I’m a cop. If you don’t want to get hurt, don’t challenge me.

[LongTimeListener]

Policies regarding drugs, law enforcement and, yes, the social safety net act as drags on people entering the work force as early as they possibly could (and therefore building up as much human capital as possible). If I could do one thing (as a matter of policy), I'd end the "War on Drugs," especially marijuana*. The ripple effects, on those at the barest margins, of that noble but misguided policy cannot be underestimated.

*I don't partake but don't think doing so to be inherently a bad thing. Certainly not in the realm of "bad" sufficiently to justify the billions of dollars spent and the millions of lives wasted in its prohibition.

This would be my one move as "King For A Day" as well. In addition to all of the killing, we have way too many felons, who are thus seen as unemployable in good society. Once you're tagged with that at 19 and you don't have a chance to right yourself, continued life of crime is about the only option there is.

 

[Morris816]

I think some people are missing a larger point about the Dunkin' Donuts article I linked to: That the economic model currently set up does more to favor a chain of franchises than it does an individual who might want to open a local business.

I'm shocked!

You're telling me that the folks who have built a successful business have built a model that benefits them?

Next, you're going to tell me that developers and landlords would rather rent to established, national/regional businesses, with a track record of results, and deep pockets.

I'm not talking about the people who started the business model. I'm talking about the people who serve on local, state and federal governments who started promoting policies that benefited such businesses at the expense of local establishments.

Namely, the fact that we develop our cities around the automobile.

It wasn't Dunkin' Donuts (or any other business, for that matter) building a drive-thru that encouraged people to drive the automobile more often. It was cities developed around the automobile that encouraged those businesses to try the drive-thru.

If cities hadn't become married to the suburban model, which necessitates driving a car, far fewer businesses would have the drive-thru option.

 

[da man]

NAFTA was signed by Clinton

Reagan, actually.

Reagan was President on December 8, 1993?

Yes.

He apparently changed his name from Roosevelt.

 

[Boom_70]

The "no angel" story said Big Mike was good at taking things apart and fixing them.

Could've started a small fix-it business and grown it. Not everything has to be delivery or food or mowing lawns.

Was he part Asian?

 

[Boom_70]

Also, you know you can't just use SNAP money for any old thing you want, right?

These neighborhoods are historically undeserved by grocery store chains. It's been in all the papers. They call them "Food Deserts". (Thank God I didn't write "Food Desserts".)

So, convenience stores, with high margins, due to little competition, make a lot of money selling food items, and accepting SNAP.

Might be a good opportunity for African Americans to start farm to table
organic food stores and restaurants that serve the community.

 

[Morris816]

In response to a few other points brought up:

1. Minimum wage increases: The theory that has been advanced by Ron Unz is to raise it and pass the cost on to the consumer, because it won't impact the consumer as much as people think it will... but that a wage increase needs to be followed by getting people off the welfare, food stamp and Medicaid rolls, plus reducing the need for the Earned Income Tax Credit, which allows federal expenditures to be cut, with some of that rolled into lowering tax rates across the board. In other words, the theory behind raising the minimum wage is that it's better for employers to pay higher wages than it is for the government to pick up the tab and give employers a built-in excuse to keep wages low.

The problem is that, if it gets raised, you are not likely to see efforts made to reduce the number of people who are on those government roles because, hey, they still need welfare, food stamps, Medicaid, etc., so they can keep buying stuff they don't necessarily need.

2. YF and I aren't too far apart on the idea of local people stepping up to open businesses with local ties to the community. This doesn't mean we want to promote isolationism. Local businesses will have some tie, somewhere, to people outside the area. In the doughnut shop example, you have to get your supplies somewhere, and chances are that shop owner is going to get some of them from outside the community. And the federal government will have a role in that -- it will, for example, fill the role of building highways that connect city to city, so transportation is available to get supplies to the doughnut shop.

And the federal government can have an important role in how it ensures local bankers can thrive and the "too big to fail" bankers don't dominate the scene, which would do more to benefit local communities, rather than Wall Street at the expense of those communities. That's called "reinstate Glass-Steagall."

I'll probably start another topic about the problems with suburbia, because that deals with a lot of stuff that's off topic here.

 

[Baron Scicluna]

Well, if "Gang Starr" said it in a rap song, it must be true.

It IS true! (or something ... )

Gang Starr: ... they shot him 16 times, so there he lay.

News: http://thefreethoughtproject.com/ottawa-police-shoot-unarmed-teen-16-times-family-begs/

The incident is currently under investigation and yadda, yadda, yadda ... Paid vacation.

Jerry Seinfeld works for the Free Thought Project?

 

[Boom_70]

In response to a few other points brought up:

1. Minimum wage increases: The theory that has been advanced by Ron Unz is to raise it and pass the cost on to the consumer, because it won't impact the consumer as much as people think it will... but that a wage increase needs to be followed by getting people off the welfare, food stamp and Medicaid rolls, plus reducing the need for the Earned Income Tax Credit, which allows federal expenditures to be cut, with some of that rolled into lowering tax rates across the board. In other words, the theory behind raising the minimum wage is that it's better for employers to pay higher wages than it is for the government to pick up the tab and give employers a built-in excuse to keep wages low.

The problem is that, if it gets raised, you are not likely to see efforts made to reduce the number of people who are on those government roles because, hey, they still need welfare, food stamps, Medicaid, etc., so they can keep buying stuff they don't necessarily need.

2. YF and I aren't too far apart on the idea of local people stepping up to open businesses with local ties to the community. This doesn't mean we want to promote isolationism. Local businesses will have some tie, somewhere, to people outside the area. In the doughnut shop example, you have to get your supplies somewhere, and chances are that shop owner is going to get some of them from outside the community. And the federal government will have a role in that -- it will, for example, fill the role of building highways that connect city to city, so transportation is available to get supplies to the doughnut shop.

And the federal government can have an important role in how it ensures local bankers can thrive and the "too big to fail" bankers don't dominate the scene, which would do more to benefit local communities, rather than Wall Street at the expense of those communities. That's called "reinstate Glass-Steagall."

I'll probably start another topic about the problems with suburbia, because that deals with a lot of stuff that's off topic here.

Maxine Waters husband was involved in a local bank that thrived with the help
of the Federal Government to insure it's success.

 

[Songbird]

2 shifts at Dunkin Donuts among her 4 jobs.

But she's dead now.

http://www.nj.com/union/index.ssf/2014/08/deceased_woman_in_elizabeth_worked_four_jobs_napped_in_car_overcome_by_fumes_police_say.html

 

[dooley_womack1]

Mixed feelings about this. I was always taught to be respectful of police officers, but I'm having trouble with the underlying sentiment that you shouldn't challenge authority.

Don't look at as authority...look at it as law enforcement.

Somewhere, Orwell smiles.

 

[da man]

Mixed feelings about this. I was always taught to be respectful of police officers, but I'm having trouble with the underlying sentiment that you shouldn't challenge authority.

Don't look at as authority...look at it as law enforcement.

Somewhere, Orwell smiles.

We've been living in "1984" for quite some time now. We're watched pretty much everywhere we go these days. Google and other search engines keep a record of every Internet search we do. Our phones and e-mails are considered fair game for surveillance. Many municipalities have license-plate readers at various points on their roads that can track where we go and when, and several federal agencies have access to that information.

Just sayin'.

 

[old_tony]

YF, you can't really think mom-and-pop businesses are going to revitalize inner cities on a large scale. Please tell me you don't actually think that.

It won't make everyone a billionaire so no one should do it.