California considering a ban on technology. In hopes of creating huge numbers of low paying jobs?

Photo above - Senator Lola, who wants to ban automation, is a UCLA graduate. Who'd have guessed?

Has this ever happened to you? You're going into the supermarket, and a local politician with a folding table accosts you and asks “what party are you a member of?” There's no right answer to avoid a moronic harangue. I've tried them all, Including “Luddite”. This invariably produces the look of a stunned chicken on the part of the candidate. My theory is that if someone never heard about the Luddite movement, they're too dumb to be deciding my future. Although I did get a great answer a few years ago. Ms. Candidate looked me right in the eye, and haughtily lectured “Voting for them is like throwing your vote away.” Indeed . . .

Let's quickly define “Luddites”, then move on to California's latest job creation scheme. Luddites were a violent mob 200 years ago in England, who went around smashing factory equipment. They dreamed of preserving low paying cottage industry work like spinning wool and knitting sweaters by hand. For real.

California Bill 1446 teleports the Luddite movement into the 21st century. NO MORE STORE SELF CHECKOUTS! Because these machines are taking jobs from people who have no other skills, and no way to survive. See link below.

Personally, I try to avoid self-checkouts. But to be honest, I also try to avoid certain cashiers. You can tell at a glance the full employment economy has scooped up people who are mean spirited, moronic, and possibly flying high at that very moment. If it came to a choice between fidgeting with a barcode reader and subjecting myself to someone with hugely dilated pupils, breathing heavily and shouting angrily, I go with the barcode reader most of the time.

I'm old enough to remember President Obama. He did two things that stick in my mind. First, he went on TV to tell people to switch banks if they didn't like their fees and interest rates. Fair enough. I worked for a bank at the time, and I thought fees were outrageous too. THEN Obama went on TV to muse about banning ATMS. To bring back "high paying bank teller jobs". He actually used those exact words. Um okay . . . but how will I get cash while I'm travelling out the state or at 11pm, President Obama?

I don't think Senator Lola Smallwood-Cuevas actually did any constituent canvassing before drafting her “Ban the Machines” bill. Most voters probably agree that McJobs are not what we want for our kids. I have higher aspirations for my daughter than ringing up Doritos, flipping Whoppers, or picking cotton. But Senator Lola should at least get voter buy in, before ambushing us with BS like this. If the public actually agrees. fine. But if this is the future a candidate has in mind for us, please announce it BEFORE the election, not spring it on us after you're sworn in.

I'm just sayin' . . .

~New California Bill Would Eliminate or Severely Curtail Self-Checkout, In Hopes of Reducing Shoplifting (sfist.com)~