Spanos Really Wants L.A., Says Yahoo! Sports

I hope the Chargers do not leave San Diego since many people here are very devoted fans. However, other than eliminating burdensome regulations and expediting the permitting process, not one cent from the taxpayers should be spent to subsidize millionaires and billionaires. It is time to stop fleecing the taxpayer by those who are well-connected and greedy.
— September 7, 2010 11:19 p.m.

Spanos Really Wants L.A., Says Yahoo! Sports

All the rock-ribbed conservative types who rail against illegal immigration suddenly face a dilemma when one of their favorites is caught hiring illegal immigrants brazenly. ====== This link will work: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/08/dining/08crackd… It is a good article and it presents the dilemma that illegal immigration presents: The human side of illegal immigration, which from an emotional and compassionate perspective it is very difficult to be against, versus the respect for the law that every civilized society requires to function. Mr. Malecot appears to be both a compassionate employer and an intentional law breaker. He is trouble, and if the charges against him are correct, he should pay for it. Supposedly E-verify works fairly well and it should be mandatory. Many businesses exploit illegal immigration to pay less than they have to. If your business cannot pay fair wages, then there is a problem with your business model or with your competition. Shifting the costs of illegal immigration onto society is neither right nor fair. If there is a labor shortage, which in today's economy is doubtful, then you should be lobbying for a guest worker program that does things legally. I find it interesting that an expensive restaurant cannot pay a decent wage, yet a fast food place like In-N-Out pays above market wages and has a motivated workforce. Most of the employees at the restaurant in National City are hispanic and many speak Spanish, but they all also speak English. The same is true of the one in Kettleman City in the Central Valley. It has been many years since I ate at the French Gourmet--in fact he was still on Pearl Street in La Jolla after separating from the French Pastry Shop in the Bird Rock area. I try not to patronize establishments that hire illegal aliens. However, it is none of my business to inquire unless I am directly employing them. I fail to see how it is possible to know that the restaurant's patrons are "conservative" from the one person who is quoted in the article.
— September 7, 2010 11:13 p.m.

Get Used to Unemployment

Would you let California, Illinois and New Jersey go under? ....... But if California and other states default, the whole country may go down, too. ===== Although you may be right about the implications of these large and fiscally irresponsible states becoming bankrupt, the consequences of letting them continue the fiscally irresponsible manner is worse in the long run. The overall state of the economy has contributed to the current difficulties, but these states are like a drug addict and would be in the same position in a better economy--it would just have taken a few more years. California can get out of this disaster if it were to seriously address the causes of the deficit: 1) Very high total compensation for a very large bureaucracy that is self serving. 2) No controls on the demand for social services, particularly by individuals who may not even be legally entitled to them. 3) Generate revenues by making California an attractive place to have a business and thus increase the revenues received. I would like for California to be successful because it is a beautiful place to live. Unfortunately I do not think much will change for quite a while. Just look at Argentina. At the turn of the 20th century it was one of the 2 or 3 wealthiest countries in the world and today it is a third world country with a first world veneer. It has been all self-inflicted starting with the election of Peron.
— August 24, 2010 12:06 a.m.

Get Used to Unemployment

The link to Mr. Codevilla's article did not work. This link takes you to the home page and the article is accessible from there. http://spectator.org/
— August 23, 2010 11:49 p.m.

Get Used to Unemployment

A slightly different perspective on the discussion above is Mr. Codevilla's article: America's Ruling Class -- And the Perils of Revolution By Angelo M. Codevilla http://spectator.org/archives/2010/07/16/americas… I completely agree with his comment that "differences between Bushes, Clintons, and Obamas are of degree, not kind." By dividing the conflict into "Ruling Class" and "Country Class" instead of Republican/Democratic Mr. Codevilla's position can be understood in a more objective manner. His revised book "The Character of Nations" is also well worth reading. A book I am currently reading may also be of interest: "The Next American Civil War, The Populist Revolt Against the Liberal Elite" by Lee Harris. The writings of Mr. Victor Davis Hanson (www.victorhanson.com) are "conservative" but from historical and "common man" perspective.
— August 23, 2010 11:43 p.m.

Get Used to Unemployment

I do not believe that those who complain about the inequitable incomes and wealth of the top 0.1 to 1% are class warfare demagogues. They -- we -- are realists. The wealth and income inequality -- as bad now as in the Gilded Age -- is economically deleterious. ==== Perhaps the word demagogue was a bit strong. If the wealth is "ill-gotten" or was obtained gaming the system by paying off politicians as much of Wall Street appears to be, then the criticism is well deserved. However, if the wealth was created by a Steve Jobs, or Irwin Jacobs, or Sergei Brin, or ... then we are all better off for the changes in society they have created. Warren Buffett appears to have created his wealth by being a very astute but principled investor. Speculators and hedge fund managers' wealth is probably not as honest as Mr. Buffett's. He is freely giving his wealth back, but that is his choice and not a government diktat. The fact that he has created a trust fund to distribute his wealth instead of giving it to the government says much more than his statements about the estate tax. My point is that our system is far from perfect, but compared to others where government "enforces" income equality it is infinitely better. The history of politicians using envy to enhance their power is not a very pretty one. Additionally, there is a world of difference between the top 0.1%, 1% and 10%. I have not been able to find a clear definition of the income and net wealth at each percentage level, such as 0.1%, 0.5%, 1%, 2%, 3%, 4%, 5%, 10%, 15% and 20%. If you happen to have that information, I would appreciate you sharing it.
— August 23, 2010 1:23 a.m.

Get Used to Unemployment

Yes, but you got that degree in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Things are different now because of the cutbacks. Courses are simply not available. ==== It probably is more difficult today. The bureaucracy is more powerful and there is less emphasis on the student's success. However, when I was in school virtually everybody in the Business College was on the "5-6 year plan" because classes were not "available." As a business minor I could not register for any class because the business majors had priority. I had to "crash" each class that I took. Some days I was in school from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. and I went to school 5 days a week. Perhaps I was just lucky, but my point is that if people complain about something, it does not mean it is entirely true. Driving 30-40 miles from home is usually cheaper than room and board at a school, particularly if you cannot stay in the school dormitories. I come from a Latin culture and our values regarding family are different than the predominant Anglo culture. I am not saying or implying that it is either better or worse, just that it is different. I personally think that some aspects are better and others are worse. To the best of my knowledge there is no school anywhere near Barstow or many rural parts of California. Those who live these areas (20%?) obviously face additional challenges when going to college.
— August 23, 2010 12:54 a.m.

Get Used to Unemployment

The economic study is interesting and brings up good points. I agree with their analysis on the Financial Industry and corporate boards and CEO salaries. The influence of special interests on the political class is very destructive. As the power of government has grown, the power of lobbyists has increased. It is not just businesses, but look at the power of the public sector unions and how they are destroying California. Once you get past the top 0.1% or 1.0%, class-warfare demagogues will do far more damage than they ever imagine. I have worked at a unionized company and at least in my experience, the union is of, by and for the union's management. Working through a strike is not pleasant and can be a lose-lose proposition for the union members. On the other hand, I have friends who work in construction and unions there, or at least the IBEW, are a positive influence. In California, illegal immigration has destroyed the salaries in the construction industry in most areas. You also have to remember that as consumers we usually do have a choice in what we do. When voting, there is also a choice--through a REAL choice would have to include "NONE OF OF THE ABOVE."
— August 22, 2010 3:32 a.m.

Get Used to Unemployment

John, you CANNOT finish school in 4 years at most state institutions b/c you cannot get the classes b/c the school is impacted. It was this way at SDSU over 30 years ago when I went there and tuition was $150 a semester, and it is worse today. ==== I respectfully disagree. I received my engineering degree from SDSU in 3.5 years (1978-1981) with a minor in business. I did have AP credits from high school and went to summer school at Mesa College. I did not work when I went to undergraduate school. I finished an MBA at SDSU in 2 years while working full time. Tuition was $99 per semester when I started as an undergraduate and had increased to ~$350 per semester when I finished graduate school. A friend's kid just graduated from UC Davis in 4 years. Public schools do cost much more today, but there are ways to minimize the cost. Many of the kids at SDSU are from the Bay Area and in Chico they are from Southern California. In both cases, they could have gone to a near-by school and spent less money. I even know of kids going to a community college away from home. Private universities are ridiculously expensive, but can be worth it if the parents can afford them and the student may not be successful in the less than supportive environment at a public university. About 80% of California's population do live within driving distance of a public university. However, it may not be the best for a specific degree. I definitely agree that education is not what it used to be here in CA. I also think it is important to understand why it is not. The rise of the teacher's union in K-12 and the bureaucracy at all levels has not helped.
— August 22, 2010 3:09 a.m.

Get Used to Unemployment

I do not see unemployment improving much. Far too many people were living on borrowed money and will be spending much less now because their homes are no longer a piggy bank that keeps on growing. Housing prices have to reflect the ability of people to pay for them based on their income. Unique places like La Jolla, Coronado, RSF, etc. draw from a national/international clientele and prices will be based more on ego/emotional reasons for those who are already wealthy. Aside from job insecurity, I am saving more money because government at all levels continues to be irresponsible and is leading us to a financial disaster. We have a voracious public sector that believes that it has first call on what society produces. The uncertainty created by the demand for higher taxes, fees and regulations by people who have never had to meet a payroll or a profit in a competitive environment makes people hesitant to invest and create new jobs. The hostility toward manufacturing by many sectors in society will also not the employment situation. Manufacturing creates noise, does not look pretty from the outside and requires low-cost and reliable energy sources.
— August 20, 2010 12:55 a.m.