Senator Sanders wants the federal government to investigate the job layoffs announced by the new owners of the Killington ski resort. I'm getting very confused about what level of government does what these days. The state legislature spent much time this session discussing global warming and the Iraq War, two issues over which they have no impact because they are federal (or international) issues.
Now our U.S. Senator wants the feds to investigate a private business decision wholly within the state of Vermont. I could understand if the governor or state legislators were upset about job losses within the state (although I'd still say that it's not a decision politicians should get involved in), but it's far from a federal issue. Senator Sanders thinks it is because maybe, just maybe, foreign workers may be hired to do some of the work that the laid off workers performed.
Which brings me to another point.
Last week, I was on You Can Quote Me on WCAX-TV. Before the show started, Marselis Parsons showed me around the studio where the show is taped. There were three TV cameras, and Mr. Parsons told me they got rid of the Vermonters who had run the cameras and replaced them with low cost foreign workers in order to save money.
I made that up. Actually, WCAX got rid of the workers and replaced them with --- no one. The cameras are all run by remote control, which includes the ability to move them around on the floor. Only one person is now needed to control all three cameras remotely.
So what's the difference between cutting costs by using technology, by outsourcing a job via technology to India, or physically moving the job to China or using imported workers? Not much. All enable a product or a service to be produced at lower cost, freeing up resources to be better used elsewhere and providing people with lower cost products and services. That's the story of how our standard of living rises.
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