Washington DC says they don’t want Sam Walton to open any stores in our national capital. It seems the city council is concerned that unless Wal-Mart offers to pay everyone twelve dollars an hour, they won’t find anyone willing to work there. Wal-Mart figures they can get enough good workers signed up at eight dollars an hour, but the councilmen say they know their city better than a company in Arkansas.
I wonder if Detroit would welcome a new Wal-Mart.
Detroit is bankrupt. It’s been bankrupt for several years, but is just now admitting it. Detroit was a fine city, a regular boomtown that ranked right up there with Chicago, Cleveland, Pittsburgh, Boston and Baltimore. You hate to see it go under. If he was still around, I would turn the whole city over to Henry Ford. Or maybe Donald Trump. He knows all about bankruptcy and how to get out of it.
If Detroit was good farmland, it might sell for $10,000 an acre, or about $1 Billion total. But as is, even China with all their spare cash wouldn’t be interested at a dollar an acre. Maybe Canada would take it off our hands if we promised to build a new bridge. You know, when you have a mortgage of $18 Billion, and your income before expenses is only $1 Billion, there aren’t many suitors.
The Affordable Care Act is being delayed, partly. The President has asked our famous pro football, basketball and baseball players to brag about how good the new healthcare plan is for them and the country. I’m not sure the average worker is going to be persuaded by young men who make over a million a year and have all their injuries and illnesses taken care of by their teams. What some of those athletes need is coverage of bail and lawyer fees.
We are still in a recession. Yes, the stock market is back up where it was five years ago. But the unemployment and underemployment numbers are hardly budging. More people than ever are on food stamps and other welfare programs. In fact for the first time there are more people receiving assistance than there are working in business and industry. That never happened during the Great Depression, although plenty of people needed help.
William Wilkins, one of the President’s men at the IRS in Washington, seems to be the one causing headaches for non-profit Conservative organizations, not just a couple of IRS agents in Cincinnati. Like an old time college basketball team with a 2-point lead and 5 minutes to go, Wilkins figured he could win the game by dribbling out the clock. And he did; he froze the ball until the election was over. Now he’s hoping the referees don’t show up and admit they saw him hide the ball under his shirt.
The aftermath of the Zimmerman trial and the anticipation of Queen Elizabeth’s new great-grandchild are battling for time on TV. President Obama stepped in with heartfelt personal comments about Trayvon Martin. Everyone is eager for continued progress in relations among all the races. And Kate is eager to please the Queen.
Historic quotes by Will Rogers:
“Every time Detroit outgrows Henry Ford he has to go in and save ‘em again.” DT #2051, March 1, 1933
“See this morning where the Supreme Court says Negroes in Texas have the right to vote at Democratic primaries. Certainly will seem funny to see Negroes and the whites voting the same ticket. First thing you know they will be allowing a white Republican to associate with a white Democrat in the South… (I’m) for quality in politics regardless of quantity and color.” DT #191, March 8, 1927