Rewriting the Labor Landscape

Beware those Authors who offer a Modest Proposal. Alan Blinder wants the Federal Government to become a Used Car dealership. His plan would work if it were basically unknown and small. An enlargement of the program will simply generate a new criminal practice; of course, defrauding the Government is nothing new. Half of the Corporate fleets will soon be regenerating their Capital even if it required the purchase of old junkers, by simple absorption of the above-market incentive advertised. The first Sign of trouble would come in the form of a huge rise in Corporate fleets subcontracting to individual Drivers who owned their own vehicle for a year, then traded their traded vehicle back to their Employer to go on salary. The average Economist will say this could only be a minor problem, but a simple sketch by myself suggests that any fleet of more than 40 vehicles could save about 12-14% of their Vehicle Replacement Costs through prior purchase of aged vehicles through vehicle swap Sales to poor people at a reasonable Sale value. A possible Cost of such a Program could reach $20 billion per year.

I worked 60 hours per Week, back in the days when I worked. I was overworked, always behind in Household duties and responsibilities, and saved Money because I was never around to spend Money (I once spent 10 months without a Day off, except for Thanksgiving and Christmas). I am glad that those days are behind me. Years of Observation has led me to approve of long 4-Day Workweeks, rather than any extended Workweek format. Real Work enjoyment demands a concentrated Downtime, something longer than a Day buying, and a Day going to church. A 48-Hour, 4-Day Workweek gives a sense that a Task has been completed, even if it was a normal Production Week. A Workweek grinding into Six Days turns into nothing but a Sleep Reclamation Sunday. The impediment to a shorter Workweek comes from the added Cost of Hiring with Worker Benefits programs; the greatest Cheat are those People reduced to 31-Hour Workweeks to forestall payment of such Benefits. I would favor federal regulation which states that all Work hours must be accorded the same Benefits, and that all such Benefits must be paid in a Dollar Settlement along with Termination of Employment. It would not only provide fairness to Labor, but would allow for proper adjustment of Work schedules.

The lamentations are high, but the closing of the Coffee shops may be a Godsend to the Nation and economy. Peoples’ utilization of the expensive fuel generally expend almost One-Third of their daily expenses on good-tasting Highs, which add about 500 calories to the Diet, and require the expenditure of about 0.4 gallons of Gas per Trip to the Coffee shop–whether you use the Take-Out Drive, or the interior decor. The Coffee machine may have disappeared from the Office, but it cost an amazing amount to the Labor of the Office; no one could estimate the range of Cost, but think of $50–100 per Day. lgl