[jimjamuser]

Originally Posted by jimhoward

Tariffs have never worked as intended. proponents hope that tariffs combined with tighter immigration will boost demand for US manufacturing labor and consequently wages and produce more jobs for us citizens. But it doesn’t work that way and it shouldn’t.
But we will see because increased tariffs are definitely coming.

We need tighter immigration because we have too many people in the US. Just look at the traffic. And since the Us is a top polluter, then less population means less cars.

[Stu from NYC]

Originally Posted by jimjamuser

The US is practically at full employment. We are the envy of the whole world. If we invested more money in public primary and secondary schools, we would all have higher salaries and benefits.

Or spend the money that goes to schools more efficiently getting rid of most of the administrators and the dept of education and giving that money to teachers who can teach.

[Pballer]

Originally Posted by tophcfa

Yup, that and no environmental controls allow them to make stuff much cheaper than we can. Even when the cost of transporting goods half way across the planet is added, still much cheaper. Tariffs will help even the pricing playing field, but will also contribute to inflation.

Don't worry. No environmental controls is coming here.

[OrangeBlossomBaby]

Originally Posted by jimjamuser

We need tighter immigration because we have too many people in the US. Just look at the traffic. And since the Us is a top polluter, then less population means less cars.

We should take the worst repeat offender criminal American citizens, strip them of their citizenship, and deport them.

We also should stop restricting women's rights to their bodily autonomy. If a woman doesn't want to breed, she should be allowed to - not breed. No matter how she ended up pregnant in the first place. HOW - is none of your business. But if the concern is "too many people" then one very obvious solution is to get out of the way of a pregnant female who doesn't want to be pregnant.

[Kelevision]

Originally Posted by jimjamuser

The US is practically at full employment. We are the envy of the whole world. If we invested more money in public primary and secondary schools, we would all have higher salaries and benefits.

No, the US is not at full employment:

Unemployment rate
In October 2024, the unemployment rate was 4.1%, which is higher than the 3.8% rate a year earlier.

Prime-age workers
The employment rate for prime-age workers (25–54 years old) was 80.6% in January 2024, which is below its peak of 81.9% in April 2000.

Long-term unemployed
The number of long-term unemployed (those jobless for 27 weeks or more) was 1.6 million in October 2024, which is up from 1.3 million a year earlier.

The US government is committed to full employment, and the government is empowered to achieve this goal

As for the envy of the world…….we definitely aren’t that


Quality of Life…

Beyond the essential ideas of broad access to food, housing, quality education, health care and employment, quality of life also may include intangibles such as job security, political stability, individual freedom and environmental quality. Through all phases of life, these countries are seen as treating their citizens well.

https://www.usnews.com/news/best-cou...uality-of-life

Best countries to live for quality of life…..

1. Denmark
2. Sweden
3. Switzerland
4. Norway
5. Canada
6. Finland
7. Germany
8. Australia
9. Netherlands
10.New Zealand
11. UK
12. Austria
13. Belgium
14. Japan
15. Ireland
16. France
17. Luxembourg
18. Spain
19. Iceland
20. Portugal
21. Italy
22. UNITED STATES….
23. Singapore
24. Poland
25. South Korea
26 China

[biker1]

This is nonsensical. Deport them to where? Have you ever heard of the 14th amendment?

Originally Posted by OrangeBlossomBaby

We should take the worst repeat offender criminal American citizens, strip them of their citizenship, and deport them.

We also should stop restricting women's rights to their bodily autonomy. If a woman doesn't want to breed, she should be allowed to - not breed. No matter how she ended up pregnant in the first place. HOW - is none of your business. But if the concern is "too many people" then one very obvious solution is to get out of the way of a pregnant female who doesn't want to be pregnant.

[retiredguy123]

Originally Posted by Stu from NYC

Or spend the money that goes to schools more efficiently getting rid of most of the administrators and the dept of education and giving that money to teachers who can teach.

Wouldn't you need to get rid of the unions first?

[Caymus]

Originally Posted by Kelevision

No, the US is not at full employment:

Unemployment rate
In October 2024, the unemployment rate was 4.1%, which is higher than the 3.8% rate a year earlier.

Prime-age workers
The employment rate for prime-age workers (25–54 years old) was 80.6% in January 2024, which is below its peak of 81.9% in April 2000.

Long-term unemployed
The number of long-term unemployed (those jobless for 27 weeks or more) was 1.6 million in October 2024, which is up from 1.3 million a year earlier.

The US government is committed to full employment, and the government is empowered to achieve this goal

As for the envy of the world…….we definitely aren’t that


Quality of Life…

Beyond the essential ideas of broad access to food, housing, quality education, health care and employment, quality of life also may include intangibles such as job security, political stability, individual freedom and environmental quality. Through all phases of life, these countries are seen as treating their citizens well.

https://www.usnews.com/news/best-cou...uality-of-life

Best countries to live for quality of life…..

1. Denmark
2. Sweden
3. Switzerland
4. Norway
5. Canada
6. Finland
7. Germany
8. Australia
9. Netherlands
10.New Zealand
11. UK
12. Austria
13. Belgium
14. Japan
15. Ireland
16. France
17. Luxembourg
18. Spain
19. Iceland
20. Portugal
21. Italy
22. UNITED STATES….
23. Singapore
24. Poland
25. South Korea
26 China

And yet many people promise to leave, but don't follow through.

[ElDiabloJoe]

I can think of three steps to making this country secure.

Codify via Amendment:

1. USSC = 9;

2. Even if you were born here, if one or both parents (up for debate) were not citizens at the time of your birth, neither are you. No anchor babies;

3. Outlaw foreign ownership of property/land and American based corporations- especially strategic industries (energy, food, pharma, etc.).

Sure, Taiwan can have a few 85°C outlets here, but that corporation is based in Taiwan. They cannot own our meat producers or our food facilities. Two sea-salt foam coffees, please.

[blueash]

Originally Posted by retiredguy123

As I understand it, the Florida minimum wage is $13 per hour plus the FICA taxes of about 7 percent, so a migrant worker makes about $30K per year. Also, the employer must offer affordable health insurance for the worker as per the ACA law. Are you suggesting that employers are not compling with these requirements?

There is a lot of evidence that undocumented workers are not being paid minimum wages, rather being paid in cash. Tell me how many people here have been asked by those they hired to please make the payment in cash, or to make out the check to them personally, not the name of their company. Some of that is tax fraud, some is to avoid other gov't regulations like minimum wage.

The ACA absolutely does not require most employers to provide health insurance. What made you think it did? ACA only requires employer coverage IIF there are 50 or more full time employees. So keep your work staff at 49 and no requirement. Additionally there is no requirement for full employer coverage and everyone still in the workforce knows how the employer who used to pay 100% of the bill went to 90% then 80% etc even while the cost went up.

So when the cost now is 25000 for family coverage and the employee is paying 8000 plus of course the copays and deductibles.

For real numbers, see the Bureau of Labor Statistics data for this year
For persons employed in private sector at businesses with fewer than 50 workers:
Only 56% have an option to get coverage and only 60% of workers elected to get that coverage. The employee is charged 1/3 of the premium for family coverage across all size private employers.

[ElDiabloJoe]

Originally Posted by blueash

There is a lot of evidence that undocumented workers are not being paid minimum wages, rather being paid in cash. Tell me how many people here have been asked by those they hired to please make the payment in cash, or to make out the check to them personally, not the name of their company. Some of that is tax fraud, some is to avoid other gov't regulations like minimum wage.
...

Some of that is to avoid reporting income. Not only for tax purposes, like you stated, but for lowering or eliminating child support orders and for accessing more welfare eligibility as well.

[retiredguy123]

Originally Posted by blueash

There is a lot of evidence that undocumented workers are not being paid minimum wages, rather being paid in cash. Tell me how many people here have been asked by those they hired to please make the payment in cash, or to make out the check to them personally, not the name of their company. Some of that is tax fraud, some is to avoid other gov't regulations like minimum wage.

The ACA absolutely does not require most employers to provide health insurance. What made you think it did? ACA only requires employer coverage IIF there are 50 or more full time employees. So keep your work staff at 49 and no requirement. Additionally there is no requirement for full employer coverage and everyone still in the workforce knows how the employer who used to pay 100% of the bill went to 90% then 80% etc even while the cost went up.

So when the cost now is 25000 for family coverage and the employee is paying 8000 plus of course the copays and deductibles.

For real numbers, see the Bureau of Labor Statistics data for this year
For persons employed in private sector at businesses with fewer than 50 workers:
Only 56% have an option to get coverage and only 60% of workers elected to get that coverage. The employee is charged 1/3 of the premium for family coverage across all size private employers.

It seems hypocritical to promote immigrant workers to compete with China when we don't enforce our own minimum wage law. Also, paying employees in cash is illegal. So, we are promoting illegal activity to compete with China.

I knew about the 50 employee rule for the ACA, but many people don't know that, before the ACA, there was no requirement for employers to provide any health insurance to employees.

[OrangeBlossomBaby]

Originally Posted by biker1

This is nonsensical. Deport them to where? Have you ever heard of the 14th amendment?

The Heritage Foundation has determined that the Constitution is no longer appropriate and needs to be changed. They are running this country as of January 20, 2025 (one might argue they're already running it, but I try to avoid hyperbole).

The Constitution can be further amended, and the 14th can be repealed with new amendments. Just like the amendment that created the prohibition, and the one that repealed it.

They can be deported anywhere, really. Whether the country on the other end accepts them or not is not America's problem. They could be deported to an island somewhere. Or America could vote to annex Guam as a military prison (it's already an American territory) and send them all there.

[Stu from NYC]

Originally Posted by retiredguy123

Wouldn't you need to get rid of the unions first?

That would be item 1 on improving schools.

[graciegirl]

Originally Posted by Pballer

Don't worry. No environmental controls is coming here.

I think it should read;

No environmental controls "Are" coming here.

But......Most of us do believe strongly in Global Warming and for years we have reused, reconditioned, saved, recycled and worn clothes until they faded or wore out. We don't take Aluminum throw aways to pot lucks and many of us drive Hybrid cars. We save our money and we try to take care of our possessions and keep them both clean and working. Our parents sent our lunches in Wonder bread sacks and we used bread bags inside our boots too, when we were small. I don't think that most of us are unaware of the causes of Climate change but we just do not see a plausible way to stop it as the world is involved and people will not soon give up gas engines. They are used to manufacture things we all need. It is a very difficult thing to try to solve. But some of us carry reusuable bags to the grocery and some of us reuse the plastic bags for when we walk the dog.