tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22329768.post237801923518443529..comments2023-10-29T20:20:10.914+10:00Comments on Random Hypercritical Thoughts: A future Bush appointee in our midstJeffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16129588857193564261noreply@blogger.comBlogger21125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22329768.post-81435857881123352312007-10-03T23:37:00.000+10:002007-10-03T23:37:00.000+10:00No question about it Jeff, and I certainly don't e...No question about it Jeff, and I certainly don't endorse any of that underhanded crap.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22329768.post-41446523595331788332007-10-03T20:27:00.000+10:002007-10-03T20:27:00.000+10:00Pay rates vary, but there is no place in the US th...Pay rates vary, but there is no place in the US that pays $3.00+ for minimum wage. Let's take construction for example, let's narrow that down to masonry work. A mason in guam starts around $15.00 per hour, some PDN ads advertise masons upwards of $19.00 per hour. The reason these wages are as high as they are is because they don't have unlimited access to a body of masons willing to do that particular job. Therefore, the rates stay competitively high (and fair). Here in the CNMI we've had that unlimited access to cheap labor, therefore there's been no need to pay reasonable and fair hourly rates for that kind of work. Because of these unreasonably low wages, our own people don't take those kind of jobs. I can tell you that if I graduated high school and was able to work as a mason for even $10.00 per hour, I would have considered becoming a mason. <BR/><BR/>This same reasoning applies to many areas of employment in the CNMI, from accountants, to store managers, to newspaper reporters. The cheap alien labor keeps salaries unreasonably low. It doesn't matter how much better that alien is doing in comparison to the life he or she left.. that is not what we should be basing our wages on. Undoubtedly they're doing better.. they're making next to nothing back home. Doesn't make it right and it isn't good for the regular resident worker at all.Lil' Hammerheadhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11937533318872228053noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22329768.post-26700398500805294392007-10-03T17:52:00.000+10:002007-10-03T17:52:00.000+10:00One thing about this RJ: "I still say those people...One thing about this RJ: "I still say those people righteously fighting for a living wage are those who don't have to concern themselves with paying it."<BR/><BR/>The opposite is also true. The people most responsible for fighting against our obscene minimum wage, including Abramoff rigging that whole game, were the people who had to pay it, the chamber, the garment factories via the government they own.Jeffhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16129588857193564261noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22329768.post-82471228779893188432007-10-03T17:19:00.000+10:002007-10-03T17:19:00.000+10:00LH - How do you figure? Pay rates vary widely fro...LH - How do you figure? Pay rates vary widely from state to state and city to city, depending on cost of living primarily. Why should it be so different here?<BR/><BR/>No doubt that many workers have been taken advantage of here, and will continue to be in the future. But that doesn't change the fact that the high cost of doing business here demands a lower labor cost, at least on the smaller business level. <BR/><BR/>I won't speak for the garment factories, those guys seem to have made gobs of money.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22329768.post-15536487592176252012007-10-03T06:33:00.000+10:002007-10-03T06:33:00.000+10:00Is anyone interested in joining in to watch OPA's ...Is anyone interested in joining in to watch OPA's job study presentation?<BR/><BR/>It is factual and interesting and there is really no real reason why we have college graduates without jobs.<BR/><BR/>The information came from Labor's database and the project included local businesses and the government. OPA is just the facilitator.<BR/><BR/>Write me at: gkilili@pticom.com if you are interested.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22329768.post-12586656233827111462007-10-02T19:11:00.000+10:002007-10-02T19:11:00.000+10:00We'd be doing all individuals working in america a...We'd be doing all individuals working in america a diservice.Lil' Hammerheadhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11937533318872228053noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22329768.post-41386514236099149742007-10-02T19:10:00.000+10:002007-10-02T19:10:00.000+10:00Blog looks alot better now without the brown backg...Blog looks alot better now without the brown background. That was difficult to read.Lil' Hammerheadhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11937533318872228053noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22329768.post-30151525467926854862007-10-02T18:15:00.000+10:002007-10-02T18:15:00.000+10:00"a power plant that doesn't allow two people to ma..."a power plant that doesn't allow two people to make toast simultaneously" That is some awesome prose. I was on a ship with a similar plant years ago and when I run into the chief of that ship one day, he is going to laugh his ass off. I'll be sure to credit you though. Sorry I don't address the body of your post, but I'm feeling a little Ambrose Bennetish. Your last few posts have been a great deal more informative than the papers, however.bigsoxfanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03415669952554171048noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22329768.post-80514950314282160552007-10-02T18:01:00.000+10:002007-10-02T18:01:00.000+10:00Thanks, Jeff. Yes, it is a bizarre situation.Read...Thanks, Jeff. Yes, it is a bizarre situation.<BR/><BR/>Reading through this again, I have a question for LH. Say we took those people from Nepal and paid them $3.55/hour, plus the usual benefits. That would take them from $8/month to around $600/month. Would we really be doing them a disservice at that wage?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22329768.post-16521477031024642122007-10-02T10:47:00.000+10:002007-10-02T10:47:00.000+10:00Good points Rick. Businessmen, even the conscienti...Good points Rick. Businessmen, even the conscientious ones like you, sometimes get tainted by a lot of the unjust things that have happened here over the years. <BR/><BR/>The whole situation is complicated, I'll agree. We have a very bizarre economy.Jeffhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16129588857193564261noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22329768.post-42488052071107788442007-10-02T09:43:00.000+10:002007-10-02T09:43:00.000+10:00i think it's the picture of costanza that sets thi...i think it's the picture of costanza that sets this blog apart...Brad Ruszalahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14540336893648127319noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22329768.post-24618717437119147452007-10-02T09:37:00.000+10:002007-10-02T09:37:00.000+10:00Jeff - There will be a saturation point for Guam. ...Jeff - There will be a saturation point for Guam. I also didn't mention health care, just the schools, which could be flooded by new immigrant children.<BR/><BR/>LH - I'm not suggesting we get the cheapest workers we can, but the argument is not absurd, taken in context of people wanting to come here for what many consider a paltry $3.55/hour.<BR/><BR/>As a business owner, I want my people to succeed and have happy, successful lives. There's nothing more fun than sitting down at review time and giving someone that deserves it a nice raise.<BR/><BR/>That being said, there is a limit to how much you can pay someone with the excessive costs of doing business in the CNMI. If I was subject to Federal Minimum Wage as applied in the States, I'd have to let at least two of my people go, and I'm not sure how we would cover all the shifts we have.<BR/><BR/>Again, paying for housing and medical, along with Department of Labor costs, brings my employee cost up by $2.00/hour on average, so say I'm paying $5.55/hour. Does that seem like a fair wage?<BR/><BR/>The scary part is that it's going to go up every year. I've heard people say, "So what, $0.50/hour, big deal". Unfortunately, that translates to $1000/year per employee, and I will need sales of approximately five times that to cover the additional cost. Where those sales are going to come from is a mystery to me.<BR/><BR/>I still say those people righteously fighting for a living wage are those who don't have to concern themselves with paying it.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22329768.post-35482371976480744362007-10-01T23:25:00.000+10:002007-10-01T23:25:00.000+10:00Wow! Color! 60+ comments on a blog post, photos, a...Wow! Color! 60+ comments on a blog post, photos, and now color.. what's going on here? A blog coup?Lil' Hammerheadhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11937533318872228053noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22329768.post-33637533708349413892007-10-01T23:10:00.000+10:002007-10-01T23:10:00.000+10:00There's a village in Nepal where the people make a...There's a village in Nepal where the people make approximately $8.00(US) per month. Maybe we can recruit from there and pay $16.00 a month, and of course provide medical care and barracks. We'll be doubling their salary, no with "housing" and medical care, we'll be tripling it!<BR/><BR/>It's "considerably better than most of these people can make in their own countries" - what an absurd argument this is?Lil' Hammerheadhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11937533318872228053noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22329768.post-77435905172690215082007-10-01T23:07:00.000+10:002007-10-01T23:07:00.000+10:00I don't see any possible sense in running two hous...I don't see any possible sense in running two households instead of one larger one, and then not working. The kids aren't going to live alone. That's a distinctly Korean scam. People from the third world aren't going to leave potential money unearned. The medical benefits won't apply to them as they're not coming as contract workers, and there is still a lot more money in Guam and elsewhere. I just don't see it.Jeffhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16129588857193564261noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22329768.post-10891563989360277342007-10-01T22:59:00.000+10:002007-10-01T22:59:00.000+10:00It occurs to me that both things are possible. A ...It occurs to me that both things are possible. A good number of our labor force could leave for what they perceive as greener pastures, while an equal number that decides Saipan is the place for them could bring over immediate family members. <BR/><BR/>Although the $3.55/hour wage, which will be going up every year, seems to offend some people sensibilities, when you add in housing and medical benefits, it's actually quite a bit higher, and considerably better than most of these people can make in their own countries.<BR/><BR/>So it's entirely possible that we could have far less available labor AND a further over-stressed school system.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22329768.post-84616202378664286732007-10-01T22:30:00.000+10:002007-10-01T22:30:00.000+10:00Jeff: see post #622, you read my mail...Just wrote...Jeff: see post #622, you read my mail...Just wrote it a bit more eloquently, as usual...glend558https://www.blogger.com/profile/17230710369170158416noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22329768.post-71873136181036420552007-10-01T22:29:00.000+10:002007-10-01T22:29:00.000+10:00I'm still working on it. Have wanted to change it ...I'm still working on it. Have wanted to change it up for a while. Need a day with more time to get it right.Jeffhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16129588857193564261noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22329768.post-74828342446370132882007-10-01T22:15:00.000+10:002007-10-01T22:15:00.000+10:00hey,..... i dig the new layout.......hey,..... i dig the new layout.......stargazerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08514803399049780782noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22329768.post-26591712227067173982007-10-01T21:30:00.000+10:002007-10-01T21:30:00.000+10:00You know Jeff.. I almost produced a similar post m...You know Jeff.. I almost produced a similar post myself on this today. I'm not one of the pro-feds, but I am one of the "pay people a living wage" people.<BR/><BR/>Throwing both arguments out - We'll be inundated and We won't have enough of a workforce, makes us look like we're idiots. I actually think this is some plan, however nonsensical that sounds. I believe they think they can confuse the situation so much that they think the CNMI will be granted more time for studies. I actually think that businessfolk and legislators are playing off of each other to try to make the waters seem as murky as possible.<BR/><BR/>Here's a plan.. as legislators pass a minimum wage bill that pays a living wage, and overide the Governor if he vetoes it.Lil' Hammerheadhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11937533318872228053noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22329768.post-89666441607864923792007-10-01T21:27:00.000+10:002007-10-01T21:27:00.000+10:00this is just another example of the "go home" ment...this is just another example of the "go home" mentality pervasive in the islands.stargazerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08514803399049780782noreply@blogger.com