JMHO Loc: Utah

STILLWATER, Minn. — It’s a Monday afternoon and there are only a handful of people hanging around inside the Oasis Café in Stillwater.

There’s a waitress and a single cook, along with a guy in a back room washing dishes. Only a few of the retro-styled booths with their pale green cushions are being used, and there’s no one sitting in on the matching green stools that line the stainless steel wrap-around countertop taking up most of the space in the main dining room in the 1950s-style diner.

Doris Day is singing “Dream a Little Dream of Me,” on the radio overhead, though it is partially drowned out by the sizzling of hamburgers on the grill in the open-air kitchen behind the counter.

An older couple, probably retired, sits in one of the corner booths and chats with Tracy, the middle-aged waitress, about a mutual acquaintance in town. A man who has just finished eating and paid his bill gets up to leave. Tracy turns to him and says good-bye.

“See you next time,” he replies, a regular in this little lunch spot in a small town along the La Croix River on the eastern edge of Minnesota.

As he’s leaving, another couple arrives and Tracy greets them by name. More regulars.

This small, nondescript diner with room for only 15 or so cars in the parking lot could be any local establishment in any town in the Midwest. But what makes the Oasis Café different is an extra 35-cent fee tacked onto each patron’s check.

Last week, a patron posted a photo of a receipt on Facebook and complained about the 35-cent “minimum wage fee” on the bill. The photo quickly went viral, shooting the Oasis Café straight into the center center of the national debate over the minimum wage.

Talking heads like MSNBC’s Joe Scarborough talked about it. The Today Show did a segment about the cafe’s new fee, and thousands have weighed in with comments on social media.

All that because the Oasis Café decided to add a small fee on to each bill, beginning on Aug. 1, in order to cover the added costs imposed by Minnesota’s new mandatory minimum wage, which took effect on the same day.

“It’s been a crazy week,” said Tracy, the waitress who declined to give her last name, when I asked about it.

Giving a raise, but at a cost

The state Legislature voted in May to raise the minimum wage to $8 per hour, with further increases planned in the next few years until the hourly minimum hits $9.50 in 2017.

The move won praise from progressives coast-to-coast, including the Obama White House, which is pushing for a $10.10 minimum wage at the federal level.

But the higher minimum wage means higher costs for many businesses in Minnesota, hitting small restaurants and other mom and pop shops particularly hard. Many likely will increase their prices a few cents to cover those costs. Some may lay off staff or avoid hiring new workers. In either case, there are consequences of a higher minimum wage, but they remain unseen.

At the Oasis Café, owner Craig Beemer decided to make the costs visible — right at the bottom of each customer’s check.

Beemer told the St. Paul Pioneer Press that he intended to draw attention to the added costs, but he doesn’t see himself as a political activist even though the higher wage mandate will cost him $10,000 this year.

“I’m not some (tea party) guy making a big stand,” he told the paper last week. “It’s been pretty shocking how this thing has blown up.“

The extra fee was right there on the bottom of the check I paid on Monday afternoon, after eating a burger and a chocolate milkshake — seriously, this is the kind of place where you just have to have a burger and shake as soon as you walk in the door, and it was delicious.

“He’s just trying to teach people a lesson in market forces,” said Mike Hickey, state director of the Minnesota chapter of the National Federation of Independent Business, which represents small businesses and opposed the minimum-wage hike.

That lesson, in the form of an extra fraction of a dollar, has created a firestorm of controversy on the Internet, particularly among the very people who supported the higher wage, but apparently do not want to be forced to see the consequences of such policy.

Bluestem Prairie, a liberal political blog in the Land of 10,000 Lakes, was one of the first to pick up the story last week. It labeled the restaurant’s new fee “tacky.”

On his national show, Scarborough said he understood how difficult running a small business like a restaurant can be, but then pivoted to criticize the Oasis Café’s new fee.

“With the minimum wage as low, historically, as it is right now, you might not want to advertise your contempt for raising it, on the bill,” he said.

His co-host, Thomas Roberts, said he would rather see restaurants raise the price of food instead of putting the extra fee on the bill.

“It seems like it’s a revenge tactic,” he said.

So, charging people an extra 35-cents for their food is OK, but charging people an extra 35-cent fee on top of their food charges is a revenge tactic and shows contempt for the minimum wage increase?

Many on social media had the same economically illiterate reaction.

“You couldn’t just increase your prices for two meals by 35 cents,” wrote one woman on the restaurant’s Facebook page. “Shame on you.”

“To be clear, I fully support a minimum wage increase and would not have objected to a slight change in menu prices to offset this cost,” wrote another. “But to do it this way is just a dick move on your part.”

After the photo of the receipt went viral and ended up on national talking-head programs, the restaurant received so many calls last week that they temporarily disconnected their phone.

On Monday, servers working at the Oasis Café said the calls have been mixed. Some supportive, some angry.

Few of them are from people in town, though.

“One woman called and I answered and she said she had to call and say something because she’d seen the story on Facebook. But she didn’t even know where Stillwater was, and she wasn’t even from Minnesota,” Tracy said, laughing a little.

Has this kind of online activism poisoned any chance of a rational debate over the costs and benefits of a higher minimum wage? Or is it a good thing to have so many people engaged on an issue that has been thrust front-and-center in the national political scene?

Probably a bit of both, but the angry messages directed at Beemer and his staff are clearly missing the mark.

Those angry about having to pay higher prices because of an increasing minimum wage should be upset at the politicians who forced those higher costs on business owners across Minnesota.

And when those higher costs are hidden inside the price of food, as many Facebook commentators seemed to think should have done, they are easy to ignore. But that doesn’t mean they don’t exist.

Anyone who thinks differently is either economically illiterate or politically motivated, said Hickey.

“So they’d rather he sneak it into the price of the corn or the green beans? It’s just baffling,” Hickey said. “It shows that people don’t know how a market economy works.”

The minimum-wage debate in this country has been hijacked by front groups leading politically charged protests and hashtag wars on social media.

In Stillwater, the Oasis Café has been the eye of the storm for the past week, but it will soon move on to another place where the outrage machine can be turned up to 11 against another business owner who is simply responding to the economic incentives created by the political powers-that-be.

But on this Monday in Stillwater, there are no actual protests. There are no people holding signs and chanting. There is no one screaming in all caps about the moral superiority of their point of view.

There’s the regulars sitting in their normal booths, chatting with familiar faces and munching on delicious hamburgers — and paying a little more to be able to do it.

And despite the reaction from national pundits and hashtag activists, business has been good at the Oasis.

Tracy said it’s been the busiest week since she started working there.

“Yeah, it’s been like free advertising,” chimes in a second waitress who has just started her shift in advance of the dinner rush.

“You know what they say. Any publicity is good publicity,” Tracy said. “It’s been good for business.”

Constitutional libertarian Loc: St Croix National Scenic River Way

[quote=JMHO]STILLWATER, Minn. — It’s a Monday afternoon and there are only a handful of people hanging around inside the Oasis Café in Stillwater.

There’s a waitress and a single cook, along with a guy in a back room washing dishes. Only a few of the retro-styled booths with their pale green cushions are being used, and there’s no one sitting in on the matching green stools that line the stainless steel wrap-around countertop taking up most of the space in the main dining room in the 1950s-style diner.

Doris Day is singing “Dream a Little Dream of Me,” on the radio overhead, though it is partially drowned out by the sizzling of hamburgers on the grill in the open-air kitchen behind the counter.

An older couple, probably retired, sits in one of the corner booths and chats with Tracy, the middle-aged waitress, about a mutual acquaintance in town. A man who has just finished eating and paid his bill gets up to leave. Tracy turns to him and says good-bye.

“See you next time,” he replies, a regular in this little lunch spot in a small town along the La Croix River on the eastern edge of Minnesota.

As he’s leaving, another couple arrives and Tracy greets them by name. More regulars.

This small, nondescript diner with room for only 15 or so cars in the parking lot could be any local establishment in any town in the Midwest. But what makes the Oasis Café different is an extra 35-cent fee tacked onto each patron’s check.

Last week, a patron posted a photo of a receipt on Facebook and complained about the 35-cent “minimum wage fee” on the bill. The photo quickly went viral, shooting the Oasis Café straight into the center center of the national debate over the minimum wage.

Talking heads like MSNBC’s Joe Scarborough talked about it. The Today Show did a segment about the cafe’s new fee, and thousands have weighed in with comments on social media.

All that because the Oasis Café decided to add a small fee on to each bill, beginning on Aug. 1, in order to cover the added costs imposed by Minnesota’s new mandatory minimum wage, which took effect on the same day.

“It’s been a crazy week,” said Tracy, the waitress who declined to give her last name, when I asked about it.

Giving a raise, but at a cost

The state Legislature voted in May to raise the minimum wage to $8 per hour, with further increases planned in the next few years until the hourly minimum hits $9.50 in 2017.

The move won praise from progressives coast-to-coast, including the Obama White House, which is pushing for a $10.10 minimum wage at the federal level.

But the higher minimum wage means higher costs for many businesses in Minnesota, hitting small restaurants and other mom and pop shops particularly hard. Many likely will increase their prices a few cents to cover those costs. Some may lay off staff or avoid hiring new workers. In either case, there are consequences of a higher minimum wage, but they remain unseen.

At the Oasis Café, owner Craig Beemer decided to make the costs visible — right at the bottom of each customer’s check.

Beemer told the St. Paul Pioneer Press that he intended to draw attention to the added costs, but he doesn’t see himself as a political activist even though the higher wage mandate will cost him $10,000 this year.

“I’m not some (tea party) guy making a big stand,” he told the paper last week. “It’s been pretty shocking how this thing has blown up.“

The extra fee was right there on the bottom of the check I paid on Monday afternoon, after eating a burger and a chocolate milkshake — seriously, this is the kind of place where you just have to have a burger and shake as soon as you walk in the door, and it was delicious.

“He’s just trying to teach people a lesson in market forces,” said Mike Hickey, state director of the Minnesota chapter of the National Federation of Independent Business, which represents small businesses and opposed the minimum-wage hike.

That lesson, in the form of an extra fraction of a dollar, has created a firestorm of controversy on the Internet, particularly among the very people who supported the higher wage, but apparently do not want to be forced to see the consequences of such policy.

Bluestem Prairie, a liberal political blog in the Land of 10,000 Lakes, was one of the first to pick up the story last week. It labeled the restaurant’s new fee “tacky.”

On his national show, Scarborough said he understood how difficult running a small business like a restaurant can be, but then pivoted to criticize the Oasis Café’s new fee.

“With the minimum wage as low, historically, as it is right now, you might not want to advertise your contempt for raising it, on the bill,” he said.

His co-host, Thomas Roberts, said he would rather see restaurants raise the price of food instead of putting the extra fee on the bill.

“It seems like it’s a revenge tactic,” he said.

So, charging people an extra 35-cents for their food is OK, but charging people an extra 35-cent fee on top of their food charges is a revenge tactic and shows contempt for the minimum wage increase?

Many on social media had the same economically illiterate reaction.

“You couldn’t just increase your prices for two meals by 35 cents,” wrote one woman on the restaurant’s Facebook page. “Shame on you.”

“To be clear, I fully support a minimum wage increase and would not have objected to a slight change in menu prices to offset this cost,” wrote another. “But to do it this way is just a dick move on your part.”

After the photo of the receipt went viral and ended up on national talking-head programs, the restaurant received so many calls last week that they temporarily disconnected their phone.

On Monday, servers working at the Oasis Café said the calls have been mixed. Some supportive, some angry.

Few of them are from people in town, though.

“One woman called and I answered and she said she had to call and say something because she’d seen the story on Facebook. But she didn’t even know where Stillwater was, and she wasn’t even from Minnesota,” Tracy said, laughing a little.

Has this kind of online activism poisoned any chance of a rational debate over the costs and benefits of a higher minimum wage? Or is it a good thing to have so many people engaged on an issue that has been thrust front-and-center in the national political scene?

Probably a bit of both, but the angry messages directed at Beemer and his staff are clearly missing the mark.

Those angry about having to pay higher prices because of an increasing minimum wage should be upset at the politicians who forced those higher costs on business owners across Minnesota.

And when those higher costs are hidden inside the price of food, as many Facebook commentators seemed to think should have done, they are easy to ignore. But that doesn’t mean they don’t exist.

Anyone who thinks differently is either economically illiterate or politically motivated, said Hickey.

“So they’d rather he sneak it into the price of the corn or the green beans? It’s just baffling,” Hickey said. “It shows that people don’t know how a market economy works.”

The minimum-wage debate in this country has been hijacked by front groups leading politically charged protests and hashtag wars on social media.

In Stillwater, the Oasis Café has been the eye of the storm for the past week, but it will soon move on to another place where the outrage machine can be turned up to 11 against another business owner who is simply responding to the economic incentives created by the political powers-that-be.

But on this Monday in Stillwater, there are no actual protests. There are no people holding signs and chanting. There is no one screaming in all caps about the moral superiority of their point of view.

There’s the regulars sitting in their normal booths, chatting with familiar faces and munching on delicious hamburgers — and paying a little more to be able to do it.

And despite the reaction from national pundits and hashtag activists, business has been good at the Oasis.

Tracy said it’s been the busiest week since she started working there.

“Yeah, it’s been like free advertising,” chimes in a second waitress who has just started her shift in advance of the dinner rush.

I live maybe 20 minutes from there, but had never eaten there. I decided to have breakfast there last Sunday. The place was packed, but the service and food was excellent at a fair and reasonable price.

I met the owner and his wife, very friendly down to earth and gracious. And as expected confirmed that he literally gives the shirt off his back to take care of his employees.

These are the small town small businesses that our current anti profit atmosphere is destroying.

Oh and they had their best week ever last week. I was honored to give them my support in patronizing their establishment.

Game on !!!

Ps if I wasn't so tech challenged I would post the pic of my receipt.

grumbledog

JHMO

As usually you only gave part of the facts. the minimum is going to $8 for companies with over $500,00 in annual revenues companies under $500,000 went to $6.50 from $5.25 which I think the diner falls under. You didn't said how many employee the diner has or how many hours they work a week. How much does he pay them now. He could raise the price of his food a nickel and more then offset any increase in minimum wages

Constitutional libertarian Loc: St Croix National Scenic River Way

You can find out the answers to most of your questions if you go to their Facebook page.

Have you ever purchased something and the offer included free shipping?

Was the shipping really free? Or built into the price of the purchase?

Or ever purchase something that needed installation where there was the actual item and labor.

On your receipt did it line itemize both portions of the bill or did it have just one line item?

Or have your car fixed, did you look at your receipt and see all of the itemizations?

Labor
Pads
Rotors
Slides
Shop supplies

Some people hate the idea of paying for extras like shipping, but you are paying for it whether it is itemized or not. This business owner choose to let you know what the reason was for the increase in the cost of your burger.

Kevyn

There is always a cost to doing business, if every jackass put a surcharge for each increase in expense we would have a cheese and gas surcharge for delivered pizzas a scissor or shaving cream surcharge at the barber and a bag and refrigeration surcharge at the produce market. Some discount joints already charge for bags or put old boxes out for folks to take things away in but this is mostly a marketing gimmick to make you think you are getting a great deal. In New Zeland and Austraulia the minimum wage is already about $15 an hour US and the fast food joints are doing just fine, they also have fewer people living in poverty and a thriving middle class.

Constitutional libertarian Loc: St Croix National Scenic River Way

Like I mentioned this is the reality on an automotive repair invoice. And yes you do have an additional charge to have your pizza delivered, all places have a lower walk in price, as well an expected tip fee to the driver.

This is artificially produced inflation, that is only another form of taxation. Do you think the 1% er's care or are effected by this, NO but every time there is any form of inflationary pressure the young, poor and elderly are the most negatively effected.

For crying out loud think about it transportation goes up, food goes up, utilities goes up do you really believe you have actually increased anyone's standard of living???

grumbledog

libertarian
so if his .35 surcharge excess the increase in cost of wages is he going to refund it or just keep it as additional profit. that's really what it is all about. I bet you a dollar to a donut that the owner voted for Rommey

robert66

I would gladly pay the 35 cents. If you can afford to eat out then you can pay it. If you can't it's much cheaper to eat at home. If you ever worked you would be an idiot to complain about someone earning a little more money. Amazing how brainwashed some are to the point of cutting their own throats.

Augustus Greatorex Loc: NE

You ever get out to Darwin? Or do you stay in Sidney?

Kirk

I sure hope so. He owns a business and works hard for his money.

Constitutional libertarian Loc: St Croix National Scenic River Way

I cannot answer for the owner, but from what I have read, discussed with his employee's, and know of the increase in business this has brought him the following will occur:

He will 1st and foremost ensure he gratefully compensates his employees for their hard work, hire additional staff to handle the increased sales and continue to ensure the prosperity of his family and community.

Constitutional libertarian Loc: St Croix National Scenic River Way

If any of you ever have the chance to visit MN, I highly recommend stopping in Stillwater. Very upscale, trendy old style waterfront Main Street with loads of artzy crafty types of stores, several micro brew pubs and some of the finest eclectic food establishments in the twin cities area.

Or if you prefer I highly recommend the food at the that little mom and pop greasy spoon wedged into the river bluff called the Oasis.

jed1313

I would rather pay the 35 cents tacked on to my bill rather than the $1.00 extra (or more) added to the cost of the food. Anyone with any sense should realize that we must pay something for what we get. If you don't like it EAT AT HOME!

Viet Nam Vet 67-68

Why don't you get some facts before you say how much a diner makes or employs. Any increase in wages is going to affect any business and its always passed on to the people. So every time you rail on business or Corporations about wage increases we the people wind up paying for it with higher costs or layoff or reduced hours or all of the above. You Liberal idiots just can't figure this out can you!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Viet Nam Vet 67-68

This may be an early Obamination Christmas Present for Americans:
THE GREAT “OBAMA FINANCIAL COLLAPSE” OF 2014 IS AT HAND
The dominoes have already begun to fall in this shocking financial scenario – with the next trigger set for August 28th...

This catastrophe could prove to be THREE TIMES MORE SEVERE
than the Crash of 2008 – so it's vitally important that you prepare
yourself now...

Brace yourself.

Over the course of the next few weeks – thanks to the actions of President Barack Obama and the U.S. government – your life will be forever changed.

The dominoes in this unavoidable catastrophe have already begun to fall – and the next significant event will take place on August 28th.

This collapse – The Great Obama Financial Collapse of 2014 – has the potential impact of a category five hurricane...causing catastrophic damage to the investment, savings and retirement accounts of more than 115 million American households.

At this moment – even though the U.S. government and mainstream media won't admit it – we're on the verge of seeing the U.S. debt bubble explode...triggering a financial catastrophe far greater than any Stock Market Crash or financial crisis seen in our lifetime.

What put us on the edge of this cliff?

The conditions that could potentially shake the U.S. economy to its knees are a direct result of the actions and policies taken by the Federal Reserve during the last financial crisis.

The blunders, missteps – and outright criminal activity – of the Federal Reserve... U.S. politicians... and President Obama himself are about to trigger an economic nightmare far greater than anyone ever imagined.

The shocking truth of the matter is, we're already in the early stages of this catastrophe...only no one – until now – has told you about it. That's why it's so important that you prepare yourself today for what will happen next.

In the next few moments, I'll tell you precisely what will cause this historic financial "blindside." I'll tell you how we got here...what the impact will be on your financial well-being...and I'll tell you exactly what you need to know in order to avoid it.

But – I'll also go one step further than that. In fact, I'll show you – using their very own words and figures – the truth behind the information that President Obama and the U.S. Government doesn't want you to see.

REPORT: How to Survive the U.S. Financial Collapse of 2014
The details behind this historic financial event – including what you can do to protect yourself – are the focus of a new research report prepared by Dennis Slothower...the man who not only called the Market Crash of 2008 but also helped investors make money during that horrific year.

The U.S. Financial System is on the
Verge of a Historic Collapse

No matter if President Obama or Fed Chairman Janet Yellen wants to admit it – or even if they are brazenly hiding this from you – the fact remains that the enormous United States debt bubble is on the verge of a monumental collapse.

This situation has escalated – and the bubble has grown – steadily since 2009. This U.S. debt bubble now poses as great a threat – if not greater – than the Internet and tech bubble of 1999 and 2000...or the housing bubble of 2006 and 2007.

This looming, unavoidable disaster stands to impact a massive number of Americans — and the devastating effects could begin being felt as soon as August 28th.

Imagine your investment accounts losing as much as 50% of their value overnight. Think back to the way you felt back in 2008 as the S&P 500 dropped by almost 50% over a period of several months. Or think about how helpless you felt when you learned that a "Flash Crash" wiped out nearly a year's worth of market gains in the blink of an eye.

Now imagine that same feeling – on a much larger scale – as everyone in your family and in your neighborhood sees their wealth disappear virtually overnight.

The impact will be life-altering.

Your job could be in danger – as thousands of businesses could be forced to close...government services will become virtually non-existent as emergency spending cuts force the government to shut down even the most basic support. Social security checks will stop coming...food stamps will not be issued...triggering a nationwide panic.

Prices of commodities – things you consume every day like milk, bread and gasoline – will soar to levels you once considered unfathomable.

At the same time, you may be denied access to your savings and retirement accounts as some banks may shut down without notice. And government guarantees on savings accounts will be put to a dangerous test.

Those banks that remain in business will slow their investment – and make loans harder to obtain. Your credit cards may become strictly limited — and your credit lines slashed — under "emergency" restrictions…or they may stop working altogether.

Now I realize that as you read this, you may consider such a scenario unlikely – or even impossible to believe – in the America that you've come to know.

Newspaper about stock market crash
But this unavoidable national economic nightmare is very real –and it's about to impact you in a very personal way.

Your friends...your neighbors...your family members – everyone who fails to take the proper steps to prepare themselves right now – are just weeks away from being blindsided by a financial catastrophe greater than any we've seen since 1929.

The Warning Signs are Everywhere

Before I go any further in detailing what's about to happen – let me make one thing perfectly clear.

While millions of Americans will be "blindsided" by this historic Obama Financial Collapse... the truth is – we can see it coming.

If you know where to look – and what voices to pay attention to – the evidence is truly overwhelming.

If you don't think this catastrophe is imminent – or even possible – in the United States you know and love... give me just three minutes to show a small sampling of some of the cracks in the foundation.

Warning sign Warning Sign #1:
Staggering Debt Levels

There's absolutely no disputing it – our national debt has climbed to a level that is almost beyond comprehension.

Just how bad is the situation?

Back in 1981, when Ronald Reagan was president, the national debt was approaching $1 trillion. President Reagan told congress that such a figure of a trillion dollars was "incomprehensible."

He said that he was trying for weeks to come up with a way to illustrate how big a trillion really is.

By stacking a trillion dollars in one dollar bills, the stack would reach about a quarter of the way to the moon.

Today, our national debt is more than $17 trillion.

Today, our national debt is more than $17 trillion
If you stacked $17 trillion in one dollar bills, the U.S. debt would now stretch to the moon and back — more than four times!

By stacking a trillion dollars in one dollar bills, the stack would reach about a quarter of the way to the moon.

It is downright criminal how our lawmakers, on both sides of the aisle, have caused our debt to balloon 17 times since 1980.

Up until this point, the buildup of debt has been something that politicians have paid lip service to...but ultimately ignored in favor of their own agendas.

But – as I'll show you in a moment – we've now reached a critical "tipping point" where, thanks to the actions of President Obama pushing us over the cliff... the debt level will soon begin to cause massive problems for nearly every American citizen.

Warning sign Warning Sign #2:
Americans are Flat Broke

Here's another sign of the complete breakdown that's happening in the U.S. financial system:

47.6 million Americans – roughly 1 in 7 people in this country – are now on food stamps.

More than 47.6 million Americans received food stamps
This figure includes more than 1 in 5 children in this country...and the numbers just continue to grow.

1 out of 5 Children on Food Stamps
Take a look at this chart:

Graph of Households using Food Stamps
Now here's the important thing to remember about these figures: They're the government's very own statistics.

And we're not just talking about high school dropouts receiving assistance.

According to the Center for Poverty Research at the University of Kentucky, "About 28% of food stamp households are headed by a person with at least some college training, up from 8% in 1980."

Let me ask you...does a country with a growing number of its citizens – over 15% and rising – unable to afford food sound like one that's enjoying a stable economy?

Or does it sound like a nation on the verge of a historic economic collapse?

Warning sign Warning Sign #3:
The U.S. Stock Market is
Artificially Inflated... for Now

If you think the U.S. stock market is vulnerable... you're not alone.

In fact, some of the people who would know best are actually unloading stocks — behind the scenes — in record numbers.

At this moment — corporate insiders are more bearish than they have been in almost 25 years.

Now listen... corporate officers and directors know more about their companies than the rest of us could ever hope to know.

So for them to be the most bearish in 25 years is a huge red flag.

The simple fact is, they see what Dennis Slothower is seeing:

The U.S. government... the Federal Reserve... and primary dealers have pumped up the stock market while artificially keeping oil prices high for three years now.

This has been done in order to recoup the cost of producing oil from oil shale and fracking while becoming more and more independent from imported oil from OPEC and Russia.

But the artificial inflation of the U.S. stock market is about to come to a sudden — and potentially devastating — end.

Don't just take my word for it. Or Dennis Slothower's. Or the word of corporate insiders.

How about the word of Warren Buffett?

Warren Buffett himself has called one stock market indicator, "The best single measure of where valuations stand at any given moment."

This indicator – a simple measure of market cap to GDP – has proven to be astoundingly reliable over the years.

And right now...it's at its second highest level in over 50 years.

Market Cap to GDP Ratio
These are just a few of the warning signs showing the danger that is everywhere around us.

I don't show you these warning signs in order to frighten you or to convince you that one political party is wrong and another is right.

Instead, I show you these warning signs – which are being blatantly ignored by the mainstream press – in order to help you prepare for...

The Obama Financial
Collapse of 2014:
How the Dominoes Will Fall

Here – in the simplest terms possible – is what's about to happen over the next few months:

A historic collapse of our financial system will take place — beginning as soon as August 28th — that could disrupt the lives of every American and result in a shocking loss of financial power and stability by our nation as a whole.

It's frightening to think about the potential impact of a stock market collapse...a breakdown in the financial system...and the panic that will ensue.

I've just shown you some of the warning signs that are pointing to this imminent catastrophe – including the staggering level of debt the U.S. has run up.

But the reality of the situation is that President Obama has no ability to stop the coming collapse.

With an escalating situation in Ukraine posing an increasing threat to the U.S…

Obama's diplomatic policies failing in Syria…

And civil war in Iraq presenting the very real possibility of U.S. troops being sent into that country again…

It's clear that Obama is in over his head. And that's not just my opinion.

President Obama's approval ratings are at historic lows — with 57% of Americans now disapproving of Obama's handling of foreign policy. But it's not just foreign policy where the President is helpless.

The President's Foreign Policy
A Wall Street Journal/NBC News survey conducted in June found that more than half of all respondents consider Obama to be competent.

54% of respondents said Barack Obama could not lead the country and "get the job done" for the rest of his term as president.

And the fact that the leader of our government is virtually powerless — as we sit on the brink of a historic financial collapse — makes this situation even more volatile.

But now I must show you what will happen next as the dominoes begin to fall:

Falling Domino #1
Soaring Debt Has Reached a Tipping Point:
Welcome to Third
World America

A few moments ago, I showed you how the nation's debt has soared to incomprehensible levels. But I also told you that we'd reached a "tipping point" where this level of debt is about to become destructive.

Here's what I mean:

Just before Barack Obama began his first term — and before the Financial Crisis of 2008, the national debt represented 62 cents of every dollar of this nation's Gross Domestic Product, or GDP.

In 2008 the national debt represented 62 cents of ever dolloar of GDP
Simply put, GDP is the total amount of goods and services produced by a country. If you looked at a country like a business, their GDP would be their gross sales.

Last year – for the first time ever – the national debt exceeded the U.S. GDP.

This means that we, as a nation, owe more than we produce.

We are now part of a very "unique" group of countries in the world that have a debt-to-GDP ratio greater than 1. We now rank number 6, right behind Ireland, Portugal, Italy, Greece and Japan.

This is NOT a list the most prosperous nation on earth should be on.

Debt-to-GDP Ratio
What is even more troubling is not only the size of the debt but how fast it's been growing compared to the economy, and that is what is keeping me up at night.

If the economy grew faster than the rate the government borrowed money... the debt wouldn't be as much of a problem.


But we are now on an unsustainable path. Under the 'leadership' of Barack Obama, our deficit is growing at eight to ten percent per year while the economy is growing at only two to three percent per year. How is this economically sustainable?

We are now at the tipping point... when government debt is greater than its ability to repay that debt.

But that's just part of the problem with our soaring debt...

Falling Domino #2
A Slight Rise in the Interest Rate on Our Debt
Could Change Our Way of Life Virtually Overnight

The next step in this debt disaster is even more terrifying.

That's because the cost of paying the interest on this debt has become astronomical. In order to keep current on our interest payments right now...the cost is more than $415 billion!

This amount — $415 billion — is almost as much as the government spends on Medicare...and it's the same percentage of the U.S. budget that is spent on education.

So we're spending just as much to educate the nation's children as we are simply to maintain our debt at its current level.

But here's the dangerous part:

For the past few years, the Fed has maintained a near-zero interest rate policy...and for good reason: The U.S. currently pays an interest rate of just 2.4% on its $17.6 trillion in debt.

Every 1% rise in interest rates would increase the debt payment by more than $170 billion!

In other words, a simple 1% increase in the interest rate we have to pay on our debt would mean the total cost would climb to more than $600 billion – almost as much as the entire U.S. defense budget!

So far, the Fed has been able to "manage" the cost of this debt by keeping interest rates low.

But the Fed could have to raise interest rates – and soon – in order to help the U.S. economy avoid a crippling inflation that would resemble the 1970s or early ‘80s.

Or – even worse – the decision could be out of the Fed's hands entirely...

Falling Domino #3
Foreign Investors Proclaim
U.S. Debt to Be
Unsafe and
Demand Higher Rates

Here's where the situation goes from disappointing... to dire.

You see – the United States is no longer in control of the interest rate it pays on its debt.

That's because foreign investors now own a whopping 48% of U.S. debt...up from just 19% back in 1990.

US Debt Held by Foreigners
In other words – we're now at the mercy of China and Japan – the two largest holders of U.S. debt.

If either of those nations demand higher interest rates...the U.S. will be forced to comply. And – as I just showed you...the impact on the U.S. budget will be devastating.

If rates go up by 1% -- where will we get the more than $170 billion needed to finance a 1% rise in rates... the $255 billion needed to finance a 1.5% rise... or the $340 billion needed to finance a 2% increase?

Every 1% rise in interest rates would increase the debt payment by more than $170 billion!

We don't have the money – that's the point. So government spending will have to be cut...in a big way.

American citizens got a small taste of what happens when President Obama shut down government services during the first two weeks of October 2013:

American citizens got a small taste of what happens when the government services were shut down the first two weeks of October 2013:

800,000 federal employees were furloughed 1.3 million were required to work without pay Government contractors such as United Technologies were preparing to lay off 2,000 workers, Lockheed Martin, 3,000.

Shelters for domestic abuse victims across America had trouble paying their bills and closed down.

More than 19,000 low income school children lost access to programs that provides nutritious meals and medical screening.

Even our nation's brave heroes — individuals who fought for our freedom in Vietnam, Korea... even World War II — were denied access to the national memorials erected in honor of their fallen comrades.

Simply put — it was sickening to watch.

But it also shows you — if President Obama and our government is willing to stoop so low as to treat the men and women who have protected our freedom so poorly during a short-term squabble over money...

They'll do anything when a real crisis strikes.

"The barricades put up around the World War II Memorial in Washington -- have become a symbol held up by both Democrats and Republicans as an example of what's wrong with Washington."

If millions of Americans were impacted by the last, brief government shutdown...

How long would it take before there would be chaos and riots in our cities in the event of more drastic – and more prolonged – spending cuts?

Before looting and gangs roam the streets of our major cities?

For too long the U.S. has been kicking the can down the road, but now the decision is being taken out of their hands.

Dennis Slothower – the man who correctly predicted the Market Crash of 2008 – has prepared an urgent new report that explains precisely how this situation will unfold. It's called, "How to Survive the U.S. Financial Collapse of 2014" – and I've arranged for you to receive this special report FREE of charge and without obligation.

This report is called, "How to Survive the U.S. Financial Collapse of 2014" – and because this disaster will escalate in just a matter of days...I've arranged for you to receive this special report FREE of charge and without obligation.

I'll tell you later in this message how you can claim your FREE digital download of this report right away. For now, however, I need to tell you about...

Falling Domino #4
Inflation Isn't Coming...
It's Already Here

This is where the impact of the U.S. government's terrible decisions begins to hit you like a two-by-four to the skull:

Because the government has allowed spending to spiral out of control...because low interest rates and market manipulation have failed to jump-start the stalled economy...and because of repeated threats to raise tax rates...

We're now staring a crippling inflation problem square in the face. In fact – it's already begun. The purchasing power of the U.S. dollar is right now melting like an ice cube on a hot summer day.

It's starting with food prices.

It's Starting with Food Prices
We've already seen gas prices soar in this country – and you know the impact it has on you personally.

Higher gas prices mean it costs more to get to work...fewer trips...and an overall drag on the economy.

This has happened with moderately higher gas prices over the past few years.

The problem with inflation is that it historically has spiraled quickly.

Once people expect inflation, they spend more now because they figure things will cost more later. And once consumer spending heats up...that leads to more inflation. It quickly gets out of control.

But forget about inflation in an academic sense.

Here's what you really need to consider:

What happens when gas prices soar to the point where you can no longer afford to drive regularly? How will you get to work? What impact will this sudden inflation have on your daily life?

How will you afford to pay potentially hundreds of dollars for basics like bread and milk?

It happened in Germany – virtually overnight.

Weimar Republic Hyperinflation
In 1922, a loaf of bread cost 163 marks.

By September 1923, that same loaf of bread cost 1,500,000 marks – and by November 1923 that figure had reached 200,000,000,000 marks.

Now I realize that was in Germany – and it's easy to say, "That could never happen here." But it's already underway.

Right now, it would cost you $1.36 to equal what $1 bought you in 2000. That's an increase of more than 37% -- and it's about to get much worse.

The Shrinking US Dollar 2000 through 2014
This sudden inflation also means your retirement savings – the money you worked so hard for and diligently stashed away your entire life – will now be worth much, much less.

Any fixed rate assets you own – like bonds – instantly become less valuable. And mortgage rates will skyrocket...forcing thousands of Americans from their homes and preventing thousands more from ever realizing the American dream of owning a home.

The impact of runaway inflation will be greater than any other economic event we've seen in our lifetimes. Greater than a stock market "correction" or even the burst of the housing market bubble.

This nightmare scenario is already underway – and it's about to have an enormous impact on the lives of virtually every American.

That's why it's vitally important that you take action – NOW – to protect your wealth and avoid this danger.

Get Your Copy Now!
Dennis Slothower's simple roadmap, "How to Survive the U.S. Financial Collapse of 2014" will serve as your guide – and you can claim your copy FREE of charge by clicking on the link at the end of this message.

But before you do – I need you to consider one last thing...

There's No Way Out for
Obama and the Fed

The magnitude of this financial collapse will truly be enormous.

With a likely collapse of the stock market...runaway inflation...the weakening of the U.S. dollar...and government shutdowns due to emergency spending cuts...it's clear that people will look to the Government to take action and solve the crisis.

But this isn't a simple equity bubble...it's not like a collapse in home prices or even a banking meltdown.

We're dealing with a currency crisis – and one on a scale unlike any we've ever seen. The U.S. Government may have been able to bail itself out of the 2008 mortgage crisis by printing more money... but that's not an option here.

The truth is, Obama and the Fed are out of bullets. Even with all the Fed has done to date – the near-zero interest rate policy and the artificial inflation of the stock market – the economy is still stalled.

So what will happen when – in a crisis – the Fed has no way to help solve the problem?

Unfortunately... we're about to find out.

But you can protect yourself – and your family – if you act quickly.

The step-by-step details of what will happen next during this historic financial crisis – as well as the simple steps you need to take in order to protect your wealth – are included in the new research report I'm making available to you today.

This new report – just released by Dennis Slothower – is called "How to Survive the Market Collapse of 2014" and I've arranged to make it available to you today FREE of charge.

How You Can Avoid the Coming Danger –
and Protect Your Family's
Financial Future

My name is William James...and I've been in the business of evaluating investing ideas for more than twenty years.

Right now is — without question — a time of great urgency in this country. That's why it's critical that you have direct access to Dennis Slothower's regular investment bulletins in order to stay ahead of the coming financial collapse.

I saw first-hand how Dennis Slothower was able to steer investors to safety ahead of the market collapse of 2008…and I've seen how he's been right every step of the way ever since.

It's true that Dennis Slothower and his research staff have been recognized by the mainstream news media for being ahead of the market time and time again.

But the important thing isn't the notoriety or the awards — it's the fact that Dennis Slothower is the one voice you can count on to help you in a turbulent market.

Dennis Slothower has a unique, proven ability to spot danger from far away – and help investors not only steer clear of that danger but also make money along the way.

No Wall Street Bias...
No Tolerance for Government B.S.—
and No Punches Pulled: Why Dennis Slothower's
Research is Invaluable

There's no doubt about it: We are — at this moment — on the verge of a financial crisis of historic proportions.

The events I've spelled out for you in this bulletin will unfold quickly — and many have already begun to take shape.

At a time like this — of such great urgency — you need an independent voice to help you navigate what could be some very choppy waters.

Dennis Slothower is that independent voice.

For more than 30 years, Dennis has been telling it like it is — whether it's exposing the government's latest lie or statistical manipulation…or letting you know how some of Wall Street's most "trusted" firms are absolutely screwing you over.

Dennis is the one market analyst — not on any government or corporate payroll whatsoever — that you can trust for the real story behind the global events that have a direct impact on your wealth.

Listen... Dennis Slothower doesn't have an office in a Manhattan high-rise – and he doesn't have a chauffeured car drive him to and from his office.

He also doesn't spend his time working in a downtown Washington, D.C. office building or having "power lunches" with the very people who are manipulating the stock market and lying to private citizens.

Not even close.

In fact, Dennis Slothower's office is near the slopes of the Wasatch Mountains in Alpine, Utah, population less than 10,000 — about as far away from Wall Street or Washington (literally and figuratively) as you can get.

Instead of looking out his office window at $20 million apartments or a view of the U.S. Capitol…this is his view:

Dennis Slothower's operation is completely independent — he tolerates no outside influence of any kind when making investing decisions.

He's one of the very few investment analysts on the planet willing to show individual investors how the markets are being manipulated.

Dennis has absolutely no fear when it comes to exposing the greed, corruption and outright lies being perpetrated on you by those on Wall Street or in Washington.