Get rich...or die

Sadly, this is getting closer and closer to being a fact

From the No Shit Sherlock Files:  A study from the Government Accountability Office shows that richer Americans are living longer than poorer Americans, and that while mortality rates in America are slowly sliding down, they are sliding down even faster for America's poorest 20%.

In a related study, the Economic Policy Institute notes that CEO compensation has risen 52.6% since 2009 (over 1007% since 1978) while the average worker has seen his pay rise by 5.2%, and it has actually fallen .2% the last two years.  Even worse, the study shows that this increase in pay has nothing to do with the talent of the CEO, and more to do with their ability to set their own pay (if only the rest of us had such a tilted field in our quest for a raise).

I know I'm beating a dead horse here, but really, folks, this kind of imparity in our economic lives is just not sustainable.  Eventually poor folks are going to have had enough, and when they do, they are going to move mountains...right on top of their overlords.

Fuck Donald Trump,
emaycee

Grabbing the brass ring

Thanks to Unions, you can reach it...

"Let's put the jam on the lower shelf where the little people can reach it."  Smilin' Ralph Yarborough, Liberal Senator from Texas, 1956-1971

I'm having one of those weeks that we all have from time to time, and it was made even worse when I woke up Tuesday morning and realized I'd forgotten to give my yearly hug to Labor Unions for giving all of us better wages, healthcare, the eight hour workday, sick days, paid vacations, safer workplaces, social justice, ad infinitum...but then I figured, what the hell,  Labor Unions are deserving of a hug every day, not just on Labor Day.

Good (though not surprising) News:  The Economic Policy Institute has just released a study which shows (long story short) that despite the best efforts of nazi loving republicans and rich folks with psychopathic tendencies that Union members have better wages, better benefits, safer workplaces, and more job security, and are the best hope we have for overturning our rigged economy.  Cold hard truth...

No one ever wrote a song (well at least one that was any good) extolling the callous assholes on Wall Street or calling for Corporate America to unite in fucking over its workers--but because Unions are not only better at looking out for their fellow workers but also full of cool cats, we have lots of great songs, like "Solidarity Forever," lauding working folks and the Unions that make life better for all of us.  Like this one from the Godfather of Union Songs, Pete Seeger:

A very belated Happy Labor Day...

Fuck Donald Trump,
emaycee

Ahem...

In the immortal words of Alvin (yes, the fucking chipmunk), not to toot my own horn, but beep-beep-b-b-b-b-beeeeeeppppp....

Earlier this week, I mentioned that it seemed a bit premature to be anointing Gov. Snyder St. Rick of CEO--that sure enough, he might just be a plain ol' republican politician with his meeting with "business leaders" on state employee wages. While I wouldn't say either Brian Dickerson or the Free Press have ended Gov. Snyder's honeymoon just yet, Dickerson at least points out that the Governor needs to be careful if he wants to keep his above the fray persona intact, while the Free Press pretty much says what I said: the numbers do, indeed, lie. This was also pointed out by Meteor Blades in the Daily Kos, and, two days too late, by Chris Christoff in the Free Press. Problem is, these pieces were all after the fact, and what most (not so thoughtful) people will remember is the $87,000 state employee wage, not that it was wrong.

If memory serves, it seems once I heard tell someone mentioning to beware of a wolf in sheep's clothing....

Peace,
emaycee