Minimum Wage Hypocrites

I know this is old news but I just found this article on the Capitalism Magazine website. It’s about the minimum wage issue and how the Speaker of the House was a hypocrite on her standing. I guess there is a US Territory that was left off the bill.

“American Samoa would have been the only U.S. territory not subject to the federal minimum wage.” – CM

The article points out that there are two US companies that have packing plants there and that they would suffer if the wages were increased. But here is the kicker: the two companies mentioned are from California where Speaker Pelosi has ties.

“It’s not unreasonable to guess that Speaker Pelosi’s position has to do with the interests of her well-heeled constituents.” – CM

It’s just funny how these people can say they’re for the common good of the people and then you find out they are really for the “good” of themselves. I wouldn’t have a problem with it if they were up front about it. I just don’t like, or trust, people that are two faced.

The last few lines of the article say it all, so make sure you go read it. Lastly, I do not support the minimum wage; I feel that it demoralizes the hard working people that earn what they make. Why should some new unskilled worker get paid the same as someone that is skilled? Also, an employer will only pay you as much as you are worth to them, no more and no less. So it is not fair for the government to set a worker’s worth; not all workers produce equally. Some produce more and are worth more, whereas some produce less and are worth less. The government needs to stay out of business.

Music Labels vs. Consumers

I posted the following on my personal blog, MrBaconpants.com. I am posting it here too because I would like to see what this crowd thinks about the issue. The issue deals with copyrights and what companies should do to protect them.

I think I am one of the few people that did not jump on the iTunes band wagon. The main reason was I didn’t like the fact that the music you buy on iTunes can only be played on an iPod and you have to log on to iTunes to play it on another computer. That can be tricky if you plan on playing your music on a machine that doesn’t have network access.

I understand what they were trying to make the major labels happy by over protecting there music. But it limited the consumer and the people that were going to steal away are unaffected. That’s why I went to eMusic to get my music. They allow you to download unprotected mp3’s that you can play on just about anything. The only drawback is that most major labels would not support them because they are afraid of losing control of the music if it had no copyright protection. This may soon change.

Apple has heard the cries of people like me and they are now trying to push the major labels in allowing them to sale unprotected tracks. In this article on CNN you can find out how Jobs is using the popularity of the iPod and iTunes to pressure the Labels in to giving in. And it’s working! One label has already agreed to allow Apple to start selling unprotected tracks.

This is why a free-market is great. You have the consumers demanding change and a business backing them up because it’s in the business’s best interest to make us happy even if that means standing up to a giant. Consumers have the power to change the market and we need to understand that. — MrBaconpants.com

After I posted this article I found out that Amazon is also fighting for the consumers and will be offering DRM-free music too. The main reason I am posting this is because it shows you how in a free-market even the rich record labels have to give in. Opponents to capitalism say that in a free-market the rich and powerful companies will rule over us, but this clearly shows that’s false. It’s the consumers that are getting their way.

Weekend Reading #001

Here is a short list of articles that I am going to read over the weekend. You should read them too, and let me know what you think about them. Just leave a comment on this post with your thoughts.

1.) Smoking to affect movie ratings system (CNN)
2.) The Shame of Higher Education (CAPMAG)
3.) The Public Trough Is Bigger Than Ever (RCP)
4.) Health Care Is a Business–or Should Be (CAPMAG)
5.) Revenue Collections Hit Record in April (YAHOO)
6.) Worry About the Right Things (CAPMAG)
7.) The Great Global Warming Swindle Questions Answered (Reasic)

If find an article you think I should read, just use the contact forum on this site to email it to me. Thanks!

On-Again Off-Again Smoking Ban

Looks like the smoking ban in Pittsburgh is off again, which is a win for freedom. If you read this article in the Post Gazette you will see that the ban is off because of two smart business owners. They took their complaints to the state courts, and the courts agreed that it was unfair.

After reading this article you will find more proof that the free-market is still working to fix this “problem” on its own.

“Pat Joyce, owner of the 17th Street Cafe on the South Side, said … Our primary focus is dinner. I would say 90 to 95 percent of our guests had asked us to go nonsmoking.”

See, if enough people request these businesses to go nonsmoking, the smart business owners will give it to them. But if 95 percent of their customers want smoking then you better bet that they will want to keep it that way; and that’s fine. With businesses listening to the demand, you now have a choice between a business that does and one that doesn’t ban smoking. Everyone likes choices, so why would we want the government to take them away?

Banning Smoking Bans Freedom

In Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, they have passed a smoking ban for all public places and privately owned businesses. Here the government is going beyond its purpose by telling business owners how to run their business. If that seems okay to you, then you are NOT someone who values your freedom.

I would also like to let everyone know that I am NOT a smoker. I just value people’s right to choose. If you want to smoke and increase your risk of lung cancer, that is fine by me. Also, if you are a business owner and would like to let people smoke on your property, that is fine too, because you have the right to do whatever you want, as long as you don’t violate the rights of others.

This brings me to another point. People say that smoking doesn’t just hurt the people smoking; the secondhand smoke hurts the people around them. Well, that may be true, but there is simple solution to this problem. Don’t hang around people that smoke and don’t go to bars and restaurants that allow it. NO ONE is forcing you to smoke and breathe smoky air. I’m a non-smoker and I can’t remember the last time that I was bothered by a smoker. I guess that’s because I’ve trained myself to avoid it.

If everyone would just look around, they would see that capitalism (the free-market) was starting to take care of the situation for us. The businesses (bars and pubs) in the area were starting to offer smoke-free nights and rooms that were smoke-free. So if you didn’t want to be around secondhand smoke, you had a choice. But I guess that wasn’t enough for the freedom haters, so they lobbied the local government to pass this ban.

So what you smoke-free nuts should have done was, before crying to the government, try doing something yourself. Ask your favorite bar and restaurant to try having a smoke-free night. If you get enough people behind you, no rational businessman will say no.