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On th price increase link (which I agree is easily the best on that topic I’ve ever seen in the MSM), there a little talk about Wal-mart, and it reminded me how Wal-Mart is “Evil Incarnate”:

-if they support minimum wage increases, it’s either PR or to drive out the smaller stores
-if thy oppose it, it’s because they are GREEEEEEEEDY
-if they do nothing, people accuse them of on or the other of the above

I think it is pretty clear that Wal-Mart’s support for a minimum wage increase is to create a regulatory environment that hurts its competitors more than it hurts Wal-Mart and increase its competitive advantage. The Heritage Foundation wrote a good piece on this.

The fact that this political strategy is likely to succeed is one reason I own Wal-Mart call options.

The grass is always browner…

Many of the same criticisms given in the article can easily be applied to our system as well.

Our system could be much better.

We lags behind the best international standards in infant mortality, healthcare access, and quality. Certainly we get lots of new new technology and drugs – many of which are unnecessary and do not prolong or improve life.

US MDs are overworked and stressed.

Our system also lurchs from crisis to crisis – liability, access, funding.

A significant number of people do not have a family doctor.

There is inadequate evidence that full market force, open economy heatlthcare would do anything other than create the ultimate two-tier system where the more affluent can pay for care, while those of more modest means are denied service. This was the case in our early 20th century fee-for-service healthcare economy.

Our system, even with the more than would be credited level of government intervention, collusion, etc, is extraordinarily wasteful toward the new and dazzling at the cost of lagging behind the rest of the industrialized world in outcomes. We spend an obscene amount of our GDP on healthcare with not much to show for the excess cost.

I don’t suggest that there is an easy answer. Best conclusion is that most countries have a general dislike for their system and want it to be more like another that they don’t entirely understand. It’s simply wrong, based on evidence, to suggest we have it right here in the US.

Instead of changing the minimum wage, how about:
First $5/hr free of any deductions, You work 8 hours, you take home at least $40.
Make tips tax free gifts.
Bring back3 martini lunch, adjusted for inflation to 5 martinis.

When I worked at a local airport in 1991, we had a plane who’s nose gear wouldn’t come down. While he circled the airport, burning off his fuel, I tried to get a truck from the local volunteer fire department to come up just in case. The fire department couldn’t send anyone because they had just become intergrated into the local 911 system. I ended up calling 911 and we had more firetrucks and ambulances than we needed, not to mention reporters. The plane landed safely and I was fired because of the publicity the airport recieved.

Ted, Walmart couldn’t care less about minimum wage increases to the levels proposed because their wages I believe are already higher than that…

As to airshows/flyins and safety, everyone involved knows about and accepts the small but inherent risk.
But greedy people have caused insurance premiums for the events to have become so high that many organisers no longer bother.
As always, a few ruin things for everyone.

Wal-Mart pays more than minimum wage, but I believe their lowest-paid employees do make less than $7.25/hour, and those making under $9/hour can probably expect some ripple effects up. That said, we don’t disagree even if you’re right: my point was that a minimum wage increase hurts Wal-Mart’s competitors more than it hurts Wal-Mart, and thus helps Wal-Mart.

This is the mistake made in the famous Card/Krueger study on New Jersey’s raise of the minimum wage, which found an increase in employment at fast-food restaurants. Yes, fast-food restaurants increased employment, but that’s because the minimum wage increase drove out of business a number of small mom-and-pop stores that competed with the fast-food restaurants but weren’t within the scope of the study.

cc,

“We lags behind the best international standards in infant mortality, healthcare access, and quality.”

Infant mortality: we considr ANY live birth to be a “birth”… including WAY pre-term infants. Almost no other country does that. Consider the impact of that on “infant mortality”. Among other factors.

“healthcare access”: We basically already have universal healthcare. Those who can’t pay for it mostly get it, and those who can pay extra. Seriously, go look into it. Emergency rooms CAN NOT BY LAW kick people out for lack of money in emergency or life-threatening situations. I have a friend right now who is making constant use of that (SEVERE lung problems – he’s literally on a first name basis with every pulmonologist in both hospitals in the area, he’s uninsured, his income is miniscule, and his medical bills are ZERO). Actually, many of the “uninsured” get better care than I will pay for for myself (if they are willing to admit being broke).

Quality: Um… have you actually BEEN anywhere else in the world? I have. I’ve been to almost 40 other countries, 1st to 3rd world, and we’re not suffering in the quality department, I assure you.

“A significant number of people do not have a family doctor.”

Universal healthcare, if you look at countries where it has been implemented, makes this problem WORSE, not better.

“We spend an obscene amount of our GDP on healthcare with not much to show for the excess cost.”

Except for, I don’t know, the majority of medical advances in the whole world (which the rest of the world essentially gets for free in comparison). Significantly increases the life expectancy of the entire human race doesn’t count for anything?

I don’t think we have it “right” here in the US (doctors ARE stressed, and there IS a liability crisis – hmm, might be a link there…), but we’re also carrying a significant chunk of medical R&D costs for the whole world, so I’d say we’re doing pretty well, actually.