The Lazy American

I understand the protests, and I understand the message that they are trying to convey. At least for the most part, I do. What I do not understand, however, is the location that it all started, and the negative light it has cast on Wall Street as a result.

Wall Street (the New York Stock Exchange) isn’t just composed of big banks and car makers that received enormous bail outs. No. Those companies only make up a small percentage of the stocks and bonds traded each day on the NYSE. So how is it that most of the American population is now associating Wall Street to the recent economic down turn of the nation (And to some extent, the global economy)? You can thank the “Occupy Wall Street” movement for doing so. Let’s face it, a vast majority of the American public doesn’t understand how the NYSE works on a 25,000 foot level, so it’s no wonder they are now associating the bad economy to Wall Street and the NYSE.

So what should the protesters have done in the first place? They should have protested in front of those businesses that received bail out money and have not made an attempt to pay it back. They should protest everywhere but Wall Street, as that’s not where action is needed in order to fix the current economic crisis we are currently in. In fact, the NYSE allows other businesses to earn money by selling stocks this way they can finance other activities, such as research and development in order to raise the nation’s slumping GDP. Wall Street and the NYSE is needed now more than ever in order to help the economy stay afloat. If you take it out of the picture, the economy would certainly collapse as a result.

Let them do their jobs in peace on Wall Street, and take the protests to the door steps of the businesses and people that have gotten us into the mess. Elections are right around the corner – It’s time for us to find someone who is going to go into office with the notion that they are a one term president and try to fix a system that is at its knees and ready to die.

Karl Marx predicted that capitalism would eventually give way to socialism, and eventually pure communism. Could Marx be right? Many people threw Marx’s ideas out the window decades ago. However, with all of the events that have happened within the last five years, it’s probably got some people wondering whether or not Marx was on to something when he made his observations and predictions about capitalism. Certainly by the United States creating a pseudo-social-class system by means of tiered taxation sets us up for Marx’s prediction of the working class vs. upper class (Business owners). Marx predicted that the working class will become exploited by the upper class and as a result revolt, fight back, and re-claim the means for production, passing it to the hands of the common people, rather than one person. Thus, as a result socialism leads way to pure communism.

Could Marx be right? Could this be the beginning of  a catastrophic economic down turn that will lead way to civil war, followed by socialism and communism? Could we be at the very start of history?

Have you ever driven past a construction site on the highway only to see one or two guys working, and the other 8 or so standing around talking and watching the other 2 work? Now ask yourself, how many times have you seen this occur? Probably several times a month if you live in a heavily populated area where there’s normally a lot of road work being done. Statistically speaking, the probability of you driving by a construction site and seeing this occurance several times a month is pretty low – or at least it ought to be. But it happens more than one can recall.

This isn’t a post bashing construction workers. It’s just a classic example of a situation that is played out over and over in almost every line of work. It’s called Pareto’s Law and it states that 20 percent of the work force produces 80 percent of the work produced, and the other 80 percent of the workforce produces the other 20 percent of the work load. Think about where you work. This rule probably applies to there as well.

The funny part is, 100% of the work force believes that they are performing at maximum capacity, though this is not the case. According to Pareto’s Law, 1/5 of you reading this produce the bulk of the output at your place of work, the other 4/5 try to do as little as possible in order to just get by and collect a pay check.

So where do you fit in?

Times have changed, and American firms need to become more efficient and cut out the fat in order to stay afloat. (I do realize fat is buoyant, but in that context, it doesn’t serve the same purpose) Reform is needed in order to get the economy back on track, and it seems as though no one has the guts to do it.

We need to boost our GDP as high as possible, thus improving the value of the dollar against other currencies that are currently worth much more than the dollar. How can we boost our GDP? For starters, American businesses need to take a good hard look at their work force and do one of two things: Motivate them in order to work more efficiently, or dismiss those who are not producing work at proper standards and hire someone who will fill the position. The unemployment rate is high enough, this can certainly be done with realitive ease at this point.

By focusing on the 80 percent of the work force that is only producing 20 percent of the output, firms will see a huge increase in the efficiency of their operations and allow them to move on to bigger and better ventures.

Is this the only way to boost the GDP? No. There are many other things that need to be addressed in order to increase the value of the dollar such as inflation and the national debt, however a good start would be for business leaders to address laziness in the work place.

Newsflash: It’s 2011, not 1923! Unions are a thing of the past. They had their time and place, and they served a valid purpose back in the early 1900s to even the playing field.

It’s time for unions to go. They cause more harm that good, and aim to disrupt the lives and business of those who aren’t even associated with the union. Or better yet, if union X strikes, then union C (Who has nothing to do with union X) hears about the strike, then decides to stop work as well for what reason? Because it’s what unions do.

How can a totally unrelated union be influenced by another union? The answer to that is simple: They are brain-washed and just strike because they think it’s right, and it’s what it’s supposed to do.

Over the years I have gotten the impression that unions are no longer together for advancing employee benefits and improve the work place, but instead they are solely in existence to strong arm the employer into giving them anything and everything they want “or else”. What these workers fail to realize is that the economy isn’t what it once was 12 years ago. Gas isn’t 79 cents a gallon, and the housing market isn’t booming here in the United States as it once was.

It’s a numbers game, and they can’t seem to grasp that concept. If a business owner cannot afford to use union-sanctioned work because the bid was too high, then they are going with the cheaper bid because it’s what business is all about. Margins are thing enough as it is, and business owners can’t spare money on services that they can have rendered for cheaper.

Are unions a sign that America is getting lazy when it comes to working? To some degree, yes. Why should the entire union receive benefits if in reality only the top 4 percent has been busting their asses to get the job done and get it done right? Chances are the bottom 25 percent shouldn’t even be considered for a raise, yet because they are union, they still receive some benefits just because they are a member.

How is this fair to the top 4 percent of workers who really deserve benefits? It’s not. How is it fair to the employer? It’s not. How is this fair to the consumer who then has to pay higher prices because the employer was forced to pay out more wages? It’s not. How is this better for the economy as a whole rather than just focusing on one union? It’s not.

How are unions beneficial to the common good of society in 2011?

They’re not.

I have experience with several people who have mysteriously fallen “ill” and can no longer function properly at work, or in any other setting for that matter. Prior to falling “ill”, these people were perfectly fine, and in fact were good employees who were certainly an asset to my business. Then, one day out of the blue, they began to be plagued by this mystery illness in which it prevented them from showing up on time, performing the essential functions of their jobs, and basically producing quality work that they once did.

So just what exactly was this mystery illness that had over come these individuals? Doctors couldn’t give them a straight answer. No matter who they went to, they could not have one doctor or one specialist even tell them with 80% confidence that they knew what the problem was. Perhaps – and I even suggested this to one of the employees who was “ill” – that they should go and try to find Doctor House since he deals with cases like he had.

Fast forward several months later after each making about 10 trips to the emergency room and they are beginning to make headway to obtain benefits from the state because of their disability.

Hold on. What?

You mean the state is actually going to give them some money because they are “disabled”, but not one doctor has actually said they were suffering from some documented illness?

These people have found a way to work the system, and are using it to their advantage. They are taking money away from those who really need it and should receive benefits from the state because they aren’t capable of working.

None of the people from the above example suffered from anything prior to claiming that they were “ill”.

I believe that this mystery illness is nothing more than sheer laziness in which they no longer want to work. They figure several hundred dollars from the state will be enough for them to live on if they have a partner who is also working to provide them with money.

So what do these people do when they collect disability for basically having nothing wrong with them? Do they try to give back to society or improve themselves by taking a college course, or maybe even stay physically active by going to the gym or walking regularly? No. Instead they sit around at home and live it up like a 14-year-old kid would do who has no responsibilities or obligations in life.

Certainly someone should blow the whistle on these people and others who are obviously abusing the system because they are out there, and they do exist and they are taking money away from others who rightfully deserve it.

I’m not writing to discuss prescription drugs that are used responsibly and under the supervision of a licensed care-giver. Instead, I am writing about the drugs that people abuse to escape reality. It’s a fine line to walk as it’s turning into a heated debate as to whether or not certain substances should be illegal.

Drugs tend to be used to deal with problems that are being experienced by the user. Whether it’s stress caused by work, stress caused by schooling, or stress caused by relationship woes. Generally speaking, a person’s obsession starts small, and keeps on growing until it consumes them and everyone else around them. This rampant drug use contributes to the downward trend of our economy and needs to be dealt with accordingly.

I am not talking about your sixteen year-old daughter who is trying drugs for the first time, I am talking about your 25,30,45 year-old who has a drug problem that has kept them out of a stable job all of their lives and on well fare and unemployment for a good portion of their adult lives.

How is this situation good for America? How is it that these people have gone undetected for so long and are still able to leech off of the rest of the working class Americans who remain true to their morals and resist drugs?

From my vantage point in a suburban area of New York City and Philadelphia, the problem of heavy drug usage is on the rise, and nothing is being done about it. Routinely I over-hear stories about people receiving DUIs, only to be back walking the streets the next day. I have known people who have been arrested for possession of an illegal substance, only to be released several hours after being taken into custody. Our methods of dealing with these offenses is ineffective and need to be adjusted to reflect the way things have changed over the years.

I certainly don’t think these people should be walking the streets the very next day after being booked. They need to spend some good quality time behind bars so they can think about whether or not what they have done was worth it. Maybe then they won’t brag about it the next day like it’s a joke.

I’m all for the government staying out of people’s personal lives as much as possible. However when you are operating a vehicle on the roads, then yes, I do think it is appropriate for the government to step in and take those who are not fit or may not eventually be fit to drive off of the roads for the safety of other drivers.

One of my biggest pet-peeves has to be call outs at work. There are instances where it is necessary to call out of work: A severe illness or injury, a family member or close friend dies, or something else that doesn’t happen regularly such as a house fire or car accident. However, when you make it a point to call out several times a month because you are feeling run down, then it is time to re-evaluate yourself and really think just how serious you are about tackling the concept of life.

As stated in the About page, I work in the restaurant industry so my employees are a little different than those who work in down town Manhattan in the financial sector. One thing I do know without question is that both still need the same basic necessities as anyone else: Food, water, clothing and shelter. But how is it one can simply write their job off as an annoyance, and the other will take it more seriously and make sure they are employed?

My beef is simply this: I interview countless people and hire countless people, and for the most part they all tell me the same story. They all say how they really need a job, and by them not having a job, they are getting further and further behind each and everyday. Wow. That’s profound thinking! Someone that actually realizes what’s important and what’s not important in life! So they get hired. Here’s usually what happens next: They work three days, call out the fourth day, and then work another week and stop showing up. That’s it. About ten days in and they are already tired and need a break.

So where is this roaring work ethic I was told they had during the interview? Wait? You mean to tell me they lied? Here’s a word to all of you up and coming managers: Take everything said at an interview at face-value. It’s neither true or false. It’s a statement and only that. Everyone knows what qualities make up a good worker, but actions speak louder than words.

I was once told by someone that, “people like the ‘idea’ of working”.

By making it a tradition to call out frequently from work, you are not only hurting yourself financially, but the other people you work for that have to either pick up the slack for you, or sacrifice their own hard-earned time off with their families to cover your shift on the basis that you are too lazy to grind it out and earn a paycheck that you can honestly say, “Yes. I worked hard for this money, and it feels good”.

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