Maria Antoinette. Madame Pompadour was King Louis IV mistress.

Interesting, I agree, no subsidies.But a subsidy is when the government gives tax payers money, a la Solyndra. By the government allowing a company or industry "tax avoidance" is not a subsidy. It is allowing a company, or an individual for that matter, to keep money that they have legally made. But then again, I don't believe in the corporate tax structure (nor the individual tax either.) Neither of them are fair and/or just.
The fourteenth amendment states in part; "...deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws." When the law allows for different treatment of one from another for any reason, whether it is income, gender, race, religion, etc., it is wrong. Taxing anyone at a different rate because of income is unconstitutional.

This is by design. Devaluation of the dollars buying power by artificially increases wages and which causes a devaluation of debt. One of the things you must do to manage debt as a nation is decrease the value of the currency after you have a large increase in borrowing. One of several tools to accomplish this is minimum wage.

Minimum wage has costs and you bring up another one indirectly. Remove minimum wages and McDonald's would likely turn it into what it should be without minimum wage. A job for kids that do not need a a "living wage" but do need some money to play on and a chance to learn to work. Those that do would move on to other restaurant chains that pay better, those that do not would still be at McDonald's while in college or move on to other menial jobs that require little to no thought that others do not want to do, will refuse to do so they pay better because of the laws of supply and demand.

Boborobdos,
Wow, you are on two sides of the fence. Actually, I went to school in Texas for a while, and N.M., Wyo. and N.D. as well as Ohio. Out West I did get sex education, in the 1950s in health class, presented in a scientific manner, with no judgement calls or other influence. Years later, in Ohio, our daughter got liberal values clarification garbage in the name of health, as well as how to shop for the cheapest abortion, all at tax payer expense.
You are right on target when you say kids need to learn about personal finance and the stuff one needs to know to be self-sufficient in life, instead of a patsy. When our daughter did her undergrad studies, the banks set up shop on campus to give them all credit cards, no parental permission, they were 18! Well, a few months later, kids had spent and spent, and my daughter said many of them did not even know there was interest if they did not pay off the balance! These are the ones who made it to college.I had a girl at McD's drive thru literally freeze, like a deer in the headlights. I gave her exact change and five dollars for an order. An older employee had to pull her arm in, hand me back the dollar change. while the apx. 18 year old still looked dazed. My first job I had to make change for hours, no cash register to tell me how much. Our schools are failing both the students and their future employees.
Also, I have seen some of the items in those texts to which Texas objects, and they do not belong in academic books. Boys should not be feminized, other pseudo-religious should not be pushed, and Gaia worship does not belong in the classroom. It is bad enough they celebrate Earth Day, which just so happens to fall on Vladamir Lenin's birthday - but then Gorbachev was instrumental in getting this stuff in US schools.

You said:

Posted by Boborobdos 3 hours, 1 minute ago
I'm opposed to both subsidies. The market should decide.

The point is subsidies haven't been addressed. Why are you making an attempt to change from them to ethanol. I have no problems with ethanol.

This discussion has evolved to an open debate on what government should or should not do, as well as the impact of business and how it treats workers, and what it's responsibilities may or may not be. You seem bent on being aggressive in your opinions, and I do not think it is relevant that you seem OK with one form of govt control (ethanol) over another (oil subsidy's), then you say you are against both. If you are against them, then you must agree that your position is that govt control, regulations, subsidies and minimum wage are all wrong. That's all, it is part of the subject.

Boborobdos, you are so right! I was thinking, real life, but Hollywood is where kids reside n their heads.I first noticed it with the Black sitcoms of the 80s, where they did not go for respect, rather to look goofy and incompetent. "Why", I asked myself, after attaining equality - this is all they want? Then it spread to the endless sitcoms we now have, where the adults of all races are absurd idiots. Not funny even.
Perhaps kids think TV is real, just can't draw that distinction between it and real life. Perhaps too many texts and too few conversations with grandparents are too blame. Perhaps, schools systems turning kids away from parents and toward the state and entertainment diversion.
There are adults worth emulating, like Thomas Sowell, or Charles Krauthammer, or many Veterans - but it is harder to find, I admit. Still, it is no excuses as I see it, the end decision is with the young adult - emulate a Cher or some other Peter Pan adult, or look to those with Objectivist values. Maybe we should institute a "give a student an Ayn Rand book" and hope some of it sticks.

My point is the government's hands are in so many pockets the cost of living is artificially high. Why not focus on removing those impediments first and then see how far the Mcdonald's employee's paycheck will stretch?

So, then you think an ethanol subsidy is ok but you think oil subsidies are ok?

What about "ethanol"? One of the greatest boondoogles hoisted on America since...I don't know. It has caused the price of corn to skyrocket, and is a pain in the ass to work with. Government does not belong in chemistry. But then, there is a level of self protective behavior on most companies part, where they do things despite knowing the damage they cause. Part of the discussion needs to address the fact that just like people, companies are irresponsible as well. Thats what opens the door for the gov't clowns to wedge themselves in.

take more deep breaths and consider putting your head between your knees. would you like a paper bag? oops-sorry-there's only plastic available to save on trees

No shit!

hiraghm is throwing the ball over your head again. stop and take a breath bobo and calm down-you'll be more likely to catch it