Paid Vacation Act

This idiot thinks the government should dictate vacation policy to private businesses.

I guess I missed the part of the Constitution that gives that authority to the government. The federal government is so good at managing things, let's just have them run private businesses.

This has to come under the heading "If you think things are bad now, just look at how bad they could be."

I wonder how many people would lose their jobs over this bit of nonsense?

From the article:

Rep. Idiot (I'd rather not even repeat this loser's name) was standing in the middle of Disney World when it hit him: What Americans really need is a week of paid vacation.

I have a different opinion. I think what Americans really need is for the people to vote this idiot out of office. Better yet, tar and feather him and ride him out of the country on a rail.

The minimum requirement for being in congress should be that you have actually read the United States Constitution and have at least a little understanding of what it means.

More from the article:

The bill would require companies with more than 100 employees to offer a week of paid vacation for both full-time and part-time employees after they’ve put in a year on the job. Three years after the effective date of the law, those same companies would be required to provide two weeks of paid vacation, and companies with 50 or more employees would have to provide one week.

Seems to me that if you don't like the vacation policy of the company you work for you should either try to get the company to change the policy or find a different job. I would like the company I work for to give me 10 weeks of vacation every year. Why stop there? Why not 26 weeks? Why not just have the government force the company to pay me for not working?

More nonsense:

The idea: More vacation will stimulate the economy through fewer sick days, better productivity and happier employees.

Less government will stimulate the economy through lower taxes and fewer regulations to comply with.

Here is a good quote from the idiot that wants to do this to us:

“Honestly, as much as I appreciate this job and as much as I enjoy it, the best days of my life are and always have been the days I’m on vacation.”

Wow, so people enjoy their vacations. I never knew.

My answer to that silly statement is

SO WHAT!!?

Is it the government's business to decide what kind of vacation policy a company has? Apparently some people think it is.

Let's go on with the drivel:

According to the Center for Economic and Policy Research, 28 million Americans — or about a quarter of the work force — don’t get any paid vacation. The center says that a lack of vacation causes stress and workplace burnout and that those evil twins cost the economy more than $300 billion each year.

Ignoring the Constitution for the moment and looking at the cost vs. benefits of this thing, I'll bet it will cost businesses a lot more than $300 billion each year. Where did that number come from? Whatever the "Center for Economic and Policy Research" is, there doesn't seem to be a source for the info. It's easy to make up numbers.

Looking at that bit again, they don't give any details on those 28 million Americans. I wonder how many are part time workers? How many are temps? How many are illegal aliens? How many work a job that is mostly or entirely commission? How many are self employed? I'm not an expert on cooking the books, but I can see they aren't giving the whole story.

Here is some more nonsense:

One more if-you’re-reading-this-then-you’re-probably-not-on-vacation fact: The United States is dead last among 21 industrial countries when it comes to mandatory R&R.

France currently requires employers to provide 30 days of paid leave.

What is the unemployment rate in France? I don't know if they still have the policy but for a while France reduced their workweek by law to 35 hours to create jobs. Why don't we try that?

One time when I was a kid I did something stupid. I don't remember what it was but I remember my dad asked why I did it. I replied that my older sister did it, too. My dad's response was "If your older sister stepped in a pile of dog mess on purpose and tracked in on the carpet, would you do it, too?"

Let's don't step in this pile.

Now, let's get down to the bottom line, which in this case is money.

Not surprisingly, some in the travel industry are salivating over Grayson’s bill; Grayson spokesman Todd Jurkowski said the U.S. Tour Operators Association and the Adventure Travel Trade Association are both on board. Other tourism and labor groups are expected to sign on in the coming days.

No surprise here.

One more thing to think about on this so-called "crisis": Do you really think businesses won't pass the cost of this on? Who will pay? First of all, the employees will pay. They will have lower salaries and probably a reduction in other benefits. Second, customers will pay more to cover the cost. Third, stockholders will pay. Of course none of these costs is considered against that $300 million figure that was pulled out of thin air.

So, I'll give you the short form:

More interference in business from the government. (A hidden cost. Not very well hidden at that.)

More government employees will be needed to oversee this nonsense. (A hidden cost.)

Lower salaries and fewer benefits for workers. (A hidden cost.)

Higher costs for customers. (A hidden cost.)

Lower returns for stockholders. (A hidden cost.)

More people may travel on vacation. (Bonus for the travel industry.)

This plan is designed to take some wealth from many people and convert it to a big prize for a few people. The majority have only a small bite taken out of them, but it ends up being a lot of money when it is transferred to only a few people.

Two words: Wealth Transfer

Oh, and don't forget, there is nothing in the United States Constitution that gives the authority to do this to any part of the federal government.