"Tithing Table" for Budweiser executives

So, we were drawn to this Wonkblog story, Bud Light’s latest advertisement has a big problem by Drew Harwell, because mel ball is preparing “specially marked” Budweiser cans for the upcoming conventions. You’ll be able to see the first here July 4, two weeks before the Republican National Convention.The Democratic can will be revealed a week later.

Harwell's Budweiser story, though, is not so much about advertising; it’s about equal pay for equal work, which we’re all for, and that doesn’t mean that the women now playing Wimbledon should only get 60% of what the men do, because they’re playing best 2 out of 3 while the men are playing best 3 out of 5. We’d never suggest that. (And we reprehend the suggestion of one of our consultant-colleagues - made in jest, we are certain - that male and female Budweiser executives be paid according to the male and female share of the Budweiser market.)

With regard to what seems to be the lower end of the Budweiser executive pay scale according to the article: Neither of us have a lot of sympathy for anyone making $360,000 a year no matter how much her predecessor was making, though we wouldn’t suggest she shouldn’t make as much as he did. We do see the principle of the thing.

But, speaking of which – principles – we have, with the help of friends in various low places including (especially) non-profits, drawn up the following “tithing” table, suggesting percentages of “giving back” people in various income categories should consider. It works like a tip chart; in other words, for those that have trouble multiplying, actual numbers are given. (And, of course, these are only suggestions.)

Stamp of approval

                              

Dividing by 2

An admission of guilt – or wide-eyed, stupid innocence: I’ve never taken an economics course; so I know nothing of how economists do what they do. I have always assumed, however, that it involved numbers; and that suggested to me that they would be able to add, subtract, multiply, and divide across more than one scenario.

However. And correct me if I’m wrong.

I came across this article this morning: “How Health Care Creates Wage Inequality” by Robert Samuelson. “You can add health care to the causes of growing wage inequality in America,” Samuelson begins. And, “it’s simple arithmetic” according to Mark Warshawsky of the Mercatus Center at George Mason University. But here’s the way the “arithmetic” works – Samuelson’s “simple example.”

Assume an imaginary company with two employees: one makes $50,000 a year, the other $100,000. Suppose that the firm has purchased a family health plan, costing $12,000, for each. So the company’s total compensation costs — wages, salaries and fringe benefits, including health insurance — are $112,000 for the higher-paid worker and $62,000 for the lower-paid employee.

part of the twos table

Now look what happens when the company decides to raise its annual compensation costs by 5 percent, but health-care spending is increasing 10 percent. The insurance cost goes up $1,200 (that’s 10 percent of $12,000). This reduces what’s left for wages. The lower-paid worker receives an overall compensation gain of $3,100 (5 percent of $62,000), but after deducting the $1,200, only $1,900 is left for wages. Meanwhile, the higher-paid worker receives a $5,600 gain, which — after deducting $1,200 for insurance — leaves $4,400 for wages.

Presto, wage inequality has increased. Even though the company raised its compensation package by 5 percent for all workers, the wage and salary gap between the best- and worst- paid workers widened. Pursuing one type of equality (health coverage) inadvertently worsened another type of inequality (wages and incomes).

But – again, correct me if I’m wrong – what if the company doesn’t want to “worsen” one type of inequality for the sake of another type of equality? It’s simple arithmetic. In this instance, it takes the total left for wages, $6,300 ($1,900 + $4,400) and divides by 2, giving each worker a wage increase of $3,150.

     How hard is that?

Lower court rules on second amendment*

          A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, 
          the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.

A modest proposal: those that keep and bear arms shall be (regardless of age or gender or anything else) subject to draft into a well-regulated militia and sent immediately to wherever national security . . . well, actually, wherever.

(Granted, this immediate posting involves time travel (to 1939), but we said . . . wherever!)
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* Lower than low: the court of public opinion that meets at Corner Coffee on Thursdays.

Originalist Idiots' Pictorial Guide to the 2nd Amendment.

This is a musket. The owner has bullets, wadding, etc. enough for 6 shots with which to provide his family protein for the winter.

This should be protected by the 2nd Amendment.

* * * * *

This is an effing AR-15. The owner has enough ammunition to kill 50+ people in practically no time.

This (with all its brothers, sisters, aunts, uncles, and cousins) should be put on a barge, taken to the most desolate - the uttermost - part of the sea, and drowned.

1. W J C

Who else?

with the future first lady.

2. K K (& K)

Surely Kardashian would help with both the women’s stay-at-home-in-mom’s-basement-and-watch-cable vote. Plus, Kanye as second-spouse: wow!

3. D R

 

Rodman would like to be Ambassador to North Korea after Trump pulls a Nixon and opens up diplomatic relations. But he’d relinquished that cherished dream to run as The Donald’s number 2.

The Trump Store*

under Accessories -

Team Trump Funeral Fans
$12.95 / dozen

 concept by m ball

Last week we presented Chris Cillizza's Trump VP possibilities. Coming tomorrow we present our own best choices : three running mates that could put The Donald over The Top. 

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* www.trumpstore1016.com 

This is a really BIG deal! Just ask.

¡Hillary wins Puerto Rico!

Yay!

Joe Btfsplk*

The Washington Post’s Chris Cillizza has identified five people Donald Trump might tap for vice president. As a service to our readers (all half dozen), we have been providing one-minute biographies of these five: Iowa Senator Joni Ernst, Senator Bob Corker of Tennessee, New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, Oklahoma Governor Mary Fallin, and last, long-time political hack,

under a cloud since the early 70s

Newt Gingrich, (Newton Leroy) representative from Georgia’s sixth congressional district 1979-1999, minority whip 1989-1995, and speaker of the house 1995-1999 before resigning under a cloud, reprimanded for an ethics violation.

     Like Trump Gingrich has been married three times, each following an affair and each to a younger woman than the woman before.*

     Before he became a professional, paid politician (before he became whatever he is now), Gingrich taught history and geography at West Georgia College. Denied tenure he left in 1978. But then he did get the House gig.

     We should say that the former speaker’s divorces and re-marriages were the result of, as he pointed out in an interview with the Christian Broadcasting Network, “how passionately [he feels] about this country.”

     Cillizza writes that Gingrich was “a relatively early supporter of Trump,” having the kind of rubbery ethical spine the presumptive candidate appreciates. On the other hand, a fervent admirer of Dick Cheney, whose rubbery spine was made of linked steel, Gingrich may hope . . . .

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*With apologies to the Al Capp character, who though he was the world’s worst jinx was also always well-meaning.

**His first wife – also his high school geometry teacher – was seven years Gingrich’s senior.

Past Tense

“Paul Ryan in many ways is the antithesis of Donald Trump; he’s everything that Donald Trump is not. He’s a decent human being. He is a conservative. He is steeped in public policy. He cares about ideas. He’s a person who conducts himself with civility and grace in public life. He doesn’t put down his opponents.”  - Peter Wehner, a former policy aide to President George W. Bush and a personal and ideological compatriot of Ryan’s for two decades.

We can put that in the past tense now: “Paul Ryan used to be the antithesis of Donald Trump; he used to be everything Trump is not. He used to be a decent human being. He used to be a conservative. He used to care about ideas.” No longer!

Fall in!

The Washington Post’s Chris Cillizza has identified five people Donald Trump might tap for vice president. As a service to our readers (all half dozen), we continue one-minute biographies of these five: Iowa Senator Joni Ernst, Senator Bob Corker of Tennessee, New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, and ...

The state vegetable of Oklahoma
is the watermelon.

The 27th governor of Oklahoma, Mary Fallin. A life-long pol, Fallin was also lieutenant governor for 12 years before serving two terms in the U.S. House. She has said she supports Trump “100 percent” and that she’s honored to be mentioned as a possible vice presidential choice; she’d definitely consider an offer. A Kappa Alpha at OU, she is twice married, to a dentist and a lawyer, both men.

Addendum. “You know you’re going to get shit about this,” Ted said. “Yes”, I said, “I know.” “And you know why.” “Yes. But I could say I was trying to look at it from Trump’s own point of view.” “Were you?” “You could say that.”

     “But what else should you say?” “I suppose that she was the first woman to serve as both lieutenant governor and governor of Oklahoma, the second woman elected to congress from the state; that she ordered the state’s National Guard facilities to deny spousal benefits to same-sex couples, she’s signed 18 anti-abortion measures into law, and she has gone on record as saying that she will refuse to comply with Environmental Protection Agency regulations to reduce carbon emissions - in fact she issued an executive order prohibiting state agencies from coming up with any emissions reduction strategy under the Clean Power Plan, the first governor, male or female, to do that.”

     “Better.” “Good enough?” “Better."

The round mound of unwound.

The Washington Post’s Chris Cillizza has identified five people Donald Trump might tap for vice president. As a service to our readers (all half dozen), we continue one-minute biographies of these five. The day before yesterday Iowa Senator Joni Ernst, yesterday Senator Bob Corker of Tennessee, today . . .

 

the round mound of unwound

Chris Christie, the 55th Governor of New Jersey, whose most effective predecessor, Wouter van Twiller (1633-38), purchased Nut Island—now, ironically, Governor's Island—from Canarsee tribe for two axe heads, a string of beads, and some nails and, more crucially, drove back a mob of rapist Virginians pushing up from the south trying to settle the Delaware Valley.

     Before becoming governor, Christie was U.S. Attorney of the District of New Jersey, where he doubled the size of the anti-corruption unit, so it could investigate Democratic Senator Bob Menendez for 5 years. (The investigation began during the race in which Menendez would defeat Christie’s mentor Tom Kean; Menendez was cleared in Oct 2011)

     Before that, the future governor served as a lobbyist, representing the securities industry’s attempt “to block the inclusion of securities fraud under the state’s Consumer Fraud Act.” (Christie’s wife Mary Pat Mary Pat has worked on Wall Street for Cantor Fitzgerald and Angelo, Gordon & Co.)

     Before that, born in Newark, Christie grew up in Livingston, where he was a catcher on the high school baseball team. Christie is an avid sports fan, showing up in sky boxes at Citi Field and AT&T stadium.

As candidate for governor, Christie proposed a 10 percent income tax for all state residents, but as governor he targeted his proposal at people earning less than $400,000 per year. Those above would pay 9 percent or less. He vetoed bill that would raise the minimum wage and became pro-choice. As a candidate, Christie said he would support aggressive enforcement of state gun laws, but as governor he vetoed legislation that would have reduced the legal size of ammunition magazines. He’s a fracker.

Christie launched his own presidential campaign in late June of last year. But he dropped out of the race after the New Hampshire primary and threw in with Trump, who named him to head of a transition team when he defeated “crooked Hillary.”

     Christie’s edge in the VP sweepstakes, besides his early sell-out, is in his well-deserved reputation as a successful busker of profane bluster unsupported by facts. He also possesses the kind of petty but pompous payback personality – say that five times fast without smiling – petty but pompous payback personality that Trump appreciates.