Politics and religion.

[momoffuzzyfaces]

LH, I think I have asked this question once before and you gave me a very insightful answer. The question came up in lunch-time conversation and I couldn't remember what you posted for me, so I'm going to ask again. I can go on line and vote for my favorite Dancing with the Stars celebrity, or whichever baseball players I want to play in the All-star Game, or even make a reservation at my family's favorite restaurant. Why, then, can I not vote for U.S. elections on line? Is it a problem of Internet security? I can securely pay my bills on line and get information about how much money is (or isn't) in my bank account. My voting place is the park district building, which is usually bustling when I go to vote with children participating in before-school care or afternoon programs. If I have a voter ID card ... couldn't there be a way to put my name in the system at any polling place (close to work, close to home, on line, whatever) and access the appropriate ballot? Like I do with my ATM card? No matter what bank branch I use, it still links to the account I opened at the branch closest to where I live. Why isn't the technology such that voting could work the same way?

To Richard's point about getting people to register and vote - is it because the oldest voters are not being replaced as they die by the youngest voters? In Chicago they can probably vote even after they die .

Thanks,
Elyse

I'm not LH but I imagine it would be to easy to commit voter fraud by voting on line. I keep getting phone calls from myself with my own phone number. I shudder to think what hackers could do with on line voting.

[cassiesmom]

I keep getting phone calls from myself with my own phone number. I shudder to think what hackers could do with on line voting.

MoFF, I got those! At first the caller ID showed phone numbers just a few digits away from mine. Then when my name and number came up in my own caller ID, I called the phone company. They said it is a telemarketing scam and referred me to the FCC. Scary!

I'm glad election day is here because it means I'll stop getting election-related mail and (especially) telephone calls!

Edited to ask: Can I move up to Wisconsin if Governor Quinn gets re-elected?

[Lady's Human]

You might let dead people vote, but at least you aren't sending them to your state house!

http://news.yahoo.com/deceased-washi...174611595.html

An incumbent Democratic state representative in Washington was headed for a decisive re-election victory on Wednesday even though he died last week, results indicate.

[Lady's Human]

Do the people pushing for a blanket $15/hr wage for Wal-mart employees have any clue?


There are areas in the US where highly skilled workers don't earn that much.

[RICHARD]

Do the people pushing for a blanket $15/hr wage for Wal-mart employees have any clue?


There are areas in the US where highly skilled workers don't earn that much.

When I worked, the company had a 'step' system of pay.

You started at a set salary, and after three months you got a raise. then the raises were given each year after.


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Along the way, the company decided to hire people in at a two-three year level.

The people who had put in the hours to get to their current wage rate were really ticked off.

Imagine being an employee that worked their way to a 15 dollar/hour wage - let's say they worked 4 years to get to that level - and then someone walks into the company and get paid just as much as you?

It makes for an interesting work place?

[Lady's Human]

I routinely see help wanted ads for skilled machinists in this area, and the advertised starting rate is anywhere from $12-20 per hour, DOE.

Now, you're a new machinist, and you walk into a machine shop getting paid $12/hr.

Someone gets Wal-mart to go with the mythical $15/hr wage. Is the machine shop owner going to give his employees more money to beat the retail starting wage? To do so he would have to raise prices to his customers, and the snowball effect begins, with inflation eventually negating the value of $15/hr.

You can't artificially inflate the value of unskilled labor without waterfall effects throughout the economy (AKA inflation) If you want to earn more, get a skill, learn a trade. There are apprenticeship programs available with want ads for apprentices. No, an apprentice tradesman doesn't make much over minimum. A Journeyman, however, earns much more than that. Why? He/she has acquired a skill with value in the marketplace.

[RICHARD]

I had a wonderful laugh today.

I was listening to the TV - Not the station that I prefer to get my news from - and the topic was the 'immigration reform' speech coming up this evening.

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Wow, this is going to turn into a real kerfluffle.

I jokingly told Doris, "what these people don't realize is that the IRS is probably going to go after people for back taxes....."

Sure enough?

One of the talking heads on the channel mentioned the IRS and back taxes - not five minutes later.....

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The latin/hispanic media is going to have tons of fun with this.

I can hardly wait to see how they are going to portray the idea of 'amnesty' and what HOW they are going to sell it to the audience.