Pumping your own gas and other non-benficial ideas

In case you missed it Oregon is headed down the slope towards, arrgh "PUMPING YOUR OWN GAS." Effective January 1 you can pump your own gas if you are in a county with a population of less than 40,000. Of Oregon's 36 counties this law will apply to 17 of them. As I see it this "de-regulation" is just one more nail in the coffin holding the body of the sinking middle class. Pishaw you say, well I do have an argument.

I live in a more populous county not impacted by "pump your own" so in some respects I am hollering into a windstorm that has not yet arrived. A contributor to Forbes magazine (that staunch lighthouse of capitalism) Nick Sibilla uses the point that as a state (with New Jersey) still requiring someone to attend your car while fueling is some how stomping on the very foundation of a free market economy. Ok that is stretch, but no more than some of his arguments. Admittedly many reasons for continuing the status quo are pretty weak. Check out the 17 reasons as provided by  Oregon Law.org Nick continues his argument siting different states stupid regulations: Oregon Freak Out, BUT nobody talks about the important ones -- the impact on the people who will no longer have JOBS pumping gas. OR the fact that you, the consumer, will not see even the tiniest of incremental change in the price per gallon of gas anywhere as the result of allowing "pump your own." Nobody wants to talk about that,  'cause the data is safely locked away in a protected and passworded file in the accountants office back at HQ. It ain't hard to calculate however --

Pick a station in your community:
 Let's say it is open--
 6am to 10pm -- 16 hrs a day
 multiply by 7
 that is 112hrs per week
times 4 weeks/mo is 448 hours.
 At 25*  hrs per week per employee (nobody gets a full time job pumping as--not because they want but because they can't get it--just ask 'em.) That station needs 4.5 employees to operate. Other factors like how many islands, managing peak volume, and absenteeism may raise that number--
Multiply by the number of stations in your community and you should be getting the idea there are a significant number of people who NO LONGER HAVE THIS SHITTY but otherwise GLAD TO HAVE it job.

What really makes me irate is the Swamp drainer and his ilk want to make sure that folks on public assistance must work or volunteer. Well how are they going to work if those jobs go away because of "stupid regulations" Mr. Sibilla? Also I have done a lot of volunteer work and it cost nothin' but money--Swamp Drainer and his band of merry shovels haven't done much I am sure.

Now you know why I detest the damn self check out!

I have had enough

In the past I wrote my observations on leadership, particularly grass roots leadership, community, and community leadership. Generally avoiding larger pictures as 1) I have personal experience in roles at state and national levels, 2) my inability to communicate to (friends in particular) who reside to the left and right of center.

Thing is. . . I don’t need the experience I am a citizen with a voice—a rational voice—and I am not unable to communicate, but others may have an inability to listen. If you don’t believe me just check out the stuff posted on your Facebook page; of course you must do this with an open mind and question everything.

Speaking of questioning everything--take the time. . . .  A little research goes a long way to dispel the “half truths and lies.” Fake news (and a lot of it is fake) will be discussed some other time.

But today I have had enough.  

Enough of Facebook re-posts that are ultimately lies. I loved the ones about McCabe calling “it” the Russia Hoax. He didn’t the President did.

Enough of statements made by the President and family members assailing all we have held dear in the is country, like teachers.  Authoritarianism does this and this gang embraces hate to appeal to their base.

Enough of the left trying to convince me business’s are bad and making money is bad, (Yes many large corporations are hemorrhoids) the extremist progressives want m >e to hate a market economy. Unfortunately corporations have mis-behaved and many need reigning in, no new regulation is required just enforce the laws that are on the books now. More later. . . .

Enough of basing political positions on “belief”. This democracy is messy enough so make decisions based on what is known and true. A conversation on immigration does not hinge on a damn wall—do you know where immigrants are coming from or why? Do you know how long it takes and how much it costs? The whole process of how to enter legally and the path to citizenship (Years) must be examined and overhauled. More later. . .

So you see, there is “a lot to drink about”, and my voice will join the cacophony that makes the United States such a unique and interesting experience—however I will not become part of the mob influenced by money, power, or emotions. Franklin to Pericles feared the mob—with good reason—and now we don’t have to show up in the streets so all your neighbors and co-workers can see you. Now it can be done behind a digital mask. Nothing worse than a republican and a coward. (Before you get excited—it’s a lower case ‘r’.)