Steve's barking; The economic stastic that doesn't exist, but should

 There is an economic statistic that I can't find anywhere.
Da at da, that stat is how many people are unemployed compared to how many job openings.
Now this may very well be impossible to figure out, but if we did we could find out how to place an unemployed worker into a job that they could do, or at least what training is needed.

Steve's barking; There's nothing wrong with the U.S. Economy

If the labor statistics are correct we have 5% unemployment and going down. U.S. Inflation rate is under 2%. Wholly Mackerel we living in the  opposite  image of stagflation. We have good paying jobs such as truck drivers ( No college education needed) go unfilled. Now I keep hearing politicians from both major parties claiming that they are going to fix the economy creating more jobs, and keep inflation down. Now I'm just guessing they want to have less then zero unemployment and a true deflationary period along with finding those elusive unicorns.

Steve's barking; Did the U.S. economy just go pffft

In NY this holiday season I see inattentive workers.
I see signs all over the place help wanted.
I've read not to long ago we have a shortage of truck drivers.
These are sign that the economy is going great guns and that inflation as economist know it is on it's way.
But wait a minute, what going to happen to those well paid oil workers? And what about those oil companies that are mortgaged up to,the gill? After all the price of oil is on the down side of the roller coaster.
Now that the Federal Reserve had raise it rate and expected to do so more in the coming year, giving banks an excuse to raise the rate of borrowing, but not interest on savings( there isn't a great need for money).
Now let's assume that the cost of borrowing money becomes to high for the retailer, the fast food palace, and the trucking companies. Would those help wanted signs come down. Would those inattentive worker becoming attentive? (nah).
Will the raising of interest rates and falling oil prices put the U.S. economy on great footing or will the U.S. Economy stick it's tongue an go  pffft to America?

Steve's baking; We want to Block the wrong guys!

There's a group in America that wants to block Muslims, Spanish speaking South Americans, other that they deem undesirable. Well the fact of the matter we should be blocking undesirables from taking up valuable time on the airways. Maybe you don't know who I'm talking about. To give just a little heads up, those guys who gloom and doom the economy on channels such as CNBC.
Heck there was this ex Doctor , congressman who stated that it would be a disaster for the US if the Feds did't raise it's interest rate. This is the same person who wants to do away with the Federal Reserve. Bar the man from speaking on the air.

I've commented before that there's a good chance for a depression if the Feds raise interest rates and oil declines. My Analysis is based on logic with a little bit of history thrown. If we continue to let unintelligent ladies and gents on the airways giving misinformation, that can go airways with what I call economic terrorism, and it gets a hold of the way people think this country and county's that circulate nonsense on the air those counties run the risk of financial major down turn.
Of cause these terrorist will blame the very reasons that would have stopped the fiscal down turn, and like religious terrorist they will have their converts. So please bar these terrorist from the airways.

Of cause the US constitution says we have free speech in this country, so,we better beware.

Now I understand this is a rambling blog that may not be understood. So be it.

Steve's barking; Trying to lock out a group of people from coming to America. Same as it ever was!

The Emperor Donald talks of barring Muslims from this country. He ain't the first who talked of barring a religious group from the shores of the US. Why the No Nothing Party what end to bar Catholics out of fear.In the thirties we limited my co-religion peoples from coming to our shores.
Those who didn't want German Jews from coming stated that some Nazi sabators may slip through disguised as Jews. Sound familiar to day.

America even in the beginning of the nation certain people in government tried to bar French persons from coming to our shore for they might bring the stench of the French Revolution with them.

We've made laws barring Chinese from coming here.

We've limited Asians and Africans from becoming citizens.

So the Emperor (Jones) Donald is saying nothing new despite what you read in the papers.

Steve's barking; It's tough to be a Muslim in today's world.

In today's world because of some self - righteous (several million out of over a billion) Muslims there is hatred and fear in the world against them. They must feel this every day. Being stared at. Being cussed at. Having the rest of the world hate you.  Now if it wasn't bad enough that you are treated badly by a large majority of the world, but when your own brothers and sisters treat you worse then those who are not your co-religionists all in the name of Allah that's pretty bad.
There are those who say that they will try to help you but you are leery.

Into today's world there is more turmoil in the mostly Muslim Arab world then ever.
The people living there need peace more then ever. It seems that the first thing that Allah should do is turn the hate and fear into calm and have those  who have been wronged (perceivably or actually) to turn the other cheek. The second thing Allah must do is punish those who do evil in his name.
All must love themselves and love thy neighbor if you believe that God made us in his image you must respect and do no harm to your fellow man.

Steve's barking; Lets kick those economic terrorist out of the country.

The U.S. has many types of terrorist in her country.
Foreign like those of ISIS, and Al-Qaeda, and the now defunct foreign communist.
Domestic, terrorist like Timmy McVeigh, and those White Supremacists who don't like the U.S. Government.
Those physical terrorist can only do minor damage to America compared to those who scream fire when there is none. I'm talking about those politicians ( like Chis Christie) who rail against Social Security as being insolvent*.
Then we have those who demand  that the Federal Reserve should raise interest rates because in case of a recession they have the ability to lower them( a very logical thing to do if your illogical).
Then we have those who insist that we don't take care of our hungry, homeless, and parent less children, telling lies claiming  that they are God fearing.
Then we have those wrong headed fear mongers that inflation is just around the corner.
Why do I call these wrong headed people economic terrorist, because if enough people listen to them and their economic fear mongering America's economy would go down the tubes.
The destruction of the World Trade Center in my home town and the fear it brought did not do very much economic damage, but listening to economic dunderhead politicians and likewise financial advisers and economist who behave like chicken little screaming the sky is falling can bring more harm to the US or any economy in the world.

*Governor Christie during the Republican debate stated that there's no money in Social Security to pay it's recipients, that we only have promissory notes.Well that means that the full faith and credit of the US is on the line, after all the treasury borrowed the money from the trust fund and promised to pay with interest. The Governor suggested that the US will not pay it's debt.  Panic for the seniors.

Steve's barking; Obama's not runnning

Message to all presidential Republican office seekers, President Obama is not running.
Repeat after me, you can't run against some who's not running. You can't say you'll beat some one who's not running. If your trying to say that you'll reverse everything that happen in the last seven years, are youse trying to say that of elected inflation will go through the roof. That if you're elected we will have 10 percent unemployment. That if elect you we will have the highest budget deficit ever, worst of all are you saying that you'll reverse the toilet flow in the White House so we'll have the worst stink ever.

Steve's barking; Should have watch the commercials during the World Series.

What dunce I am, when the commercials came on during the Wold Series I turned to CNBC to see what the people from clown university were up to.
I heard Senator Cruz rail against Wall Street, the place were his family makes most of it's money.
I can see it now while at lunch Ted tells his VP wife Goldman Sacks should take better care of Main Street.
At the next commercial break I heard that idiot from New Jersey say that there is nothing in the Social Security trust fund, just IOUS, proving once again we have a politician who doesn't have the foggiest how money works.  Jersey fats idea to save Social Security was some sort of means test. Just what this country needs more bureaucracy.

Steve's barking; Is this the beginning of the end of (Rico) the U.S. Government.

We have seen the end of the Soviet Union.
We see the chaos of revolution in the Middle East, with no real government in some of those counties. Government comes and goes in Italy.
Think that can't happen in the good old US of A. Think again.
I've said in previous post there are three major parties, The Democratic Party,  the Republican Party and laying in the body' of  the Repulican party like the Alien in Alien waiting in the body of the Republican Party the Tea Party.
Now these anarchist have their caucus slavery works, only they call themselves Freemdom Works, They learned how to spin from the communist and fascist from Europe.
Now my warning for the end of government is the beginning of December were nothing gets done in the house of  whores or better know as the House of Representatives. Possibly no speaker of the house meaning no governing in this body. No leadership no treaties , no budget, no,money to pay government expenses. No money to pay government expenses,,sounds just like the Fall of the Soviet Union.
True libertarianism, or as I like to call it anarchism. The experiment of no,government regulations, no one who,isn't paid is going to I force them. What about us on Social Security, tough.
Military, just hope there's enough patriots so,we will no,be invaded.

I pray that in two months from now I sit and read this blog and say to my self how stupid can I be.

Steve's barking; Start the revolution without me

Those whom vote in civilized counties and the not so civilized country are pissed off at the status quo.
And as the song goes were not going to take it anymore.
We're going to vote for Snake oil salesmen, socialist, and racists of  all shades.
If we come from a country without much of a democratic tradition we'll take to the street, and perhaps over through those undemocratic forces, leaving a vacuum. Lord help us if  there's a vacuum,
Election held were majority hate the outcome, even though the winner may be democratically elected. Haven help us if there is anarchy, or plain old chaos for the populous hates anarchy worse then it hates no freedoms.

This is another one of my blogs that I'm not sure that those who stumble upon it will have the vagus notion of what my writing is about.

Steve's barking; The price of the News (paper) is too damn high

The New York Daily News recently cut it's staff because it's losing money.
Why is it losing money, it's circulation has shrunk.
Circulation shrinkage generally means add shrinkage.
My general guess why the circulation shrinkage has to do with the fact that the paper, along with the New York Post cost too much. Most of it's potential customers can't afford $1.25 a day.
The best price for these people newspapers is 50 cents.
As a person who enjoyed picking up the News in the morning to have something to read on the bus and the train and the Post coming home 50 cents would be my limit. I might of even drop one of the papers.
I understand that papers want to go electronic, but you still have to have a hook to bring the reader in.
The other problem with going electronic people are actually going back to hard copies of books and e books sales are going flat.
What happened to newspaper publishers, have they lost their way?

Steve's barking; Socialism helps the free market system

Some people might call it heresy, but the fact of the matter, socialism in a capitalist society greatly enriches the free market system.
How is that you may ask?
Think of it as putting money into the hands of consumers. More shoppers to be able to afford products being sold. The more a product is being sold. The more that a product is being sold the more companies want to produce that product. Now that's one of the most important ingredient in the free market system.
Now I know that the free market system needs capital(ism) how else would the entrepreneur gets the money to,produce their product.
Some time the capitalist can and has in the past discouraged the producing and marketing of new products just because they fear any any kind of completion.
Now how would a form of socialism help the U.S. Think of the U.S. health system. If we had a single payee system (I stole this idea from Germany) employers would no longer have to pay for health insurance but the government would pay for your health insurance in a well regulated insurance industry. The consumer would have freedom of choice  as per health insurance which they don't have now.
It's also important to understand that the rich man will only buy so many watches, while the masses can and will buy so much more. The masses need the means (money) to purchase watches.
I understand that many of my fellow countrymen will claim that socialism is a form of taking from some hard working person's money destroying any incentives to invest or start a business..
If one try's to argue with them that socialism can actually be a form of making it easier for the capitalist and entrepreneur they will  scream at you and tell you of the work of Dr Bla,Bla, Bla  from take your pick Harvard, Stanford, Yale, or Steward's College.That the good doctor's work proves that socialism is the root of all evil.

*Watches stand for any product.

Steve's barking; I'm so confused at the American politics.

The Democratic Party complains about Donald Trump and what a ( racist, fool, buffoon, liar) you name it he is. Now Mr. Trump is leading the Republic polls, now why would a Democrat attack him and not let the Republicans worry about him till the general election.
Now it seems that every Tom, Dick and Harriet is attacking the president. I wish some one will tell them that he's not running.
Do the Republicans think that attacking Hillary Clinton will get an easier opponent in the general election?
Why do we start the election process so early, a year and half before the general elections. Don't they realize that fatigue and boredom sets in and nobody wants to go to the poles on Election Day.
Maybe that's what the powers that be want it?

Steve's Barking; Comparing hourly minimum wage to average hourly wage

Date.                      Minimum wage                 Average wage.                 Percentage of average wage

1960.                       $1.00.                                $2.15.                              47%

 1965.                      $1.25.                                 $2.46.                              51%

1970.                        $1.60.                               $3.17.                               50%

 1975.                        $2.10.                              $4.58.                               46%

1980.                         $3.10.                              $6.85                                45%

1985.                         $3.35.                              $9.32.                                36%

1990.                         $3.80.                             $10.53.                                36%

1995.                         $4.25.                               $12.57.                              33%     

2000.                         $5.15.                              $14.16.                               31%

2005.                         $5.15.                              $16.43.                                31%

2010.                         $7.25.                              $18.49.                                39%

2015.                         $7.25.                              $19.65.                                36%

One of the arguments against raising the minimum wage is that the minimum wage was always used for persons just entering the work force and for students who need extra money.

To look at this argument I decided to look at the minimum wage compared to the average hourly wage.

I used the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics to find the minimum wage every five years since 1960 and compared it with the average hourly wage from those years. I got the hourly wage from the Bureau of Labor Statistics using January of each year that I used to get the minimum wage.

When I had my first job I was in high school in 1960 I was making 47% of average hourly wage.

When I got my first full time job in 196 I was making 50% of the average hourly wage. If I was just started working today I would only be making 36% of average minimum wage.

Of cause if the minimum was to rise so would the average hourly wage.

          

Steve's barking; Trouble for my mind about Clinton city ( a moral tale)

If you think that Mr. Trump has his foot in his mouth, what about the other side. What about Ms Clinton. It's bad enough that she had a private server taking all her e-mails, and her supporters scream that she's being picked on, for those before her had used private servers. Well as I understand it US State Department rules from after 2005 state that all State Department e-mails must go through the State  Department server. May be Hilary didn't get the message. I have a bigger problem with her statement that she used and paid a state department employee to set up her server. Now my puny brain is telling me this is a no, no. Most corporation would have a person fired if they used an employee to help them with personal things even if they are paid. Reasons, (1) person might not want to do it, but fear of retribution so they felt that they had too. (2) If others in the organization know, they may fell that there's favoritism from the boss to that employee that did private work for that boss. Now I maybe wrong but I do believe that most government agencies have rules against having an employee doing outside work for a director.


I'm still trying to get it through my head how could some one who is an assistant to head of the State Department and who should be on call 24/7 be given permission to,have a second job.

Steve's barking; It's time to give foreign aid to Porto Rico

It's time to give cash aid to Porto Rico.
Yea I know we give aid in the form of welfare to our commonwealth Porto Rico, but that's not enough. We should be giving Porto Rico cash grants to help pay it's bills.
Why may you ask should we give cash grants.
Well over 100 years ago we got Porto Rico in a war, and when we have war with nations we give them cash assistance not welfare assistance.
Because Porto Rico is a high bread we have got to give them both cash assistance better know as foreign aid and welfare assistance that states actually get.

Every body talks about the debt crisis in Porto Rico yet no one does a thing about it.

Steve's barking; Let's turn bigots into martyrs

In the matter of Kim Davis , the Rowan county clerk who refused to issue marriage licenses to gay couples, sighting her religious belief, the government in it's infinite wisdom turned her into a martyr by sending her to jail. Right on government.... Let's divide the country even more.
I hear that from some that she's not religious because she was married three times. Now what does being married three times got to do with most of the religions in the U.S.?......, and how does being married three times got to do with a person's religious belief.

Steve's baring; I see the jobs

I see the light, or something. There are jobs out there that aren't being filled.
Been to my local mall and all the fast food places have help wanted signs, stating that they pay competitive rates, what ever that means.
I saw in the a paper ( I don't remember which one) that there is a need for truck drivers, as of right now the industry is 35,000 short and the need is getting worse.  I don't believe that driving a truck is taught  at community colleges.. There seems to be a need for bus drivers, another thing not tonight in junior college. I may be wrong but driving a truck is a good solid middle wage job, and a bus driver is a nice low middle wage job.
 Of cause the bottom for all jobs should be $15 an hour.
When I say all jobs I mean all jobs, not just fast food workers. Now if fast food workers were to make $15 an hour , all this home care attendance would line up to take jobs as fast food workers.
Would anybody want to have a home care worker taking care of their parents or grandparents who couldn't cut it as a fast food worker?

If we have no workers for our jobs our boarders will be flooded, with illegal Mexicans and Canadians.


So much for my incoherent ramblings for today, be writing again soon.

Steve's barking; Hedge Fund owners as Gangstas

What's a gangsta, it's a modern term used in hip hop for dug dealers.
How do I have the audacity to compare drug dealers to hedge fun operators.
Let's start that they both deal in human misery, for momentary highs.
One by selling dope the other by selling hope, but after all is said and done, the hope of the worker generally needs life support, true of the doper.
The man at the top of chain in hedge funds gives money to the community in the form of donations to hospitals, universities and possibly the arts.
The drug dealer or as better know as the gangsta donates to the ghetto and the projects in he form of free food on the holidays, fireworks, helping hip hop artist, and maybe even helping a local with money for school.


Why sell dope or having a hedge fund?
As Willie Sutton used to say, that's were the money is.

Steve's barking; Why does the Fed have to Raise I t's interest rate?

I keep hearing that the Federal Reserve Board has to raise it's interest rate..
My question is why?
Is it because the Fed governors show that they are doing something?
There are those who claim that raising the rates help stave off inflation, but depending on the situation raising interest rates is inflationary in itself.( Inflating the cost of money).

Speaking of the Fed's I believe I heard some person say that when the Fed sells release the bonds to the general market a major problem would exist in the bond market. My question is we're is it written that the Federal Reserve board has to sell back bonds. Heck if it keeps the bonds in real terms it reduces the federal deficit.
( The Feds at the end of the day would give the money to the treasury. I understand that a very difficult thing to understand).

Steve's barking; The burning of wealth

Wealth is burning all over the world.
The stock markets are in decline.
Commodities are in decline.
It therefore stands to reason that wealth is in decline.
When wealth is in decline one can reasonably presume that money is being burned, or to put it another way it's harder to borrow against ones assets. In an abstract way the money supply is dwindling. Even printing money might not increase the money supply.

Now I'll bet my bottom dollar that most if not all will not understand the above paragraph, that's what I get for having an abstract mind.

Steve's barking; Cap maximize campaign spending.

I have a great idea for campaign financing, let's put a cap on the amount of money a candidate can spend on his campaign.
For the president, one can spend only $1,000,000 dollars per state or $50,000,000 altogether.
For the general election $2,000,000 per state or $100,000,000 altogether. Now I don't know about the the rest of America but to me that's a whole sh*t load of money. If a candidate can't budget his or her campaign to spend that kind of money how can that person budget the United States.
While I'm at it, if a group of people libel a candidate, then those who put up the money for the libel should be accountable for any judgement of a libel law suit.

I have an other idea, candidates can only collect $50,000,000 and any overage goes to the U.S. Treasury.
The same is true for any candidate who collects over $100,000,000 for the general, any excess goes to the U.S. Treasury.

Steve's barking; China devalues it currency and imports to China from the U.S. Stays the same?

Today and yesterday China devalued it currency.
The U.S. Markets seem to think it's a terrible thing.
The Chinese consumer has less money to spend on imported goods.
Maybe, maybe not.
Let's say that when all is said and done China devalues it's currency by 5 percentage.
This year wages in China go up 5 percent or perhaps a little more.
The Chinese consumer feels good about his paycheck, psychology he or she's inclined to spend a little more. Because wages and and currency devaluation are a wash, the cost of import goods stay the
same.
Businesses profits appear to be going up, so,the need to,buy more equipment to keep up,with demand, borrowing dollars from the government, buying more factory equipment from exporting countries. If this is true then this is a good thing for all.
Now I have no way of knowing if my hypothesis is true, only the China government knows why they really devalue their currency, and if their anything like the U.S government their not even sure.

Steve's barking; To Donald or not to Donald

Thursday I saw a very entertaining show called the Republican debate staring Donald Trump as himself.
Why it was called a debate I'll never know, as all the combatants said pretty much the same bla, bla bla, and I am better at being a doofus then anybody else in this room.
Now let me put my two cents plain in what I think about this Rebublican primary season especially for news people.
The nomination process is a marathon not a sprint.
It doesn't matter the number of popular votes one gets, it's the number of delegates.
Just because one candidates has great pole numbers doesn't mean that those who are polled will actually vote.

The only candidate that seems to want to lead is this fellow on the Democrat side Bernie Sanders.
He doesn't talk in generalizations. He wants to fix Social Security by ending the cap on tax that one pays on salary going into  Social Security. Having Medicare for all. Etc.etc. ect.

Mr. Trump wants to put up a wall between the United States and Mexico. I can see (hear) it now, after the wall is put up Vladimir Putin comes to Mexico and and says Mr. Trump tear down this wall.

I've been as asked what's with this Trump guy, why is he behaving the way he is?
My reply is I guess one behaves that way when one had unprotected sex and refuses to get a penicillin shot to clear it up.

Now being a doofus doesn't make you stupid, it just makes you a jerk.
One can be stupid and also be a jerk at the same time. That makes one a stupid jerk.

Steve's barking; If the U.S. Congress votes against the Iran deal.

Now let me get this straight, right now we have sanctions against Iran to stop it from developing the bomb as in nuclear.
The negotiation lifting the sanctions so that Iran can be inspected as to not be building the bombs is to go to the UN.
Now This is what I'm trying to understand, if the UN says it's yes but the U.S. Congress says no, every country under the sun except the U.S. can trade with Iran. The U.S. would no say in the
inspections of Iran, now that doesn't seem very bright to me.
What happens to our companies who want to trade with Iran? Are they left out in the cold, or do they us their foreign subsidiaries and to paraphrase a character on Steinfeld (the soup nazi) no tax for you.

Steve's barking; celebrating something I want to do away with

The U.S. is celebrating to the 50th anniversary of Medicare.
Medicare has been very, very good to me and my fellow senior citizens.
Now I it's time to end it.
Da at da, it must be replaced with a single payer or at least a single payee.
If you want to call it Medicare for all because you love Medicare so be it.
So Mr. Bush, you might be right, phase out Medicare with single payee, or single payer.

Steve's barking; Trump and who else is running for president of the United States

Quick, give your self five seconds to start naming who as of June 21st is running for president.
If it takes you more then five to ten seconds then you can stay that Mr. Trump has taken all the air out of the room.
You don't hear about Cruz, Hillary, Paul, Allen, Walker, Sanders, Bush and on and on. All you hear about is Trump, Trump and more Trump.
Every comedian talks of Trump. All republicans talk of Trump. He's in the news front back and side ways in the papers. All over the media television, radio, Internet, all you here is Trump said....insulting( name some or group of people).
He's turned into living proof that there is no such thing as bad publicity.

For all you out there, who think that Trump is a joke that can't win, in the 30s they said the same thing about Hitler( and no I'm not comparing Trump to Hitler).

Steve's barking, The Greek people aren't the only loses in the Greek bailout.

The Greek people aren't the only loses in the Greek bailout.
The Greek people are the biggest loses in this so called bailout, but not far behind them are the German people. How's that you may ask. Simple says I, the German people have got to work longer then they should. Retirement in Germany for too many is too long down the road. No human being should be forced to work after 65 if they don't want too. The Greek bailout is now a wedge between the economic numb nuts who run the country and the people who do the work.
Question for all of you, do you think that a person who is over 65 in most industries is effective as a 40 year old. Doesn't most senior citizen have more ailments that make it harder to work then a 40 year old? Doesn't a person deserve the right to enjoy his or her retirement before it's too late?
The Greek bailout is a good excuse for the government to screw the workers out of a good retirement.
Americans who have pensions should not be too smug, for there are too many who would love to cut your pensions and would site Greece and Germany. They would love to cut Social Security, and now they can site Greece and Germany as examples.

Steve's barking; The harder you work the more work you get

In my American world, the harder you work the more work you.
We have this here myth in America that if you work hard you get a head in the world.
In my time in the working world I and many like me (lower end workers) discovered that the harder you work the more work is put on you. If there is a mistake guess who's the one to be blamed the dude or dudess who works the hardest. Who in my world worries the most about doing a good job? You got the one who works the hardest. Now in the real world why doesn't the work be spread evenly.
Let me count the ways.
1 Friend of the boss.
2 Workers aren't trusted.
3 Fellow workers can't do the job as good.
4 Reliability of the hard worker.

In the real world not the American mythological world greeting up in the world getting up in the world usually takes three things.
In order.
1 Knowing the right people ( kissing the right butt).
2 Being bright.
3 Being in the right place at the right time.
4 Working hard, while learning while you work.

Steve's Barking; Ya pays Ya money, Ya take Ya chances.

I was brought up when you invest in something like foreign government debt, you do your own personal do diligence. If the bonds don't pay off, your out some money. There was no guaranty that you would get full return on your investment.
So what's the story that a hedge fund holds an Argentine training ship hostage.
Porto Rico bond holders expect to be paid in full.
Same is true with holders of Greek notes
Now most of these bond holders don't want government interference in what they do, but want their governments to some how protect their investments in foreign bonds.
My feeling is ya invest your money, ya take your chances.

Bullying by bond holders of foreign government debt is reprehensible.

Steve's barking; To pension or not to pension

The wold has come to the point of deriding pensions.
State pensions the norm in Europe are being cut.
In the States we have eliminated or at least cut our private pensions, replacing them with something called a 401k were the individual invests their money and gets deferred taxation ( this scheme was devised to increase U.S. Savings rate). Public pensions are being attacked as being to costly.
What's wrong with cutting payouts on pensions.
Let me put it in simple terms. It's short sighted and maybe down right stupid.
(1)It's a tax on future earnings that being payed before it's given out(?).
(2) The future doesn't hold out that the number of jobs will increase with the population. Just think automation and an aged population. Less jobs for more workers.
Now going a step further, less pension money less ability to buy manufactured goods, not to mention paying for services.
(3) If in the future a large minority can't afford to pay for goods and services economies will collapse.

The reality isn't the reduction or the elimination of pensions is figuring out a way to make them grow and paying for them.

Steve's Barking; Germany how dare you?

Germany how dare you have a health care system that is has not for profit insurance companies that premium are paid by the state.
France, and you Scandinavian countries have mandatory paid maternity leave, how dare you?
All you European countries with big unions to help the working people, how dare you?
All you countries that have businesses that pay workers a partial salary even though their not working, how dare you?
The United States doesn't have those policies, therefore the United States should pay only half of what it does now for it's part in the NATO partnership.
Do you realize how ridiculous the above sentences are? They show a sign of jealousy on the part of me, and therefore I'm making a ridiculous demand.
This is the same as I feel those Europeans are making demands on Greece about it's pensions.
Economics should never be about jealousy.

Steve's barking; The Cowardly Lion Syndrome

I' m worried, a new disease has befallen this great country America.
The name of this disease is called the cowardly lion disease.
Many of our business leaders are suffering from this disease. They can't seem to stop blaming our government, and or government regulation for their short falls. Now they have a problem finding the courage to make better products, use the small regulations to their advantage, and to actually do some work.
Others who have come down with the Cowardly Lion syndrome are politicians who blame the emasculated unions for their own incompetence. Do unions have lot and lots of money. NO!
Is it legal for most civil servant unions to strike. NO! So Governors like Scott Walker must be suffering from Cowardly Lion Syndrome.
I can't imagine some one like Scott Walker going against Putin. We would be in real trouble.
Getting back to my blog, As of this moment there's no cure for the Cowardly Lion Syndrome.
One can only hope and pray that it's not lethal after all it's only a syndrome.

Steve's barking; What is the IMF?

Greece is in trouble because it didn't collect enough taxes for the promises it made to it's workers for when they retire.
Greece is bigger trouble again because of non compliance of taxes that it can't pay back what it borrowed.
Now this thing called the International Monetary Fund or IMF for short will not lend Greece any more money ( even though that's the purpose of the fund) unless Greece destroys it's economy by cutting promised pension. Not explaining how retires will buy the excess things like food.
Now one would have to question what's the purpose of the IMF if it thinks it's a good idea to destroy the economy of a nation.
Maybe the IMF should stand for International Morons foundation.

Now I understand that part of my taxes is us for the IMF( .000000001 cent). I kind of wishes that wasn't so.

Steve's barking; Fed, please don't do a thing

Because I live in the real world, and not in a statical make believe world, I'm begging to the fed don't do a thing. Don't raise interest rates. Don't look at those statistics that employment is rising. Pay is going up ( Raising minimum pay would do that).
To be honest in the real world the fed rate should be zero. Raising the fed rate is inflationary in it's self. Putting it in simple real world terms the cost of money goes up. If the cost of money goes up, that cost would most likely would be past on causing real world inflation ( ever so mild if interest rates are low).
Real world inflation is caused by supply and demand.
What's not inflationary is what ever the traffic can bare, even though the cost of items can go up.
In the hypothetical world if the price goes up some one will produce a cheaper version.
This used to be the case until some one discovered the phrase patent infringement.
Now for those who haven't followed this blog, the real world inflation is the price of housing in various parts of the country that go up, plus the price of food, there's bad drought in the food producing parts of the world that causes the supply to dwindle. Real world New York has greater inflation then let's say Birmingham Alabama, and nothing the Federal Reserve does is going to change that.
My reasoning is at the present time there is nothing the the Feds can do to help the economy, but it can sure mess it up.

Steve's barking; Lets slow down the internet

It's become so easy ( for some people ) to hack into our computers and computer networks
I just came up with this crazy idea of writing programs that will read for information that tells the computer to give up information that's not part of the system.
Programs that wouldn't allow personal information to leave the computer unless it has a correct IP address attacked to it.

Easiest and cheapest way to keep our grids safe is to limit access by strictly only allowing a small number of portals that can talk to one another. If communicating from satellites everyone would know.

These suggestion are not complicated and they're not connected to antivirus, anti malware, and anti spyware currently being used ( To the best of my knowledge).

Slow down we move too fast.

Steve's barking: We're all corrupt

We're all corrupt.
Think not.
Have you ever cheated on a test at school?
Tipped a maite'd for a better table?
Dressed in a way that you would not normally dress to get into a night club?
Lie on your resume?
If your a woman flirt with a police officer not to get a ticket?
Buy a police sticker to put on your window of your car not to get a ticket if stopped by the police?
Brow beat an opponent to win an argument, even if the brow beating has nothing to do with the argument?
Take something from the office, because you need it at home?
The prosecutor who threaten the defendant, with destroying their family, Rico Laws, or with holding information from the defense?
The News Media that doesn't check it's sources, or tells lies, or makes things up,just to keep it's readers, listeners, viewers interested, isn't that a form of corruption
When the Founding Fathers of America almost to a man called slavery an abomination (you can look that up) and still many still kept slaves because slaves equalled wealth, isn't that a form of corruption?

Yes we need to even the playing field, but were all corrupt one way or an other.

Steve's barking; Being a failure at common core

If I had to take the common core exams that are given today, Because I'm a slow reader and have to read a paragraph several times to understand it, I would never get out of the third grade.

Steve's barking; What's the real questions that we should be asking about the affordable healthcare act?

What's the real question that Americans should be ask about the Affordable Health Care Act.
1. What percentage of Americans go to the doctor now then before the act was passed?
2.   Has there been changes that for the better or the worst in coverage by employers since passage?
( Rumor has it that Macy's Cigna care is going to get worse and a good percentage of managers will be living by July1 because of it.)
3. Have primary care physicians been over run with patients?
4. Is the minimum coverage useless?

Steve's barking; Stimulus by the private sector

In them olden days called the depression movie houses offered a door prize to bring people into the theaters, usually a set of dishes.
When I was a young adult and interest was low, banks would offer small appliances if you open an account with them.
 In the present day credit cards are offering incentives to use there cards and to spend, spend, and to spend some more. The FEDS stimulus package has hit a brick wall, but credit cards and with their incentives are going like gang busters.
Besides credit cards, stores are in on the act, the more you spend the bigger the discount the next time. My drug store is big on this.
My supermarket has an incentive for every hundred dollars I spend I get ten cent off the pump price at a particular brand of gas. Don't think I don't do stupid and spend an extra few dollars when I'm close  to a multiple of a hundred dollars.
I just signed up for a new incentive program that has several retailers, from drug stores, rent a car company, insurance company, and a major department store that gives me points that I can use to get discounts in the places that participates in this program.
Now these card companies, retail outlets etc, think about their program as an incentive  for their customers to spend with on what they sell, or just to use there card, but if you think about it, their incentives are a kind of stimulus. Private sector stimulus for the whole economy.
It just came to me that an unthough of consequences of incentive is a stymulus for the economy.

Steve's barking; Greece lighting

It's coming down to the finish line.
Will Greece default?
Will Greece abandon the Euro?
What's the worst that can happen to the Greek people? Hyper inflation?
The value of their savings, their pay, and pensions have already been devalued, which in all practical purposes has the same effect on them.
The so called economic intellectuals (ha, ha, ha) from the European central banks don't get it, the average Greek has very little too lose, the other European nations have everything to lose.

Steve's barking; Government isn't concerned about middle class jobs

Every time I hear an elected official talk about the dwindling middle class, then out of the other side of his or her mouth say that we have got to cut government spending, not hiring new workers and not paying them a living wage. Let's face government work is a major way getting into the middle class, especially for minorities.
If your against government workers then your against the middle class

Steve's barking; Here comes the inflation train

The inflation train is coming.
It has nothing to do with money, but everything to do with drought.
The globe, is suffering from severe drought in it's most productive agricultural areas, such as Texas, California, New Zealand and Australia. Disease is killing off our fine feathered friends, and our swines are less in numbers. This will cause  true inflation.For all you know nothings out there, the wrong thing to do to fight supply and demand inflation  is tightening the money supply. To fight inflation you don't make it more expensive to borrow money to increase supply of food. Other area not effected by the drought and disease can farm.
The conventional wisdom of cause will point a finger and blame the Feds for the this food inflation.

Steve's barking; why not an interest holiday on student loans?

Every body talks about the burden of student loans on our society but no one does a thing about it.
Well I've got a partial solution, let's have a interest holiday next year, renewable every year on government student loans. For those who really care about our future the government should buy up all those student loans in private hands that our backed by the government so those ex students can have an interest holiday.

Steve's barking; Lottery is for education (not)

How many times have you and me been told that buying lottery tickets help education.
Ask yourself when there is an increase in lottery revenue does you school budget go up?
No!
Then you have to as yourself were does the the money go?
It goes into tax relief. If not your state and mine would have to pay a greater part of  the education bill  from taxes. Taking that into account the main reason for the lottery is tax relief, not education.
Now I've heard many a governor say that lottery revenue goes to education, and they believe it.
Those governors are very delusional.

Steve's barking; Changing the way New York State pay for things

New York State like every state in the union has a crazy way of taxing and paying things.
We know that our infrastructure is falling apart.
We are building a new Tappan Zee Bridge. Instead of raising tolls on the bridge now to help pay for it  New York's government is hoping that some one else will pay for it, like the federal government.
New York State Government believes in the tooth fairy. The trouble being the tooth fairy's not going to pay for it. Raise the tolls now not later to bring the cost of the bridge down. Any money that tolls bring in should go only to roads and bridges ( oh oh I better be prepared to be stoned) not going to Mass Transit. Now we also need Mass Transit, including the subway that mite be going to far. If we raise the fare in various locations, we are have a problem were too many people have a hard time getting to work and older children getting to school. How about raising taxes, maybe real estate taxes on people who don't live in New York, or local a slight income tax on the rich, after all they need workers to do their Mundane jobs. This should also be a dedicated tax for mass transit only
We also need a dedicated health insurance tax so that our business aren't burden with picking up health insurance tabs. The same is also true with local governments. Right now New York States Spends 1/3 of it budget on health care, I imagine local governments in this state do the same. So while taxes would be raised, it would be barely noticeable to,the individual. Just think property tax might even go down. Maybe even a lot. And no having a statewide insurance pool is not socialism even though my yellow feathered friends may tell you so.

So to sum it all up, I'm saying that dedicated taxes are the way to go in the future for New York State and possibly all states. Let's stop robbing Peter to pay Paul.
Taxes don't drive people away unaffordability  and lack of good paying jobs do. That's a rant for another day.

Steve's Barking; I was taught sexism in school.

I was taught sexism in school. It ell started with the spelling bee, the boys against the girls.
In the gym, you throw like a girl.
If  a guy had a fight with a girl, he had better win, if not everyone would make fun of him, including the girls.

Steve's Barking; the U.S. Supreme Court is run by idiots or geniuses

The United States Supreme Court is run by geniuses or idiots depending on whether or not you agree with their judgement, or to put it another way depending on ones prejudice.
For Some one like me separate but equal was a ruling by idiots, brown vs the board of Education, those justices really knew the law.

When the Constitution was written, the writers believed that they had written something so simple every one would understand it. No one had to look at their correspondence to understand the meaning of their handy work.
The best laid plans of mice and men oft go astray.

Steve's barking;Kansas is't Kansas anymore

What happened to Kansas' mid western sensibility?
There's a law there that says a person can't spend welfare money on things like movies.
Now when a person goes to the movies and he uses money how does any one know that that person's on the dole? What, do they have the mark of welfare on their forehead? If that welfare person happened to have been given some money as a present, how how would anybody know if they are using the present to pay for the movie or TANIF (welfare) money?
Using TANIF money for a cruise? Tell me what cruise is so cheap? I'd love to look into it,.
Is't Kansas a major producer of meat products? Why would anybody from Kansas try to limit what is produced in their. Of cause why would anybody on food government supplement buy expensive food in the first place.
The ETF card limited what a person could purchase in the first place, for all you buffoons who think you could buy beer, and cigarettes with food stamp money.
Why aren't the good people of Kansas laughing their butts off at the all nonsense state legislators and governor?

Steve's barking; Health care and the cowardice of America

Mention single payer in the United States for health care and one can find chicken feathers all over the place..

Calling single payer socialized medicine is really an excuse to be a wuss for trying something different.

The people most frighten by change are my peers. We old people have a hard times with change.

I'm asking my fellow Americans especially my peers to stop being cowards and demand that a great country like ours have a great health care system that takes care of the needs of it's citizens. Stop screaming that anything that's good for all our citizens is a kin to socialism. Those complaints only hide cowardice.

Steve's barking;Greecing the US economy

Not to long ago, perhaps last week I heard a prediction that from some know it all on the boob tube that we're going the way of Greece. I laughed it off as the ranting of just another goofball.
It has just come to my attention that I may be wrong, we may be going the way of Greece, just not the way the goofball on the idiot box was talking about. The U.S. isn't a welfare state promising more then it can deliver. No the problem that that makes the U.S. like Greece is the underfunding of  the tax collector.

Steve's barking; Building public works by reverse thinking

In today's world the public sector builds buildings, road and other forms of infrastructure  by competitive bidding. They take the lowest bid from firms that have a track record. Now for some reason the cost of what initially agreed to goes many times over budget. Now what would happen if we were to reverse this process by saying we have ex amount of money to spend on let's say a bus terminal. Oh let' s give it a number 1.5 billion dollars. Now any company that thinks they can make a profit building this bus terminal can had in a proposal that the appropriate age agency could decide the correct design, with the appropriate material and work rules.
It would then behove the private company to complete the job. The private company then assumes all the risks. It would be none of government's business how much profit. It would also compel the hired company to do them job as fast as possible to make a greater profit. Any bad decisions would be on the company, with the liability that goes with it.
Do I think there would be corruption. Probably, but there's corruption now.

Steve's Barking; Screaming at the tv.

What can I say, as I get older I get dumber. I know that those people reporting (?)the news can't hear me, but after I passed my 65th birthday I just can't help myself. I just can't help it. Especially those financial news people. You would think when I watch sports and see a bone headed play I'd scream at the TV, no I just yell at news people, especially those on financial news networks, and the buffoons on cable news networks. Example of what I yell at, this or that stock went up because ( reason?). No this or that stock went up because pensions, 401ks and IRAs need to go up and there is no place else to park money and get decent return, so let's make sh*t up to justify the rise in stock. Most financial news reporters will report the justification not the real reason money must grow. No you idiot I scream. Before my 65th I would just say the network needs a pleasant looking and sounding nincompoop to fill up the air time, now I say damn that bozo makes more in a week then I made in my best year.
Yes I have a right to be stupid and yell at the TV, the news on television has turned into the vast wasteland that was in the old days used to describe the entertainment part of TV.

Steve's Barking; Who will kill TV?,

Who will kill TV?
Why the television stations of cause!
The first thing the will kill is cable, by demanding that they pay them excessive fees and then by bundling their programs into steaming services.
Let's look at first things first, how long can the average consumer afford the ever rising price of their cable bill?
How much can the consumer afford the different services, Netflix, Amazon, Apple(?),plus HBO, Viacom, Fox and all those other bundled networks?
Cable will die, the bundled networks will suddenly have to prove that they have many shows that the public wants.
Many of them will die a very unglamorous death, leaving their share holders only with their death notices.
Their will again be a smaller amount of jobs for actors, anchor people, and woolly headed so called experts.
Unfortunately no one can legislate against greed, shortsightedness, and just plain stupidness.
So my prediction for the future, in ten years their will be less professional entertainment that one can get in ones home then they got in the sixties.

Steve's Barking: There are no reforms in the New York City Education Department

There are no reforms in the New York City Education Department.
There never will be any reforms as long as we don't think of students as individuals with individual needs some faster and some slower.
Special Ed is a doomed 60 year experiment, especially when the student in special ed feels inferior,  and schools make money by having it.
We the public blame teachers for being over paid, when the truth be told most of the money government gives to education  goes to the bureaucracy.
Many a proponent of school reforms talk of standardize testing, when time, and time again shows that standardize testing is a root cause of cheating. Is that what the new reformers want, a way to show young people that it's alright to cheat?
What's with parochial schools? Why do they seem to have better graduation rate and college bound then the normal school system, Maybe we would be better off encouraging them, instead of discouraging them. Wouldn't that help with the over crowding in NYC Schools, and wouldn't it be cheaper then giving more money to the city school systems bureaucracy.

Steve's barking; Just call me a Jelly Role

Ech Ein Berliner!
With so many people who call their politics Conservatives or Liberal or Progressive, something I find hard to understand. Today's Conservatives aren't yesterday's Conservatives and today Liberals, and Progressives aren't yesterday's. The fact of the matter the Roosevelt's would have a hard time understanding what the meaning of what progressive, liberal movement is today. Hamilton is spinning in his grave,(as if he can spin in his grave).
Just think, today's Conservatives are Pro-Israel, and the Conservatives of my youth were anti-Israel, and many were Democrats to boot.
Our founding father Conservatives were pro tax Hamiltonian's. Our founding father liberals were Jeffersonians who believed that this country should have a revolution every 45 years. ( I may have it wrong, he may have stated 35 years).
I can call myself a conservative, after all I want to conserve Social Security, Medicare, and equality that's all ready been won, but our so called conservatives want to dismantle instead of conserve.
Those who call themselves Liberals, Progressive seem to want to live in the past and have no idea how to help the masses, and the oppressed.
Getting back to some who call themselves Republican Conservatives, are not Conservatives at all, there obstructionist.
People call themselves Conservatives, Liberals, and Progressives. This is a free country and people can call themselves what every they want, so just call me a Jelly Role.

Steve's barking; So you think the devaluation of they Euro is good for the Euro Zone?

Is the devaluation of the Euro good for the Euro Zone?
Classic economics would tend to say yes, because goods from the Euro Zone becomes cheaper in the United States.
Fortunately for the Euro Zone the price of energy has gone down, if not any gains that for cheaper labor would be negated by much cheaper energy and raw material cost in relationship to the dollar.
In the modern (21st) century heavy manufacturing cost depends more on raw material and energy, (which is becoming cheaper in the US then Europe) then it does on labor.
Europe can't compete with Asia for cost in labor intensive industries.

Let's look at something that Europe is doing that hurts its exports. Austerity hurts it's industries, with the exports to counties in the Euro Zone. Think about it, if your customers can't afford your product, how are they going to buy your product? Most of European nations exports are to other nations in the Euro Zone.

It has been discussed that Europe tourism will go up from the United States because Europe has become cheaper.
A person from the U.S. isn't going to take a trip to Europe in most cases unless they all ready planned to take a vacation. They may change their mind and instead of taking a trip to places in America, or the Caribbean they may take advantage of the cheaper Europe. Maybe next year it's possible for a surge in tourists from the U.S. to Europe.

Who in the U.S will be hurt by the dollar growth against the Euro. Places like New York with it's large retail stores that cater to foreign tourist, and hotels.
The retail stores in the U.S. that have large European clientele.
Places like McDonald's won't lose money but their profits will be smaller. The same is true for bottlers like Coke and Pepsi.
U.S. manufactures like Caterpillar and John Dear may lose some sales and the sales that they do keep the profit margin will be slimmer.
Profits for our high tech companies will be there, just that the profits will be slimmer.
It won't be a disaster,except for all those stock holders who expect greater profits year after year( and in some case quarter after quarter.
Who will benefit most, those European companies that have a large presents in the US by owning U.S. companies or large manufactoring facilities in the U.S. that sell to the American market.

Should Americans investors buy European stocks, after all the German Dax has gone up 20% since the beginning of the year.
The Euro has only lost 12% in that time so, the investor in the Dax would be up 8%.
My thinking is that the chances that the Euro will lose value against the dollar will be greater then the increase of the Dax index for the rest of the year.

Steve's barking; what if the next presidential election nobody cared?

The next presidential election in the United States is coming up and the general public seems bored all ready. I'll take a stab in the dark and say that only those who make money off politics and people who don't have a life care about who's running for president in 2016.
What happens if we're stuck with the most uninspiring candidates after the silly season better known as primary season.
What happens if what the candidates say to get donations and the delegates  in the early Caucuses and primaries ( ruining it for everybody who else who vote in the general elections) is just a big turn off.
What happens the general voting population decides that it's just not worth it to go to the poles?
Is it possible that this presidential election that less then 50% of those who can vote do?
Can the president elect say this is a great victory?
A great victory for apathy maybe.
As I look at the canidates who are likely to run, the only thing that the inspire in me is to throw up.
Is that what the leader of the free world is suppose inspire?

Steve's barking; America the math challenged country

A lot has been said that the top tech companies aren't hiring minority ( not counting Asians).

Now after a little research on my part I have discovered that the top tech companies only hire 20% of the computer science graduates. 

My research indicates that only 12% of computer science grads are women.

My research indicates that 10 % of computer science grads are minorities.

That being said what percentage of new hires should be women and what percentage should be minority?

Hint women should not make up 12% and minorities should not make up less then 10%.

* My research isn't that good because I did on Google and Google has been falling down on the job.

I ask simple question and I'm steered to sites that are at best remotely related to what I ask.

Now if my math isn't off I would say that female hires should be 2.4 % of hires and minorities should be 2%.

Now if I would rate my math ability on 1 to 10, I would rate it a 2.

Steve's. Barking; at some oily questions

If there's no room at the inn ( there's no room for anymore oil in the U.S. Oil holding depots) why is the price of gas going up? *
Why is there a spread of $10 for Brent compared to domestic crude?
Would allowing domestic crude overseas help producers in the US produce more crude because there will be a profit?
Does the U.S. sell gasoline overseas? What about diesel? And what about benzine?
If it does, doesn't that defeat the purpose of no oil selling domestic oil overseas?
Is it possible that selling domestic crude overseas lower the price of oil in the US?
*Shouldn't the refiners be giving gas away?
Is the price of oil being manipulated?

Steve's Barking;finally figuring new job creation!

After scratching my head, trying my hardest to figure out what kind of new jobs are being created in the United States, I finally figured out one that probably created more then any other since 2008.
Rum roll please......Professional fund raiser. The Democratic Party alone must have  created half a million of these jobs, never mind fund raising on things like, prevention of cancer in the big toe, and reach out to those women who are losing their hair.

Steve's barking; The United States as socialist state?

The Crazies definition of a socialist state ( not the true definition) were one takes money from the haves and redistributes to the have-nots. This being true I live in a have state that gives money to have not states like Mississippi, and Louisiana were their politicians complain about those who have not taking from the haves, go figure.
I live live n New York City, apace that sends more money to Albany then it receives back, the the politicians from upstate New York complain about the waisting of money being sent to New York City, how about them apples.

Steve's barking: At the needy (politician)

All politicians are needy.
They all have their hands out.
Their all on the dole.
They need to beg, borrow and steal to run their campaigns for office.
While there are some very rich ones out there who are self financed, they are so few and far between that statistically they don't count.
The next time you hear some politician complain about us peons who need assistance to get by in life, give them the middle finger salute for being such hypocrites.

Steve's barking; Is the new Europeon mindset making recessions deeper.

All countries go through business cycles.
It seems to me that through out the 20th century the business cycle recessions in Europe were a lot less sever then those in the states. The recoveries may not have been as great but the people didn't suffer as much.How can I say that? Money, those who were unemployed had money. The money to purchase goods and services from business that were having slowdowns. Were did this money come from? Good unemployment insurance. Government sponsored pensions and health insurance giving the population more money in it's pockets.  Because of this, the Great Depression was so great in Europe.
Now the controllers of the European economies want to lesson the money in the people's hands, in the name of austerity. Europe trying to emulate the U.S. is creating real economic trouble for themselves. The central bankers must be crazy!

Steve's barking; NYC Schools 7 Students Pay a teachers salary

In New York City we pay our teachers less then 1/3 the money that our students generate for being in the classroom.
The Union contracts call for 22 students in a class and we all,know that max and perhaps then some are registered in the class
The numbers tell us that each student generates $20,000.
Let's go for the high number and say that we have in each class room a teacher that makes $100,000 dollars with a 40% fringe benefit equalling $140,000 dollars, bingo 7 students in the classroom pays
for the teacher.
 Now using that $20,000 number we need to pay the principle and the principles staff. Now that may not seem like a lot of money but because it's multiplied  by the number of classes in the school., We'll go under the assumption that one student in the class helps pay the principle and staff. The same being true for heat, light, toilet and cleaning supplies. One student in every class helps pay for this.
The custodial staff will draft another student multiplyed by the number of classes.
Now we have to pay for transportation, for argument sake we'll,say another student from this mythical class pays for that. Now what about supplies, we'll be really generous with that money and say a half a student pays for that, making that $10,000 per class for supplies, chalk, paper, pencils, and perhaps a computer.
Now let's add this up, 7 students in a class pays for the teacher. 1 student principle and staff, 2 students custodial staff and cleaning provisions. 1 student for transportation and 1/2 student for classroom supplies. That equals in dollars $230,000. Now the students in the class generates $440,000, what magic was created to make $210,000 disappear?

(1) Most teachers don't make $100,000 a year.
(2) The $20,000 a year per student is an average including special Ed. ( That's another question, does special Ed retard the development of those that it reportedly is trying to help?)

Steve' barking; Un Greece the pole

Maybe, just maybe the euro zone will benefit from a new government in Greece.
May be, just maybe the Greece government will force the rest of Europe to realize that the way Greece is being treated is the way Germany was treated after World War I. The major difference is Greece didn't lose a war. If one looks at Greece instead of inflation reducing purchasing power, one can say this is almost the same.
Deflation, the same as effect as inflation, who could of thought it.
Getting back to Greece and the Euro zone. If the Greek government could stop the austerity that has destroyed the purchasing power, and lend Greece the money so they can maybe buy some of the excess goods from the rest of the Euro zone. It's possible that there maybe a less of a recession that's facing the Euro zone now.

Steve's barking;My experience with the 529 plan

When NYS came out offered the saving plan for college ( 529 plan) my wife  and I signed up deducting $25 from each of our pay. We were payed every other week. For those who are math challenged that's $1,300 a year. My wife saved for 5 years and I for 7. ( My wife retired early).
When my daughter went to a city university it paid for the first year. She was excepted to a state university and the 529 paid for the first one and half semester including room and board with books.
The 529 certainly helped this lower middle income ( middle class ) family. My family income when my daughter started college was $80,000 a year.
With my daughter an RA and working while at school her debt was negligible when she graduated.

A 529 program forced  my family to save for college was like my IRA, I couldn't use it for anything else but it's intended purpose.

If my daughter had stayed at the city university the whole four years including books would have been payed for.

Steve's barking; Who's going to pay for free Junior College (Community College)

Question of the day, or possibly the week, who's going to pay for free Junior College, other wise known as Community College. I'm not writing about who's going to pay for tuition, under the proposed plan government will.
Let's assume that because it's free enrollment doubles or triples. Who's going to pay for the new space that is needed?  What about the added faculty that's needed? Labs, computer rooms, ect.
Will the cost of going to a two year college be four years because all the courses needed to go on to a regular college are filled up? Will the student who needs to learn job skills become second class students?

What do I really believe in? I'm old fart from New York City, we're if a person was smart enough or in cases prior to the baby boomers not so smart could go to college for free. I defiantly see the benefits of a free college, we might not have a cure for Polio (Salk, and Sabin) went to a free college in the city as did the our great leader During the Gulf War General Powell. Those are the people that I thought  of at the top of my head.

I also believe that it's government duty to help businesses to train workers in the sciences that are needed for employment. Not necessary having them take courses that will not help them in their future endeavors.

Steve's barking; who benifits from a balance budget, and a decrease deficit

Who benefit's from a balance budget. If governments are in the black with their government spending many a person believes that this is a good thing. After all the less government borrows the cheaper it is for private enterprise to borrow. Good thing right?
Question why should private enterprise need the money to borrow, after all those who depend on government for some type of monetary assistance will have less money.  Less money for Defence contractors, why would they need more money to borrow. Less money for government workers, and or less workers. If they have the same money or less they have less inclination to buy good or services from those private companies. If you can't sell your product why would a company feel the need to borrow at a low rate.
What about those poor banks that will make less money. Would all those investors sell their stocks in the banks after all those banks would not be making a lot of money if they make money at all.
What about all those government bond holders that need to roll their bonds over, they would not be to pleased that they can't get new ones to replace them, or the interest rate might even be in the negative territory?

Steve's barking ; retail were down in December because........

The media reported that retail sales were down in December and this is a cause of concern.
The weather in the pacific coast was horrendous, now if was the East Coast the media would state well what do your expect, the weather was frightful.

Steve's barking; Russian out of sanction.

With recession getting worse in the European Union, the counties of Europe will have to find a way to sell their manufactured goods. Of cause they could have a Marshall Plan for Southern Europe, but that would be too intelligent, and would go against it's smug and self-righteous attitude.

What to do, pretend that Russia cleaned up it's act, and is no longer a threat to the Ukraine, thus ending the sanctions.

It won't work in ending their looming recession, but you can't fault the fools for trying.

You can't sell goods to those who can't pay for them.

Steve's barking; why socialism lite is important to the free market system

 While the the free market system needs capitalism, it needs a form of socialism just as much.
First things first, the capitalist system doesn't need the free market system to exist. Capitalism could very well exist in a system were every form off business is a part of a monopoly, and as every school person should know, competition is..... none existent. Now the free market system is predicated on da ta da completion.
Now getting back to socialism lite, regulation by the government has an effect of helping small businesses fight against big ones. The more businesses the more competion  there is. The more competion there is the better t is for the consumer.

There are many who complain that the so called welfare state is bad for business. Putting a bottom or as I like to call, putting capital in to the hands of some people is actually good for business. Taking a way that extra capital is bad for business, just ask the people at Walmart and Kraft foods when congress reduced food stamps.
Wouldn't business be better off if it didn't pay the Heath insurance of it's employees but the government did.

Steve's barking; understanding economics easy, understanding economist hard

it's not hard to understand supply and demand. It's not hard to understand money.
It's hard to understand terms that economist use. It's very hard to follow their charts better known as graphs. It's so hard even economist have s hard time following one another.
Sometimes I think they have s language all their own as to confuse us layman.
Now don't get me wrong if was the strawman in the Wizard of Oz as would love to have Paul Krugman's brain ( if not Neil Degrasso Tyson, but not Stephen Hawkins ) .



Now this is one of my more senseless blogs.