Will the federal government start to work as a unified body?
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In this show Al discusses:
- Segment 1 – Jeff Deist, Chief of Staff for Congressman Ron Paul, discusses the Congressman’s recent appointment as Chairman of the Sub Committee to examine the Federal Reserve Bank.
- Segment 2 – Sean Brodrick, veteran analyst for Weiss Research, analyzes the President’s recent comment regarding compromise from both sides of the aisle.
- Segment 3 – Kevin Kerr talks about commodity prices.
- Segment 4 – Peter Grandich weighs in on the question of compromise recently alluded to by the President.
- Segment 5 – There is a huge area play going on in the Yukon Territory which is bringing many mining companies to the region. Randy Turner, President of Silver Quest Resources, discusses the potential profits available from this situation.
- Segment 6 – Gary Cope, President of Orex Minerals, discusses recent development within his company.
- Segment 7 – The Mercenary Geologist, Mickey Fulp, discusses his contrarian views regarding the price of copper.
- Segment 8 – Al and Roger Wiegand address comments from listeners.
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Click download link to listen on this device: Download Show
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Thanks Matt.
I have a real problem with the current roles played by a lot of the unions. Witness the situation with the educational system in Washington D.C.
I find it really funny that the people who I know who support unions have proven conclusively that they simply cannot make it on their own.
My wife refused to take part in any union activity when she was an occupational therapist in a school district. (30 years) I have a friend who was a school superintentant in a large school district in Washington state who has nothing positive to say about the education unions.
Unions were important in the beginning, but I think they are detrimental to our current economy.
Listen shortly for a couple of segments on this subject.
Best,
Big Al
Al,
I take issue with you on your comments on unions.
Some of us need to have unions in order to survive. If we were not allowed to unionize, our wages would drop to unlivable levels. This is in fact what is happening as a result of the lowering of tariffs and the Free Trade movement. Some of us are just not as smart as others or were not born into wealth and have to work at real jobs.
Society cannot be made up of 100% investors who sit around on their butts by the pool waiting for their dividend checks to arrive. Someone has to build the houses, work in the factories (what few are left) and sweep the streets. We deserve at least a minimum standard of living. We don’t wish to be serfs to the ruling elite class, most of whom have never put in an honest days work in their lives.
Our only hope of survival is to gang together to fight back against the big money and inherited wealth and try to negotiate our labor for at least a livable wage. Union membership is at an all time low these days, largely as a result of foreign labor competition due to free trade.
Please lay off the unions!
Great! And the result will be more jobs going overseas and higher unemployment. Instead, why not make the US more competitive by reducing taxes on businesses and. Investment?
Hi Herb,
My experience with unions has been different. I must admit howwever that it is perhaps a bit limited.
First of all, my experience with the NEA has been entirely negative. Kathy, even though she was a department head in a public school district would not let our girls attend public school because of what she saw going on in terms of inefficiency, inept teachers, etc. As a result we made the decision to send Sarah and Steph to priivate schools. While friends of our were buying big houses we were spending (over a 12 year period) upwards of $250K for our kid’s educations.
Here’s one better, my oldest daughter, Kim, lived with us for about five years. She came home from middle school one day and said she could not go back because kids were smoking dope in the restrooms, often time there was chaos in the classrooms and she was often hastled in a major way by other students. Kathy spoke with the principal, who she knew, and was told in no uncertain terms to “get over it, kids have to learn to deal with shit like that.”
The next day we put her into a private school where the staff had a handle on making things work correctly.
Today, all of our girls are successfully employed and happy. Sarah and Steph are 26 and 27. They have responsible jobs and are making great money for their respective ages.
I know that unions were important in the beginning.
Help me understand their benefits today. I mean this in all sincerity.
Best,
Big Al
Herb, you really need to pull yourself up by your boot-straps. If you are counting on the ” elite” for breadcrumbs from their table you are screwed. Who do you think runs the unions?
How about you find a field that the competition is pathetic (after living in an area for a month, I can tell you that there are tons of services which are lacking big time), then find some of those “investors who sit around on their butts by the pool waiting for their dividend checks to arrive” and let them know that investing with you will return them more then their dividends.
This way you can hire a bunch of non-union workers, pay them what they are worth, not what the State tells you (even give them profit sharing if you please), and then you and your employees could make a living without any handouts from the government or paying union dues.
Al, I appreciate you and Roger defending our Capitalistic system against “Herb’s” comments about the U.S. government needing to “level the playing field” economically.
As Americans, our Constitution promotes “Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness.” That, my friend, IS the level playing field. You risk everything you have to do better for yourself, then fine, succeed or fail. We all have that right! However, those that want to “level the playing field” by stripping those who have succeeded in pursuing happiness financially, clearly don’t understand or, perhaps, don’t care about those rights!
Merry Christmas to you, your staff and your guests!!!
All I can say is a big AMEN.
Best,
Big Al
Al, I enjoy your program but occasionally you make a controversial statement that makes me question your professionalism. The remark you made about “wasting your time” investing in gold unless you can invest a minimum of $500,000 was absurd. I am living proof that you are way off the mark with that statement. You owe your listeners an apology.
Al,
I would like to hear what reason you have for not investing in gold unless you invest a minimum of $500K. I am just wondering why there is a cutoff at all? Doesn’t it all scale?
I personally have done quite well in gold with a whole lot less than this amount.
Listen to my interview with James Turk,
Big Al
Al,
After listening to your segment on reader’s comments I wanted to take issue with one thing you said. You said that under Pinochet, Chile developed rapidly. This is true, but the ends don’t always justify the means. This was a terrible period in Chile’s history for much of the population. My wife’s family is from Chile and believe me they do not look kindly at that time at all.
I think it is a little like arguing that Mussolini was good for Italy because he made the trains run on time or that Hitler was good for Germany because he put people back to work. Yes, these are all true but this is not the end of the story. You and Roger sort of mentioned this in your discussion of China but I think your comments need to be flushed out a little more in regards to Chile.
If you ask me, capitalism is good as long as there are reasonable restraints on it. I think the problem we are in now is the restraints have not worked and things spiraled out of control.
I like the format of your new web site, very much improved I’d say.
Hi John,
First of all let me say that your wife and her family are from a wonderful country. The people are warm and friendly and caring. Witness the rescue of the miners that recently occured. The time that I have spent in Chile has always been both enjoyable and educational.
I mis-spoke in my comments about the former government. The point that I was trying to make dealt strictly with business issues and not with the social issue.
Thanks for your correction.
Best,
BigAl
September 2012 marked 18 mtonhs since the Fukushima crisis began. Dave Sweeney has just been to the radiation exclusion zone and is horrified by what he’s seen. US Air Force
I enjoy all your shows but I have falled to appreciate Kevin Kerr’s take on commodities prices for 2010. This may have been an error.
I hate to nik pick but I was looking forward to Kevin’s take on commodity for 2011.
Hi Don, I would love to share my 2011 outlook, I am based in our Eastern European office and Al and I have not spoken since the move, so I would love to catch up and share all of what I am finding over here and in the region. All the best of luck in 2011. Sincerely, Kevin Kerr
Hi Al,
I was intrigued and agree with your comment that, unless you can invest a min. $500,000. in gold, you are wasting your time. That is not to say that you cannot make a good profit in gold by investing with less. It’s just that why would you choose to, when you could make 2 – 3 times that with silver. It makes sense if you want to “maximize” your time, money, and effort to go with silver. I want the greatest “bang” for my buck. 2 years ago I would have probably reacted the same way another respondent did, but I have listened to you enough that I understood the statement in context. I have a little of the yellow, but have invested much more in the silver, and fully expect to see a 10 – 15 times increase from where we are now, once this cycle has fully run its course. As always, appreciate so much the free education!
Sincerely wish you and yours a most profitable New Year!
Dan Hartman
Hi Don,
I will devote a show on this subject with James Turk.
Big Al
I agree with Dan. Silver is the way to go, even if you have more then $500k.
[…] Korelin Radio, Grandich interview segment 4 and Silver Quest Resources segment 5 […]
Herb, When you get a chance, please thank the public sector unions in California with helping to bamkrupt the state.
I disagree with unions being a big part of the problem in California. Bad investments and bad negotiations are what have put California in the hole.
You just don’t give in to whatever the union or other party wants sitting across the table from you. You strive for a Win/Win situation. In California, and other states around the country, they cave into the unions/parties with big financial pockets, set up a Win/Lose situation and then have to live up to the deals they made.
Hi Marlena,
I don’t think that it is just the public sector unions that are causing the problem. The liberal folks who insist on doling out entitlements to folks who are here illegally are to shoulder some of the blame. And, so does the federal government.
Kath and I played golf with a retired Phoenix police officer and during the course of the round I asked her what she thought about the governor’s actions concerning illegals. She said that this action was keeping the local police from doing their job holding down crime and she strongly blamed the Feds for not doing their job in protecting our borders. This, by the way, came from a woman who had a very long and successful career in law enforcement in the Phoenix area.
Best,
Big Al
I have to agree with Marlena on that one. Public sector unions in California are a big part of the problem.
The public has a pepcirteon that once a teacher receives tenure she/he can read the paper during class while the students watch porn videos and no one can fire him/her.I’ve tried over the years to explain to people exactly what tenure actually means but it’s a hard sell.Over the years I have worked with many administrators. I can remember several teachers who in the first three years of their teaching careers struggled. The administration provided support through meaningful conversations with experienced teachers, changed their grade, and sent them for classes.At the end of the three years several teachers were counseled out of teaching. One teacher I knew personally said it was the best thing that ever happened to her. She tried and realized this was not a career for her and went on to a different and better suited for her career as a para-legal.Teachers don’t give themselves tenure. It is earned, or at least it should be, and even then it doesn’t promise a life time job. The administrators need to do their job also.
Thanks Katherine.
Not sure what you would like us to do.
Thanks for going over listener comments. Your example of the UAW was spot on. The pension agreement that GM agreed to with the UAW was terrible, and one of the key reasons for its downfall.
Capital always goes where it is treated best. So if we continue to have burdensome taxes and regulations for businesses here in the United States, then we’ll continue to lose our edge to emerging markets who offer better incentives for entrepreneurs.