Posted inOpinion

Of Immigrants and Economics

Illegal immigrants impact on the economy.

One of the major reasons for the declining economy and unemployment numbers always seems to shift back to the illegal immigrants coming into the country and stealing jobs. Obviously we all know that large numbers of people are crossing our southern border for work, but how much are they really affecting the economy?
Now I am not much of an economy wizard, but something is a bit rotten on the whole “blame the illegals” thing. I had recently talked with a carpenter from California and he told me how his wage had dropped from $25 per hour to $21 per hour and (finally) to $16 an hour. The drop happened as the work force became more and more [Hispanic] in the house-building industry.
So when I asked him if the price of the houses dropped also he said “no, it increased.” So where is the extra money going? Say I am building a widget and it costs me $50 to build it. I sell it for $100 and make $50. I cut labor costs back so the cost to build is $25 and I sell it for $100. I now make $75 dollars off the widget. More money in my pocket.

Posted inOpinion

Serve Thy Master

Letter to the Editor.

One of our revered multibillionaires, a Koch brother, recently stated that they are the real doers in society and he has jobs for the people who don't want to work-in the prison! As inmates? Working through his Tea Potty people in Congress, he rightfully plans to eliminate all social government programs, except for the Giant War Machine-necessary to protect their interests in their slave markets and their world resources.
Global slavery is a huge plus. However, a 25-cents-an-hour Chinese worker for one of our billion-dollar companies in China dared to complain, wailing that [he] could not afford to feed his family on the going wage. Our global economy and unregulated capitalism function superbly and do not need wailers like him!
Take into account the 15-hour days and seven-day weeks and it adds up to a little over $100 a month. Our workers here have been lectured by our voodoo economists for years that they must learn to compete with their global counterparts or else! So the once well-paid jobs have all migrated to slave factories overseas. As it should be.

Posted inCulture

Mad Money

Wm.โ„ข Steven Humphrey lets readers in on his secrets to negotiation in light of the recent Mad Men contract delays.

Guess what, bottom-effers? Today marks my employer's most hated time of year, also known as “contract renegotiation day”! For me, it's like Christmas, Halloween, and Mardi Gras all rolled up into one. For my boss, it's more like 9/11, leukemia, and tofu wrapped in a poop tortilla. True, I've often been labeled a “difficult negotiator” – but I always get results! (Dear employer: spoiler alert ahead! Can you please excuse yourself, so I can reveal my most cunning negotiation secrets? THANKS.)

Posted inCulture

I Put a Spell on You: Embrace your inner dungeon dork… errr master

With its chunky graphics, clunky flow and collision-free combat, Dragon Age II feels a little long in the tooth.

Picture yourself walking into the middle of a camp of bandits, holding twin daggers at your sides. The bandits, surprised by your appearance, leap to their feet, drawing swords and knives, crowding around, moving in to attack. Then, from behind you, three tall, buxom women come striding into the camp. Two of them are holding long staves in their hands, the ends dripping with glowing magic energy. The other woman is wearing a guard’s suit of armor and is raising a broadsword over her head. Together, you look like Charlie’s Angels pimped out Dungeons & Dragons style!
Welcome to the enchanted land of Thedas!
Step into a world filled with magic! And not just any magic – magic caused by demons! A world where magic is treacherous and unpredictable. A world where mages and their demon consorts are hunted down and locked away by the government. But don’t worry – for some reason that doesn’t stop adventurers from always having a spellcaster or two along!

Posted inMusic

The Mountain Goats – All Eternals Deck

The opening song on All Eternals Deck (The Mountain Goats' millionth record) depicts brave young cowboys who must crawl till dawn in order to survive the abuse of vampires.

The opening song on All Eternals Deck (The Mountain Goats' millionth record) depicts brave young cowboys who must crawl till dawn in order to survive the abuse of vampires. As with all John Darnielle (the primary Goat) songs, this one is a complete story (with sentences, not just pretty words) and sets up an album revolving around survival. All Eternals Deck is probably most similar to the dark, metal band imagery of 2008's Heretic Pride, but the characters Darnielle presented on that album didn't survive. On Deck, Darnielle's characters surprisingly continue going despite being attacked, misread, surrounded by mundane circumstances, dumped or finding teeth marks on their neck.

Posted inMusic

Out of Town 4/6 – 4/14: Lauryn Hill, Bright Eyes, Rise Against!, Ken Kesey Celebration

If you’re not in Bend this weekend, check out these events Out of Town.

portland
saturday 9
Lauryn Hill
If there's any artist you should splurge some dough to see it's definitely Lauryn Hill. After winning five Grammy's for The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, Hill disappeared from the public eye, and hasn't released an album since. Instead, she's been raising her five children with Rohan Marley (the fourth son of Bob). Now, 12 years after her amazing, soulful hip-hop album debuted, she's finally ready to share more of her beautiful voice and insightful lyrics with the world. Finally! 8pm Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall.

Posted inCulture

Our Picks for 4/6 – 4/14; The Baseball Project, Pine Party, Dine for Dignity, Kevin Kinsella, Yonder Mountain String Band and more

The Source Weekly provides our picks for the best bets in Central Oregon this week.

The Baseball Project, The Minus 5, Steve Wynn
thursday 7
We've been shouting loudly about this show for a while and now it's finally here. The Baseball Project, as you may know, is an all-star band that includes, among others, R.E.M.'s Peter Buck, but you should also check out quintessential indie pop of The Minus 5, which open the show. $12/adv at bendticket.com, $15/door. 9pm. Silver Moon Brewing Co., 24 NW Greenwood Ave.

Posted inOpinion

Wheeler Clams Up About Travel Perks

To encourage Oregon treasurer Ted Wheeler to get a move on – and rebuke him for not moving already – we're applying THE BOOT.

When he became Oregon's treasurer in January, Ted Wheeler brought in a new broom that he wielded vigorously against ethically questionable behavior. But lately Wheeler seems to have put his broom away in a closet.
The backstory gets rather complicated, so please bear with us.
The Treasury Department employs people called “investment officers” who act kind of like financial traffic cops. They're supposed to make sure the bonds and other instruments into which the state puts its money are legally and ethically kosher and financially sound. They also give thumbs-up or thumbs-down to new investment opportunities that are pitched to the state.

Posted inOpinion

This Straight Poop Certified 100% Organic and Hormone-Free

Scoop Lewis, Ace Reporter, delivers the straight poop on the past weeks most news worthy events.

Monday, March 28
Tough nutcase to crack: Advance of Libyan rebels halted outside Muammar Qaddafi's hometown of Sirte. “The regime still vastly overmatches opposition forces militarily,” says top American commander Gen. Carter F. Ham … It just keeps getting hairier: Heavily contaminated water found leaking from Japan's Fukushima nuke plant; plutonium traces found in soil, radiation detected in rainwater on East Coast of US … Getting high in the Middle East: French daredevil Alain Robert climbs world's tallest skyscraper, the Burj Khalifa in the United Arab Emirates, height 2,717 feet (that's more than two Empire State Buildings) … Been there, done that: As it seems to do every spring, the Oregon Department of Transportation extends studded tire removal deadline. Why not just make it April 15 every year? … Heartbreak for gadget junkies: No new iPhone, iPad or other Mac toys will be unveiled at this year's Apple software conference.

Posted inOpinion

Oregon's Stupid Lawmaking Spree

How about another obscure and difficult-to-enforce state law? WTF?

Last week it was a law adopting the “Code of the West” as Oregon's official code of conduct – a code that included such truisms as “know where to draw the line” and was first laid out not by a buckaroo on a bunkhouse wall, but buy a former Wall Street investor. This week's unnecessary legislation award goes to Rep. Jean Cowan of Newport and the rest of her House cohorts who spent at least part of their day on Tuesday considering a piece of legislation that would make it illegal to feed dangerous animals, such as wolves, bears and cougars. OK, file this one in the “duh” category.

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