This morning I woke up early and watched the head of Starbucks get press for the creation of 12 jobs in an Ohio town. He had a mug maker add a new Starbucks coffee mug line to his production line. They went on to talk to him about the problems we are having in the USA. Come on guys, no one that charges $3.00 (+) for a cuppa coffee has a friggin' clue what is wrong! The cold facts are that in 1970 we had 30 million production (Manufacturing) jobs in America and today we have 9 Million. The other 21 million jobs were allowed to be sent overseas in that giant effort to help the world. NAFTA was one of those steps that said lets send jobs overseas and benefit by having cheaper products. Now that we have lost 21 million jobs because of that type of effort, we are standing with out thumbs up our butts crying over the unintended consequences of such an action.
Oh, by the way, the head of Starbucks said that we as consumers are willing to spend a little more to have products made in the USA. I don't think that people who are near the poverty line will spend any extra on frills when the basics of life cost us dearly. I filled up the truck yesterday and it took almost $50 for less than 16 gallons. Gas jumped 15 cents since Friday.
Over the weekend, we officially inducted a new member to the family. Julia has been a member for a couple of years and they made it official. It really saddens me that her parents haven't welcomed he back into their fold for whatever reason. As a grandparent "Wannabe" I can't imagine that they are so cold as to not hold dear the wonderful little girls Bob and Julia have. I guess when you have 8 kids and they have many grandchildren her parents feel they can be selective. Not me bucco, I would love them all as much and as long as I could. All I can really add is that we as a family are blessed to have her as a new member.
Over the weekend there was a program that talked about the black community and the changes from the 1960's to the present. In broad strokes they interviewed many blacks and gave a lot of information that blamed the government for a lot of the choices they were offered. Question - Are there more blacks in Prison or in college? Answer- College by a million or so. One solution offered was to decriminalize Marijuana and tax the hell out of it. Use that tax money to send people to school and pay out teachers ways to be better. Free Summer school for teachers to cross level good ideas.
My feelings are that any program that teaches a man to fish will help him feed himself and a family. Don't give him fish because of some 300 years of poor treatment. Hell, I grew up poor and I in no way feel that was a limitation to what I could be or what I am. My simple rules are to get a good education, work hard and save a little for a rainy day. The other day I saw a sign out front of a local bar. "Life has no remote control, you have to get up and change it yourself!" Works for me.
MUD
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