"Obama, We Deserve a Break Today!" - McDonald's

Obama with AFL-CIO Union Pres. Dick TrumpkaJust when you think Obama is done tearing down all of the
  basic structures within this country, now you can also count on your Big Mac cheeseburgers, crispy Chicken McNuggetts, French fries and sodas costing more money to buy--just "Look for the Union label" on your check!

The National  Labor Relations Board, NLRB, begins an attack on the franchising business model. The franchiser/franchisee relationship is built upon a division of roles and responsibilities. Due to this unique system in which the franchiser licenses its exclusive brand, the franchisee operates as an independent business at one or more locations.

Generally, after an initial licensing fee, a royalty off the top-line or gross sales is levied to compensate the franchiser, not a share of the franchisee profits. It is up to the franchisee who generates the bottom line, the net profits, to determine how efficiently he manages his direct and indirect costs. These can either make or break a business start-up and possibly discourage a business investment before it is even started. So what would cause those actions?

Since a tremendously large group of franchisees are in the 'fast food' industry, the obvious overhead costs are the building lease and improvements, equipment, furniture, packaging supplies, uniforms and of course, the food and beverage provisioner. All of these items affect the bottom line, but they remain fairly consistent predictable percentages at fluctuating sales volumes. The truly onerous outlier cost is labor. The ability to balance the personnel levels with the proper service levels for consistent customer satisfaction is paramount to maximizing profits while assuring return patronage. 

Currently franchisees choose who they hire, how many are hired, their wages and benefits, their training, the labor practices as union or non-union employees, how to conduct employee evaluations for decisions on promotion, discipline or separation. Franchisers are not directly involved in any personnel decisions in practice nor do they have the contractual authority. The franchisees act in daily operations, under legal terms, as solely independent small businesses.

McDonalds received a devastating decision this week which may affect all franchiser/franchisee relations.

The National Labor Relations Board, NLRB, ruled that McDonald's could be treated in labor complaints as a joint employer of its franchisee workers which affects every small business owner. Now, the franchiser would have to monitor and review all franchisee labor decisions which would add cost to the franchisee.

NOTE: Up to now, this labor mechanism is what makes or breaks the franchisee since the franchiser takes his cut from the top gross sales figures; so then after labor costs are deducted, the franchisee takes his cut or income from the bottom line net profit.

By U.S. government agency fiat the franchisers find themselves unable to now control their increased overhead costs of their added labor management oversight unless by lowering employee wages to create any net profits for the franchisee. The lower wages invites in union organizers to strike for higher worker wages as unions have always dreamed of unionizing restaurant workers nationwide.

The current AFL-CIO union membership is 12 Million and shrinking while desperate for any new blood. All federal, state and local fair labor practices and laws are in effect now, not like in the old days that the unions once battled--those fights are over. The old unionization days are in the past for many experienced workers today that see no future in paying dues as free market pricing and labor wages have reached parity with competitive employment to bid up income with benefits to acceptable levels. 

The big downside is many franchisee businesses with entry low-level jobs will become unprofitable due to union wage hikes and Obamacare as jobs are cut back or lost as they shut down as unskilled workers will be hurt by NRLB regulations.

The AFL-CIO and Obama have the most to gain with added union membership dues and contributions. Historically union members overwhelmingly vote a democrat ticket, so dues are disproportionately directed into the democrat party political fundraising coffers. 

The Dues Scam: The dues monies are profits unjustly fleeced from the pockets of the small business owners, paid to the union members as higher taxable wages, paid to the union as membership dues and paid to the Democrat National Committee, DNC party machine as political contributions. Note: Employee wages are subject to any local, state and federal taxes and the Democrat political contributions are non-taxable donations to DNC. They pay NO taxes for the dues money. 

Burt & Barack Sings Duet of Obama Swan Song

I had to laugh again when I reread a Wall Street Journal editorial page about 'What the Songwriting World Needs Now', an opinion article, January 2014, by songwriter Burt Bacharach. Apparently, Burt was really incensed that the antiquated 1941 federal licensing laws governing vinyl records still prevail over the current world of ubiquitous headphones that can access 30 million tracks through any mobile device. Under federal consent decree only two groups, Ascap and BMI, can negotiate and collect fees for songwriters from businesses.  If the parties disagree,  the Federal Judges are the arbiters that set the value of songwriters' work--instead of the open free marketplace. Hmmn... sounds like Burt is a little too greedy here? Those big Hollywood liberals sure scream when government regulations affect their pocketbooks. How do liberals think that is any different with private insurance companies setting their values through government regulations with Obamacare? 

At an annual Grammy Awards Show Burt Bacharach said, "I've never seen times like we've got right now. I'm really upset. This is the future I'm leaving behind for these [my] kids, and I'm concerned. I think we've really made a mess of it. If the president had just gotten up and said, 'I made a mistake. I take full blame for it. There are no weapons of mass destruction; our information was wrong. Bear with me and we'll get through this together.' But to be stonewalled--" Bacharach shook his head, "I never like to be lied to by a girlfriend or an agent. And certainly not the president of the United States." 

The Liberal Daily Kos blog then commented: "More importantly, I think Burt gave us a nice sound byte/meme to spread: "We don't like it when they are lied to by friends and family. And we certainly don't like it when we're lied to by the President."--Lather, rinse and repeat as necessary." [It deserves saying over and over again]

Disclaimer: Those comments, by the way, were spoken at the 2006 Grammy Awards Show during the Bush presidency--I wonder why six years later Burt, or the Daily Kos at the least, hasn't attacked our current President Obama about his multitude of lies when Burt met President Obama at his Gershwin awards dinner at the White House on May 9, 2012. Burt had sung a medley of favorite songs.

Burt's medley should have sounded like:       

• Barack always says "Promises, Promises" are "Any day now" while...
• Barack is "Always something there to Remind me" of empty words that...
• Burt swears "I'll never fall in love again" after this last 2012 election when...
• Barack finally "Knows when to leave" as "The house is empty now" while... 
• Burt sings "I'll say a little prayer" for America because...
• It's "What the world needs now" is a new President in the White House.  

Now those are songs everyone can sing after the 2016 Elections! 

 

California, Here it Comes...Down As It is Done!

I can really empathize about state government regulatory burdens on Californians after living there for over fifty-six years and have since moved to Dallas, Texas. I cannot, however, sympathise with the state residents resolve to keep spending beyond their means. I recently read an Editorial in the Wall Street Journal written by Dr. Bradley Allen who is currently running for Congress in California's 24th District in the Republican race. He had lamented, "We Californians could learn how to grow from the Lone Star State." It called out a list of successes for his former home state of Texas [Houston] while then offering a whole litany of reasons for their failure in California.

The California vs. Texas comparison that Dr. Allen pointed to were: 

• Energy Industry - no fracking and horizontal drilling in gas and oil fields.

• State Business Income Tax - high at 4.1% (av. CA state rate)

• Utility Costs - electricity 50% to 88% higher for renewable-energy mandate.  

• Gasoline - 70 to 80 cents per gallon more due to CA state blending fuel laws.

• Job Growth - Los Angeles added 1 Mil people (1980-2010) & lost 165K jobs.

• Poor People - 42%+ in CA than TX. 17.6% L.A. poverty rate nation's highest.

• Regulatory laws - so overly burdensome they had driven business out of state.

What's truly remarkable about this editorial was it thoroughly covered the glaring differences with solid indisputable facts. It further argued quite forcefully for pro-growth policies that would spur on the California economy. I was absolutely sold on his editorial analysis until I read the last paragraph. It succinctly encapsulated in just a few sentences why California will remain moribund in its own excrement, not capable to escape its inevitable demise:

Dr. Allen stated besides the cited state parallels, he complained about job creation killers like Obamacare which must be addressed; or with respect to the onerous business Federal income tax of 35% with equally high small business S-Corp income tax, they restrict business expansion and affect job growth. He further complained about Federal regulations and energy costs too. His recommendation was, "Washington should follow Texas' lead and pass pro-growth reforms."..."It's not big verses small government. It's government that works for us not against us." [No Bradley, you are wrong. Take off your 'rose-colored' California glasses. It really is BIG government spending that does works against us.] 

The typical 'California dreaming' syndrome promotes government largess as the answer to all social problems and civil matters. If the undocumented illegal aliens need welfare or legal services the state provides them. If special interests need funding for projects the state provides them. If the state needs more monies to meet these budgetary demands the state floats new tax bonds or just passes tax increases.

The 2013 overall California state budget deficit has ballooned to $778 Billion plus unfunded state pension funds for $200 Billion. That's almost a Trillion dollars. Is this state looking at a 'too big to fail' Federal bailout? It's a possibility for a bankruptcy filing with a Washington style bailout as the California legislature's spending spree on the backs of state taxpayers is painfully coming down to a bitter showdown for a default and bond credit rating downgrade to junk.

Why do other states have to suffer to 'Bail Out' California for their free-spending programs?  Let them Go Bankrupt!

Obama says, "You Can't Handle the Truth!" on Israel

President Obama and Secretary of State John Kerry did by their own omissions and obfuscation misreport of the Arab-Israel war to Americans which implied, "You can't handle the truth." With a 'pro-Palestinian' leaning, the Obama American foreign policies have failed to force or cajole the Israelis into contrition to abate their military attacks as Israelis further destroy Hamas arms, caves and military facilities-- the only military actions that will assure a peaceful end and no further deaths on both sides. 

Factoid: I describe both adversaries here as 'Arabs', rather than 'Palestinian and Israeli' or 'Muslim and Jew'. So as they are all Arabs, some are Israeli citizens of Israel, a sovereign nation, and others are Arabs, like Yasser Arafat, who are PLO or Hamas terrorists that in the 1960's created their own new political persona called 'Palestinians'. This becomes an important distinction of the regional ethnicity if you are to understand this middle East conflict.  

BIO: MARIÂNGELA BERQUÓ did her post-graduate studies at the University Sorbonne, Paris in political, economics and humanities studies and is an amnesty.org activist and is a syndicated professional journalist with analysis of international conflicts. Her glowing posthumous write-up below on Yasser Arafat and his fight for the PLO and Palestinian rights, as admirable as it is, offers real insight into how to intentionally exact the illusion of the whole truth, not half-truths, in reporting the Arab-Israeli territorial conflict. Her account is a polished, history rewrite to change post-generational outcomes of past events to now promote a biased, hate-filled political agenda against Israel.  

Enfoca a Geopolítica - Dec, 2013 (Article Excerpts)

Credit:  Ms. MARIÂNGELA BERQUÓ   

Israel vs Palestina: XLVII bis Yasser Arafat ( 08/1929 - 11/2004 ) 

Arafat doesn't see any Israeli Flags in the future for the Palestine area contradicting peace talk promises with Jews. "Yasser Arafat is one of the generations of great leaders who arose after World War II. Wherever he may be buried when he passes away, the day will come when his remains will be reinterred by a free Palestinian government in the holy shrines in Jerusalem." 

"The stature of a leader is not simply determined by the size of his achievements, but also by the size of the obstacles he had to overcome. In this respect, Arafat has no competitor in the world: no leader of our generation has been called upon to face such cruel tests and to cope with such adversities as he."

"When he appeared on the stage of history, at the end of the 1950s, his people was close to oblivion. The name Palestine had been eradicated from the map. Israel , Jordan and Egypt had divided the country between them. The world had decided that there was no Palestinian national entity, that the Palestinian people had ceased to exist, like the American Indian nations - if, indeed, it had ever existed at all." [American Indian nations did exist though, Arabs lived in the Palestine territory, never was ever a country of Palestine.]

"Within the Arab world the “Palestinian Cause” was still mentioned, but it served only as a ball to be kicked around between the Arab regimes. [Referring to Syria, Jordan, Saudi Arabia and Egypt as Arab regimes] Each of them tried to appropriate it for its own selfish interests, while brutally putting down any independent Palestinian initiative. Almost all Palestinians lived under dictatorships, most of them in humiliating circumstances." [Factually correct, during the Arab-Israeli War in 1948 nearly 750,000 Palestinians were either forced or decided themselves to flee their homes to camps in Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, the West Bank, and Gaza, creating the refugee problem that continues to the present day. As nomadic Arab tribes that required social services, shelter and food, the neighboring Arab nations wisely saved costs by refusal to harbor all these masses of Arab refugees, squaller and potential insurrection and unrest of idle workers. They strategically offered future assistance in their Arab causes while leaving them to occupy the Gaza Strip and West Bank dependent upon foreign aid and, ironically, Israel state aid too.]

My rebuttal below to MARIÂNGELA BERQUÓ reviews past historical facts as well as recent events that will support it. Too many times history is not presented fairly as with omitted passages deliberately altered to suit storylines. Readers assume the written word as fact and reach wrong conclusions. One must consider this writer too with post graduate studies at the liberal, left-leaning Sorbonne University, Paris and active in the UK Amnesty.org assigning war crimes focused on anti-Muslim causes. You be the judge about the 'Palestinian' war with Israel. Please read on: 

"The Arabs invented a special national entity in the 1960s (rather than a geographic delineation) called the Palestinians, specifically for political gain. They brand Israelis as invaders and claim the geographic area called Palestine belongs exclusively to the Arabs."

"The word Palestine is not even Arabic. It is a word coined by the Romans around 135 B.C from the name of a seagoing Aegean people who settled on the coast of Canaan in antiquity â€, the Philistines. The name was chosen to replace Judea, as a sign that Jewish sovereignty had been eradicated following the Jewish Revolts against Rome." [It was the Roman conqueror’s way to demean the Jewish identity and not a complimentary name.] 

"In the course of time, the Latin name Philistia was further bastardized into Palistina or Palestine. During the next 2,000 years, Palestine was never an independent state belonging to any people, nor did a Palestinian people, distinct from other Arabs, appear during 1,300 years of Muslim hegemony in Palestine under Arab and Ottoman rule."

"Palestine was and is solely a geographic name. Therefore, it is not surprising that in modern times the name 'Palestine' or 'Palestinian' was applied as an adjective to all inhabitants of the geographical area between the Mediterranean and the Jordan River — Palestine Jews and Palestine Arabs alike. In fact, until the 1960s, most Arabs in Palestine preferred to identify themselves merely as part of the great Arab nation or citizens of "southern Syria."

Yasser Arafat founded in 1959 the PLO, “Palestinian Liberation Movement” (whose initials in reverse spell Fatah). At the beginning its purpose was to enable the nomadic Palestinian people to speak and act for itself to gain liberation from oppressive regional Arab leaders like in Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Syria and Jordan that maintained control of their countries by suppressing militant factions. Since Fatah had no independent base, it had to function in the Arab countries, often under merciless persecutions and even Yasser Arafat was thrown into a Syrian prison under a death sentence by Hafiz al-Asad. It was later overturned, but the hatred between them never healed. Strategically, Arafat instinctively redirected his zeal away from Muslim nations and towards Israel with the Jews to further grow his anti-semitic sectarian group into a geopolitical heavyweight in the region while financially enriching himself too. He died with an apprised personal net worth of $1.3 Billion--what a selfless guy! 

"The term 'Palestinian' as a noun was usurped and co-opted by the Arabs in the 1960s as a PLO [now Hamas] tactic initiated by Yasser Arafat to brand Jews as intruders on someone else's turf. He presents Arab residents of Israel and the Territories as indigenous inhabitants since time immemorial. This fabrication of peoplehood allowed Palestinian Arabs to gain parity with the Jewish people as a nation deserving of an independent state."

"In a March 1977 interview in the Dutch newspaper Trouw, Zahir Muhsein, a member of the PLO executive committee, admitted:

"Only for political and tactical reasons do we speak today about the existence of a Palestinian people, since Arab national interests demand that we posit the existence of a distinct Palestinian people to oppose Zionism."

Historically, before the Arabs, PLO, fabricated the 'Palestinian People' as an exclusively Arab phenomenon, No such group existed!

Very IMPORTANT Point: This is all about the Jewish people and their homeland, not about nomadic Arabs in the region. Let's be specific here too, it's not about Muslims or Islam Religion because neither existed until 635 A.D.; that's over 500 years later after the Romans conquered the Jews in 135 B.C. and renamed Palestine for the Judea province. 

What is in the future for Arab-Israeli-American middle East unrest?

In a 'Polyanna' outlook, 'Neverland world of make-believe', the answer is that only by admitting their culpability and making amends can Israelis live with their neighbors in a permanent peace. Only then centuries-old traditions of co-existence can be restored. And only in this way can real security, peace and justice come to this ancient land.

The 'real truth' is that the Islamic equation is involved in the escalation of religious animosities worldwide. The Muslims have called for a jihad, a holy war, against the Jews, Christians and infidels with only complete annihilation or subjugation as its final solution. It has never changed and jihad will never end until the Muslim Caliphate has established dominion over the entire middle-East region and the world.

The 'hard truth' is most Americans want an immediate solution to the middle East unrest that will never happen--"the American people may have the watches, but the Arab Muslims have the time" and they will just fight on for decades like in past centuries--it literally becomes a way of life like the Israelis now face every day--it's 'Groundhog Day' all over again!

U.S. Trade Competition Heats Up - Obama Lost It

The upcoming APEC meeting is in Beijing, China this November, 2014. APEC, Asian Pacific Economic Summit, comprising of twenty-one 'Pacific Rim' countries seek to promote their free trade area of the immediate region. Its goal is to bring up their standards of living and education through sustainable growth in agriculture and raw materials in spite of the declining demand in Europe as well as promoting regional area pride. Admirable and industrious as these people are, they are motivated more about Japan's industrial strength and dominance in the region too. 

It was certainly as some said a "oneupmanship" on Obama when China invited India to attend the APEC conference too. In recognizing India as a regional powerhouse, China in the role of the conference host nation invited them to attend the meeting as an observer again in spite of reservations within the membership that exist for unresolved issues. Not physically situated on the Pacific Rim per se, India's strategic geographical position assures thoughtful consideration to their membership for continuing success in APEC nations transporting goods in the international ocean shipping lanes. China recognizes their important strategic role in APEC too. 

There is also a coziness between India and Russia which some Western observers interpret as incongruous.  However, upon closer observation, they are sympatico partners within a region that shares borders as well as partisan, nationalistic bickering that goes back decades, if not centuries, such as being wary partners of China at their borders. India has an active border dispute with China now. Another shared concern are the violent Islamic militant movements within both their countries to overturn these non-sectarian societies with solely radical Sharia laws and Muslim beliefs-- whether it be Atheism, Christianity or Hinduism.

In the recent Ukraine debacle the West opposed Russian encroachment intoObama leads with growing the U.S. debt owed to China? a sovereign country. India, however, supported Russia in her fight. Why? On the surface one appreciates an opposition view of it. However, if it is seen as an Indian then it becomes blurred. Pakistan comes to mind as India believes that it is an integral part of India's provincial boundaries like the Ukraine. 

India today is very different from the West despite being a liberal democracy. India’s narrative often does not fully buy into the current 'liberal world order' that Barack Obama supports. India proudly proclaims its own independent sovereignty. That may offer an insight about Barack Obama’s relative indifference towards maintaining a close relationship with India. Obama further does not fathom the interdependency of world trade issues involved with the United States or understand how to deal with its foreign affairs. 

At the recent BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, So. Africa) summit in Brazil, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi noted that “if you ask anyone among the more than one billion people living in India who is our country’s greatest friend, every person, every child knows that it is Russia.” As lovingly as it sounds, coincidentally, India needs Russia's future support to persuade China to back its bid for a permanent seat on the U.N. Security Council. India and China have rivalry for Asian influence and still are far apart on border disputes for the foreseeable future.  But, time will soon settle it as China has recently begun to reach out to India because, like Russia, it believes that a truly regional pan-Asian bloc like the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) is only fully possible with India’s cooperation and membership. Russia advocates this united front as it relishes to stand up as a power economically against the West.

APEC 2013 Russia - Kerry lectures Putin.So, if I correctly understand this, these member SCO nations have individual agendas based upon mutual cooperation to fulfill their objectives aimed at growing their economies apart from Western markets to compete to the ultimate detriment of the United States. China is again proposing to change the position of the U.S. dollar as the main currency to their Yuan as trade payments which further affects U.S. currency markets and our economy. Where's John Kerry and our state department negotiations going on in this burgeoning trade competition? 

Is it any wonder that the United States has any friends left with the International relations shambles Barack Obama has created? As long as Obama doles dough out he can buy countries to talk to him. After all, he gave Iran $7 Billion dollars in sequestered funds to continue dragging on the nuclear power talks with John Kerry until after the November, 2014 elections to avoid negative publicity of more foreign policy failure. Are they our new "Frienemy" now?

In this increasingly competitive world of economies, it's past time to appoint anWheat & Weeds Harvest omsbudsman to investigate our State Department and identify weaknesses. Our foreign policy now comprises of foreign aid payments which increases as we need to pay out more to have friendly nations. It is quite apparent with our weak President, staff and advisors the path to our own economic downfall is assured. We will plant our future with weeds instead of seeds and will harvest what we reap; it's plowing time and the soil has to be turned in this Fall 2014 Elections.

Get out and Vote for a Change!