Biden Leadership In America Today

[GURPS]

Biden Nominee To Key State Department Position Has History Of Political Writings, Watchdog Reveals​

“Margaret Taylor is a political hack who should not be anywhere near the State Department. Given her glowing praise of Adam Schiff’s unscrupulous and dishonest tactics, she has zero credibility to make sure Biden’s State Department is corruption free and in keeping with the law,” the AAF said in a statement to The Daily Wire. “Her comments raise concerns about her ability to faithfully serve in government without her political biases turning her into another Deep State partisan.”

Taylor was nominated to the position in April by Biden, but the Senate has yet to vote on her confirmation. She previously has been the general counsel for the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), a fellow for the Brookings Institution, and a senior editor at Lawfare.

The AAF, a watchdog formed in 2020, combed through Taylor’s writings and podcast appearances, compiling a list of her writings and podcast appearances that suggested a political bias.

In a 2019 New York Times opinion article, Taylor heaped praise on Schiff, who many Republicans have criticized over his claims about Russian collusion and former President Donald Trump.

 

[GURPS]

Our Defense Secretary’s Repeated Failures Humiliate Our Nation​

By Al Bienenfeld


This was not his (and our nation’s) first snub and humiliation from China in the Biden era. In 2021, Secretary Austin repeatedly requested meetings with his Chinese counterpart and was rebuked. This was reported in May of 2021, less than two months after our Secretary of State Antony Blinken was humiliated by China’s envoy (Yang Jiechi) in Alaska. From that meeting:

“The United States does not have the qualifications to say that it wants to speak to China from a position of strength,” Yang said right to Blinken’s face.

As a final act of self-humiliation, in Singapore, Defense Secretary Austin chased down his Chinese counterpart Li Shangfu for a handshake photo op. This is very reminiscent of a puppy dog rubbing up against your leg, seeking attention.

The question that needs to be answered about the public insult to our Secretary of Defense and our nation is why? The explanation is very clear. The Chinese Communist Party has no respect for incompetence and weakness. Vladimir Putin once referred to President Biden as a “career man.” He was essentially saying that Joe Biden is a political operative with no concern for anything except his own personal interests. His business dealings through his family intermediaries bear this out. China’s treatment of our representatives indicates that Xi Jinping would agree with Putin. If Austin stands with Biden, he, too, must be unworthy of respect.

The worst thing Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin has done is say he has no regrets over the disastrous August 2021 Afghanistan withdrawal. In many other nations, there would have been serious repercussions for such a publicly embarrassing statement. For example, former Soviet Leader Nikita Khrushchev was forced from office after he was perceived to have lost face for his nation in the Cuban missile crisis.

Secretary Austin expressed his blind servitude during congressional testimony earlier this year.

 

[GURPS]

The barrier of wrecking ball-sized buoys, which was strung up earlier this month near the border town of Eagle Pass, was “unlawful” and violated federal law, the letter charged.

“The State of Texas’s actions violate federal law, raise humanitarian concerns, present serious risks to public safety and the environment, and may interfere with the federal government’s ability to carry out its official duties,” it said.

Gov. Abbott fired back on Twitter, insisting: “Texas has the sovereign authority to defend our border, under the US Constitution and the Texas Constitution.”

“We have sent the Biden Administration numerous letters detailing our authority, including the one I hand-delivered to President Biden earlier this year,” he continued.

The floating barrier was initially installed near Eagle Pass — an illegal crossing hot spot.

DOJ threatens to sue Texas if Rio Grande floating barrier isn’t removed

The threat of legal action was made in a letter sent to Texas Gov. Greg Abbott by the Biden administration on Thursday.

nypost.com

 

[GURPS]

Unsurprisingly, “Bidenomics” is failing to gain traction among voters. This has caused consternation in the media. One thing to remember, though, is that “Bidenomics” isn’t really a thing. Unlike, say, “Reaganomics,” which helped bring about the largest expansion of the middle class in world history, the president does not subscribe to any coherent or tangible set of economic theories or principles. The White House defines its economic policy as being “rooted in the recognition that the best way to grow the economy is from the middle out and the bottom up,” which is just platitudinous gibberish.

“Bidenomics” encompass anything and everything that’s convenient for Democrats. And in this moment, it’s convenient for them to take credit for merely letting people go back to work. Biden, who once claimed that the Democrats $3.5 trillion “Build Back Better” plan cost “zero dollars,” isn’t exactly a math whiz. But when he says stuff like “13.4 million jobs have been added to our economy” under his watch, more than “any other president in a full 4-year term,” anyone with even a passing familiarity with the events of the years preceding 2023 knows it’s a lie of omission.

The notion that presidents “create” jobs is itself a fantasy. In this case, though, Biden supported efforts to shutter private businesses during the pandemic, basically closing down the entire economy, not only while running for president but after winning office. When Florida, and other states, attempted to ease some restrictions, President Biden told them to “get out of the way” so that people could “do the right thing.” The pressure exerted on states to “do the right thing” was immense.

All of which is to say that the president and his allies had far more to do with destroying jobs than creating them. We don’t need to relitigate the efficacy of COVID policy here, but approximately 10 million of the jobs that Biden now brags about overseeing are just people coming back to workforce after state-compelled lockdowns.

'Bidenomics' Has Been A Disaster

Joe Biden wants you to thank him for creating more debt, inflation, a spike in gas prices, and high interest rates.

thefederalist.com

 

[stgislander]

One thing to remember, though, is that “Bidenomics” isn’t really a thing. Unlike, say, “Reaganomics,” which helped bring about the largest expansion of the middle class in world history, the president does not subscribe to any coherent or tangible set of economic theories or principles.

Wait... that can't be right. I thought trickle down economics (Reaganomics) was a complete failure.

 

[GURPS]

Just as these groups create unnecessary costs and tribulations to most of us, the Biden administration’s war on everyday conveniences out of misplaced obeisance to the Sky Dragon (climate change) is infuriating, costly, and senseless, unless it is intended as a plan to make our lives more expensive and miserable.

On August 1, the Administration decreed it is illegal to sell the incandescent bulbs which most of us use (and have used for 140 years) and which are cheap. You can only sell LED bulbs or compact fluorescent light bulbs. Like Grant running through Richmond, the administrative state is running though our homes, mandating more expensive and less efficient household items.

“Light bulb efficiency standards became a symbol in some Republicans’ resistance to expansion of the regulatory state,” said Alex Flint, executive director for the conservative Alliance for Market Solutions. “But manufacturers’ recognition that there were better products and consumer tastes were changing made this much more complicated than some of the political debates.”

The fight zigged, then zagged: The Obama administration took action in its waning days to finalize the bulb efficiency requirements, only for former President Donald Trump -- who once proclaimed energy-efficient bulbs made him “look orange” -- to halt the move. But DOE pushed the rules to the finish line last year after President Joe Biden came into office with a climate agenda that includes a focus on energy efficiency measures.
DOE completed the action last April, but full enforcement of the rule is set to begin Aug. 1. The transition away from the inefficient bulbs has been underway for more than a year, as the department provided flexibility for manufacturers and retailers to comply with the new standard.
That fight may be settled, but the larger fight over energy efficiency standards is still looming. Republican lawmakers in recent months have continually derided the Biden administration’s efficiency actions on everything from more efficient stoves to laundry machines and dishwashers.

As" Republican lawmakers… continually derided the Biden administrations efficiency actions,” this week the administration added yet another sacrifice to the Sky Dragon -- ceiling fans. At an estimated cost to producers of these fans of $107 and $86 million to consumers, the Administration is requiring new fans meet higher efficiency standards. Once again, the defenders of this overreach pad the benefits to be obtained and minimize the cost to consumers. At the same time, the beneficiaries are large corporations, you know, the kind of companies from whom -- like unions -- the Democrats count on for political contributions.

Quit Aiming for the Ankles

It may seem like small potatoes at a time of political lawfare, gross government mismanagement leading to at least 1,000 dead in Maui, the prospect of continuing war in Ukraine, and high inflation, but the government’s use of its powers to...

www.americanthinker.com

 

[GURPS]

Biden administration to guarantee overtime pay to 3.6 MILLION workers earning less than $55,000 in resurrected Obama policy - but trade bodies hit back at 'unnecessary and costly' proposal​

• Employees on less than $55K to be paid extra when they work over 40 hours
• Proposal resurrects a failed Obama policy which was blocked in 2017
• But trade bodies hit out at the 'new, unnecessary and costly red tape'

Millions of employees earning less than $55,000 a year will be entitled to overtime pay, under new proposals outlined by the Biden administration.

The rule will ensure workers are paid time and a half for every hour they work over a 40-hour week. Some 3.6 million people stand to benefit from the change being spearheaded by the US Department of Labor.

But business groups have hit back at the plan which comes as firms are already struggling to manage rampant inflation.

 

[GURPS]

Angry Indians: Yet another instance of Native Americans having it up to here with the left​

By Monica Showalter


The left has romanticized and claimed guardianship over Native American peoples for years.

Anecdotally, most of us who know Native Americans know they can't stand it.

But now we are seeing a lot of instances of Native Americans pushing back at their cloying 'guardians' on the left who are starting to get overbearing.

Here's their latest outrage, according to Ethan Brown, writing at RealClearEnergy:

On June 2, the U.S. Department of the Interior blocked oil and gas leasing for the next twenty years within a ten-mile radius of Chaco Canyon — the site of a Puebloan civilization in now-northern New Mexico dating back over a millennium. Despite some support from people within the Pueblo tribes and Navajo Nation which surround the land, the vast majority of Navajo leaders have opposed these drilling restrictions.

It's their land. Why shouldn't they be able to develop it as they see fit? Why is it that Joe Biden and all his lackeys in government can't trust the Native Americans to keep the operation on reasonable environmental standards, conserve the Earth (people with ownership don't trash their own properties), and be able to earn money from it to serve their very large tribal family?

Maybe they don't want to be constantly in hock to the government for handouts because having their own money is better. Maybe they would like to raise their standard of living same as city people do. Maybe it's none of the government's business.

According to Brown, who apparently believes in global warming nonsense, but nevertheless has his heart in the right place, it is an economic matter:

Navajos are no stranger to climate change. The American Southwest is experiencing its worst drought in 1,200 years, and peer-reviewed research in Science found human-caused climate change accounted for 47% of 2000-2018 drought severity. Navajos have been hit especially hard — Navajos use 8-10 gallons of water per day (about a tenth of the average American), and 30% of Navajos have no running water.

So when they express opposition to a drilling ban on their land, we can trust they’ve weighed the pros and cons. Within the Navajo Nation, 35.8% of households have incomes below the federal poverty threshold, and about 10% live without electricity. The Chaco Canyon drilling ban would strip an energy source from the Navajo Nation, and could cost Navajos an estimated $194 million over the next two decades.

That's a lot of money for them to leave on the table so that white tourists can come to their lands and marvel at its natural beauty instead.

Brown goes into dreamy stuff about how climate activists are trying to co-opt them into win-win situations. Good luck with that. The bottom line here is that they own the land and can do with it what makes sense to them to do with it and if the United Nations doesn't like it, too bad. Autonomy means autonomy. The U.N. can go start its own tribe if it doesn't like it.

 

[glhs837]

Biden administration to guarantee overtime pay to 3.6 MILLION workers earning less than $55,000 in resurrected Obama policy - but trade bodies hit back at 'unnecessary and costly' proposal​

• Employees on less than $55K to be paid extra when they work over 40 hours
• Proposal resurrects a failed Obama policy which was blocked in 2017
• But trade bodies hit out at the 'new, unnecessary and costly red tape'

Millions of employees earning less than $55,000 a year will be entitled to overtime pay, under new proposals outlined by the Biden administration.

The rule will ensure workers are paid time and a half for every hour they work over a 40-hour week. Some 3.6 million people stand to benefit from the change being spearheaded by the US Department of Labor.

But business groups have hit back at the plan which comes as firms are already struggling to manage rampant inflation.

Angry Indians: Yet another instance of Native Americans having it up to here with the left​

By Monica Showalter


The left has romanticized and claimed guardianship over Native American peoples for years.

Anecdotally, most of us who know Native Americans know they can't stand it.

But now we are seeing a lot of instances of Native Americans pushing back at their cloying 'guardians' on the left who are starting to get overbearing.

Here's their latest outrage, according to Ethan Brown, writing at RealClearEnergy:

It's their land. Why shouldn't they be able to develop it as they see fit? Why is it that Joe Biden and all his lackeys in government can't trust the Native Americans to keep the operation on reasonable environmental standards, conserve the Earth (people with ownership don't trash their own properties), and be able to earn money from it to serve their very large tribal family?

Maybe they don't want to be constantly in hock to the government for handouts because having their own money is better. Maybe they would like to raise their standard of living same as city people do. Maybe it's none of the government's business.

According to Brown, who apparently believes in global warming nonsense, but nevertheless has his heart in the right place, it is an economic matter:




That's a lot of money for them to leave on the table so that white tourists can come to their lands and marvel at its natural beauty instead.

Brown goes into dreamy stuff about how climate activists are trying to co-opt them into win-win situations. Good luck with that. The bottom line here is that they own the land and can do with it what makes sense to them to do with it and if the United Nations doesn't like it, too bad. Autonomy means autonomy. The U.N. can go start its own tribe if it doesn't like it.

Hmmm, ever seen what the tax rate is on that overtime? IRS must be salivating.

And why keep the native oil and gas from being developed? Well, I'm sure the existing donors dont want that anymore than Vegas and AC wanted a million native owned casinos.

 

[Hijinx]

So we will pay overtime with taxpayer dollars and they will have their taxes raised to pay themselves.

I guess that makes sense to somebody.

 

[GURPS]

Is America Under the Thumb of a Shadow President?​

Those of us who have been paying attention since January of 2021 have all seen the ongoing deterioration of President Biden, and it's a matter of some concern for everyone, be they Left, Right, or center, that the man who supposedly sits at the levers of power in Washington is not all he should be. (I would argue that he's not even within shouting distance of where he should be.)

[clip]

My RedState colleague Sister Toldjah recently presented a couple of additional suspects.

Such was the case on Wednesday, when during the now-infamous clip of Biden losing it with Fox News White House correspondent Peter Doocy, a handler stepped in moments after Doocy began asking the Devon Archer speakerphone question — and proceeded to promptly take control of the situation… and Joe Biden.
Take a look at the video from a different angle than the one that has been widely shared and notice the woman who walks up not long after Doocy climbs the barricade and walks toward him. The very second Biden gives her the opportunity she steers him away and the supposed leader of the free world goes willingly along with her:

I am (as always) skeptical. I don't think the Obamas are pulling any strings; they seem to be enjoying their relaxed post-presidency years too much, with Barack raking in huge speaking fees in between relaxing at one of their many luxurious homes. Why, with all that, would you want to be bothered with propping up old Joe Biden, especially since there seems to be little love lost between current and former President?

With all of the available evidence in hand, though, I think I have a fairly good idea of who is playing Edith Wilson to Joe Biden's Woodrow: None other than the First Lady, "Dr." Jill Biden.

We can tell a lot about "Dr." Jill Biden's personality by her insistence on the doctoral title when most PhDs don't insist on that form of address. For example, some years back, I worked for one of the smartest men I've ever known, who had a PhD in industrial chemistry and insisted on being called simply "John." But Jill Biden uses that form regularly, even though her doctorate is in Education (an EdD, not a PhD).

Jill Biden is clearly the most likely candidate. Why? The Biden Administration's clear and present ineptitude. "Dr." Biden has never shown any particular competence, even in her supposedly chosen field. That explains volumes about this Dunning-Kruger presidency; the person who is supposed to be in charge doesn't know what's going on, and the person who is actually in charge doesn't know what she's doing.

 

[GURPS]

Ridin’ With Biden Right Over The Cliff​

What happens when Americans have to choose between Biden’s gross incompetence and corruption and their loathing of Donald Trump? Also, though when you think of John Fetterman and clothes you probably think of some sort of animal-skin loincloth, but lo and behold, this brain-addled golem is now setting the fashion standard for the Senate.

Everything is fine.

Bidenomics Is To Economic Prosperity As Hunter Is To Not Cavorting With Hookers

I’m not some sort of math genius, but I know that $103 divided by 16.7 gallons equals The Gasoline Is Too Damn High. You know, I filled up the sweet K-ride today and looked across the road at a building that must have 200,000 square feet and there’s a big for lease sign in front of it and you know what? It’s been 'For Lease' for years. And earlier, Irina and I had lunch at a nice new Mediterranean place and it was nothing fancy but it was good and it was like $37 for two of us. Then, on my way home, I passed a bunch of hobos, derelicts, and junkies, all of whom infest the streets of this, Ted Lieu’s congressional district.

Yet I’m told that Bidenomics is working, and I guess it is, if you’re America’s enemy and you want our lives to suck. It’s sure hard to come to any other conclusion but that the people controlling the desiccated, perverted, old puppet in the White House really do you want your lives to suck. Well, at least they’re getting something accomplished.

Now, we’ve known that the economy was bad ever since Trump left office. But what we VIP readers think isn’t important. We are already going to vote for the most based candidate. What is important is what regular people think, the kind who don’t pay a lot of attention to politics and mostly watch network TV. Now, a lot of these people really, really hate Donald Trump because of that collection of personal quirks, characteristics, and qualities that we sum up as “mean tweets.” But here’s the thing. At some point, your hatred of the guy for mocking Rosie O’Donnell gets overshadowed by the fact that you can’t afford a Big Mac and fries anymore.

No, nobody actually likes Joe Biden. I’m not even sure if Joe Biden likes Joe Biden, but that’s mostly because he senile and doesn’t know who the hell he is. He used to be Personable Joe, but that was back when he was a senator from a minor state. Now that he’s allegedly president, people are paying attention, and they hate him. Combine all his manifestations of senility, his shameless corruption, and the sheer weirdness of a guy who took showers with his daughter, and there goes any residual fantasy of Beer Buddy Biden. So, if Donald Trump does win the nomination, which is not a given but you can’t argue that he’s not far ahead, we are going to find out whether the hatred of mean tweets is outweighed by the hatred of being impoverished by President Gumby’s awful policies.

It could happen. I’m not convinced it will. And I’m not convinced that a bunch of polls that show Trump tied with Biden or a little ahead are accurate, especially when you dig into the crosstabs and find pollsters insisting that 20% of black Americans are going to go for the Orange Man and that Trump is winning with women. I’d love nothing more than the Republican, whoever it is, to be ahead of Biden, but whenever anybody tells me what I want to hear, I immediately become suspicious.

This is going to be an interesting campaign in about 600 ways, including the possibility that some of it may be conducted from a prison cell. You have one candidate that a lot of people think is a terrible person running for president, and another guy who is president that who a lot of people think is a terrible president. So if it is Trump versus Biden – Round 2, much of America is going to have to ask itself which one of these guys it hates less.

 

[stgislander]

Between abortion and TDS, I'm not hopeful. Find me a bunch of polls showing 30% of Blacks are boarding the Trump train and maybe I'll believe the Reps have a chance.

 

[Hijinx]

The only chance Republicans have is if they find a way to get a legal election, and I doubt that will happen.

 

[Clem72]

Hmmm, ever seen what the tax rate is on that overtime? IRS must be salivating.

Come on man, I know you're smarter than that. Most employers are too lazy to figure out the correct withholding on overtime so they just withhold the maximum. That doesn't mean its taxed more it just means you will get a bigger return at the end of the year.

 

[glhs837]

Come on man, I know you're smarter than that. Most employers are too lazy to figure out the correct withholding on overtime so they just withhold the maximum. That doesn't mean its taxed more it just means you will get a bigger return at the end of the year.

Dunno, only time I ever actually worked overtime was when I was wrenching on helos for Dyn between 96 and 2000. And that was only twice.

 

[GURPS]

The War on Fast-Food Joints​

The battlefront starts with so-called "joint employer" or "joint liability" standards, which the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) is expected to officially impose soon. This would essentially require franchisee employees to be counted as employees of the franchisor parent corporation by holding the franchisor liable for the actions of its individual franchisees. It also would make it easier for unions to organize at the parent company level, rather than via individual franchise outlets. Progressives have been pushing for years to impose joint employer standards onto the franchise model, and the Biden administration is echoing the Obama administration in following through (after a brief hiatus during Donald Trump's presidency).

The NLRB's rules on joint employers tend to flip-flop every four to eight years depending on who controls the White House, so it's little surprise that the Biden administration is poised to reopen this debate. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is also currently contemplating getting involved in the debate. But beyond administrative dictates that can be tweaked by phone and pen, Democratic lawmakers have also tucked joint employer standards into the notorious Protecting the Right to Organize (PRO) Act floating around Capitol Hill, which includes a laundry list of legislative priorities for organized labor.

Left-leaning policy makers are not stopping at the federal level, either, as states like California are also considering joint liability bills. Last year, when California passed its controversial FAST Recovery Act, which not only raised minimum wages for restaurant workers to $22 an hour but also created a 10-member Fast Food Council to oversee and regulate the entire industry, the legislation also included new joint liability rules.

[clip]

According to the International Franchise Association, the Obama-era version of the joint employer standard cost franchises over $33 billion annually and resulted in 376,000 lost job opportunities. Perhaps most alarmingly, it led to an over 90 percent increase in litigation against franchises.

The corporate legal structure of fast food is not the only aspect of the industry facing threats. The iconic drive-thru window itself is under assault, as cities and municipalities across the country are contemplating—or have already passed—drive-thru bans. Pushed under the guise of "smart urban planning" and walkable communities, proponents argue that drive-thrus create traffic congestion and discourage walking.

But once again, these bans mostly serve to hurt businesses and workers. On average, drive-thru sales comprise between 50 percent to 70 percent of sales for fast-food outlets—and unsurprisingly were an even more vital lifeline during the pandemic. Further, drive-thru windows can be a way to protect worker safety, particularly in late-night settings where keeping employees behind the barrier of a drive-thru window may create less risk than keeping the dining room open.

McDonald's franchise group slams California fast-food law as 'draconian'​

The National Owners Association called California’s recently-passed AB 1228 "draconian" and costly to franchisees in a memo distributed to its members.


"The new ‘AB 1228’ legislation has been voted into law and will result in a devastating financial blow to California McDonald’s franchisees at a projected annual cost of $250,000 per McDonald’s restaurant," the advocacy group representing some 1,000 McDonald’s franchisees said in the memo obtained by FOX Business.

"These costs simply cannot be absorbed by the current business model."

CNBC earlier reported on the NOA memo.

Among the bill's key components:

1. It would raise the minimum wage for fast-food workers to $20 per hour.
2. It would apply to restaurants with at least 60 locations nationwide, except for restaurants that make and sell their own bread.
3. It would also create a 10-person council to govern fast-food chains, set guidelines for wages and make recommendations pertaining to working conditions.

When signing the original version of the legislation, California Gov. Gavin Newsom said, "California is committed to ensuring that the men and women who have helped build our world-class economy are able to share in the state’s prosperity. Today’s action gives hardworking fast-food workers a stronger voice and seat at the table to set fair wages and critical health and safety standards across the industry."

 

[GURPS]

Eagle Pass Mayor: We’re ‘Abandoned’ by Biden Admin. on Border, Abbott Has ‘Been Helpful’​

On Thursday’s broadcast of CNN’s “OutFront,” Eagle Pass, TX Mayor Rolando Salinas stated that while federal agencies like the Border Patrol are controlling the situation along the border the best that they can, “I haven’t heard from anybody in the administration” and the city is “abandoned.” Salinas also said in another interview that state officials, including Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) “have been helpful to Eagle Pass by sending in additional help.”

Salinas said, “Fortunately, we have the help of our state partners, DPS, the governor, our federal agencies, Border Patrol. They’re helping, and they’re controlling the situation as best as they can.”

He added, “It’s a shame that we don’t have immigration reform and a solution to prevent situations like this. I don’t know why things have come to this.”

 

[glhs837]

The War on Fast-Food Joints​

The battlefront starts with so-called "joint employer" or "joint liability" standards, which the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) is expected to officially impose soon. This would essentially require franchisee employees to be counted as employees of the franchisor parent corporation by holding the franchisor liable for the actions of its individual franchisees. It also would make it easier for unions to organize at the parent company level, rather than via individual franchise outlets. Progressives have been pushing for years to impose joint employer standards onto the franchise model, and the Biden administration is echoing the Obama administration in following through (after a brief hiatus during Donald Trump's presidency).

The NLRB's rules on joint employers tend to flip-flop every four to eight years depending on who controls the White House, so it's little surprise that the Biden administration is poised to reopen this debate. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is also currently contemplating getting involved in the debate. But beyond administrative dictates that can be tweaked by phone and pen, Democratic lawmakers have also tucked joint employer standards into the notorious Protecting the Right to Organize (PRO) Act floating around Capitol Hill, which includes a laundry list of legislative priorities for organized labor.

Left-leaning policy makers are not stopping at the federal level, either, as states like California are also considering joint liability bills. Last year, when California passed its controversial FAST Recovery Act, which not only raised minimum wages for restaurant workers to $22 an hour but also created a 10-member Fast Food Council to oversee and regulate the entire industry, the legislation also included new joint liability rules.

[clip]

According to the International Franchise Association, the Obama-era version of the joint employer standard cost franchises over $33 billion annually and resulted in 376,000 lost job opportunities. Perhaps most alarmingly, it led to an over 90 percent increase in litigation against franchises.

The corporate legal structure of fast food is not the only aspect of the industry facing threats. The iconic drive-thru window itself is under assault, as cities and municipalities across the country are contemplating—or have already passed—drive-thru bans. Pushed under the guise of "smart urban planning" and walkable communities, proponents argue that drive-thrus create traffic congestion and discourage walking.

But once again, these bans mostly serve to hurt businesses and workers. On average, drive-thru sales comprise between 50 percent to 70 percent of sales for fast-food outlets—and unsurprisingly were an even more vital lifeline during the pandemic. Further, drive-thru windows can be a way to protect worker safety, particularly in late-night settings where keeping employees behind the barrier of a drive-thru window may create less risk than keeping the dining room open.

McDonald's franchise group slams California fast-food law as 'draconian'​

The National Owners Association called California’s recently-passed AB 1228 "draconian" and costly to franchisees in a memo distributed to its members.


"The new ‘AB 1228’ legislation has been voted into law and will result in a devastating financial blow to California McDonald’s franchisees at a projected annual cost of $250,000 per McDonald’s restaurant," the advocacy group representing some 1,000 McDonald’s franchisees said in the memo obtained by FOX Business.

"These costs simply cannot be absorbed by the current business model."

CNBC earlier reported on the NOA memo.

Among the bill's key components:

1. It would raise the minimum wage for fast-food workers to $20 per hour.
2. It would apply to restaurants with at least 60 locations nationwide, except for restaurants that make and sell their own bread.
3. It would also create a 10-person council to govern fast-food chains, set guidelines for wages and make recommendations pertaining to working conditions.

When signing the original version of the legislation, California Gov. Gavin Newsom said, "California is committed to ensuring that the men and women who have helped build our world-class economy are able to share in the state’s prosperity. Today’s action gives hardworking fast-food workers a stronger voice and seat at the table to set fair wages and critical health and safety standards across the industry."

Looks like Panera and Starbucks and Subway got thier bribes in on time. Seems outfitting each Macs with a friken breadmaking for a specialty sandwich is the way to go.

 

[GURPS]

By stifling competition, “Amazon ensures that no current or future rival can threaten its dominance,” said the FTC in a Sept. 26 press release. “Amazon’s far-reaching schemes impact hundreds of billions of dollars in retail sales every year, touch hundreds of thousands of products sold by businesses big and small and affect over a hundred million shoppers.”

With a focus on anti-competitive practices, John Newman, Deputy Director of the FTC’s Bureau of Competition, said, “Seldom in the history of U.S. antitrust law has one case had the potential to do so much good for so many people.”

Founded by Jeff Bezos, Amazon started online sales in 1995 through selling books. From there, it has expanded to selling almost everything and becoming the biggest e-commerce platform on the planet.

The 172-page complaint (pdf) alleges that the company has seized near-total control of the online retail economy and has exploited “its monopolies in ways that enrich Amazon but harm its customer.”

Amazon has hiked its fees so steeply that “it now reportedly takes close to half of every dollar from the typical seller that uses Amazon’s fulfillment service.”

According to the filing, sellers allege that “it has become more difficult over time to be profitable on Amazon” due to the company’s tactics. The partially-redacted complaint states one seller complaining that “we have nowhere else to go and Amazon knows it.”

US Government, States File Lawsuit Against Amazon for Monopolistic Practices

The lawsuit alleges the company degrades the overall online retail economy through harsh anti-competitive tactics.

www.theepochtimes.com