one sports article. That is not good enough. Even the free Chronicle, long a bete noire of mine, had more news articles. I'm more than happy to pay for local news. But I want to get what I'm paying for.
Interesting how fast they, in your eyes, went from "impressive" to "struggling." I don't want them to fold either. But denying that they have any responsibility to offer value for money and that consumers should pay any price with no expectation of quality or adequate content will not help them survive as a business.
While the product is diminished, anything it can do to keep local citizenry informed is important. We need to support journalism even in a diminished capacity.
They need to provide LOCAL journalism for us to support. I've been paying for the Post-Star since 1988. I finally let my subscription lapsed when they wanted now $26 a month for a product with increasingly less and less local content. I accept the journalists they have are doing the best they can. But they are not being set up for success by the corporate overlords.
I support local journalism. I pay for the Times-Union, the LG Mirror, the Adk Explorer and Adk Life as well. They are worth the money I pay for them. And I have overpaid for the Post-Star for the last several years.
But at some point, consumers have the right to expect SOMETHING for the ever increasing bill. And wire service filler crap that I can get for free (or am already paying for) elsewhere is not what I want to pay for in a local paper.
Direct action is needed. Letter writing campaigns and hand wringing are not enough.
It will be the streets where we will be most effective- but some people are worried about trump evoking martial law.
Also, I see young people out in the streets but not so much here....
It's the same people all of the time and we are not so young anymore.
Where is the younger version of Bernice...or Joe?
Project 2025 is real. It's happening.
And now I understand how shit went so sideways with Hitler. There's so many passive people in America who either don't pay attention or just are too lazy to step up. And of course the cult, which has seemingly swallowed up a good half of our nation.
Some people say trying to understand the trump voters is the key . That we are all human and therefore we can reach them.
Not for me. Never again will I even attempt to delve into that. I am still too angry.
I don't know how this will all play out. None of us do.
I think all of these actions are needed. I'm old. Not as old as dirt, but getting there, and I have osteopenia, compression fractures in my spine, and unable to march. But I can do plenty, as can many others, without marching.
Posting on social media, like this, is helpful to a certain extent. Established solidarity, shows us that we are not alone, and counters the distorting effects of propaganda.
Better, IMO, is to get to know decision-makers in our lives. Officials both elected and not. Learn the issues. Learn the lingo. Get knowledgeable. Get to be known, respected, and trusted.
Join a group. I'm in several, including the Indivisible ADK/Saratoga
When we voters cast our ballots for president, we shouldn’t leave behind common sense and rationality. But that’s what half the voters in 2024 did when they cast their ballots for a traitor and criminal. Whatever happens to degrade our democracy, our constitution, and our national government is, in the first instance, on their hands. I’ll never accept any weak, stunted excuses.
And what happens next is, in large measure, in our hands to oppose, resist, and bear witness to. Any yes, let our resistance live loudly within us.
There was a goodly number of young people at the Black History Month film series at the Crandall last evening (among the full house). Some of them spoke during the discussion, and I was impressed. They gave me hope.
It is no secret that Musk's businesses are entangled in violations, etc that the CFPB is investigating. Of course the agency was an early target for doge.
...there was, decades ago, a professor of English at Adirondack Community College who used a phrase often enough for me [and, probably, others] to have never forgotten it: "the ignorant masses" / -doubtless, he had many of us as students- and, doubtless, we were so obtuse then[?], we were ignorant of the fact that he was speaking not only to- but of us; yet, it isn't ignorance, but "willful ignorance" that could destroy our country's beautiful experiment-- the ignorance that makes a religion of [our] stupidity and gods of the stupid loud mouths "we" ignorantly reward with the power of elected positions, etc.: --elected officials who knowingly lead their ignorant, and willing, flock to doom...
Ignorant, and they often think they know exactly what's what.
Sure, they can hang drywall (I have a hard time doing that!) and plumb a bathroom and lay concrete in winter. They pay their employees and watch over their families like hawks, and oftentimes treat other people fairly. But they are terrible at pubic policy. And badly misinformed.
The Dunning-Krueger effect is alive and, well, thriving, in our land.
Thank you, Ken. What a time we're living through. Indivisible is putting into action the fear and frustration many of us feel. We can't sit back and watch this train wreck because we are passengers on it. Spring is a month away. We will likely have our own version of Arab Spring ... our American Spring!
Bernice's letter is compelling and would probably be published by the NY Times. Ignorance is ruling us from Washington. Being amoral and lacking courage, knowledge or understanding has become part of our national leadership requirements.
One thing those billionaires ignore is this, (and I am an economist, Ken) we are the ones buying what they sell. What if we cut back our expenses to a minimum? What, then? What if we organize half of this country to stop buying as usual and let them see what happens to their profits? They might pay attention.
I'm just saying.
We could start locally. Stop supporting Trump backing businesses.
Use Facebook just to stay in touch with family and friends. Buy nothing through Facebook or Instagram.
Nobel prize winning economist Paul Krugman is sounding the alarm on the actions the trump team is taking to attack our national economy.
Hit them in the wallet, yes! I am already doing it! Sometimes you need to buy something, like the other day I needed a part to fix my leaky kitchen faucet. I don’t know where Delta stands on Trump, and I needed the part, but you’d best believe I bought it at the local hardware store, not Lowes! And buy less stuff: better for our pocketbooks, better for the planet, and worse for the enablers!
Bernice, I always appreciate your voice, your humanity and your undying support for those among us who are marginalized and voiceless. Your inspiration knows no bounds. I have followed Robert Hubbell for several years now. I believe he is on target. Our Democratic leaders are out of step with the electorate. Schumer is weak and the Democratic Caucus complained to Jefferies that movements like Indivisible are encouraging followers to flood phone lines (Hubbell). But that is exactly what needs to happen to wake the sleeping giant. The early stages of Grief and Loss are over, it's time to take action. With that in mind, there are two grassroots events on the calendar. Monday, February 17 is designated National Protest Day and Friday, February 28 is National 1 Day Strike Day. For more information check out indivisiblesaratogaadk.com.
We quoted a price to an interior designer on some items a few weeks ago. She met with her customer and they detailed a design for the customer’s project including the items we quoted.
We received a purchase order on the project yesterday.
On Monday Trump instituted 25% tariffs on imported steel which means that the cost of all, steel will go up. American manufacturers and middlemen will use the opportunity to pad their margins because of the increase in their competitor’s pricing and the necessity to hedge against an unpredictable future.
So we will honor our quote and we will pay a little more for the materials we use and the difference will come out of our pockets. The next time we will quote a little bit higher prices to accommodate the increase in materials costs and the unpredictability of the business climate. At some point our price will be too high for a customer and we will not get the job.
Now transpose that whole scenario to a very large project that is years in the planning such as a highway project with a large bridge, or a large steel building where the increased costs are far too large for the contractor to absorb. Either the cost gets passed on the the customer, maybe taxpayers, or the job is put on hold for a new round of quotes which all come in higher.
A tariff is a tax, but it is much more than a tax, it’s an element of random chaos on a system that thrives on predictability. It is not winning.
Mike how is this added cost to business different form the added cost to a business by an increase in minimum wage laws. Both are expenses passed on to the customer as an increase in price or some reduction in the product.
A tariff is a tax. A minimum wage increase is not a tax.
I could stop there but I know you like to nitpick my comments so I’ll give you a lot more to nitpick, and maybe you’ll learn something along the way.
The result is that an increase in minimum wage comes along with an increase in buying power for workers and so a concurrent expansion of business activity.
Minimum wage workers tend to be service workers, not manufacturing workers because manufacturing jobs tend to be higher paid. As we have seen for a number of years now in states and cities that have increased the minimum wage the rate of business activity has improved, so the people who predicted minimum wage increases would hurt the economy have been proven wrong again and again.
Better paid workers tend to be happier and more productive workers, higher taxed businesses on the other hand - especially if the tax is 25% - tend to become less efficient because all of a sudden workers are forced to find work around for their previously smooth running operation.
Increases in the minimum wage do not come in 25% increments and in terms of the federal minimum wage the rate of increase has been at 0% for decades, so there is a reasonable amount of room for increase to those costs and I would suggest that no boss ever had an employee start crying (except maybe in relief and delight) when they were told they would get a little more money in their paycheck.
Paying workers more build better, stronger companies. Taxing commodities with the only reason being to punish other nations ends up hurting the nation starting a trade war.
The thing I find with conservatives who disagree with my “liberal” positions is that they think I have never considered their arguments before. The thing is I grew up in a conservative area and I understand the conservative arguments - I’ve made a lot of them myself as a young person before I had all the real world personal experiences that showed how wrong my thought process at the time was, or how limited it was. I can’t tell you how many times people have called me a communist or a socialist. A surprising number of those people have been career government workers with Unions that protect their rights and negotiate for better wages and good benefits like health insurance and vacation time.
Meanwhile I have worked my whole life in the private enterprise system, have operated several of my own businesses - successfully. With my partner I own a manufacturing/craft/trade business (30 years) along with a real estate holding corporation. My businesses have weathered many 9/11, financial crashes, trade wars, and all sorts of ordinary difficulties of life.
And yet, I end up having people trying to get me with “gotcha” questions by people who could really have thought out the answer for themselves.
Sadly... they don't 'consider' the argument.. they don't 'consider' what they are saying in the context of reality.. they just yammer
they are considerate.. so that tracks
but they totally don't get that saying what they want to believe has no foundation in reality.. it might be right once in a while.. but even than it is totally luck
Mike let the nitpicking begin and let’s see what I can learn.
You say “A minimum wage increase is not a tax.” Ok.
I say just like a tax, the cost is either passed on to the consumer, or the seller of the service/product takes less. Anything you would disagree with?
An increase in the cost of a good or service will tend to decrease the demand for that good or service. As price goes up demand goes down. Would you agree or disagree?
Making that comparison displays a profoundly misunderstand the simplest, most basic, economics.
It also displays a deep, seated character flaw in not understanding workers as humans.
I see the way your mind works, the owner of the business has more importance in your heart and soul than the person providing the labor.
To you the person is simply a cost of doing business, like a commodity or a tax, or a bribe, or spoilage.
In reality society, culture, community - everything we are as humans beyond the most basic Neolithic tribalism depends on the value of labor in providing excess above basic daily necessities and the ability that provides to a social group to make long term plans for the future, to dream of new things to invent maths and sciences, to create long last arts, to provide for the unhealthy, the sick, the aged.
A tax is simply a cost, not paid to a person - except in the case where a human puts themself in a manipulative position of authority, usually based in some religious doctrine defining the leader as a figure of divine authority. That concept of divine rule is EXACTLY what our nation was founded in opposition to.
But still, people who think like you held power among the founders of our nation. Those people saw and defined workers as something less than full humans. They held that it was just fine to own other humans, to use their labor without payment, they treated everyone who was not a White male property owner as less than fully human. They were slavers and people accepting of holding other humans in bondage.
When you compare a wage to a tax those are the people you stand behind.
I answered your questions - before you asked them. Here’s what I said, “Minimum wage workers tend to be service workers, not manufacturing workers because manufacturing jobs tend to be higher paid. As we have seen for a number of years now in states and cities that have increased the minimum wage the rate of business activity has improved, so the people who predicted minimum wage increases would hurt the economy have been proven wrong again and again.”
I showed that in the real world the increase in ages did not have a detrimental effect to the general business climate.
Why should I have to repeat information that you failed to grasp on the first go-around. It’s not my job to educate you.
Please detail the corruption at North Country Public Radio!
you just proved the need for NPR and the objective news they provide...
now try to defend your point.. and mention how fELON is partisan in his cuts.. not by political party, but by class rich over poor
We are truly on our own. There’s no hero coming to save us but each of us. What frustrates and horrifies me is that any of this is a surprise. They told us…and put it in writing. And yet, here we are…
Promises to Putin, apparently.
Awesome Bernice! I wrote a letter to the editor about a month ago, but it was never printed. It was anti-trump, so maybe that's why. They are still supposedly doing 'maintenance work' on the paper going into a second week.
I happened to pick up a paper copy of the Post-Star yesterday. It was impressive:
I have no reason to doubt that the Post-Star has been suffering from a cyber attack.
And, in yesterday's paper, they provided plenty of pro-science, and pro-democracy, and anti-Trump coverage:
The Front Page, above the fold included "Protecting scientific integrity through new bill," about Paul Tonko's "Scientific Integrity Act." I just now thanked him profusely by calling his Saratoga Springs office at: 518-374-4547).
P. A4: "Power Authority's plan for renewables falls short, advocates say"
P. A5 (Opinion): "Gaza is not America's to occupy"
P. A6 (Letters): 8 letters, 6 of which are anti-Trump and his policies. Headings: "Re: Americans Stand Up for EachOther," "A Piece of Paper" (about our founding documents; one quote: "For some reason he and his party want to destroy America"), "USAID Shutdown," "Trump is Dangerous," "Regarding the Price of Eggs" (one quote: "The Trump Administration has handcuffed the CDC.")
Also on p. A6: "Musk expands power, doges scrutiny."
Yes, there are right-wing articles and occasional shading of language toward the right.
But there's plenty to applaud in yesterday's Post-Star.
Here's a link to yesterday's e-edition:
https://poststar.com/eedition/page-a1/page_431fa49c-ab03-5d5d-b72c-7542f3f7080d.html
Please consider subscribing to the Post-Star. When they mis-step, tell 'em! When they do good, thank them.
When is the Post Star finally going to call it quits? This ultra-slow death is tedious. Sell the masthead for $1 and leave town, Lee.
I happened to pick up a paper copy of the Post-Star yesterday. It was impressive:
They provided plenty of pro-science, and pro-democracy, and anti-Trump coverage:
The Front Page, above the fold included "Protecting scientific integrity through new bill," about Paul Tonko's "Scientific Integrity Act." I just now thanked him profusely by calling his Saratoga Springs office at: 518-374-4547).
P. A4: "Power Authority's plan for renewables falls short, advocates say"
P. A5 (Opinion): "Gaza is not America's to occupy"
P. A6 (Letters): 8 letters, 6 of which are anti-Trump and his policies. Headings: "Re: Americans Stand Up for EachOther," "A Piece of Paper" (about our founding documents; one quote: "For some reason he and his party want to destroy America"), "USAID Shutdown," "Trump is Dangerous," "Regarding the Price of Eggs" (one quote: "The Trump Administration has handcuffed the CDC.")
Also on p. A6: "Musk expands power, dodges scrutiny."
Yes, there are right-wing articles and occasional shading of language toward the right.
But I found plenty to applaud in yesterday's Post-Star.
Here's a link to yesterday's e-edition:
https://poststar.com/eedition/page-a1/page_431fa49c-ab03-5d5d-b72c-7542f3f7080d.html
Contrary to wishing them "dead," Please consider subscribing to the Post-Star. When they mis-step, tell 'em! When they do good, thank them.
LOL. "Impressive"? Shows how badly standards have slipped. It is not dead. It's dying. That's obvious for all to see. The amount of local journalism is shrinking every week as the monthly rate continues to skyrocket. It's sad when I'm finding more local news in the Chronicle of all places than in the Post-Star.
Are you saying my standards have slipped? Careful, there.
In my own estimation -- which might be 'way off -- I'm more and more careful in my old age, more aware of nuance and misinformation than I ever was before.
All newspapers are in financial trouble. And they are under threat from the Trump administration.
When I see a regional or local newspaper that is struggling, unless they are rabidly anti-democratic, plainly anti-freedom, I'll support them.
And that support includes telling them when they do well, and when they do poorly. Works better when I am a subscriber, methinks.
I am speaking of standards generally.
You certainly have the right to call the current Post-Star's standards impressive. But I think you will be one of very few. Certainly this person who has been reading it for 40 years and admired much of its previous work sees it as being in a death spiral, barely on life support.
Three issues a week with three or four local journalist written news pieces, a bunch of press releases and 98% wire service crap is not, in my view, "impressive."
In my older age, I am more clear eyed about newspapers. They are not charities. Individual journalists and editors may have personal notions of the nobility of journalism but newspapers are businesses and have to operate under the exigencies of business. The Post-Star, like most, is a business that strives to make a profit. That is ok but I judge them with that in mind.
As a business that is asking people to pay money for the product, it is not the least bit unreasonable for the consumer to ask if they are getting value for money. And with the incredibly shrinking local content - I don't care about national wire crap and puzzles and jumbles and comics and Dear Abby I can get for free elsewhere - combined with the skyrocketing monthly fee, what it gives me no longer justifies the cost.
If it were wise, it would go to an all local content model. That would make its content unique and thus much more worth paying for. Many newspapers in New England have that model and are doing well. But there is no leadership at the Post-Star or at their corporate overlords Lee.
Let's get into the nitty gritty. Subscribers pay a little over $2 per e-edition (more this month since a few did not appear due to the hacking and I'm sure a credit will not be given). The last e-edition had exactly two P-S journalist written news articles (one about a car accident in Malta, the other the prettying up of a press release) and two sports articles. The previous had three P-S journalist written news articles and one sports article. That is not good enough. Even the free Chronicle, long a bete noire of mine, had more news articles. I'm more than happy to pay for local news. But I want to get what I'm paying for.
Yep. They are struggling. I still don't want them to fold.
Interesting how fast they, in your eyes, went from "impressive" to "struggling." I don't want them to fold either. But denying that they have any responsibility to offer value for money and that consumers should pay any price with no expectation of quality or adequate content will not help them survive as a business.
While the product is diminished, anything it can do to keep local citizenry informed is important. We need to support journalism even in a diminished capacity.
They need to provide LOCAL journalism for us to support. I've been paying for the Post-Star since 1988. I finally let my subscription lapsed when they wanted now $26 a month for a product with increasingly less and less local content. I accept the journalists they have are doing the best they can. But they are not being set up for success by the corporate overlords.
I support local journalism. I pay for the Times-Union, the LG Mirror, the Adk Explorer and Adk Life as well. They are worth the money I pay for them. And I have overpaid for the Post-Star for the last several years.
But at some point, consumers have the right to expect SOMETHING for the ever increasing bill. And wire service filler crap that I can get for free (or am already paying for) elsewhere is not what I want to pay for in a local paper.
The last issue of the Chronicle had more local news stories than the last issue of the Post-Star. I never thought I'd live to see that day!
When you lose somebody as committed to local journalism as me - a former print journalist - you know something is deeply wrong.
Well.
ALL of this.
Direct action is needed. Letter writing campaigns and hand wringing are not enough.
It will be the streets where we will be most effective- but some people are worried about trump evoking martial law.
Also, I see young people out in the streets but not so much here....
It's the same people all of the time and we are not so young anymore.
Where is the younger version of Bernice...or Joe?
Project 2025 is real. It's happening.
And now I understand how shit went so sideways with Hitler. There's so many passive people in America who either don't pay attention or just are too lazy to step up. And of course the cult, which has seemingly swallowed up a good half of our nation.
Some people say trying to understand the trump voters is the key . That we are all human and therefore we can reach them.
Not for me. Never again will I even attempt to delve into that. I am still too angry.
I don't know how this will all play out. None of us do.
But I'm going to be loud.
And I've still got it in me to be in the streets.
We should all be there.
Read Erik Larson’s “In The Garden of Beasts”, about Germany in the early 30’s- the true account of the American ambassador and his daughter. Chilling.
I think all of these actions are needed. I'm old. Not as old as dirt, but getting there, and I have osteopenia, compression fractures in my spine, and unable to march. But I can do plenty, as can many others, without marching.
Posting on social media, like this, is helpful to a certain extent. Established solidarity, shows us that we are not alone, and counters the distorting effects of propaganda.
Better, IMO, is to get to know decision-makers in our lives. Officials both elected and not. Learn the issues. Learn the lingo. Get knowledgeable. Get to be known, respected, and trusted.
Join a group. I'm in several, including the Indivisible ADK/Saratoga
group Ken highlights (https://www.indivisiblesaratogaadk.com) and the League of Women Voters Saratoga (https://www.lwvsaratoga.org).
There's lots to do! And working with others makes us stronger.
When we voters cast our ballots for president, we shouldn’t leave behind common sense and rationality. But that’s what half the voters in 2024 did when they cast their ballots for a traitor and criminal. Whatever happens to degrade our democracy, our constitution, and our national government is, in the first instance, on their hands. I’ll never accept any weak, stunted excuses.
And what happens next is, in large measure, in our hands to oppose, resist, and bear witness to. Any yes, let our resistance live loudly within us.
There was a goodly number of young people at the Black History Month film series at the Crandall last evening (among the full house). Some of them spoke during the discussion, and I was impressed. They gave me hope.
...yes: well said; thank you / -and thank you, TFP, for publishing this...
It is no secret that Musk's businesses are entangled in violations, etc that the CFPB is investigating. Of course the agency was an early target for doge.
Thoughtful and well said. Thank you for publishing this.
...there was, decades ago, a professor of English at Adirondack Community College who used a phrase often enough for me [and, probably, others] to have never forgotten it: "the ignorant masses" / -doubtless, he had many of us as students- and, doubtless, we were so obtuse then[?], we were ignorant of the fact that he was speaking not only to- but of us; yet, it isn't ignorance, but "willful ignorance" that could destroy our country's beautiful experiment-- the ignorance that makes a religion of [our] stupidity and gods of the stupid loud mouths "we" ignorantly reward with the power of elected positions, etc.: --elected officials who knowingly lead their ignorant, and willing, flock to doom...
Ignorant, and they often think they know exactly what's what.
Sure, they can hang drywall (I have a hard time doing that!) and plumb a bathroom and lay concrete in winter. They pay their employees and watch over their families like hawks, and oftentimes treat other people fairly. But they are terrible at pubic policy. And badly misinformed.
The Dunning-Krueger effect is alive and, well, thriving, in our land.
Thank you, Ken. What a time we're living through. Indivisible is putting into action the fear and frustration many of us feel. We can't sit back and watch this train wreck because we are passengers on it. Spring is a month away. We will likely have our own version of Arab Spring ... our American Spring!
Bernice's letter is compelling and would probably be published by the NY Times. Ignorance is ruling us from Washington. Being amoral and lacking courage, knowledge or understanding has become part of our national leadership requirements.
One thing those billionaires ignore is this, (and I am an economist, Ken) we are the ones buying what they sell. What if we cut back our expenses to a minimum? What, then? What if we organize half of this country to stop buying as usual and let them see what happens to their profits? They might pay attention.
I'm just saying.
We could start locally. Stop supporting Trump backing businesses.
Use Facebook just to stay in touch with family and friends. Buy nothing through Facebook or Instagram.
Nobel prize winning economist Paul Krugman is sounding the alarm on the actions the trump team is taking to attack our national economy.
This is his latest column.
https://open.substack.com/pub/paulkrugman/p/the-emperors-new-tariffs-small-ugly?utm_source=share&utm_medium=android&r=17be1t
Hit them in the wallet, yes! I am already doing it! Sometimes you need to buy something, like the other day I needed a part to fix my leaky kitchen faucet. I don’t know where Delta stands on Trump, and I needed the part, but you’d best believe I bought it at the local hardware store, not Lowes! And buy less stuff: better for our pocketbooks, better for the planet, and worse for the enablers!
Bernice, thank you for that eloquent and unifying commentary. And Ken, thank you for giving Bernice the space to share her wisdom.
Beautiful!! And so true Bernice. Thank you. And your voice was not silenced 🎉🎉🎉
Bernice, I always appreciate your voice, your humanity and your undying support for those among us who are marginalized and voiceless. Your inspiration knows no bounds. I have followed Robert Hubbell for several years now. I believe he is on target. Our Democratic leaders are out of step with the electorate. Schumer is weak and the Democratic Caucus complained to Jefferies that movements like Indivisible are encouraging followers to flood phone lines (Hubbell). But that is exactly what needs to happen to wake the sleeping giant. The early stages of Grief and Loss are over, it's time to take action. With that in mind, there are two grassroots events on the calendar. Monday, February 17 is designated National Protest Day and Friday, February 28 is National 1 Day Strike Day. For more information check out indivisiblesaratogaadk.com.
Robert Hubbell is correct
Trump tariffs affected our business yesterday.
We quoted a price to an interior designer on some items a few weeks ago. She met with her customer and they detailed a design for the customer’s project including the items we quoted.
We received a purchase order on the project yesterday.
On Monday Trump instituted 25% tariffs on imported steel which means that the cost of all, steel will go up. American manufacturers and middlemen will use the opportunity to pad their margins because of the increase in their competitor’s pricing and the necessity to hedge against an unpredictable future.
So we will honor our quote and we will pay a little more for the materials we use and the difference will come out of our pockets. The next time we will quote a little bit higher prices to accommodate the increase in materials costs and the unpredictability of the business climate. At some point our price will be too high for a customer and we will not get the job.
Now transpose that whole scenario to a very large project that is years in the planning such as a highway project with a large bridge, or a large steel building where the increased costs are far too large for the contractor to absorb. Either the cost gets passed on the the customer, maybe taxpayers, or the job is put on hold for a new round of quotes which all come in higher.
A tariff is a tax, but it is much more than a tax, it’s an element of random chaos on a system that thrives on predictability. It is not winning.
Concretely illustrated. Thank you!
Mike how is this added cost to business different form the added cost to a business by an increase in minimum wage laws. Both are expenses passed on to the customer as an increase in price or some reduction in the product.
A tariff is a tax. A minimum wage increase is not a tax.
I could stop there but I know you like to nitpick my comments so I’ll give you a lot more to nitpick, and maybe you’ll learn something along the way.
The result is that an increase in minimum wage comes along with an increase in buying power for workers and so a concurrent expansion of business activity.
Minimum wage workers tend to be service workers, not manufacturing workers because manufacturing jobs tend to be higher paid. As we have seen for a number of years now in states and cities that have increased the minimum wage the rate of business activity has improved, so the people who predicted minimum wage increases would hurt the economy have been proven wrong again and again.
Better paid workers tend to be happier and more productive workers, higher taxed businesses on the other hand - especially if the tax is 25% - tend to become less efficient because all of a sudden workers are forced to find work around for their previously smooth running operation.
Increases in the minimum wage do not come in 25% increments and in terms of the federal minimum wage the rate of increase has been at 0% for decades, so there is a reasonable amount of room for increase to those costs and I would suggest that no boss ever had an employee start crying (except maybe in relief and delight) when they were told they would get a little more money in their paycheck.
Paying workers more build better, stronger companies. Taxing commodities with the only reason being to punish other nations ends up hurting the nation starting a trade war.
The thing I find with conservatives who disagree with my “liberal” positions is that they think I have never considered their arguments before. The thing is I grew up in a conservative area and I understand the conservative arguments - I’ve made a lot of them myself as a young person before I had all the real world personal experiences that showed how wrong my thought process at the time was, or how limited it was. I can’t tell you how many times people have called me a communist or a socialist. A surprising number of those people have been career government workers with Unions that protect their rights and negotiate for better wages and good benefits like health insurance and vacation time.
Meanwhile I have worked my whole life in the private enterprise system, have operated several of my own businesses - successfully. With my partner I own a manufacturing/craft/trade business (30 years) along with a real estate holding corporation. My businesses have weathered many 9/11, financial crashes, trade wars, and all sorts of ordinary difficulties of life.
And yet, I end up having people trying to get me with “gotcha” questions by people who could really have thought out the answer for themselves.
Sadly... they don't 'consider' the argument.. they don't 'consider' what they are saying in the context of reality.. they just yammer
they are considerate.. so that tracks
but they totally don't get that saying what they want to believe has no foundation in reality.. it might be right once in a while.. but even than it is totally luck
Mike let the nitpicking begin and let’s see what I can learn.
You say “A minimum wage increase is not a tax.” Ok.
I say just like a tax, the cost is either passed on to the consumer, or the seller of the service/product takes less. Anything you would disagree with?
An increase in the cost of a good or service will tend to decrease the demand for that good or service. As price goes up demand goes down. Would you agree or disagree?
Now why would a seller take less?
A wage increase is nothing like a tax.
Making that comparison displays a profoundly misunderstand the simplest, most basic, economics.
It also displays a deep, seated character flaw in not understanding workers as humans.
I see the way your mind works, the owner of the business has more importance in your heart and soul than the person providing the labor.
To you the person is simply a cost of doing business, like a commodity or a tax, or a bribe, or spoilage.
In reality society, culture, community - everything we are as humans beyond the most basic Neolithic tribalism depends on the value of labor in providing excess above basic daily necessities and the ability that provides to a social group to make long term plans for the future, to dream of new things to invent maths and sciences, to create long last arts, to provide for the unhealthy, the sick, the aged.
A tax is simply a cost, not paid to a person - except in the case where a human puts themself in a manipulative position of authority, usually based in some religious doctrine defining the leader as a figure of divine authority. That concept of divine rule is EXACTLY what our nation was founded in opposition to.
But still, people who think like you held power among the founders of our nation. Those people saw and defined workers as something less than full humans. They held that it was just fine to own other humans, to use their labor without payment, they treated everyone who was not a White male property owner as less than fully human. They were slavers and people accepting of holding other humans in bondage.
When you compare a wage to a tax those are the people you stand behind.
Mike you are quick to say what I lack, but realy slow to answer my simple questions?
I answered your questions - before you asked them. Here’s what I said, “Minimum wage workers tend to be service workers, not manufacturing workers because manufacturing jobs tend to be higher paid. As we have seen for a number of years now in states and cities that have increased the minimum wage the rate of business activity has improved, so the people who predicted minimum wage increases would hurt the economy have been proven wrong again and again.”
I showed that in the real world the increase in ages did not have a detrimental effect to the general business climate.
Why should I have to repeat information that you failed to grasp on the first go-around. It’s not my job to educate you.
Try to keep up and you’ll learn something.
Thank you Bernice....it's true...many of our north country residents haven't a CLUE what DEI means. This helps
Go Bernice!! Well Said!!