Friday, August 02, 2013

3%

What is it about the fraction 3%?  Is it some sort of magical number that everyone can jiggle to their own purposes?  Right now an unknown group of greedy business operatives are trying to limit any minimum wage hikes to 3% via a referendum in Albuquerque.  At the same time those business folks want unfettered ability to gouge their customers and have a limitless increase in profit every year.  All made possible by their employees.

And then there was the strange Albuquerque Journal story about the 3% referendum in which they did not identify the folks involved in organizing this ballot initiative.  But they did manage to say that the new minimum wage was organized by 'left leaning groups.'  This shows how the Journal is almost 100% right wing wacko edited.

And then there is the automatic 3% increase in your property tax every year.  The legislature set that as an  upper limit and of course that is where our Bernalillo County Commission lands every year.  Do we feel there is a 3% increase in service?  Doubtful, especially for city dwellers in those counties.  And do you notice how county commissioners are never blamed for anything like the Mayor is?  They diffuse responsibility and attention amongst themselves 97% of the time.

And then there was the 3% automatic cost of living raises for government retirees that were done away with by the legislature.  It probably had to be done, but what happens when inflation goes to 8% a year.  Will there be any changes?  Don't hold your breath. 

I need to not worry about this and endeavor to spend more than 3% of my waking hours on a golf course.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

There is also the 99% group which, oddly enough, I knew a few who own at least two homes: one in Santa Fe and another in the Taos area. Which leads to home prices are down in our state to the tune of 18.4%. I studied probability and statistics and the answer to the equation always depends on the value of "x" and "y". What those values are is fungible. So keep the %%% because they mean nothing when your kid is hungry, the rent hasn't been paid and the school supplies have to be purchased.

Anonymous said...

Good post!