I always enjoy it when someone has what they think is a great idea, but then they want you to execute and/or pay for it.  That's what we got from the president last night pertaining to the minimum wage.  He doesn't think anyone living in the richest country in the world should have to work full time, but live below the poverty line.  I understand his sentiment, but why does he think corporate America should pay for his view? 

I work with people who haven't received a salary raise in years, but in one fell swoop, the president wants to give our lowest paid workers a 23% raise.  I know I sound like I'm hating on the working poor, but I don't get it.  There are so many government programs that I (and other great American taxpayers) pay for, why not make it harder for American companies to make ends meet or, God forbid, a profit.  How about we stop importing so many products from China where the average worker makes well below $7.25 an hour.  How about you look at the Dakotas, where things are so good because of the oil boom, that they're paying $18 an hour for Walmart workers.  Did you have to step in there to force pay issue?  No, you didn't... ithappened because the economy is strong.  I think if government got out of the way we'd all be better off.

There's all this talk about fairness, but it rarely plays that way.  Tax the rich more than anyone else...  give disproportionate raises to the poor... welcome people who illegally come into our country... control guns in the hands of those whove been repsonsible owners while not enforcing laws that should penalize those who use them irresponsibly.  What it boils down to is so many people make bad decisions in their life and the government wants to coddle them... all the while making it harder for those who try to get ahead through hard work and siezing the day.

Oh yeah... the president always talks about a balanced approach to the budget and then spends all his time talking about spending.  If you're talking balance, shouldn't spending cuts be some part of it?  I think yes, but the president doesn't include cuts. And he makes it seem like those against him only want to talk about cuts.  If we can't be honest and in our conversations, we're never going to get anywhere but deeper in the hole.