Odds and Ends I Forgot to Post

Rolling Stone - Matt Taibbi - For David Brooks, the Rich Are People, the Poor Are Numbers. First a  comment. Matt Taibbi is one of very few people, authors of stories that I link to whose name appears with the link. Usually I post the name of the source, where they got the story from if it came from a news service and the story headline with the link below it. I post Matt's name because I think he is worthy of it and I enjoy most of his articles. He is one of the last true investigative and contemplative journalists left.

Forbes - Employees Forgo Wellness Cash Incentives Worth Millions. The article is from a magazine for the rich. The author is either ignorant or just really naïve. Wellness programs are started by companies to improve their bottom line by decreasing health risks. She fails to point out any details of what these people would have to do for the $30 gift card or other such nonsense.

CNN - New Ford car automatically obeys speed limits. How nice, a car that will make sure that you are driving at the right speed so you don't get a speeding ticket. How long before they become mandatory. Bye, bye Highway Patrol, you are being replaced with technology.

Yahoo - The Fiscal Times - Outrageous public pensions could bankrupt these states. The article complains that people who have already retired based upon contractual promises made for them while they were working should be lowered if it is convenient for the municipality or state. Lets say you went into government under the promise that you would get $15 an hour and an extra dollar a year would be put into a savings account for you that you could live on once you retire. Once earned, that money is no longer your employers, it is yours. Using the article, why couldn't the state or municipality come back to you, years later, and tell you that they couldn't afford to pay you that $15 an hour that they did and now want $2 back for every hour you ever worked for them. These two things are the same thing.