Serf city here we come ....

[MindMover]

WASHINGTON (AP) -- A new law will let companies contribute billions of dollars less to their workers' pension funds, raising concerns about weakening the plans that millions of Americans count on for retirement.

But with many companies already freezing or getting rid of pension plans, many critics are reluctant to force the issue.

Some expect the changes, passed by Congress last month and signed Friday by President Barack Obama, to have little impact on the nation's enormous $1.9 trillion in estimated pension fund assets. And it is more important, they suggest, to avoid giving employers a new reason to limit or jettison remaining pension benefits by forcing them to contribute more than they say they can manage.

The equation underscores a harsh reality for unions, consumer advocates and others who normally go to the mat for workers and retirees: When it comes to battling over pensions, the fragile economy of 2012 gives the business community a lot of leverage.

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_PENSION_WORRIES?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2012-07-09-13-32-46

[raccoon]

1. Brian Wilson and Bruce Springsteen can team up to write a song, "Serf City. " nt

[woo me with science]

2. "...signed Friday by President Barack Obama..."

There is a new one every day. Every damned day.

Corporate profits at a record high, remember?

Wake up, because we are being bipartisanly legislated into wage slavery and corporate domination. We have a problem with corporate money purchasing our politics, and it is NOT just a Republican problem anymore. We have a serious, serious problem in our party, too.

You cannot fix a problem until you acknowledge it.

Keep pretending that we are making incremental steps.
http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=888673

Imagine if a Republican were President
http://www.democraticunderground.com/1002430636

Wake up and Occupy.

[Huey P. Long]

5. "...signed Friday by President Barack Obama..."

"...signed Friday by President Barack Obama..."
"...signed Friday by President Barack Obama..."
"...signed Friday by President Barack Obama..."
"...signed Friday by President Barack Obama..."
"...signed Friday by President Barack Obama..."


Every day, yes sir.

[HiPointDem]

14. +1

[SammyWinstonJack]

9. Really! What does he care. His pensions are safe and secure. As are those of Congresscritters.

Secure pensions and cadillac health care plans.


So basically as per usual, they've got their and screw the rest of us common people.

[benld74]

3. Here's the old lyrics, need some replacements - Anyone care to try,,,,

I bought a '30 Ford wagon and we call it a woody
Surf City, here we come
You know it's not very cherry, it's an oldie but a goodie
Surf City, here we come
Well, it ain't got a back seat or a rear window
But it still gets me where I wanna go


{Refrain}
And we're goin' to Surf City, 'cause it's two to one
You know we're goin' to Surf City, gonna have some fun
You know we're goin' to Surf City, 'cause it's two to one
You know we're goin' to Surf City, gonna have some fun, now
Two girls for every boy


You know they never roll the streets up 'cause there's always somethin' goin'
Surf City, here we come
You know they're either out surfin' or they got a party growin'
Surf City, here we come
Yeah, and there's two swingin' honeys for every guy
And all you gotta do is just wink your eye

{Refrain}

And if my woody breaks down on me somewhere on the surf route
Surf City, here we come
I'll strap my board to my back and hitch a ride in my wetsuit
Surf City, here we come
And when I get to Surf City I'll be shootin' the curl
And checkin' out the parties for a surfer girl

[Art_from_Ark]

21. Here's my version

Last edited Tue Jul 10, 2012, 10:14 AM - Edit history (6)

I bought a broken down wagon and we call it a klunker
Serf City, here we come
You know it's not very cherry, it is really a junker
Serf City, here we come
Well, it ain't got a back seat or a rear window
It barely even gets me where I wanna go


{Refrain}
And we're goin' to Serf City, nowhere else to go
You know we're goin' to Serf City, ‘cause we’ve no more dough
You know we're goin' to Serf City, nowhere else to go
You know we're goin' to Serf City, ‘cause we’ve no more dough
Two bucks is all we got

You know they’re gonna throw us in the clink if they think we're homeless
Serf City, here we come
And we can’t even rent a room because we are jobless
Serf City, here we come
Yeah, and there's two swingin' billy clubs for every guy
And all you gotta do is just blink your eye

{Refrain}

And if my klunker breaks down on me somewhere on the serf road
Serf City, here we come
I'll strap my stuff to my back and walk with my full load
Serf City, here we come
And when I get to Serf City I'll be scouting for sites
Where I can set my box up to sleep at night

[HiPointDem]

22. excellent! i'd like to hear someone play it.

[Egalitarian Thug]

4. This is the brilliant part of the financial con game. They make people believe that they still

have their money. They've sheared the suckers three times in the last fourteen years and each time those that were not completely wiped out claim that they are OK again. Wash, rinse, repeat.

Anybody can rob someone, it takes real talent, and a real sucker, to rob them and make them believe you are doing them a favor while being robbed.

[Junkdrawer]

6. The Iron Law of Wages....

The Iron Law of Wages is a proposed law of economics that asserts that real wages always tend, in the long run, toward the minimum wage necessary to sustain the life of the worker.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iron_law_of_wages

Funny this isn't more common in our political discussions.

[Zalatix]

7. If that is actually the law of economics then there's really no need for a civilization.

[Junkdrawer]

8. My Grandfather worked for subsistance wages as a Steel Worker. My Father was in the Union....

Then they moved the mills offshore.

Capital is international. Labor is not.

[HiPointDem]

12. labor *is* international -- it moves around the world per capital's dictates. look at immigration

& emigration in history.

the problem is not that labor is or is not international, but that labor is dominated by capital & moves according to its dictates and under its guns and rules.

[Junkdrawer]

15. I was thinking more on a Wobbly line...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Industrial_Workers_of_the_World

[HiPointDem]

16. you mean its not *organized* internationally. or domestically either, for that matter.

[Junkdrawer]

17. Bingo

[HiPointDem]

18. yep, that's a problem -- maybe *the* problem.

[Junkdrawer]

19. Three choices:

1.) Stop Capital from colluding internationally (International minimum wage laws, etc.)

2.) Organize labor internationally

3.) Watch the Iron Law of Labor take the vast majority down to subsistence wages.

I see no other ways out.

[pa28]

10. Wow. I guess we *can* all just get along.

When it comes to business friendly tax, trade and pension law that is.

[HiPointDem]

11. kr

[Edweird]

13. Kill serf city

[dreamnightwind]

20. K & R

This sucks.