Minimum Wage Increases Hurting Workers

Wikimedia Commons image.

Last week, while heading to Lake Havasu, Arizona to spend Christmas with friends, I stopped at a McDonalds restaurant in Kingman for a bite.

I ordered a filet-o-fish, medium French fries and a small Coke. The total cost was over $11.00. We can thank liberals and other radical do-gooders for this. Why do I lay the blame on them? It is due to the ridiculous $12.80/hour minimum wage they've imposed on businesses in Arizona. This is definitely adding to our current inflation problems.

In New Mexico, the minimum wage is set to rise again this coming Sunday.

Having a so-called "living wage" may sound delightful, but it comes at a big cost. That cost is high prices and it comes right out of your wallet. Besides that, it forces businesses to find ways to cut costs and that is hurting workers.

From the Piñon Post:

This Sunday, New Mexico’s minimum wage is set to increase to $12.00 per hour or 50 cents more than the current wage. The new wage will be mandated beginning the first day of the New Year. Despite leftists using increases in the minimum wage to claim it is for social justice reasons, the increase will harm businesses and workers.

Mainstream TV station KOAT 7 even admits it, writing that the increase will result in “cut hours, automate tasks and demand more.” 

To read more, go here.

Japan Firms Want To See Faster Progress On Tourism Reopening

Above, the international arrival lobby at Narita Airport. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

The Japan government's overly-cautious stance on foreign tourists is irritating to Japanese firms, particularly ones in the travel industry.

The Japan Times reported:

Businesspeople in Japan, particularly those in the tourism sector, are unsettled by what appears to them to be overly cautious government policy toward resuming tourism from abroad as the country's economy struggles to recover from the coronavirus pandemic.

Japan is set to further ease COVID-19 border controls by raising its cap on overseas arrivals to 20,000 people per day from June, following Prime Minister Fumio Kishida's remarks earlier this month that the country will relax restrictions in line with other Group of Seven countries.

But only a limited number of tourists will be allowed in for the time being, and the government has not yet indicated when Japan will start accepting all tourists from overseas.

As a result, Japan is now the only G7 country rejecting foreign tourists due to the pandemic. According to the Japan Association of Travel Agents, "a very limited number of countries such as Japan and China" do not accept foreign tourists.

Japan will, however, simplify testing and quarantine rules on arrival starting next month, dividing countries and regions into three groups according to infection risk levels. It will continue to require COVID-19 tests prior to departure for all countries. 

"As vaccination is underway, I don't see what (the Japanese government) is protecting the public from," said a senior official of an airline company.

Masakazu Tokura, chairman of the Japan Business Federation, told a news conference on May 9, "Many Japanese traveled abroad for sightseeing and leisure during the Golden Week holidays. On the other hand, Japan is still not allowing foreigners to enter Japan for tourism.

To read more, go here. 

New Mexico Voters, Take Note

 This sums up Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham:

It is estimated that New Mexico lost over 40% of its small businesses due to Gov. Lujan Grisham.

Leisure Travel Rebounds Again, Business Travel Lags

Above, Chicago's O'Hare International Airport in 2019. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Leisure travel is rebounding, while business travel not so much so.

At least that's what survey of 11,000 travelers in TravelPulse is saying. 

To start off, they wrote:

Leisure travel is rebounding quickly once again, but business travel isn't coming back in the same way.

Research from Morning Consult, which surveyed 11,000 travelers from the Americas, Europe and the Asia-Pacific region, revealed that consumers are looking to travel this spring, many plan on flying and that they are very interested in pricing and flexibility.

Forty-one percent of consumers with travel plans in the next three months expect to fly, and 49 percent expect to stay at a chain hotel.

Price is a top consideration, and the research found that consumers are willing to pay a premium for flexibility. The ability to cancel for free was at the top of the list of things travelers would pay a premium for. Travelers are also willing to pay more to companies that have enhanced pandemic safety measures.

To read more, go here. 

Japan Eases Entry Restrictions for Non-Tourist Foreigners

Above, the Wako department store in Ginza. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Japan is slowly (very slowly) creeping back to policies before the outbreak of the Omicron variant when it comes to foreign travelers.

TripZilla reported:

Japan joins the list of countries that are welcoming back international travellers, after several months of border closures due to the Omicron variant. On 17 Feb 2022, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida announced that Japan will reopen to business travellers and international students. They’ll also allow entry of migrant workers, with priority given to those whose occupations have a “clear public benefit.” 

The decision to ease Japan entry restrictions is partially due to the growing calls from universities, business leaders, and even several government officials.

There's no change for foreign tourists to Japan.

To read more, go here. 

Hawaii Hotels Projected To Lose $1 Billion In Business Travel Revenue

Above, the Sheraton Waikiki. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

The following should be in the "OUCH!" category.

The pandemic has done a real number on hotels and resorts around the world and that is true for Hawaii's hotel industry.

KHON2 reported:

HONOLULU (KHON2) — Hawaii’s hotels are projected to lose more than a billion dollars by the end of this year.

That’s according to a report by the American Hotel and Lodging Association. The biggest impact coming from a huge drop in business travel.

 To read more, go here.

U.S. Economy Grew At 33.1% In 3rd Quarter

Normally, I don't usually quote CNN, but this is such important news that even the "Counterfeit News Network" can't ignore it like the Biden Crime Family scandals.

They posted:

New York (CNN Business) - The US economy in the summer recovered much of the historically enormous ground it lost in the spring, expanding at the fastest rate on record in the third quarter, the Commerce Department reported Thursday.

Still, the recovery remains incomplete. The economic crisis that Covid-19 brought on is far from over, and the pandemic threatens to plunge the American economy into turmoil again as infection numbers continue to rise rapidly across the country.

The third quarter, however, was one for the record books. Gross domestic product — the broadest measure of economic activity — grew at an annualized and seasonally adjusted rate of 33.1% between July and September. This was a faster rate of expansion than economists had predicted.

It was also the fastest growth rate since the government began to track quarterly GDP data in 1947. It represented a sharp, albeit partial, recovery from the prior three months, when the economy contracted at an annualized, seasonally adjusted rate of 31.4%.

President Trump has said the recovery is "V" shaped. This proves it.

As the Clintons liked to say back in the 1990s, "It's the economy, stupid!"

To read more, go here. 

New Mexico Businesses Sue Governor and State Over Health Orders

"Actions have consequences", as the old saying goes.

Several businesses around the state of New Mexico hope that Gov. "Malevolent Michelle" Lujan Grisham and her administration are made to compensate businesses that were forced to close by her health orders. Several lawsuits have been filed in different jurisdictions.

According to the Carlsbad Current Argus:

A group of New Mexico businesses from around the state sued Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham and her administration for compensation for lost business resulting in the State’s public health orders amid the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Lujan Grisham enacted several executive orders throughout the pandemic restricting large gatherings and business activities deemed “non-essential,” hoping to slow the spread of the virus. 

This led to the temporary closure of multiple business sectors throughout New Mexico as owners grappled with losses in revenue and potentially permanent closures. .

Albuquerque-based attorney Blair Dunn represented each of the businesses in separate suits filed in district courts around New Mexico. 

He said the purpose of the cases is gain financial reparations for the business owners from the State after they were forced to close, and to hold the governor and her administration accountable for the costs inflicted on the New Mexico business community in enacted the health orders.

Good! I hope they prevail in their lawsuits.

To read more, go here. 

NM GOP Backs Business Group Lawsuit Against Governor

Businesses in New Mexico have filed suit against Gov. "Malevolent Michelle" Lujan Grisham over her lockdown orders and the New Mexico Republican Party supports the lawsuit

KRQE reported:

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – A group of New Mexico businesses is suing Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham over the state’s public health order and some of the fines the state has levied while enforcing it. Filed Wednesday in Curry County District Court, the lawsuit comes from seven different businesses mostly in southeast New Mexico. Some of those businesses have been threatened with a $5,000 fine if they remained open for service to customers. 

Supporting the lawsuit, New Mexico Republican Party Chairman Steve Pearce claims the state is mixing two different laws to enforce the public health order. 

“The governor is mixing two laws, she’s taking the enforcement from one law and applying it to the other,” Pearce said. “Under the law that she’s shutting down businesses, she really only has the opportunity to levy the equivalent of a parking ticket, she can give a misdemeanor fine for $100 bucks.” 

As of Thursday, Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham’s administration hadn’t formally responded to the lawsuit. During a news conference last week, the Governor welcomed any legal challenges to her administration’s public health orders while saying she expects her decisions to “prevail” in court. 

The two laws at the center of the lawsuit are the “Public Health Act” and the “Public Health Emergency Response Act.” The Public Health Act is the law the state has been using to temporarily close businesses. That laws allows for the state to levy $100 dollar fines against non-compliant businesses, per day. 

The “Public Health Emergency Response Act” (PHERA) is the law the state has been using to threaten or issue businesses an up to $5,000 fine per day. The lawsuit’s plaintiffs claim PHERA and the fines associated with it don’t apply to the current public health order.

Papas Pawn & Gun in Grants has been fined $6,500 for the days they opened for business, despite precautions that were taken for customer safety.

To read more, go here. 

AP Article On Grants, New Mexico Stores Opening

Above, Grants Mayor Martin Hicks this morning. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

The Associated Press (AP) has posted an article on the stores in Grants, New Mexico reopening, which is what most of the world will see.

It begins with:

GRANTS, N.M. (AP) — The mayor of a small New Mexico city and several dozen supporters rallied Monday as he encouraged business owners to defy a lockdown order by the governor that shuttered nonessential shops to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. 

Grants Mayor Martin “Modey” Hicks vowed last week to allow all small businesses to reopen. The move came as some other rural communities across the country pressured their state and local officials to let them reopen amid rising unemployment and other economic turmoil. 

In Grants, a western New Mexico town of around 9,000 residents, the mayor told protesters the time had come to end the shutdown despite warnings from Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham that it could put people at risk.

Hicks said only a fraction of New Mexico residents have been infected by the virus and it doesn’t make sense to keep small businesses closed. 

“The governor is killing the state over a little bug,” Hicks said at the rally.

To read the full article, go here.

UPDATE:

Later in the day, it was reported by KOAT Channel 7, the governor's Gestapo (New Mexico State Police) reneged on their agreement with Sheriff Tony Mace to stay out of Grants. They came in and served a notice of violation to the city for "violating" the governor's lockdown order. Apparently, the governor leaned on the chief of the New Mexico State Police.

From KOAT:

Shortly after the Mayor declared the city was open, the state police showed up at the town’s golf course and gave them a “notice of violation.” It indicated if they continued to remain open they could be formally cited $5,000. 

That did not stop Mayor Hicks. He rushed to the golf course, told all of the golfers who were coming off to get back on and finish their games. 

“What's wrong? Social distancing guys get a shot of that,” Hicks told reporters while holding his arms up and walking towards a wide open golf course. “How is that for social distancing.” 

“I am going to come back and golf today for sure and haven’t golfed in years.” 

About 20 people were on the course at the time including City Councilor Rick Lucero, who just finished 18 holes.

Mayor Hicks says that if the city is formally cited, he's going to sue the state in court.

Warpath Day

Above, yours truly.

Today's my day for getting one people's butts for not either getting payments or merchandise to me during the time frames previously promised. These are not examples of good business practices, in my view.

I don't mind delays that are reasonable, but when they stretch out into weeks (in some cases), that when they will incur my wrath and I go on the warpath.

Meanwhile, In Albuquerque...

Above, The Beast at the Route 66 Casino RV Resort. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Well, I made it to Albuquerque (was there any doubt?) to get a couple of things done.

Along the way, I stopped off at the Sky City Casino for breakfast. They had an all-you-can-eat breakfast buffet for $7.00. Not bad!

The Sky City Casino was nice, but I wasn't impressed with what I saw of their RV park.

Above, the Sky City Casino. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

First, was to get a haircut. Second, to get a building permit for the RV garage on the second acre.

The first was done with no problem as my cutter, Michelle, was waiting for me (I called in after checking in at the Route 66 Casino RV Resort).

Above, interesting architecture. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Then, after that was done, I headed over to the State of New Mexico Regulation and Licensing Department, Construction Industries.

That was in interesting experience. I walked up to the service desk and was told that all kinds of papers have to be submitted along with plans, specs and other technical data. To submit such documentation, I would be charged $535 from the carport company.

Then, the clincher! They told me it was not my job to submit the application and documentatio, it is the duty of the builder to submit everything. I was told that this particular company was told this some time ago. Essentially, New Mexico does things differently.

I then got on the phone with the corporate office of the carport company and told my contact there what the state told me. He tried to tell me otherwise, but I told him to talk to Mr. Roybal, the Architectural Compliance Officer Plan Reviewer and handed the phone to him.

Above, inside the Sky City Casino. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Mr. Roybal told the carport company what they have to do. During a break in the conversation, Roybal told me that if they refuse to comply, they can have their license pulled.

So, the ball is in their court. I was c.c.'d with an email between the carport company and Roybal. If there's anything I have to do, I can do it electronically and not have to make another trek to Albuquerque.

Now, I am just relaxing at the Route 66 RV Resort outside of Albuquerque. I will likely have dinner at the Thunder Road Steakhouse & Cantina in the casino tonight and head home tomorrow morning. There may be rain later today in Albuquerque.

The Looney Left Report: Deal With Big Labor To Raise California's Minimum Wage To $15

The Looney Left Report

Sacramento's socialists are cow-towing to their patron saints again: Big Labor. That's no surprise. But it will further poison California's business climate.

Governor Jerry Brown is expected to announce on Monday that the state minimum wage will rise to $15.00 an hour.

The Los Angeles Times reported:

Lawmakers and labor unions have struck a tentative deal to raise the statewide minimum wage to $10.50 an hour next year and then gradually to $15, averting a costly political campaign this fall and possibly putting California at the forefront of a national movement. 

The deal was confirmed Saturday afternoon by sources close to the negotiations who would speak only on condition of anonymity until Gov. Jerry Brown makes a formal announcement as early as Monday.

Texas, Nevada and Arizona will need to prepare for an economic boon in the next few years as California businesses will be looking to relocate to these and other business-friendly states. The ones that don't relocate will most likely close up shop.

To read more, go here.

Japanese Business Etiquette Tips

Above, former Toho-Los Angeles Gen. Manager Masaharu Ina and Armand with the Godzilla statue in Hibiya.

Over the past years, I have known many Americans (including myself) who have had occasion to conduct business with Japanese.

Conducting business with Japanese people and corporations can be daunting and frustrating in many respects for those who are not familiar with their business culture.

Ivanka Trump (yes, the ex-wife of The Donald) has posted a few tips on proper Japanese business etiquette that will help avoid creating an "international incident".

She begins with:

Traveling to a new place for work is exciting, but what are you supposed to do when your new French client peppers you with kisses? What about when you first meet your Singaporean co-workers? In our new global business etiquette series, we’ll show you how to work abroad without starting an international incident. First up: Japan.

Having successful business relationships with the Japanese is nowhere near impossible, and those relationships can (and do) lead to actual friendships.

To read more, go here. 

Condé Nast Traveler: "The World's Best Airlines For Business Travelers"

Above, yours truly trying out ANA's Business Class seating.

With the airlines making economy (or coach) seating even smaller in area size these days, it may be time to consider upgrading to business class. This is especially so for long international flights.

Condé Nast Traveler has their 2014 Readers' Choice Awards and they have posted their top ten list of "The World's Best Airlines For Business Travelers."

They begin their listing (in slideshow format) with:

Now more than ever, international airlines are battling for the loyalty of business travelers, rolling out new sleeper seats, transoceanic Wi-Fi access, and spacious work spaces (if you’re not distracted by all the in-flight entertainment, that is). Here’s how this year’s top ten business airlines, as chosen by Traveler readers, made the cut,

One of the airlines on the list is All Nippon Airways (ANA). I tried out their business class seats at the Los Angeles Travel and Adventure Show two years ago and I immediately noticed a big difference. It is a lot more comfortable than economy and each passenger has a lot more "personal space." I will likely upgrade to business class the next time I go to Japan.

To see who the other ten are, go here.

Latest Pick-ups

The nice folks at The Japan Daily picked up three blog posts from yesterday for sharing with their readers.

They are:

To read The Japan Daily, go here.

Mysterious Japanese Business Customs

Above, salarymen heading to work in Shibuya. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Doing business with the Japanese can sometimes be maddening when confronted with their business customs.

If one has already conducted business with a Japanese businessman, they will find "6 Mysterious Japanese Business Customs" by Tsunagu Japan a bit amusing (and a memory jog). If one is about to conduct business with a Japanese businessman or company, they may want to make a mental note of these business customs.

Tsunagu Japan begins their article with:

Japan is known as a country full of diligent people. That economic power is still something that should be paid attention to. These are some of the mysterious business customs that Japanese businesspeople use to energize Japan's economy!

Number four on the list is one that I am very familiar with. I first was confronted with it about eleven or twelve years ago while dealing with a major Japanese company (I will refrain on disclosing the name of the company). This custom (I think of it as more of a quirk) sometimes causes a westerner to get the wrong impression (as in a glimmer of hope) that the company may, in the near future, change their mind. Not so.

To read the article, go here.

Exchanging Business Cards In Japan

Above, Tokyo office and apartment buildings. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Back in 2001, I made my first trip to Japan. Having read much about Japanese customs previously, I was already familiar with how the exchange of business cards takes place. There's a lot of formality involved and it would be best that anyone who goes to Japan on business or pleasure (or a little of both) familiarize himself/herself on the customary of exchanging business cards.

Fortunately, GaijinPot has posted an article on just this topic. You may want to bookmark it for future reference.

They begin it with:

One of the perennial topics in Japanese business etiquette is the exchange of business cards, or meishi koukan (名刺交換) in Japanese. 

It’s a subject that has been addressed many times in all sorts of media, and yet the fundamental rules and social etiquette surrounding the practice are still frequently mistaken. 

Today I’ll go over the process of exchanging business cards and present a few choice phrases that should put you in good stead.

To read more, go here. 

What's A Japanese Business Hotel?

Above, the room of the business hotel I stayed in.  It was slightly
larger than my work cubicle back in the U.S.  Photo by Armand Vaquer.

You've probably heard of Japanese business hotels, but wondered what they are and what amenities they have available for the traveler.

Above, the bath was just big enough for
one person.  Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Generally, these hotels are all over Japan and they provide the salaryman accommodations while away from home on business.

According to Japan-guide.com:

Business hotels can be found readily across Japan, providing economical and no-frills accommodation to travelers. The charge is typically between 5,000 and 10,000 yen per night for a single room, and many hotels also have a few twin or double rooms for typically 7,000 to 12,000 yen. Although rooms are relatively small, they are usually clean and well kept, with an attached bathroom.

Basic amenities such as soap, shampoo, toothbrush and toothpaste, razors, cotton buds, shower caps and towels are normally provided. Most rooms also come with a television, an air conditioner, a telephone, a hairdryer, an empty refrigerator and a water boiler with complimentary green tea bags.

As the above states, the rooms are small. I stayed at one business hotel in Ueno, Tokyo in 2005, the Tsukuba Hotel. I stayed in the smallest hotel room I've ever seen. The accompanying photos attest to that. It could be a problem for one who is claustrophobic and can give the feeling of "bouncing off the walls." But I don't choose a hotel to just sit in after traveling thousands of miles. It served the purpose of a place to sleep and to clean up. Plus, it was cheap (about $50 U.S.). It was better than staying in one of Japan's famous capsule hotels. (It was in this hotel room that I experienced an earthquake for the first time in Japan.)

Above, a view looking towards the bathroom.  Photo by Armand Vaquer.

The only window in the room was in the bathroom, and that had a lovely view of the neighboring building just across a narrow passageway. In the lobby, a room was set up with two computers for Internet access for the hotel's guests to use (navigating the Japanese keyboards were a bit of a challenge).

Still, the management was quite efficient and helpful. I enjoyed my stay there.

So if you don't mind a small room, a business hotel is the economical way to go.

Japan Trip: Tax-Friendly

Three more days to go before I step into the jet to head over to Japan for the first time in three and a half years.

A friend reminded me that because of the interviews and business discussions I will be having for The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan while in Japan, I can use the trip as a tax write-off next year (either all or part of it). All I need to do is document the trip and save receipts, etc.







Besides conducting business for the travel guide, I'll also be promoting Peter H. Brothers's Mushroom Clouds and Mushroom Men: The Fantastic Cinema of Ishiro Honda. (Maybe I should charge him so he can write-off the expense on his taxes. Heh.)




Packing is 95% done (I will either be working odd hours or sleeping at the end of the week, so I had to do it yesterday). Today, I'm going to be hanging out with friends.