Obama: scary, absurd, false, and misguided

As his address to the nation showed, the Obama fraud is blustering along. How will his $2,500 tax credit for college costs help anyone afford college? In the real world everyone has their hopes and dreams, including colleges and their employees. They want higher pay, longer vacations, better health care benefits, larger offices, newer furniture, and a new football stadium. Are they going to act dumb in the face of the $2,500 tax credit, or are they going to try and get all of it they can? Human nature (economics) suggests that colleges will quickly raise their tuition and fees to absorb the entire tax credit.

Union wage hoax

Let's assume that union workers are as productive as non-union workers. This is dubious as the example of union featherbedding (railroads) clearly shows. But, let's go with equal productivity. If we start with a totally non-union workforce we can see what happens as unionism grows.

The first union workers find that most of the goods they buy are made by the much more numerous non-union workers. This is a bonanza for union workers as their high wages mostly buy less expensive non-union products. But, as more and more workers unionize this advantage is gradually lost. At 40% of the workforce union workers still buy 60% of their goods from non-union sources. At 80% of the workforce union workers are mostly buying expensive union produced goods. Finally, at 100% of the workforce they must buy 100% union products. The higher prices for those products totally offset the higher union wages.

Union workers only benefit to the extent they can take advantage of non-union production. This gives new meaning to the word "scab."

Government disrespects itself

Economics is taught in most every college and university, including those operated by our governments. Surprisingly, the economics taught by government colleges and universities is specifically rejected by most governing bodies. How do they explain their disrespect? Ask them.

Freedom to do as you please

In America, of all places, one should not have to explain that freedom to do as you please does not mean freedom to do to others as you please.

Social Security is dead

With trillion dollar deficits for at least the near term, one wonders how the U.S. Treasury will be able to redeem the I.O.U.s that have been piling up at the Social Security Administration. It seems that our former and current presidents have managed to ensure the bankruptcy of Social Security. This may occur before Obama leaves office in 2017.

Living Wage

Living wage ordinances are a hoax. Drop by a local college or university and find an economics textbook. Browse "price controls." Go shopping. Compare prices. Make some decisions. Can you deny that prices affect your buying decisions? Of course not. Finally, talk to an elevator operator (replaced by electronic controls). Talk to a service station attendant (mostly replaced by customers). Talk to a bank teller (mostly replaced by ATM machines). Ask them about the relationship between jobs and wages.