pacino wrote:Metcalfe strikes again:

In a terse tone, Metcalfe, a Butler County Republican, interrupted Bradford, who was sitting to his left at a conference table, immediately after the seemingly innocent gesture to say:

"I'm a heterosexual. I have a wife. I love my wife. I don't like men as you might so stop touching me all the time. Keep your hands to yourself. If you want to touch somebody, you have people on your side of the aisle that might like it. I don't."

A befuddled Bradford chuckled as he said: "We are officially off the rails."

Other lawmakers can be seen grimacing on a video posted on the state House's YouTube channel.

Ryan W Briggs, a political reporter for @cityandstatepa, in a tweet of the video noted: "Metcalfe also once invited a white nationalist to testify in favor of a bill to make English PA's "official language".

In June 2013, after the Defense of Marriage Act had been ruled unconstitutional by the Supreme Court, openly gay state representative Brian Sims tried to make a speech in the Pennsylvania House supporting the decision. Metcalfe, who was one of several representatives who blocked Sims from speaking, said, "I did not believe that as a member of that body that I should allow someone to make comments such as he was preparing to make that ultimately were just open rebellion against what the word of God has said, what God has said, and just open rebellion against God's law."

Republican leaders postponed a planned House vote on the temporary spending measure from Wednesday until Thursday, buying time to iron out disputes with conservatives seeking tighter budget curbs. The delay underscored the clout conservatives wield within the House GOP as leaders work to avoid a shutdown that would deal the latest blow to a party that has strained all year to show it can govern effectively.

traderdave wrote:A bit more on the employer/tip thing:

It’s illegal for employers to take tips from employees. But, the Department of Labor (DOL) is proposing a new rule that would allow employers to take their workers’ tips as long as they earn at least minimum wage.

Published on the Federal Register on Tuesday, the new rule would rescind a regulation enacted during the Obama administration that mandates employers distribute tips to their tipped employees. Under the new rule, restaurants would be able to pool tips from servers and share them with untipped employees like dishwashers.

Heidi Shierholz, senior economist and director of policy at the Economic Policy institute (EPI), points to research that shows illegal wage theft exceeds $15 billion every year. “It seems obvious that when employers can legally pocket the tips earned by their employees, many will do so,” she said.

The DOL argues that tip pooling helps reward those who don’t normally get tips. Groups like the Oregon Restaurant and Lodging Association assert that this rule “would help decrease wage disparities between front-of-house and back-of-house employees.”

In other words, the front-of-house employees should subsidize the back-of-house employees so that the employer doesn't have to pay the back-of-house employees as much, which leaves more for themselves. Frankly, I would be fine with this so long as there was a mechanism that guarantees that the back-of-house employees actually get their share of the tips. They do, after all, contribute to the service that led to the tip.

Woody wrote:Cocaine is amazing

slugsrbad wrote:Al Franken accused by former Dem Congressional aide of trying to forcibly kiss her in 2006 (before he was a Senator) after a taping of his radio show. He should have resigned after the first story for many reasons and he should still resign. This is now six accusers. I think the initial report was the worst, but now it's a pattern. He allegedly said to the aide that kissing her was "his right as an entertainer."

https://www.politico.com/story/2017/12/ ... 006-281049

traderdave wrote:A bit more on the employer/tip thing:

It’s illegal for employers to take tips from employees. But, the Department of Labor (DOL) is proposing a new rule that would allow employers to take their workers’ tips as long as they earn at least minimum wage.

Published on the Federal Register on Tuesday, the new rule would rescind a regulation enacted during the Obama administration that mandates employers distribute tips to their tipped employees. Under the new rule, restaurants would be able to pool tips from servers and share them with untipped employees like dishwashers.

Heidi Shierholz, senior economist and director of policy at the Economic Policy institute (EPI), points to research that shows illegal wage theft exceeds $15 billion every year. “It seems obvious that when employers can legally pocket the tips earned by their employees, many will do so,” she said.

The DOL argues that tip pooling helps reward those who don’t normally get tips. Groups like the Oregon Restaurant and Lodging Association assert that this rule “would help decrease wage disparities between front-of-house and back-of-house employees.”

In other words, the front-of-house employees should subsidize the back-of-house employees so that the employer doesn't have to pay the back-of-house employees as much, which leaves more for themselves. Frankly, I would be fine with this so long as there was a mechanism that guarantees that the back-of-house employees actually get their share of the tips. They do, after all, contribute to the service that led to the tip.

JFLNYC wrote:If that’s the standard for elected officials shouldn’t Trump resign immediately, too?

JFLNYC wrote:If that’s the standard for elected officials shouldn’t Trump resign immediately, too?