They were talking about the latest inflation report (Canadian but should be similar) on the radio yesterday. I didn't take notes but the gist of it was inflation was about 2% but then they started listing things. Lots of food items like bread had gone up 8-10%. Gasoline was up quite a bit along with electricity and housing. Natural gas was actually down quite a bit. Basically it sounded like all the basic stuff that I pretty well need had gone up close to 10% while stuff that I can't afford anyways has been stable or gone down.

The gas companies will take advantage of stuff like this. Where I live (BC) gas is about $1.23 per litre to the east and $1.25 to the west. The stations to the west have an extra 12 cents transit tax (plus 5% tax on the tax) added to the pump price yet the stations to the east claim that they're only making a couple of cents a litre profit and the rest is taxes or raw price. They even have nice pie charts on the pumps showing the taxes etc. Also when the transit tax went up, gas went up everywhere.

That makes more sense but still, at least here, minimum wage is so low and tips are supposed to supplement your earnings being a bonus that it really seems your sons employer is taking advantage of him and I guess that's the norm there, at least in the restaurant business.

Your constitution does have an amending process. Be nice if they used it, then the States could decide.

You guys need some serious sales tax reform. Here in Canada there is the Federal GST (5%), the Provincial sales tax (7% here, varies on province) with I believe most of the provinces now having a harmonized sales tax that the feds collect and distribute the provinces portion back.
The cities and such do add extra things like the gas tax which is included in the price at the pump. To the west of me there is an extra 12% gas tax so locally often gas is a couple of cents cheaper here and the gas companies make extra profit.

What happens on the days when there is close to no business? When my sister was working in the restaurant business she said that the only good days tip wise was the weekends due to lack of business during the week.
Tipping here is about the same rate and it is generally excepted that you should always tip and tips are supposed to be reported as income.

Don't they have minimum wage laws in the States? Things are similar here in Canada but the server still has to be paid at least minimum wage along with basic benefits (which is often worked around by hiring part time workers) such as unemployment insurance (now called employment insurance) and Canada Pension Plan.

Resources are still limited. For every person working in the e-crime unit, there is one less person dealing with the people traffickers etc. The e-crimes bureaucracy will also be struggling with the other units to get more funding and if they win they will take more resources from the others.

Actually the whole feudal idea of felons and the segregation that goes with it is pretty disgusting. Basic rights should only be able to be taken away by the judiciary using due process. Even the American Constitution writers reconized that, which is why they have the ban on letters of attainment.
America and Nigeria I believe are the only countries still with the idea that whole classes of citizens should lose rights permanently for doing something stupid when young, even after they've payed the price.

Sounds like libertarianism is a lawyers paradise and if you can't afford one then you drink tainted water.