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  • U.S. Economy RANT

    [QUOTE]
    Heightened class-consciousness is daily being instilled into the manual workers by the Socialist government, and, in heads bewildered by catchwords, leads to an enormously exaggerated estimate of the value of manual labour. Only in this way could it come about that the wages of manual workers are now far higher than the salaries of intellectual workers. Even our otherwisehonest old house-porter is demanding such extravagant sums for performing little jobs that I prefer to do the heavier and more unpleasant household work myself

  • #2
    I think you hit it on the head about the pregnant girl. but everything else is a little off base.
    I have been a firefighter for 23 years in a city of 200,000 residents and in the union. If we did not have union protection the city would pay us a little over minimum wage, give use sub standard safety equipment and would probably make us pay for out own fire trucks.
    becouse its public record, I make about 65,ooo dollars a year - the average worker works 2080 hours a year, to make my yearly salary I have to work 2480 hours a year. almost 2 1/2 more months - let me explain, we work a 48 hour work week and only get paid for 40 hours - and a 48 hour work week is considered the cats *** - most fire fighters work at least 56 hours a week for the same pay or less.

    as far as the teachers go, the average school teacher in the state of ohio makes about 40,000 dollars a year, what does the average private sector worker get for a masters degree and ongoing education?
    the unions are not the problems, it was the housing bubble collapse and the politicians who are trying to correct this thing on the backs of the middle class
    the unions have taken concessions over the years and have tried to work with the agencys they work for, but alot of the citys do not want to negotiate in good faith
    all I have ever asked for is to work in as safe enviroment that can be had in a dangerous occupation (140 deaths a year and 200,000 injurys and disabilitys a year) and to be paid a honest wage

    Comment


    • #3
      It's not so in every state
      http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/artic...0_OKLAHO557836 Oklahoma teachers can now be fired.
      We did not recieve any raise this year and got $5 a paycheck raise last year as a public worker. No bonuses, no yearly pay step increases no nothing and I am union in a public capacity. We currently have hiring freezes in place with about 1/8th of our workforce retiring this year and about the same next year. I dont agree with everything the union does I assure you however the lack of public oversight seems to be more an issue than anything when regulating unions. Our State has a requirement to balance the budget in the Constitution union or no union so we don't end up like Kalifonia or other states you mention like Wisc. or NJ. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Balanced_Budget_Amendment . Both State and Federal Unions are taking furloughs here to balance the budgets. Even being union I'm ok with what is happening and me and the wife discussed it after doing taxes yesterday and we are in the hurt locker somewhat as as far as extras in the future however we have enough. We can live and make it and that may have to be enough for a while. I feel blessed to have the job I do and God has been good to us allowing her to get re-employed.
      Socialist programs need to go or be cut back and it's gonna hurt and it's gonna hurt bad. There is no good answer but we must live within our means. There is a lot of shared blame to go around, not just unions or politicians, it's everyones fault to include me. I am guilty of not watching and speaking out more when it was good. I am guilty of chasing the American dream and of stretching my budget so when one of us lost employment we lost the house and added to the problem.
      Knowledge is Power, Practiced Knowledge is Strength, Tested Knowledge is Confidence

      Comment


      • #4
        a lot of the reasons manufacturing left and went over seas is in part to blame on the enviromental regulations that cost so much and have marginal impact on the actual environment. and the fact that big business alot of the time only thinks about massive profits that they want to make.
        what the USA should have done years ago is to tell these corporations that they had to stay in the country if they wanted to sell there products here.

        Comment


        • #5
          Unions are the death bane of this nation . They do very little good ,but you can find some good in anything if you look hard enough . I have friends and family and myself who have worked for unions and the unions do good for themselves first , then the worker , then the job . They make jokes about unions , race jokes , gays and just about anything , this is because they are pointing out the obvious and laughing about , people call it stereotyping , but where there is smoke there is usually fire , this is called statistics . Thats why you hear inane jokes about how many union workers does it take to change a light bulb or I guess Ill take my union 15 ( which is a 30-60 minute break every hour or so ) . We have let unions and idiots run this country into the ground . It starts when you put the benefits of a few over the benefits of the many . You can not make everyone happy , not everyone deserves a new car and a nice house . We need people to clean our toilets , pick up trash , paint the lines in the road , we dont need anchor babies , baby factory states where an unwed non working mother can pop out 4 children and live better then a working mother of one .
          Some people need to be lower on the pay scale then others , they have the right to work themselves up the food chain , they DO NOT deserve to be handed anything because of race , sex , religion . When you can't fire an idiot because the Union has rules supporting said idiot , then the Union is at fault and this is the case . All a union member has to do is scream ' Im being picked on because Im blah blah ' and the NAACP and the union come in yelling and crying foul when all the paperwork and facts back up this person being an idiot , the union fights for them because they lose union dues when they lose said idiot .
          When you see GE getting a 3 billion refund from tax breaks and intel and others sending their work to India and Pakistan we are dying on the vine . When you don't check your clothes and items to make sure they are made in America then you are just as guilty of running this country down . I drive American made cars and 90% of my clothing is American made and nothing I own is made in China . I pay more for this , but if more people did this , they would have more money staying here . I buy my items from mom and pop shops when I can .
          I pay more in taxes then a lot people make and I hate it , I pay for idiots and baby makers to drive nice new cars and live in subsidized housing , with brand new clothes and the best cell phones and a lot of jewelry . If I dont work and do my job I dont make money !!! No one has the right to keep their job , if you dont do your job right , your always late , your an idiot , you have a bad attitude , then you should be S---canned , but not if your in a union hehe .
          Sorry Rant Off

          Comment


          • #6
            you know your right mike - police officers, firefighters and teachers are just a bunch of overpaid thugs who do nothing - just like the military, who after 20 years of service, a couple of wars and god forbid a disabling injury leech off of you for the rest of their lives.

            Comment


            • #7
              I said nothing about the members of unions , most are decent hard working people . The problem is the unions themselves , they dont ' care ' about anything other themselves and making sure they get paid . Once you get past the shop steward level most are just in it to protect their assets . When you have someone who can pressure someone into doing something they dont want to , thats called coercion and thats what most unions do , they threaten , ' do what we want or we will strike ' . How about this , you dont like how your being treated , then get a job elsewhere , I know a lot of people who will like up to work a whole 48 hours a week to make 65k a year .
              Like I said no one should be guaranteed anything , you either do your job right or I will replace you with some who will . I find most people who are in unions to be hard working and loyal and great people , the problem is the union looks out more for the slackers and the dead beats then they do the hard working people . I did my time in the USN and when I got out , I worked for everything I have , no one ever guaranteed me anything , I was a member of the local 26 ( electric ) for about 2 years and dropped , when I realized my dues were paying for a lot of deadbeats who barely work . When you have apprentices and journeymen doing the work of the master electrician , but making a pittance of their wages , so the masters just sat back and did nothing I realized that unions were a waste of time . I showed up early and stayed late , but it didnt matter my skill level or my expertise , it mattered on time in , and when it would protect a knucklehead over a skilled person and it showed it didnt care about anyone other then making their dues . You can make a lot more money in the private sector then you ever will in a union , why is that ?? Its because in the private sector you are rewarded for working hard and showing your skills and if you dont do your job right , they will find someone who will , so you cant just slack and let others do your work .
              I know a lot of volunteer firefighters who do it for nothing other then the want to help . One of my best friends is a treasurer for a local union and makes 75k a year to do it , this is on top of his normal pay . He spends about 5 hours a week and 1-2 meetings a month , he gets paid expenses ( gas , food and anything else ) for any meeting he attends . Hmm sounds like your dues are doing you great , I bet your union treasurer has a big house , nice car and a big fat pension , that he is drawing off your dues . Its the nature of the beast , unions are like politicians they are in it for the money and to help themselves , yeah everyone once in awhile they will help the little guy , but most times it makes sure its investments ( union members ) are not getting fleeced by anyone other themselves .

              Comment


              • #8
                Originally posted by jmsneorrcom View Post
                you know your right mike - police officers, firefighters and teachers are just a bunch of overpaid thugs who do nothing - just like the military, who after 20 years of service, a couple of wars and god forbid a disabling injury leech off of you for the rest of their lives.

                I know what you're saying is just ment to be sarcastic, but it's closer to the truth than you think.All the jobs that you mentioned are volunteer, no one twisted their arms, even the military is volunteer although when I was in, there was a draft.they called, you went, no choice. The military can't cheat on their time but every day there are stories in many papers about public union employees cheating on their time or working OT the last 3 yrs to boost up their pensions. I'll be happy when public employees collect their pensions on their base pay and not what they screwed the taxpayers for in overtime the last few yrs. better yet get the union out of the public sector.

                Comment


                • #9
                  I used to run an auto shop a few years back and their was an oil tech that moved to Atlanta from Detroit...he and most of his family all worked for GM since the "olden days"...he told me that for 25 years his mother, father, uncles, aunts and cousins, etc...would go to work on the 2nd shift, clock in, hang out for an hour, then come pick him and his brothas up from school, take em home, cook dinner, watch some TV and go back to work late that night to clock out..sometimes, when they wanted OT, they would just bring some dominos or cards and they would play in the break room until they thought they got enough OT....He said he used to physically work 2 hours a day and got paid for 10-13......when he told me that, I turned him into the shop ***ch....I cant stand that LAZY BS....and he used to tell us that his whole family did that, all lived in 3 crappy houses and then brought 20+ people to Atlanta in 07 and bought 4 200K houses and every single one of em drives a Chrysler 300M....I used to tell him that I wanted to fire him because he just explained his work ethic to me...RANTOVER...lol


                  Edit: Forgot to Add they were all UNION WORKERS
                  Last edited by WiseOwl; 04-13-2011, 08:17 PM.
                  You know what ol' Jack Burton always says at a time like this?

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    you know when people talk about unions they always talk about the extremes - the union protected a sex offender, the union protected joseph stalin and all kind of rants.
                    you say that we volunteered, which is true, if we have it that great, why didnt you volunteer? Im done, you dont get it and you never will

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      I understand where you are coming from and I do get it . The problem is for every hard working union worker there are just as many lazy union workers who play the system and then the system works to keep them around . It's like Catholic priests ( Im not Catholic and nothing against them ) , most of them are god fearing and great people , but when you get some bad apples and then the Catholic religion sweeps it under the rug to cover for them , it puts a stain on the whole system . Thats the problem , not with the hard working people who actually contribute , its the good for nothing that the unions will protect and then fight for their rights , when they know they are p.o.s. and they dont care , they fight for them , to keep the dues coming in .
                      I understand that some unions are decent , but then a lot of them are more crooked then our national govt . It isn't the part where they fight to make sure that when you work you are compensated for , its the part where they fight to make sure people are given raises and positions and not fired based on their work performances . They dont care if you play the system as long as they are getting their dues and recognition . Its like I stated earlier , not everyone deserves a new car every 2 years and a nice big house , there needs to be ditch diggers and people who pick up roadkill and cut the grass . Not everyone deserves the same pay as everyone else , I guess what I dont like is it smacks of socialism , we dont care if everyone works equally , but we will make sure everyone is compensated equally and if you dont like it , we will take our workers and go home !!

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        "All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others." Animal Farm.

                        Let's get the thread off a union discussion and back on the economy- thanks!
                        Robert
                        www.homesteadingandsurvival.com

                        www.survivalreportpodcast.com

                        "Don't be too proud of this technological terror you've constructed..."

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Didn't mean to start a 'discussion' about unions. Just wanted to point out that sometimes unions protest themselves out of a job. However, I do want to discuss the waste, real waste that us taxpayers of supporting.

                          I don't mind public assistance to people who can't help themselves, I do however get boiling mad at people who use the system as a way of life. Last week I went to get a pedicure, this woman came into the salon wearing a hugh Obama t -shirt. She mentioned getting her card with the person she came in with. It was my impression that this woman was getting public assistance and spending at least part of it getting a pedicure. She already had those long artificial nails which are expensive to maintain. It was this incident that's been ruminating inside me.

                          I also want to point out that Medicaid is another serious spending issue. When working in the ED in Orlando, we had a name for it "there here to use their 'gold card'". No kidding, the medicaid care was gold, similar to an American Express card. These card holders used the ED like their personal physician. They also wore the latest fashions and had gold dripping from every place possible.

                          As I mentioned previously, the government will pay all prenatal and delivery cost for single women. Think about that. This program is encouraging behavior which results in the birth of children who will then become the financial liability of the government.

                          I also want to comment on the Medicare program. We are keeping people alive via artificial means who in reality 'died' along time ago. I remember talking care of living bodies with no one home. I consider this torture! The families, for whatever reason, refuse to let go. While God forbid a health care "death panel" there are times which nothing can be done to save the elderly. This end of life, keeping the body alive, care accounts for a hugh percentage of the medicare dollar.

                          I also think we should raise the retirement age. It just makes sense.

                          There is no personal accountability for those who receive public assistance. None. Politicians get their votes by promising more of the same. Unfortunately, those of us who pay taxes are no longer able to keep up the demand.

                          I truly believe that we have reached to point of no return. Perhaps, if the Congress gets very serious about this problem there may be a way, but it seems that some will continue to buy their votes with the promise of continued and increased social programs.

                          I really think we should all be prepping like crazy. Time grows short.

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            ..........
                            Last edited by Boyd; 04-14-2011, 10:46 AM.

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              Just trying to stave off a urinating match about unions. Wasn't directed at you MB

                              It's a valid subject, without a doubt and I have my own feelings about them and the rabidity they can build that I witnessed first hand.

                              We have probably approached the point of no return. As I've said before the cutting of surperflous (sp) dollars on getting rid of the Toilet Paper Committee and other ridiculous $$ committments is just a drop in the bucket.

                              Everyone knows we need to cut out a good chunk of the welfare programs. The congresscritters realize that not only would it be their death knell but that it will also bring riots.

                              Look for someone to be scape goated and make the announcement that "regretably after cutting all this other stuff" (so they can say they tried to do it without cutting welfare) that they have to cut welfare.

                              I think we may already be seeing the run up to this with the IMF announcement that the "austerity measures" we have done so far amount to nothing. You are already seeing the "the US needs to do more" annoucements as well as the "drag our feet on the debt limit debate" non sense.

                              It's like the yuppie family with 2.5 children that "had" to have a 5,000 square foot house because well you know they had 2.5 children and it's tantamount to child abuse to make kids share rooms now and all. So they get a $750K mortgage at zero percent variable interest back in 04. Happy days! Everyone is happy, little Billy has his own room and Suzy Jr. goes to soccor practice in the new Mommy Bus SUV that gets 6.8 miles to the gallon. Suzy Yuppie Senior bought the biggest vehicle she could that wasn't painted yellow and had a "STOP" sign that protruded from the drive side. After a couple years their $8,000. per month mortgage and $800. a month Mommy Bus payment is killing them. However all their pride is tied up in their house and the Mommy Bus. So Suzy Sr. reads this article that tells her she can save $300. a year if she stops drinking Starbucks and brews it at home.

                              That's about the same situation with the government. Cutting the coffee will no more save Suzy Q's family any more than cutting the stupid crap that's been cut will save the U.S. Everyone knows the house mortgage must go but no one is willing to say it.

                              It's kinda the same thing with welfare. No one wants to be the "bad guy" both proverbially and literally and come out and say it. Just like Suzy would be pi$$ed if you stated the obvious- "get out of the house."

                              The only difference is that Suzy's family probably won't burn the damn house down and riot....

                              I'm telling you, I don't make "predictions" on stuff cause that's stupid and it's a pretty obvious deal, but I'm gonna be watchful of the summer riot season for announcements relating to this.

                              Their has been riots/demonstrations, etc. in most European countries that had to do "austerity measures", we are stupid to think Americans that are as spoiled or probably more so, won't do the same when it really hits here.

                              The question is, are their any more rabbits that can be pulled out of the hat to save us?
                              www.homesteadingandsurvival.com

                              www.survivalreportpodcast.com

                              "Don't be too proud of this technological terror you've constructed..."

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