Campaign 2016 Part XI: the Two Party Problem

[mookie1995]

Aren't all links posted on here written by some random dude?

Or all posts typed by a random dude(tte).

[ScoobyDoo]

Re: Campaign 2016 Part XI: the Two Party Problem

Aren't all links posted on here written by some random dude?

I'm a lot of things but I'm not random.

[Kepler]

Re: Campaign 2016 Part XI: the Two Party Problem

Sanders conceded last night in all but name. How he handled it is instructive: this was never about him, it was and is about the issues he wants addressed. The Democratic party is obviously the only one of the major parties in which anybody has any interest in actually addressing them, so that's where he went to get a hearing.

His statement with my annotations and formatting:

“I congratulate Secretary Clinton on her victories tonight, and I look forward to issue-oriented campaigns in the 14 contests to come.

“I am proud that we were able to win a resounding victory tonight in Rhode Island, the one state with an open primary where independents had a say in the outcome. Democrats should recognize that the ticket with the best chance of winning this November must attract support from independents as well as Democrats. I am proud of my campaign’s record in that regard.

“The people in every state in this country should have the right to determine who they want as president and what the agenda of the Democratic Party should be. That’s why we are in this race until the last vote is cast. That is why this campaign is going to the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia with as many delegates as possible to fight for a progressive party platform that calls for

1 a $15 an hour minimum wage,

2 an end to our disastrous trade policies,

3 a Medicare-for-all health care system,

4 breaking up Wall Street financial institutions,

5 ending fracking in our country,

6 making public colleges and universities tuition free and

7 passing a carbon tax so we can effectively address the planetary crisis of climate change.”

The test of whether he was effective is whether the US makes progress towards these goals both in the short term, in a Clinton presidency, and long term, in the foundation and growth of a grassroots movement devoted to these policies.

We shall see.

[aparch]

Re: Campaign 2016 Part XI: the Two Party Problem

*sigh* This $15/hr minimum wage issue is starting to get on my nerves. I've ordered at Sonic twice in the last week, one time they completely screwed up my order, the other they argued with me that they brought the correct items when the receipt he was holding plainly showed he was in the wrong. These people deserve more money? I'd swear I'd start voting Republican thanks to these feelings and my recent home ownership...

But then I'm reminded that the Republican Party is filled with kid diddlers and I cannot support that party. So I solidly swing back to Democrat.

[Kepler]

Re: Campaign 2016 Part XI: the Two Party Problem

But then I'm reminded that the Republican Party is filled with kid diddlers and I cannot support that party. So I solidly swing back to Democrat.

That's a vicious generalization and you should withdraw it. The Republican party has plenty of members who sexually assault adults.

[St. Clown]

Re: Campaign 2016 Part XI: the Two Party Problem

*sigh* This $15/hr minimum wage issue is starting to get on my nerves. I've ordered at Sonic twice in the last week, one time they completely screwed up my order, the other they argued with me that they brought the correct items when the receipt he was holding plainly showed he was in the wrong. These people deserve more money? I'd swear I'd start voting Republican thanks to these feelings and my recent home ownership...

But then I'm reminded that the Republican Party is filled with kid diddlers and I cannot support that party. So I solidly swing back to Democrat.

Former McDonald's CEO Ed Rensi thinks you're going to see a lot fewer employees to make those mistakes once the $15/hr minimum wage comes into effect. And it's not like this trend will end with McD's.

He pointed to McDonald’s European market’s replacement of 7,000 workers with kiosks and says the company has already tested their use in the U.S. with great success.

Rensi said the ones who will be hurt by the $15 an hour minimum wage will be high-school aged workers who are already unable to find work in many areas of the country. The former CEO says groups like the Service Employees International Union are the only winners when the minimum wage is hiked to a level where a food service worker is making $30,000 per year.

“You’ll see their legacy every time you visit the Golden Arches, where ‘would you like fries with that’ is a button on a computer screen rather than a phrase spoken by an employee in their first job,” Rensi concluded.

He pointed to McDonald’s European market’s replacement of 7,000 workers with kiosks and says the company has already tested their use in the U.S. with great success.

Rensi said the ones who will be hurt by the $15 an hour minimum wage will be high-school aged workers who are already unable to find work in many areas of the country. The former CEO says groups like the Service Employees International Union are the only winners when the minimum wage is hiked to a level where a food service worker is making $30,000 per year.

“You’ll see their legacy every time you visit the Golden Arches, where ‘would you like fries with that’ is a button on a computer screen rather than a phrase spoken by an employee in their first job,” Rensi concluded.

[Spartanforlife4]

Re: Campaign 2016 Part XI: the Two Party Problem

Former McDonald's CEO Ed Rensi thinks you're going to see a lot fewer employees to make those mistakes once the $15/hr minimum wage comes into effect. And it's not like this trend will end with McD's.

It's not like they wouldn't go with the kiosks eventually anyway...

[Rover]

Re: Campaign 2016 Part XI: the Two Party Problem

*sigh* This $15/hr minimum wage issue is starting to get on my nerves. I've ordered at Sonic twice in the last week, one time they completely screwed up my order, the other they argued with me that they brought the correct items when the receipt he was holding plainly showed he was in the wrong. These people deserve more money? I'd swear I'd start voting Republican thanks to these feelings and my recent home ownership...

But then I'm reminded that the Republican Party is filled with kid diddlers and I cannot support that party. So I solidly swing back to Democrat.

Funny.

Regarding these points from Sanders:

1 a $15 an hour minimum wage, - Sure. I think Clinton is @ $12 nationally but states are free to add the other $3 themselves. Seems like they're not far apart

2 an end to our disastrous trade policies, - I like this one. No more can "getting cheaper Chinese crap at Wal-Mart" be a reason to kiss off American jobs.

3 a Medicare-for-all health care system, - Sorry Bernie, until you can figure out how to pay for it its going nowhere. Universal coverage is the immediate goal.

4 breaking up Wall Street financial institutions, - Too vague. Sanders needs to say how he wants to do this (by assets? customers? product lines?)

5 ending fracking in our country, - The most ridiculous of his requests. Who gives an F if we frack Texas? No deal.

6 making public colleges and universities tuition free and - I like it. Subject to some tweaking but the idea is good.

7 passing a carbon tax so we can effectively address the planetary crisis of climate change.” - Other ways to address planetary change without running to a tax. I wouldn't commit to this if I were advising the Hillary campaign

Kinda surprised he didn't hit on voting rights or committing to overturning Citizens United.

[Kepler]

Re: Campaign 2016 Part XI: the Two Party Problem

When God gave us hands...

[St. Clown]

Re: Campaign 2016 Part XI: the Two Party Problem

It's not like they wouldn't go with the kiosks eventually anyway...

That all depends. They're not going to spend thousands of dollars up front until the potential short-term savings matches that cost. There's also a downside to these kiosks, and it's that for all their faults, people still like to deal with human employees in most industries. Businesses won't make this change until they see it as a must, and increasing the price of labor to the point of making their variable costs unprofitable is one of those things.

[Rover]

Re: Campaign 2016 Part XI: the Two Party Problem

I think the "fast food robot" theory is absurd. In fast food restaurants like any restaurant customer service matters. As Clown mentioned about cost as well that's a big expenditure to make per store (recall most fast food joints are franchises, so the individual owner is footing the bill, not the corporation). If you walk into the place and for whatever reason the kiosk isn't working (ever try using the self-checkout at CVS or the supermarket?) you're going to lose your entire business for the day as people aren't going to wait around for it to get fixed.

[ScoobyDoo]

Re: Campaign 2016 Part XI: the Two Party Problem

Can't believe I actually ever thought that North Carolina was a decent place to live.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/...b01a5ebde34e2c

[Kepler]

Re: Campaign 2016 Part XI: the Two Party Problem

Can't believe I actually ever thought that North Carolina was a decent place to live.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/...b01a5ebde34e2c

In 2006, VA went full derp on gay marriage. But the suburbs kept growing and by 2014 the rurals just couldn't compete, and VA is now blue.

NC is a decade behind VA.

Educated and sane people are moving into the state and will eventually turn it blue, but the cray cray will make a lot of noise like HB2 before then. Cornered animals are dangerous, but they're also out of options.

[St. Clown]

Re: Campaign 2016 Part XI: the Two Party Problem

I think the "fast food robot" theory is absurd. In fast food restaurants like any restaurant customer service matters. As Clown mentioned about cost as well that's a big expenditure to make per store (recall most fast food joints are franchises, so the individual owner is footing the bill, not the corporation). If you walk into the place and for whatever reason the kiosk isn't working (ever try using the self-checkout at CVS or the supermarket?) you're going to lose your entire business for the day as people aren't going to wait around for it to get fixed.

Val's Rapid Serve, a fast food restaurant outhouse in St. Cloud, has two kiosks in place, and there's one non-cook in the restaurant to handle any ordering issues. Kiosks wouldn't replace humans one-for-one, but they would remove quite a few.

Still, McD's kiosks will only make a big push into the American market with a large increase in the price of labor. People like people - even when we hate them.

[dxmnkd316]

Re: Campaign 2016 Part XI: the Two Party Problem

That all depends. They're not going to spend thousands of dollars up front until the potential short-term savings matches that cost. There's also a downside to these kiosks, and it's that for all their faults, people still like to deal with human employees in most industries. Businesses won't make this change until they see it as a must, and increasing the price of labor to the point of making their variable costs unprofitable is one of those things.

Yeah, especially with people who want changes from the "recipe version" of a meal. It just takes too much time when someone who is "trained" behind the counter is so much faster.