Very sad. Bourdain seemed like one of the few on TV who didn't take himself too seriously. I can't think of too many people who didn't like him or enjoy his show.
Stories like these are the reason that much of the public hates unions -- especially public sector unions and unions employed/contracted on public sector projects. If public sector unions negotiated work rules and compensation that were more in line with the private sector, I suspect that their public image would benefit tremendously.
"The other issue I see is that for some reason Houston didn't require all of these people to have flood insurance."
Banks require homeowners in flood plains with mortgages to maintain flood insurance. The problem is if you don't have a mortgage, you don't necessarily need insurance. However, perpetual Federal Government bailouts of homeowners creates moral hazard, and the expectation that Government will make you whole regardless of insurance, and thus bigger risks for all.
This is very interesting, and not something that many have given much thought to (including me). It suggests that Capitalism is a more effective path to freedom than Democracy, over the long term. Perhaps this bodes well for China.
I was able to quit my 1/2 pack a day addiction four years ago after 15+ years, but it was challenging. Smoking was expensive (four years ago: 4 packs a week = $40), but quitting smoking was even more expensive. In addition to the expense of Chantix, I also started surfing Amazon for things to reward myself instead of going outside for a smoke break. So it was probably $100 - $200 a week.
Now nicotine-free for 4+ years, it's less costly all around (not to mention the health costs), but I understand all too well the difficulty and economics of quitting.
The baby boom generation, as well as the "Greatest" generation before them, have saddled our future generations with huge liabilities. Sadly, not every younger Gen X'er, Gen Y'er, Millennial, or Gen Z'er realizes the magnitude of the debt left behind -- and more importantly that it reflects future tax increases or government services that won't be able to be provided. The only hope is that the current generations will have accumulated enough personal assets to pass along to their kids and grandkids to offset some of this deficit.
Exactly. Over time, companies will try (or at least, SHOULD try) to optimize the currency they use to deliver their total reward offering. Whether it is cash, equity, PTO, health/retirement benefits, learning, etc., companies should optimize the use a particular currency if the perceived value of such currency exceeds its economic value.
United CEO Oscar Munoz was formerly a top executive at railroad CSX. It is any wonder that he treats his passengers as FREIGHT, not as PEOPLE?
My wife and I try to fly Southwest whenever possible. They are the only airline (perhaps the only transportation organization) whose employees actually care about their customers' travel experiences.
I seem to recall a Freakonomics chapter or podcast episode that discussed drunk driving vs. walking home drunk, and concluded that walking home drunk was even more dangerous than driving home drunk. Either choice is much worse than ride-sharing or cabbing or public transit, obviously.
Company managers have a responsibility to consider numerous factors when designing a total rewards strategy (pay + benefits + career opportunities/work environment). Among these is to deliver rewards using as efficient a currency as possible. When the perceived value of a pay element (or benefit program or perquisite) exceeds the economic value, then a company should deliver more of the total reward opportunity using such currency. Many companies have determined that perquisites are valued more highly by employees than the economic cost to deliver such perks. (Same for the perceived value vs. economic value of equity compensation.) By "underweighting" employee benefits, perhaps companies are actually choosing to deliver their total reward opportunity more efficiently than those companies which have more "market competitive" benefit programs.
Differentiation of HR strategy is not automatically wrong.
Because recreational use of alcohol and drugs is just as big a threat to society as violent crime? Why not prioritize Justice Department resources on the 760 annual murders or the 4,500 other victims of gun crime in Chicago that Comrade President Trump mentions every other week?