Originally Posted By Spirit of 74 <<Spirit - I like your thinking more and more each day. It saddens me how many of our countrymen are deluded that the US is the best and most caring country in the world. It is far from it, and has much to learn about supporting it's own huddled masses.>> That's because we're both very smart dudes, Dave. ... We really do have to meet up at some point, on some continent, at some Disney resort ;-) This subject does strike a nerve because I have multiple family members who have horrible situations, not because they can't afford insurance but because they were never able to obtain it to begin with because they either had 'pre-existing conditions' ... were self-employed ... etc ... and they now need tens of thousands of dollars in tests and care and the government steals money in the form of grans in their names and then refuses to provide care or makes it so horrific to get (imagine needing to be on a drug and instead of getting a month's supply, having to drive to a clinic in a scary area of town where the doctor ... who won't even examine the patients, he diagnoses by magically looking at them from across the room ... gives a week's supply ... and the drug is something that was stopped being used to treat the condition 15-20 years ago, but it's cheaper so who cares whether it works? ... imagine going to such a clinic were you are constantly jerked around despite them having a grant in your name and were if you simply raise your voice armed security will come over and escort you out ... yeah, we're the greatest country in the world ... and Tink just flew out of my butt!) ... It's just a joke. And yes, I blame big business and the Republicans. Because ... well, it is their fault. But hey if you're a fetus or a veggie (paging Terry Schiavo) then we'll interfere in your life ... other than that ... pay or die. Oh, and Epcot wasn't staffed properly on 12/31 and it isn't today either.
Originally Posted By Spirit of 74 <<Yet another example of someone who DOESN'T live here that has absolutely no idea about what's going on in this city.>> I don't and I admit it. I haven't been to New Orleans in a decade since my cousin graduated from Tulane ... and I hate the place ... filthy, dirty, poor. Yeah, there's some good food and great music, but it's a crime-ridden, scary place. I don't like it. Kinda like you don't like to leave WDW property when you visit. << First off, I would never deny a child healthcare, food or shelter, even if his mother is an idiot who never heard of birth control.>> Great. I applaud that. Of course, if W had his way no one would ever get birth control because Jesus (and not my lawn guy ... his name really is Jesus!) doesn't approve. <<Secondly, since you love to bring up the race card in regards to New Orleans, let me straighten something out. The welfare system is a vicious cycle. The chances of that 18 year old girl's kids having "the better life" you talk about is slim to none, because more than likely they'll also be on welfare once they get older. My boss took a shine to one of the former painters here at work before. He was fired from our facility because he never came in to work, but my boss decided to hire him to take care of his home, cleaning, doing yard work and minor repairs. He only works a few hours a day because he's "old" (he's 55, younger than my boss) and says he just gets tired too easily. He's also been in jail several times for misdemeanors. But, in your eyes, he's "the working poor". Believe me, his story is NOT atypical. I see it every day at work with many of the custodians and laborers here. I used to work in Labor Relations, and I assure you that most who were fired were fired because they threatened a co-worker, they brought a weapon on the grounds or they didn't show up for work. These are civil service jobs mind you, so you really have to screw up to get fired. Yet again, in your eyes they're "the working poor".>> You seem to know an awful lot about me without having ever met me, ever spoken to me on the phone, ever corresponded with me. You have no clue what you're talking about, but please go on and put words in my mouth. <<Since you're talking about the race card in relations to New Orleans, what incident are you specifically talking about? When those who stayed behind during Katrina (even though they live in a city below sea level, were told that if the levees broke it would be devastating, and were told repeatedly for years to get out if a CAT 3 or higher storm was headed for the city) decided to loot local businesses for guns, tennis shoes and plasma TVs? When they descended on the Superdome and complained because all they had to eat were hot dogs? When many were given the opportunity to live in FEMA trailers and declined because they refused to live in a trailer? When they stole chairs and furniture from the Superdome during Hurricane Georges?>> Racism is rampant in New Orleans. Period. You aren't going to tell me otherwise. I spent time there when my cousin was attending Tulane ... and since she lived there for five years, I got plenty of horror stories. And let's not pretend racism wasn't a factor in the inept response to Katrina. <<I realize that we have been dumbed down to such an extent that when I was flying a few days ago I got on a flight in Houston (naturally) with a 20-year-old soldier who had his leg mangled in Iraq, spent six months in the hospital (loved his meds) and eventually had two amputation surgeries ... and pathetically he was cheerful and happy about the '25 grand the government will pay me every year for life' and then he said he hoped his girlfriend also in the service would be shipped over there 'so she could see all the good we were doing.' I just didn't have the heart to tell this poor fool he gave up a leg and a large part of his soul for nothing at all.>> <<My God, you are full of yourself! Who are YOU to tell someone who's been on the front lines that he's wrong in his belief that he justly sacrificed for his country?>> Nikki, slow down with hating on the Spirit for a second and READ what was written. I never told him he was wrong. He decided to be friendly with me on a plane and talk and I couldn't escape as I spent close to three hours in his presence ... and I have better manners then to just say 'Dude, I am so not interested in what you're saying because you're ultimately just a number being used to fight an illegal, immoral war.' But I am (still I think) free in this country to think anything I want. And I do think that this guy screwed up his entire life for absolutely nothing at all ... nothing. And, now, the guy wants to put his girlfriend in harm's way too?! If it helps him sleep better at night when he's feeling phantaom pain from a leg that no longer exists to believe he fought for 'freedom' that's OK for him ... it just doesn't change the facts at all. Oh, and now he's on the government payroll forever. <<Despite what you or I think of the war, and truthfully I think it's high time we got out of Iraq, you have no right to decide that someone who spent time on the front lines is wrong for believing his sacrifice meant something.>> Bull. I have the right to believe whatever I want. <<To him, it did, and you have absolutely no right to tell him otherwise. >> I didn't tell him. He never asked me. I guess he just assumed we all support the troops. Like you can separate the ones conducting the war from the idea of engaging in it, which you can't (someone needs to tell the wishy-washey dems that). You can't. I don't support either. I am very sad for all the people dying and being maimed on all sides for no reason except the American people elected a true WalMart quality leader for our times. <<By the way, I didn't sidestep your question, I simply forgot to answer it. I think that every American citizen should have access to affordable healthcare.>> But what if they can't afford any? Should we -- the richest nation on earth -- let them die in the streets? And who judges what's affordable?
Originally Posted By Spirit of 74 >> Go to World Events if you want to talk about that other stuff. << <<Agreed. This thread is starting to get as noisy as an FP discussion.>> Well, one is significantly more important than the other. But you're right and I apologize for taking a thread that had veered waaaaay off course in one direction and put it on another tangent. But I love sparring with Nikki. She's like a firecracker with a lit fuse.
Originally Posted By NikkiLOVESMickey I will only say this in resposne to Spirit, and will hijack this thread no more. Yes, there's racism in New Orleans, just as there is racism everywhere. There isn't any more racism here than anywhere else. It's pretty difficult to say racism runs rampant in a city where the majority of the population is black and the mayor, the majority of the city council, the police chief and the district attorney are also black. I'm sad to hear you don't like the city. There are bad spots, I will gladly admit, but I think the good outweighs the bad. I wouldn't live anywhere else. Affordable healthcare should be offered on a sliding scale according to how much the patient can afford. I don't think anyone should be condemned to death or a diminished quality of life because they can't afford medicine or medical bills. And to get this back on topic, I can remember trying to walk around the Hub at MK one evening during Spectromagic five or six years ago. The crowds made the sidewalk completely impassible and it was absolutely impossible to move. There wasn't a CM in sight. Bad show due to crowds isn't confined to Epcot. To get back on topic
Originally Posted By SuperDry Spirit, you have mentioned on this thread and others that you believe that understaffed guest control at WDW during special events and in general is caused by WDW being unable to recruit enough workers based on the low wage paid. Isn't it possible that although this recruiting problem exists, the reason that guest control is often visibly understaffed is that management is being forced to meet certain cost-cutting targets, and is choosing to understaff them?
Originally Posted By fkurucz ^^I would guess that this is almost a certainty. As I have said before, upper management in the Fortune 500 are basically a bunch of cost cutting zombies. Eventually the cost cutting affects customers (who leave), and then the overpaid geniuses wonder what happened. Then they have to resort to tactics like the DVC, which secures future business, but at the price of discounting those visits heavily.
Originally Posted By mrichmondj << As I have said before, upper management in the Fortune 500 are basically a bunch of cost cutting zombies. Eventually the cost cutting affects customers (who leave), and then the overpaid geniuses wonder what happened. >> So you are saying that Disney should not cut costs and raise their prices further to account for the rising cost of doing business? Profit margins today are worse than they were 10 years ago and worse than they were 20 years ago. How high should the ticket prices go to make up for the escalating costs if businessmen aren't allowed to cut their costs of doing business?
Originally Posted By TDLFAN Escalating costs at WDW??? Where?? Besides management pocketing money or bailing out the movie division... where are they investing money at WDW? Certainly not in improvements and maintenance! Reason why the cost of tickets should not go higher, except for those who like to buy the 5++ day passports.
Originally Posted By fkurucz >>So you are saying that Disney should not cut costs and raise their prices further to account for the rising cost of doing business?<< There is a difference between keeping costs under control and cutting costs. For instance: you can keep custodial costs under control by finding ways to make custodial CM's more productive. Or you can simply fire a large number of custodians and have the bathrooms cleaned less frequently. The former does not affect the product delivered, while the second option does. And customers do notice.
Originally Posted By Spirit of 74 <<Spirit, you have mentioned on this thread and others that you believe that understaffed guest control at WDW during special events and in general is caused by WDW being unable to recruit enough workers based on the low wage paid. Isn't it possible that although this recruiting problem exists, the reason that guest control is often visibly understaffed is that management is being forced to meet certain cost-cutting targets, and is choosing to understaff them?>> Absolutely. But what difference does it really make? The problem still gets worse by the day and the execs do nothing to improve it. Even Bob Iger, who I lauded for bringing the shareholders meeting back to Anaheim last year, is accutely aware of the situation hence his desire to pull a Michael Eisner and run and hide in New Orleans for this year's meeting (which was supposed to be back in Orlando for the first time in over a decade!) rather than face tough questions from CMs and fans. So long as TWDC refuses to pay its workers more, and opts for more outsourcing, more refugees from the islands, more seniors who can barely walk, the quality of a WDW vacation will be adversely affected. That's it. Bottom line. Very simple.
Originally Posted By Spirit of 74 <<There is a difference between keeping costs under control and cutting costs. For instance: you can keep custodial costs under control by finding ways to make custodial CM's more productive. Or you can simply fire a large number of custodians and have the bathrooms cleaned less frequently. The former does not affect the product delivered, while the second option does. And customers do notice.>> Yeah, but drunk media 'guests' holding whatever swag the Mouse is sticking in their giftbags as they are presented with slick presentations on all the 'new magic during the year of a million dreams!' don't notice things like that ... and Scott Powers and Beth Kassab at the O-Sentinel are afraid to write anything remotely critical of the Mouse.
Originally Posted By fkurucz ^^True, but repeat paying guests (that kind companies want) do notice. I'm not saying that WDW is going fold. But they are having to resort to gimmicks to get people to come.
