OMG Bryce, no more Twinkies....

[bassboogieman]

Hostess announced they are going out of business after a strike by union workers. 18,500 to be laid off and added to the unemployment roles. Workers refused to go back to work so now they have no work to return to.
No more Twinkies or Wonder Bread, unless some other company buys the brand, maybe a bakery in China..................................

[3dkicker]

You better get some quick or you'll end up like this......




If the Zombie Apocalypse begins today I'm prepared

[bassboogieman]

I'm getting a couple cases and freezing them for Dale Hollow - I think I can get $5.00 each from Bryce, should pay for my trip.

[WaffleJaw]

Originally Posted by bassboogieman

I'm getting a couple cases and freezing them for Dale Hollow - I think I can get $5.00 each from Bryce, should pay for my trip.

You could probably triple that selling them on Ebay to people in Colorado

[bcklash]

Originally Posted by wafflejaw

you could probably triple that selling them on ebay to people in colorado

oh he77 yea

[nofearengineer]

Bruce, I do not eat Twinkies. Nothing against them, they're just not my thing. So I guess I will have to cheat you out of at least one of your fat jokes.

On the plus side, 18,500 union morons lost their jobs...always a good thing.

[bamabassman]

well i eat ding dongs. love em. guess i better go and stock up on them. never really liked twinkies. even tried em deep fried, not all that in my opion. somebody is gonna buy out the company, if they ain't already. so it'l be back on the market...but probably double the price. as usual...

[nofearengineer]

The products will all be back eventually, but they will be produced in a right to work state or potentially even Mexico. I know much has been made of them being produced in China, but contrary to popular myth, Twinkies are only good for 25 days. That pretty much rules out China.

Either way, you can count on Twinkies being back, and being less expensive. Personally, I can't wait to hear all of the commotion when the unions try to protest the sale or transport of them through non right to work states.

Personally, I hope my home town becomes the new "Home of the Twinkie".

[pro reel]

There was a time when unions were needed. They made great strides in getting some rights for workers as in fair pay and saftey. The goverment could have done the same thing but didn't. As in everything, moderation is important. When workers rights were fairly normalized and we had a federal minimum wage and other labor laws, the only left for unions to fight for was higher pay and benefits. Thats when they went downhill. They can't justify thier existence without continually fighting for more and more and they have now been a big part of the problems in America of forcing corporations to seek cheaper labor markets and ship jobs out of the country. Many workers that I know who work union jobs are so hugely overpaid compared to a fair wage for what they do that it's no wonder companies are leaving. No one wants to go backwards in thier standard of living, but here real soon, there are gonna be a lot of folks that wish they had accepted that last offer.

[nofearengineer]

You're 100% right, Kevin.

There are indeed a bunch of people who will soon be moving backwards in standard of living, whether they think it's fair or not.

Wait a second...that sounds like me...

Oh well, at least I still have a job.

[WTL]

I"M PRETTY ****ING PISSED OFF RIGHT NOW.

PRETTY SUYRE THIS ONLY CAME OUT TODAY BECAUSE THE FEDS COULDN"T LET THIS OUT BEFORE THE ELECTION< obummer WOULD HAVE DEFINITLY LOST HAD THE AMERICAN PEOPLE KNOWN THIS WAS WHAT REELECTION WOULD LEAD TOO

[bassboogieman]

Yo' 'Bama, I thought those were DINK DONGS you were so fond of........

I love Twinkies, they were in my lunch bag several times per week when I went through school, long time ago but I still picked up a box now and then, just a part of my childhood and school days. But what really bothers me about the whole thing is their union is taking the heat and that may be a part of it, what I read this morning said only about 6000 of the 180,000 workers were part of the union that was currently striking. Seems like 175,000 workers got hit because of a small percentage actually walking a picket line. Sad really, Hostess has be an icon of bakery treats, like Tasty Cake here in the Philly area. Bryce is probably right (usually is) the Twinkie as well as other trademarked backery snacks are up for sale, someone will likely pick them up.

Billy? Are you suggesting another "conspiracy theory"?

[joedog]

Everyone wants to blame the unions. They do share in the blame but before you non union believers get to carried away you should understand the WHOLE truth.
http://management.fortune.cnn.com/tag/hostess/

There's a lot more to this then a union strike.
There are a lot more to this than just pointing the blame in one place too.
Plenty of company heads deals and contracts make the unions wishes and wants seem just a little smaller part of the whole problem.
Union bent and bent pretty good 3 years ago.
Please read the whole thing before you throw me to the wolves.
The whole story may just surprise you.

I've never had a union job and I've always been self employed or a self employed contractor so take that into consideration.
Once the unions became what I refer to as 'non-working unions' their value left.
But understand ONE thing, all you non union workers, your wages wouldn't be what they are today if there never was a union, trust me on that. Yes that includes ME!
Everyone seems to want to be happily blaming SOMEONE!
I wouldn't want my grand kids working in a sweat shop and that's why jobs go over seas. Trust me, if every single union was eliminated we would STILL be losing jobs over seas.
So unless YOU would work for SIMILAR wages as the foreign workers be care who your blaming for what. Maybe YOUR part of the problem too.
We ALL want a fare wage and a safe work place, a lot of foriegn workers have NIETHER!
Last thing I don't unnderstand is, if these jobs and wages were so high, wouldn't you think there would be people crossing the line. Look at all the unemployed folks, didn't see them crossing lines.
If you knew your PROMISED retirement was already insolvent would YOU take a cut in wages too?

I just think before you have an opinion the least you can do is learn the FACTS. There is a lot of blame to go around here and it's a lot more than a strike, although that certainly didn't help things.

[bassboogieman]

Joe, I would never consider, for the smallest moment, throwing YOU to the wolves. NEVER! You are an avid fisherman and as such you deserve much better, and to honor your most enjoyed outdoor activity, I sincerely believe throwing you to the SHARKS would be far more appropriate.

If you knew your PROMISED retirement was already insolvent would YOU take a cut in wages too?

In all seriousness, that is a very HARD question to answer. They were asked (I believe) to take an 8% cut, that's tough to swallow after previous cuts. What is the alternative? Supposedly the pension fund is insolvent - so it's lost either way. Wages after the cuts would likely still been better than unemployment. The job market is as tough now as it's ever been, but having a job is still better than unemployment (well you would be working rather than sitting at home getting on your spouse's nerves). Personally, I think I would have agreed, continued drawing a paycheck and started actively (if I had not already) searching for other employment, then leaving on my terms rather than face being unemployed.

But then I am not a union person either, that complicates issues for members. Myself, on the union issue, I did look for another job within the company I worked for when faced with the blue collar workers becomming unionized, to avoid that. I was lucky and found a job in a "critical" (emergency response) desiginated work group that was excluded from union membership. Since I retired though, I am a UNION MEMBER - card carring AARP!

[joedog]

You just may decide to drop out of this 'Union' too?
This group is nonpartisan, YA, RIGHT!

AARP has long held itself out as the preeminent non-profit organization representing America’s seniors. However, many do not realize that AARP collects billions of dollars each year through the sale and marketing of insurance products. Additionally, memberships on AARP’s corporate for-profit and tax-exempt non-profit boards overlap. Given the Committee’s responsibility to conduct rigorous oversight, jurisdiction over Medicare and sale of Medicare insurance products and sole jurisdiction over the tax code, the Committee will review AARP’s organizational structure and finances.




In announcing this hearing, Chairman Herger said, “AARP is known for being the largest and most well known seniors’ organization in the country. But what Americans don’t know is that AARP was the 4th highest spending lobbying organization between 1998 and 2010 or that the AARP brand dominates the private Medicare insurance market. This hearing is about getting to the bottom of how AARP’s financial interests affect their self-stated mission of enhancing senior’s quality of life. It is important to better understand how AARP’s insurance business overlaps with its advocacy efforts and whether such overlap is appropriate.”



In announcing the hearing, Chairman Boustany said, “As one of the country’s most well-known non-profits, many of America’s seniors trust AARP to represent their interests. But in light of AARP’s dependence on its income from insurance products, there is good reason to question whether AARP is primarily looking out for seniors or just its own bottom line. Before seniors decide whether AARP is worthy of their trust, or their hard-earned dollars, they deserve all of the facts. The purpose of this hearing is to provide a public examination of the facts so seniors can decide those questions for themselves.”



FOCUS OF THE HEARING:
The facts show that AARP no longer operates like a seniors' advocacy organization. Instead, it is more closely resembles a for‑profit insurance company.

In 2009, AARP raised 46 percent of its revenue from royalty payments versus just 17 percent from membership dues. While questions have indeed been raised in the past about AARP's reliance on royalties, the amount of these payments has nearly tripled just over the past decade.

AARP asserts that their policy positions are made by its all‑volunteer board of directors, which is separate from its business interests. The facts show otherwise.
In 2010, the entire board of AARP Insurance Plan, which collected and processed $6.8 billion in insurance premiums in 2009, also served on the board of directors of AARP, which makes policy decisions. The AARP Insurance Plan funneled millions of dollars to AARP, Inc. in 2009.

The facts show that AARP is dependent on the hundreds of millions of dollars it receives primarily from insurance companies and could not continue to operate in its current fashion without this revenue. AARP revenue from membership dues totaled $246 million in 2009, just barely enough to cover its employee compensation and legal and accounting fees.
AARP's decision to ENDORSE more than one‑half trillion dollars in Medicare cuts to pay for a new entitlement program seemed to directly contradict its mission. This became more disconcerting when Medicare officials warned that the Medicare cuts were so severe that seniors' access to care could be jeopardized. Medicare officials also revealed that the health care law will result in a migration from Medicare Advantage to Medigap plans that could force as many as 7 million seniors to give up a plan they know and like.

What does this have to do with AARP? Well, it turns out that upon a close examination of AARP's Medicare insurance business, the facts show that AARP had a unique financial incentive that was not transparent to seniors, the public or Members of Congress during the health care reform debate. As a result of the unique contractual relationship between AARP and United Health Group, AARP stands to earn $1 billion over the next 10 years as a result of the Democrats' health care overhaul on top of hundreds of millions of dollars in insurance royalties that they currently collect.
This is just one of a number of shocking details contained in a report issued earlier this week by Mr. Reichert and me, many of which will be discussed today.

Excerpts from
http://waysandmeans.house.gov/news/d...umentID=261747

I think I would like the sharks more than THIS ORGANIZATION.
They are as crooked as ANY politician in EITHER PARTY!
Strickly my opinion!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Once again, IT'S ALL ABOUT THE MONEY!
Disclaimer:
I'm a Certified Senior Advisor.

Just a few added thoughts....
Today, more than 50 years after its founding as a small nonprofit helping the retired, AARP has changed into what appears to be an insurance and advertising powerhouse. According to the most recent data we have, AARP, Incorporated and its for‑profit organizations annually process billions of dollars in insurance premiums, and earned nearly $700 million in insurance revenues and over $100 million in advertising revenues.

Only a fifth of its revenue come from membership dues and contributions. Since 2002, AARP's revenue from membership dues has only increased modestly. Over that same period, however, by partnering with other companies to sell insurance, AARP has experienced gains in its royalty income that any private sector business would envy. Its revenues have nearly tripled, growing from $240 million to $657 million in 2009.

Yet as AARP, Incorporated has grown by leaps and bounds, its funding for charitable work has nearly flat‑lined. Contributions to the AARP Foundation between 2002 and 2009 grew by only 11 percent, or about $3.1 million. And funding of legal counsel for the elderly actually decreased by about 9 percent. The parts of AARP that fulfill its original purpose seem not to be sharing in the bounty that has come to AARP from its insurance‑related business activities.

Another concern regarding AARP is whether they provide excessive compensation to executives, which might suggest that the organization exists more for the enrichment of its officers and employees and less for the public good. In the case of AARP, executive compensation and benefits often far exceed what one might think appropriate for a tax‑exempt organization. The website Charity Navigator compares the compensation of CEOs at charities and nonprofits with expenditures exceeding $500 million. And looking at these numbers, we see that compensation for AARP's top executive is a consistent outlier, reaching as high as $1.6 million in 2009. In addition, AARP has maintained travel policies that exceed what are considered "best practice" recommendations developed by an independent oversight group which AARP's then‑CEO was involved in.

The differences in revenue generated and money spent "promoting social welfare and the common good" suggest that AARP may have strayed from its original mission and brings into question whether it is appropriate for it to continue to operate as a 501(c)(4) tax‑exempt organization

[bassboogieman]

Sorry I hit that nerve. I only open the magazine, and my subscription renewal. The card does get me an occasional discount.

[Tavery5]

I don't expect the job market is booming for people who stuff creme filling into the middle of delicious golden cake. 92% of something, is much better than nothing and it sure helps put gas in the car why you are looking for something better.

KS is a right to work state, I have worked in both Union and Non-Union shops, I much prefer Non-Union.

[nofearengineer]

With all due respect, Joe...as an Engineer, I can safely say no union ever increased my salary.

[joedog]

Hey, no one hit a nerve!
That's all public information I just think that sometimes facts help us make better decisions.
And I also strongly believe part of what got us into the mess we're in, is decisions being made without the proper information and thinking through the information.
I may not have the faith I should in my elected governing body.
I DO have faith in my fellow citizens though!
Again this was meant for information only.
My disclaimer should have added, I held an AARP membership for two years and twice in my lifetime I've sold two 'AARP' supplements. Why, because it was best for my friend.
I am in NO WAY against AARP and their mission. I do feel they should stick to their mission though.
Just too many people 'blindly' put their faith in people that information should play a part in.
And I know Bruce IS NOT one of these.

I totally like and respect the fact that Bryce disagrees with MY OPINION.
No way would I ever disagree, I'm not an engineer. I've never walked in Bryce's shoes or any engineers for that matter.
I also have never walked in the shoes of those who recently lost hostess jobs.Just maybe if they checked or knew their unions objectives and where the monies going they may have made a different decision, maybe not.
Bryce thank you.

Part of the reason I posted link is those of you who have an interest can see the humor in our govt run inquires.
Each person gets 5 mins. PERIOD. That includes the reply to any questions asked.
If the respondent is in the middle of their answer....it is stopped. The respondent can not continue. Unless of course some time is yielded.
You will see why I have NO FAITH in my governing body. The gamesmanship of time manipulation is an Abbot and Costello skit if I ever heard one.

Oh and the red was just an effective highlite color. I have no feeling what so ever on that actual line or paragraph good or bad.
Another poor choice of mine. Consistency should count for something.

[pro reel]

As I stated in my first post, unions were needed and did a lot of good many years ago. We now have plenty of federal laws to protect workers rights and minimum wage. There are no more sweat shops. Minimum wage isn't going to pay the bills for most families, but it's not sweat shop wages either. In a perfect world,the job market would control wages and benefits and you would just need to decide how much education you were willing to get to be able to find higher paying jobs. The fact is, most union laborers now recieve higher pay than many college educated workers in many fields. I work with a bridge engineer who has several degrees and a masters. He makes $60.000 a year salary. He has 30 years of experience. I know people who drive a cushman scooter in a union shop shuttling parts from one area to another who get paid more than that. Something went wrong with wages and unions when a job that would normally pay minimum wage or just a few dollars more now pays the same or more as positons that require many years of education and hard learned skills.

As for executives siphoning off millions in profits, thats not good either. If it was a private owned company, then the owner could pay whatever he wanted to himself and his top executives. If he ran it into the ground, then it's his fault. Most would not do that. The problem starts when a company gets so big that it's being ran by a board of executives and sells stock. At that point, no one has the best interest of the comany at heart, they only see dollar signs and it's me, me, me, screw everyone else. This can and does happen regardless of union or non union. What I would like to see happen would be for the governement to pass some laws regarding wages and dividends for any company that goes from a sole proprietership to a stock selling corporation. At that time, the shareholders who buy stock should have a right to expect that the company will pay fair wages that will grow the business by attracting and retaining skilled workers and senior staff and maximize returns for investers at the same time. If every corporation was forced to set top wages as a percentage of profit, then they would not be able to bleed a company dry. I'm sure that there would be a fair way to do something like that. It is crazy that a ceo can be paid millions while a company is not showing a return to shareholders and worse yet is heading for bankruptcy. I know I probably sound like a democrat here, but I just think there should be some checks on corporate greed and that all employees should have to actually be worth what they get paid.

[Dogmatic]

So can anyone tell me off the top of their heads what "minimum wage" is, and exactly how its calculated when it comes to the number of people its suppose to support?

[pro reel]

Originally Posted by Dogmatic

So can anyone tell me off the top of their heads what "minimum wage" is, and exactly how its calculated when it comes to the number of people its suppose to support?

The Fed min is $7.25. many states actually have higher min wage than that. I guess maybe you could tell us what it's calculated at? My opinion is it's a fair wage for workers who chose to not pursue higher education or trade skills. If it was much higher, then the cost of everything we buy or services we need would have to go up for most companies to be able to afford to hire workers. Every time the min wage was increased, the ripple was increased costs, so it's all conected. It's not intended to suport more than the single person that earns it. Two people both earning that could share bills and live decent. If they wanted to raise a family, or be able to afford nice things, then they would need to find a way to make more money, or make the right choice and not make any babies until they got the skills or education to deserve a higher wage. This thought that all people deserve to be able to find a job that pays enough to suport a nice life or that employers somehow owe workers a high wage, is just plain crazy. We don't live in a utopia. It's the workers who owe the employer. They owe the employer a hard days work for the wage they agreed to be paid. If they do that and do it well, they will probably get raises and slowly do better. It's this entitlment thinking that is so prevalent that is destroying the work ethic of most americans from this new generation. They expect to be given a good paying job without needing to be any good at it. Then if it doesn't pay enough for them to have the life they think they deserve, they expect the government to give them everything else they need and want.

[Dogmatic]

^^^LOL, if it wasn't so sad. As of today, if you work a 40 hr week at minimum wage(Federal), you will be $5K short of the poverty line(below the poverty line), not be able to afford a two bedroom apartment in any state, and this is a wage that is "suppose" to support a family of 4! How is it calculated? Its pulled out of a politician's a$$. Literally. By the way, servers at your favorite restaurant make a "tipped worker" wage of $2.13. Think about it the next time you stiff your server.

[nofearengineer]

Originally Posted by Dogmatic

^^^LOL, if it wasn't so sad. As of today, if you work a 40 hr week at minimum wage(Federal), you will be $5K short of the poverty line(below the poverty line), not be able to afford a two bedroom apartment in any state, and this is a wage that is "suppose" to support a family of 4! How is it calculated? Its pulled out of a politician's a$$. Literally. By the way, servers at your favorite restaurant make a "tipped worker" wage of $2.13. Think about it the next time you stiff your server.

Since you're so entrenched in the big restaurant/catering/personal chef business, Francis...we'll assume you got your first job at minimum wage. But for some reason, you decided you wanted to earn more (or at least marry someone who would earn more). Apparently, you decided one is not "supposed" to support a family of 4 (or even 2) on minimum wage. You're "supposed" to work your way up until you can live in your own lily-white suburb like Perkasie. But I guess the real question is...do you pay all those full and part-timers you say you employ $20 an hour like the Hostess guys were getting before they decided they didn't want jobs any more?

[joedog]

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-18563_16...ull-time-jobs/

Last 'Twinkies' post.
My point before this gets into the Reb./Dem debate is, this problem is not a Dem. or Rep. problem.
It's an American Citizen problem or better yet challenge.
It's not as simple as making a decision to get 'educated'.
It's not about who's a better worker or not.
If a person with no education or even a good work ethic is worth in 'someones' eyes or the majorities eyes, $7.25, than my hunch is maybe some of the Hostess workers who gave 30 years of their life helping ME to be able to BUY a twinkie, were 'worth' $20 an hour.

Last thought/question and remember I DO NOT HAVE ANY ANSWERS...just questions and thoughts.
Once everyone becomes 'educated' like a pro sportsman or a educated Heisman winner, does the need for manual labor like being the custodian or maybe the garbage hauler become non existent?
Should I feel I'm worth more because I went to college?
Do you realize that one of the major reasons a college grad is hired in a non technical field is? They have a track record of committing to something and following it through. Has nothing to do with what they learned. Yes, unfortunately or fortunately I recruited and hired 'educated' and as some refer to as very 'uneducated' workers.
Frequently the educated felt they should do less because 'someone' if not everyone told them that if they go to college that would increase their value.
I pay commission based wages to 'self employed contracted workers' so no min wage challenges here.
Once we hit the 'educated utopia', is it then OK to ship jobs across seas?
Is it then OK to let illegals work in our great country?
I mean I certainly shouldn't expect a college grad to pound a hammer or carry some shingles up a roof should I? I certainly wouldn't or SHOULDN"T consider making them do 'factory' work would I or should I? And field work...... out of the question entirely!!!!
Maybe a 'class' system is the answer? I certainly am not going to drive the garbage truck, I'M WAY TO EDUCATED!!!
Anglers this is not the nineteen fifties where hard work guaranteed you success. There are a lot of HARD WORKING, DEDICATED and even EDUCATED folks who LOST A JOB!
I lived with 2 All American football players in college. I don't know if I remember either opening a book. But boy was the house full of beautiful young ladies! One became the Fire Chief, after years of fire fighting and the other is a millionaire. Guess what, I value both of them as friends and human beings.
I meet my trash-man twice a year at the curb with a gift. I give my mailman a Christmas gift as well as hang a bag of fresh tomatoes on the mailbox everyday there in season. Why, because I can and without them my life would be 'a little' different.
Why does everyone feel the answers are so simple? They are not!
A young lady (72) I see in church most mornings, goes to the 'jail' everyday after church to cook. She and her dead husband 'dairy farmed' her whole life. Lost farm, lost husband, lives in rent controlled apt. but she is one of the wisest people I ever met! And a true sweet heart!!!! She donates 5% of her income every year to the church. I don't. But I do have a college education!
If I had to place a value on both of us...SHE'S WORTH MORE than I'll ever be!!!!!!!!!!!!! She told me that growing up she only went as far as the eighth grade.
It's a NEW WORLD folks.
Education and hard work aren't as valueable as days past.
Some people couldn't work in their chosen field without joining a Union.
Try and get a railroad job without joining a union.
The engineer makes the train go forwards or backwards. He/she starts and stops the train. ABSOLUTLY NOTHING ELSE! Anyone want to guess how much they get paid?
Disclaimer: 4 of my concert crew are enginers on the railroad. Non of them has any sort of secondary education. Do they play a valued place in my life"
Most definitly.
Do I think they make more than their 'educated' value"
Yes.
Frankly I think they may even make more than their 'effort' value.
Am I worth more?
I went to college, I worked to pay my tuition. Never got an unemployment check. Never got finacial aid. Am I worth more than the train engineer?
NO!!!
I wonder how many college educated anglers are here at the site?
I wonder what their worth?
I wonder how many eighth grade graduates are at this site?
I wonder what their worth?

Now aren't those some pretty STUPID questions?
There is NO EASY FIX so you may want to gather information that may help you make a good decision or at least the better or best decision.

Boy I miss cut and pasting jokes!!!!
I always smiled at least once a day...GUARNTEED.

To all my friends, educated or not.
THANK YOU for all your hard work.
For those struggling my prayers are with you!
For those who can't find employment my prayers are DEFINITLY with you!!!

In the mean time FREINDS, please have the very best day you possible can!!!!