The Liberal Mind – there are so many of them

George Rebane

On Saturday mornings I cook a big breakfast centered around a multi-layered frittata (dubbed Eggs Rebane in the family) and sautéed vegetables all served with toasted slices from one of my artisan breads (have baked all our bread since 1998).  Jo Ann makes the coffee, cuts my vegetables, and then gets to sit down as Lynne Warfel on KXJZ plays musical hits from the movies in the background.  We then start munching and dive into the morning newspapers (The Union and WSJ) with our trusty iPad at the ready for in-depth research.

Opening this morning’s newspapers for the 50Kft scan I noted two pieces in The Union that deserved a thorough read, and one little bagatelle from a local lefty that was whimsically ensconced in the ‘far right’ column of the op-ed page.  There we are informed by a Ms Jane Calbreath that “capitalism is an ‘ism’ and it has created more poverty in our country over the past thirty five years, exactly because it has become runaway hoarding of wealth by the very rich, who seem to have no end to their greed.”  Wasn’t quite sure how to picture her revelation – were there mattresses in big mansions all over the country overstuffed with $100 bills, gold bars galore buried in hidden concrete bunkers, …?  A little googling revealed that her wisdom was acquired from the California Institute of Integral Studies and her higher learning certified with degrees in Transpersonal Studies and Organizational Development and Transformation.  I leave the reader to puzzle out the kind of organizations that would pay this woman a living wage.

That little nugget served as a proper segue to Mr Darrell Berkheimer’s column.  He is another one of The Union’s progressive pundits who regularly share their insights.  I don’t know the man other than by his columns, and that he has authored three(?) books and “studied at Temple University”.  He explains that ‘When buying power plummets’ its ripple effects draw the country into a vicious cycle that can only end in economic calamity, and presumably a crisis of governance.   The causes of the current vicious cycle are the greedy employers and the ignorant rich.  But take heart, Berkheimer’s curative for the whole thing is simple and comprehensive – “provide a more equitable share of profits to those who produce the products and services”.  These monies, and those clawed back from overpaid management, will release the needed funds to re-establish America’s middle class with ample wages and benefits that will restore their buying power and our economy.

His poster child solution to all this is Costco which has “proven that providing good benefits and paying employees well will yield more stability” and provide “happier employees” who will “build the customer base and produce little turnover”.   Unfortunately, the concept that Temple University omitted from his curriculum was the effects of sales volume and efficiencies of scale.  Costco is able to pay their remaining employees so well because in their ‘big box’ business model - banned in Nevada County - their current revenue is more than $830K per employee (here and more here), with past levels having exceeded this figure.  Such sales productivity levels are not possible for the thousands of smaller businesses that do not scale well and cannot command these sales volumes.  And therefore these businesses must pay lower wages, or get by with a fraction of an employee, or fold.  (What is more cynical is that Costco is a major contributor to Democrat causes, apparently with the understanding that the progressive elites in politics and the media don’t blow their cover to the great unwashed.  To which cohort does Mr Berkheimer belong?)

Nowhere in his palliative does he recognize, let alone see the impacts of stifling government regulations, high corporate taxes, and the substitution of advancing technology for ever more burdensome human labor.  As with his socialist brethren, the man’s solutions come from the mythical well of abundant unrequited altruism practiced abundantly.  I complained that Ms Hodge could not connect the dots (here) in her lament about the country’s un- and under-employment.  Here Mr Berkheimer demonstrates to the thinking reader that he cannot even see the dots to be connected.

To be fair, The Union also included a column by Mr Manny Montes – ‘Genesis of socialism is that of communism, fascism’ – that, while not directly addressing Berkheimer’s errors of commission and omission, attempts to give some perspective and balance to the strong liberal voices in the newspaper.  And so we are informed in these tranquil foothills in this most unusual of election years.

 

Comments

[Walt]

"Ignorant rich"??? They sure didn't get that way by being dumb. Only a LIB mind could make that link.

[fish]

But take heart, Berkheimer’s curative for the whole thing is simple and comprehensive – “provide a more equitable share of profits to those who produce the products and services”. These monies, and those clawed back from overpaid management, will release the needed funds to re-establish America’s middle class with ample wages and benefits that will restore their buying power and our economy.

Simple and comprehensive indeed....and reminiscent of comedian Steve Martins instructions on "how to become a millionaire and never pay taxes".......first.....get a million dollars!

[Account Deleted]

Once again, we see the simple minds trying to figure it out. Never does it occur to the leftistas that stuff does not spring forth out of thin air. They never come up with actual numbers. Exactly how much will they need to redistribute to who and by what mechanism will this be accomplished? Ben and Jerrys already tried the stupid trick of only paying their CEO a set multiple of the lowest paid employee and they couldn't find a competent person willing to work for that small an amount. What sort of laws or rules will be needed to "make it fair"? And what is fair? And who gets to decide? Mr Berkheimer means well, but he doesn't understand how a healthy economy works.
To say that it runs on sales is true only to the extent that the money earned for the purchases came from a free market where the earners produced value in proportion to what capital they had to spend. Most every American would be incensed if the govt were to follow them around the store to tell them what to buy and how much they are to pay for their purchase. Yet a growing number of Americans think it's OK to let the govt intrude in the same way when an employer shops for labor. You can not have it both ways. We should strive for a free market or just be honest and admit we want mommy govt to make all of the decisions.

[Bill Tozer]

Wonder how much outside sales people are allowed to make? Or how many green makes a sole proprietor landscaper is allowed to make/keep since he is not punching the time clock.

Scott, where have you been? The workers own the factories, duh. Just let the gobberment run them for the workers. And run them into the ground.

I have been in the old USSR a couple of decades ago. No rent, free health care, everybody working. A water pump for a Soviet car took 6 months to get. My host worked as a professor at the University of Moscow and lived in a one room apartment with her parents and brother and son. Ah, white collar types got it better. If the parents wanted to go play hide the salami, then everyone just turned their heads. Just normal to them. And I saw something I had never seen before. People walking around with wooden chops. Free dental. Oh, the heating in freezing Moscow in my host's apartment was a "stovepipe" that run up the building and radiated heat from the furnace way down in the basement. The lucky professional ones like my host lived higher up and got more heat rising.
But the subways looked like art museums, complete with beautiful marble floors and walls and fine art. No litter anywhere. And every grammer school had an armed (with rifle) military or police personnel (the same thing) standing in front during school hours.
Free rent, everybody had a job. Doctor made about the same as the long haul truck drivers. Wheat rotting on the docks and lines for bread. The ones driving the Mercedes were all party members. Free rent, healthcare, and the government owned the factories. What possibly could go wrong??

[Bill Tozer]

And no unemployed, serial killers, or homosexuals. Zero. Just ask the Party bosses.

[Walt]

Remember that rich LIB who decided to pay ALL his workers 70(?) grand no matter what they did? Even if he had to pay them out of his own pocket. Last I heard, that came back to bight him in the ass. He wound up renting out his house, and lived in a tent in the back yard. So I stand corrected about my above post. He inherited the company I do believe.
Maybe someone can recall just who that was.

[Account Deleted]

I think this is the guy - the real story is about an allegedly abusive husband and an apparently some what absent minded CEO. Can't seem to remember just when it was he was sued by his own brother.
http://www.bloomberg.com/features/2015-gravity-ceo-dan-price/
But ask him anything else - just don't ask about the law suit.

[George Boardman]

Inqiring minds want to know:

--Did the eggs come from cage-free hens, or one of those egg factories in the Midwest?
--Were the vegetables organic and sustainably grown, or did they come from a factory farm?
--Did you purchase the veggies at Briar Patch or from one of friendly local organic farmers, or from some soul-less supermarket chain?
--Finally, did the coffee your wife prepared pass the fair trade test?

I do note that we have at least one thing in common: I too enjoy Lynne Warfel's "Saturday Cinema" program.

[Bill Tozer]

The answer is bar-b-que meat to all questions.

[Bill Tozer]

SNL's opening skit for us who do not watch the TV.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=sogdv5mI78w

[Walt]

Bill! How did you know!?? Beef ribs in the smoker as I type!
Soaked in a special blend of Early Times bourbon, and Worcestershire sauce, and butter.
I saved a wonderful stick of oak firewood just for this day.

The dogs will eat well tonight.

[Don Bessee]

WOOF WOOF!

[George Rebane]

GeorgeB 1129am - Full disclosure - I haven't got a clue other than all of my insensitive ingredients probably came from the local Safeway ("soul-less supermarket chain") because that's where my bride shops. But I can say that as the growing season kicks in, our veggies will come from the 'Rebane Farm' - all 152sqft of it - until about the end of October.

[Todd Juvinall]

I get my groceries at Burger King

[Bill Tozer]

Who eats weeds. Hold the pickle, hold the lettuce.

[Walt]

My T-shirt says,," If GOD wanted us to eat vegetables, he would have made them more fun to shoot" ( with a set of crosshairs on a head of cabbage.) The best way to dice up a melon is with a 45. GMO or organic. Organic just means more expensive.

[Bill Tozer]

The German Constitution? How about the fine tuned Liberal Mind being not compatible with the US Costitution as well.

https://www.yahoo.com/news/islam-not-compatible-german-constitution-says-afd-party-151107877.html

[Walt]

OK LIBS, wrap your LIB mind around this...
http://dailycaller.com/2016/04/17/this-chart-shows-what-your-paycheck-will-look-like-under-bernie-sanders-tax-plan/
You can bet the farm that it will actually be more when the calculator batteries go dead.
The real "burn" will be the smoking hole in your wallet.

[Bill Tozer]

Da liberal fine tuned mind:

https://www.facebook.com/thepatriotnationredux/photos/a.210738495749786.1073741828.210732882417014/629714827185482/?type=3&theater

https://www.facebook.com/RowdyConservatives/photos/a.217983685002343.55586.217926015008110/828909737243065/?type=3&theater

[Gregory]

Here's a (left) liberal mind on parade, on a local left of center blog:

"jon smith says:
April 16, 2016 at 9:31 am

Douglas-
I never looked for a local alternate bike shop around here until Duane showed his stripes. Our family (like most) votes with its wallet. A few weeks ago my wife, son and I had our bikes tuned at [alternative shop identity deleted], and its discovery is one of the few positive fallouts from this election cycle so far."

Let's see, a mom, a dad with no discernible mechanical skills and with an unmistakable dislike for political diversity, and a son. Who could it be? Gloria Zane?

For the record, I've never, ever, avoided a shop because of their politics and think it disgusting anyone would actively try to sink a local business for something besides the quality of their work and their business practices. Advertisers in Sierra Food|Wine|Art take note. Even if a real, flesh and blood "jon smith" is found to take ownership of the comment, Pelline is hosting this effort.

[George Boardman]

I'm in the market for a new mountain bike, and I just may drive up to Nevada City instead of going down the hill.

[George Rebane]

Speaking of voting with your wallet, the 'farm to fork' and 'farm to table' movements are getting a closer scrutiny, and the results are opening eyes across the country. Here's the latest from a food reporter in the Tampa Bay area entitled 'Farm to Fable' -
http://www.wsj.com/articles/notable-quotable-farm-to-fable-1460930579

Also, a good article by Mr Boardman on getting the IRS to come clean on its political shenanigans in today's (18apr16) Union.
http://www.theunion.com/news/21635697-113/george-boardman-mecklers-fight-to-make-irs-come

[rl crabb]

I couldn't "see" the WSJ article, but I did attend last summer's Fork to Face extravaganza in Nevada City. Being a former cook, I understand how difficult it is to present a great dinner to such a large crowd, but I hope those folks learn from the mistakes they made. The chicken was burned on the outside and raw on the inside. Hardly worth $100 a plate. Other than that, it was still a fun experience.

[Brad C.]

Bob, it is probably this one. I had to google Tampa Bay + farm to table etc. to find it.

http://www.tampabay.com/projects/2016/food/farm-to-fable/restaurants/

It is not really solely a farm-to-table issue; it is about fraud. Fraud happens.

[Brad C.]

The "scammers" would probably say that they never said which "farm" the food was coming from. You have to know which restaurants you can trust. Not easy to do if you are just passing through a town and looking for food. The Yelpers need to bust these scammers so others know about them.
I like to know that a restaurant is using a reputable ranch for their beef, etc. It shows that the owners are looking out for their customers.
The term, "farm to table" does not really mean much. I prefer the term, "fork to face";)

[Gregory]

RL, apparently you were supposed to like the blackened sashimi chicken, it's the latest thing in 'Frisco.

Note to Jeffie, I'm not tied up in knots trying to guess the identity of the various sock puppets that show up, but when a "jon smith" (of which there are none in my copy of the local phone directory) paints a family picture of a dad that can't adjust his kid's bike taking his business away from a shop only because they don't hate the people they should hate because of your politics, it's easy to put two and two together. If "jon smith" wants to be known as a real person, he should come out of the FUE's closet.

"Jon", buy your kid a copy of "Anybody's Bike Book" or its modern equivalent "Zinn and the Art of Mountain|Road Bike Maintenance", buy them a small bicycle tool kit and CorrosionX in the red aerosol can.

[Brad C.]

Wait, Chicken of the Sea doesn't have chicken in it?

[Gregory]

One more for RL... are you sure the "raw" chicken was not cooked sous-vide? It could be hard for 100 people but maybe not... much can be done ahead of time, cooled down in an ice water bath and refrigerated for days before the dinner, then brought out, warmed up and browned.

My son caught the sous-vide bug at the cooking as chemistry classes at Harvard, and both bought me a relatively inexpensive immersive sous-vide cooker and cooked a Christmas Eve duck (a family tradition) and a Christmas turkey by immersion... in warm water at a precisely controlled temperature. Decent lower division chemistry classes can revolve around such things... different chemical transformations happen at certain temperatures, and as long as the food is held at a pasteurizing temperature long enough to render the food safe to eat, that it looks raw is deceiving. Bring it up to a higher temperature and it can look well done because it is... but it is no safer to eat.

It takes a leap of faith to eat what looks like rare turkey or rare chicken at the lower sous-vide temperatures but it both tastes divine and survives a microwave warming the leftovers in the days after. At the moment, I've a couple small tri tip steaks in the kitchen counter hot tub at 132F that I'll finish off with a quick browning in a pan for dinner.

[Walt]

Now that's a good one Brad!!
I found another good one.
http://dailycaller.com/2016/04/19/bernie-sanders-once-kicked-out-of-a-hippie-commune-for-not-working/
A guy who was so worthless, and unable to make his way in the real world, manages to get elected, and still accomplished jack shit in all those years in office, now is running for President,, and actually getting votes... For doing nothing... Except promise a bunch of idiots free stuff, and taxing the shit out of everyone.

[Bill Tozer]

The liberals: A mind is a terrible thing to waste.

https://www.facebook.com/rightsrevoked/photos/a.201949999973080.1073741827.201009096733837/639014099599999/?type=3&theater

https://www.facebook.com/RowdyConservatives/photos/a.217983685002343.55586.217926015008110/831550856978953/?type=3&theater

https://www.facebook.com/RowdyConservatives/photos/a.217983685002343.55586.217926015008110/832016553599050/?type=3&theater

https://www.facebook.com/RowdyConservatives/photos/a.217983685002343.55586.217926015008110/832187236915315/?type=3&theater

[Bill Tozer]

More of the many liberal minds group think.

https://www.facebook.com/BeingLiberalMeansBeingAHypocrite2/photos/a.517012145031998.1073741826.517008448365701/1036877926378748/?type=3&theater

[Gregory]

Here's a left-liberal big government mindset for you... I happened upon a management type from Nevada County's transit department earlier today and I asked him why there isn't decent service from the Nevada County Airport into town... and the transit department, with the parking for the buses, is co-located with the airport administration building. They are right there.

Apparently there is a line that stops nearby occasionally, but there is no information about it at the airport.

"There's no demand for it".

But people fly in and need to get into town. How are they supposed to use a service if there no information about it?

To make a longer story short... he had a heartfelt solution... 'Make all the buses free, then people will be using it more and we can provide more service to more places'.

To paraphrase PJ O'Rourke on healthcare, if you think transportation in this county is expensive now, just wait 'till it's free.

[Jon]

Glad to see Gregory supporting additional mass transit options into town from that very busy Nevada County Airport.

[fish]

Posted by: Jon | 20 April 2016 at 03:55 PM

As timely as todays last post.......and quite indistinguishable from satire.

[Jon]

you're onto something there fish. Good job!

[Jon]

fish, what's your take on the govt. pushing Old Andrew Jackson to the proverbial "back of the bus"?

[fish]

Posted by: Jon | 20 April 2016 at 04:44 PM

I would have preferred that they go with their original plan.....the demotion of the unapologetic statist Hamilton on the $10.

[Gregory]

"Jon"'s reading comprehension is at its usual low setting; The transportation orifice is at the airport, yet there's no information about the line that exists to that spot for arrivals, who then have to call a taxi. It isn't about "additional" mass transit from the airport... as of now, to an arrival, there ain't any that are apparent.

Were the transportation department in the 21st century, they'd have text based on-call to standard stops during off periods. They could even be paid via the text so they'd not be stuck with prank requests.

I've given folks rides in the past... one comical happenstance... walking to my car the pilot noticed my Grateful Dead license plate reference, and then introduced himself. We had deadhead friends in common and were both members of their email list. Small world.

[Jon]

No one really cares about the transportation options at the airport for arrivals. EOM. Good project for ya Gregory. Stay on em.

[Bill Tozer]

The fruit of the Liberal Tree.

http://m.kcra.com/news/Two-dozen-companies-commit-to-leaving-California/18533954

[Gregory]

Visitors to Grass Valley arriving at the airport do care, "Jon", and they don't care that you don't.

The transit people fret they don't have more ridership while they do little to make it accessible to folks who are infrequent users. The airport(s) are fairly obvious, as the arrivals quite obviously do not have cars and while it might be difficult to fathom for the left-liberal mind, pilots (especially airline pilots) are famously, ummm, frugal.

Better than the Stage would be Uber in the area but that isn't now. I've used that at airports elsewhere and they've figured out how to be easier and cheaper than cabs.

[Walt]

The "jon's" knowledge of (insert topic here) is vary limited.
Think of it as a flat tire. Things are great! it's only flat on the bottom.

[Bill Tozer]

Or maybe Jon is an optimist. Hope burns eternal. Like, gee, celebrating cause the wind stopped ripping his roof off all the while not knowing he is sitting in the eye in the hurricane.

But, Jon and I do agree on the best person to be in the White House in 2017.

https://www.facebook.com/RowdyConservatives/photos/a.217983685002343.55586.217926015008110/832292006904838/?type=3&theater

[Todd Juvinall]

"jon" really is not bright at all. He has a opinion on everything yet knows nothing about any of them. Ganga?

[Jon]

Get on that airport project Greg. There are just so many complaints from the many out of town visitors to the Nevada County Airport. Just think of it Gregory- you can actually be known for something...even get an article in the Union with your name in it..if you can succeed in getting new signs posted! Best of luck.

[Gregory]

Do you have to work at being a perfect ass, Jon, or do you just have a natural talent?

If the service was available, people would fly in knowing they could get into town without hassle. Your sarcasm is, as usual, inappropriate except as an illustration of the title of this post.

[Todd Juvinall]

You cannot rile a person stoned on ganja. I have noticed "jon" is always calm and asinine with all posters. Either it is weed or ludes affecting him and his personality which is really lacking here for spice. Oh well, the scourge of drugs on Bear Court.

[fish]

....and in due course the narrative is wrecked by the historical ineptitude of the Obama administration.

Posted by: Jon | 20 April 2016 at 04:44 PM

fish, what's your take on the govt. pushing Old Andrew Jackson to the proverbial "back of the bus"?

https://twitter.com/iowahawkblog/status/722822955982409733?lang=en

[Brad C.]

Re: airport transportation, uber or taxi seems like the best option. It is kind of a pain to take the bus since their scheduled stops seem few and far between sometimes. There are always those little folding bikes you can take with you in the plane. I would not want to have to pedal back up to the airport though.

While we are at it, a longer runway would be nice. It sucks to drive from my house to Sac, parking, checking bags, taking the "train" to the terminal and getting screened only to be put on a puddle jumper turboprop The whole rigamarole seems to take about 3 hours. Makes me just want to drive. It would be nice to have a commercial service to get you to SF or some other large airport for transfers- but that is life in the "country", I guess.

[Gregory]

Brad, unfortunately, Uber isn't an option in Nevada County and it isn't clear if it ever will be. A bus (they seem to come and go from the yard a lot more than twice a day) down the hill and a cab or a begged ride to get back would make it easier.

Columbia, the Gold Rush town on 49 to the south, gets a lot more tourist aircraft traffic than Grass Valley does and it's largely because you can actually walk from the airport to the tourist center, a nice and flat 'nature' trail that's a pleasant 10 minute walk. As long as all of Western Nevada County's buses live at the airport it would seem something with the buses could be done for no significant negative impact on their operating costs.

[Jon]

Then bring it up at a Supervisors Meeting for god's sake, instead of obsessing over it and beating this dead horse. The whole idea would have very little relative economic impact to help the area. Oh yes, so many people either own or charter small planes to travel around foothills towns in CA!

[Bill Tozer]

D
https://www.facebook.com/RowdyConservatives/photos/a.217983685002343.55586.217926015008110/832307376903301/?type=3&theater

https://www.facebook.com/RowdyConservatives/photos/a.217983685002343.55586.217926015008110/833065923494113/?type=3&theater

[Bill Tozer]

Oh, the liberal mind and its workings are a work of art.

https://www.facebook.com/lastamericapatriots/photos/a.235087906641439.1073741826.235086849974878/639140236236202/?type=3&theater