Obama to Call for Major Road, Rail and Runway Spending

Originally Posted by mookiemookie

Yeah, right. Just like all those responsible businesses who didn't let the Cuyahoga River catch fire. Or all of the farmers who were responsible enough to not let the Dust Bowl happen. Or Killer bees. Or the Pacific Garbage patch. Or the Citarum River. Or all the other wonderful and responsible environmental decisions that big business has made throughout the years.

Originally Posted by August

We'll never win back our manufacturing as long as our foreign competitors don't have to abide by the same environmental standards we require of our domestic factories.

I say tax the heck out of any imports from countries who don't the the same line.

Bring it back. Thaty is the key. Europe and Asia will be ****ed, lets make American first. Get out of the way EPA>


Let us work to bring manufacturing back toi the US !!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Ducimus]

Originally Posted by August

I wonder at what point a production worker began to be considered "middle class". It wasn't always like that.

My Dad's a machinist. The company he's worked for, for as long as i've been alive, produces the machines that seam the lids on cans. Coke cans, food cans, you name it, the machines my dad worked on sealed them. Most of that time he was in the Steel Workers Union. He's made around 18 to 20 dollars an hour for many many years. If not more. I honestly don't know but it was at least 20 as a union man.

He worked in parts, assembly, and fabrication. The man knows lathe's, laser cutters, and other tools I've never used in my own shop experience. When I think of a skilled craftsman, I think of people like my dad. You can't get much more middle class then that.

These days, hes a company man now. Sorta. Made low level management (foreman) by virtue of his time in the company, and his knowledge. His company was bought out a few years back. Now, everything has stopped.

No more retirement pensions, no more company picnic's, and... no more skilled craftsman. They've gone about dismanteling the place. Outsourcing what they can, and what they can't, replacing with unskilled laborers who can only do one thing. But even then, this place's days are numbered. That company sold the land, but rented back the buildings it occupies. My dad showed me around the other week. Place is practially a ghost town. Of the 5 large buildings they used to have, that occupied one city block, their down to 2 now, and even that is a skeleton crew. This new management has been working him 6-7 days a week getting what they can out of him before he retires.

I'm sure the executives are enjoying their large salaries.

edit: Have to say, touring my dads work, i can only imagine the experience and knowledge lost because once these craftsmen are gone, they are NOT passing down their knowledge to new apprentices. The whole thing is bloody sad, and in my mind, representative to whats been going on in this country for some time.

[mookiemookie]

Originally Posted by The Third Man

Well there you go. $789 Billions spent to make us happy, allows you to spend another $50 billions, without thinking about the consequences of such spending.

Not very bright are you?

Not your fault...stupid is,,,

You can make a point without namecalling. Or can you?

[August]

Originally Posted by The Third Man

Get out of the way EPA>

That's a dumb attitude.

Maybe you're too young to remember the days before we became environmentally conscious but I do and it wasn't a pretty (or healthy) sight.

[August]

Originally Posted by Ducimus

My Dad's a machinist.

A machinist isn't a production worker Duc.

I'm sure the executives are enjoying their large salaries.

When has that ever not been the case? I'm sure Union Workers are enjoying their large salaries too. Especially the part where they tell their more honest co-workers not to work so fast.

[Ducimus]

Originally Posted by August

That's a dumb attitude.

Maybe you're too young to remember the days before we became environmentally conscious but I do and it wasn't a pretty (or healthy) sight.

Just google image search china's pollution for great examples of what happens when the EPA is out of the way.

[QUOTE=August;1487810]A machinist isn't a production worker Duc.
[quote]

Well, I come from a blue collar family. So in my mind, i kind of lump all blue color jobs together in the same.... "caste". Some just pay more then others is all.

When has that ever not been the case? I'm sure Union Workers are enjoying their large salaries too. Especially the part where they tell their more honest co-workers not to work so fast.

The difference is with executives is they **** everybody. They screw the country over by outsourcing America to China, india, and where ever, for their own personal gain. While at the same time, putting their countrymen out of their livelyhoods, ALSO for their own personal gain. I have one of these executives at the reins of the company I work for now. My days are numbered. I've worked there over 10 years, and it doesn't amount to spit when some guilded member of the upper class can walk into our company, not even a year in service, and be able to get rid of people who've worked there nearly a decade. Their heartless bastards who will walk over, and **** on anyone so long as they make their quotas, and get their nice salaries. They'll screw you, and then expect you to smile. I swear to god, and all that is holy, the only lifeform lower then a ambulance chasing lawyer, is a god damn CEO.

[August]

Originally Posted by Ducimus

...the only lifeform lower then a ambulance chasing lawyer, is a god damn CEO.

I know that union people have a thing about the ebil corporate exec but you know that CEOs only do what their bosses, ie the stock holders, want them to do, which is maximize the return on their investment.

If they don't then one of two things will happen. Either the stock holders will can the CEO for someone who will do the job, or the company will become uncompetitive and go out of business soon thereafter.

So you can sit there and blame them all you want but you're still gonna be out of a job.

[Ducimus]

Originally Posted by August

I know that union people have a thing about the ebil corporate exec but you know that CEOs only do what their bosses, ie the stock holders, want them to do, which is maximize the return on their investment.

If they don't then one of two things will happen. Either the stock holders will can the CEO for someone who will do the job, or the company will become uncompetitive and go out of business soon thereafter.

So you can sit there and blame them all you want but you're still gonna be out of a job.

Uh huh......

, so explain to me why the CEO of my company told me their stopping 401K matching in any capacity because "nobody else is doing it in this economy"? Considering our company was making its quarterly quota's, that is utter BS.

Oh, and explain to me why I haven't recieved my last bonus from a year ago that was promised if we made our quarterly goals (which we did), and yet the company has money for the CEO to travel all over the world?

Oh and explain to me why our company's revenue is going up, but the expenses are also going up due to the CEO travellling around all the time? From what I heard, hes travel expenses are breaking the company.

Oh and explain to me why a CEO will boot people out of their office that they resided in for the last 8 years, only to turn it into his private conference rooms while said people end up in some cubby hole? Did i mention he's never even there?

This guy is a stark contrast to our last guy. He founded the damn company, and cared about its people. He took care of us, we took care of him. He got results and didnt travel anywhere near as much as this new guy we have. He also took a "whats good for the goose is good for the gander" approach. He never sat upon a virtual throne and treated everyone like ****.

I can go on and on. Yeah the board wants results, but there is a point to achieve those results that crosses an ethical line. (edit: decided to cut back on the vitriol a bit, however therapeutic. )

[August]

Originally Posted by Ducimus

I can go on and on. Yeah the board wants results, but there is a point to achieve those results that crosses an ethical line.

Yeah like Union Workers deliberately lowering their productivity and sabotaging the product are the epitome of ethical behavior. The bottom line here is the stock holders, which the board of directors represents, are the ones who call the shots. If they think the CEO is giving them a big enough return on their investment they vote him out or they sell off their stock. Either way the company stands and falls on it's profitability, not whether it is a cushy job for a bunch of union thugs.

Pity that DC sniper wasn't targeting CEO's instead of random people.

Well isn't that just special. You know it's that kind of thinking that has made Unions the social pariahs they are today.

That's a dumb attitude.

Maybe you're too young to remember the days before we became environmentally conscious but I do and it wasn't a pretty (or healthy) sight.

Good point, plus of course it works out very very expensive when all the crap eventually has to be dealt with.

[Ducimus]

Originally Posted by August

Yeah like Union Workers deliberately.....

And where did I say I was supporting unions? I only stated my dad was in the Steel Workers union. Still, at least unions try to keep jobs here at home. CEO's and similar executives would sell the entire country off to china if it meant a larger salary, lavish life styles, and golden parachutes for themselves. They are scumbags of the lowest form, growing fat while trodding, and ****ting upon the backs of other. There really isn't anything you can say that would change my opinion of those bastards.

[mookiemookie]

Originally Posted by Ducimus

And where did I say I was supporting unions? I only stated my dad was in the Steel Workers union. Still, at least unions try to keep jobs here at home. CEO's and similar executives would sell the entire country off to china if it meant a larger salary, lavish life styles, and golden parachutes for themselves. They are scumbags of the lowest form, growing fat while trodding, and ****ting upon the backs of other. There really isn't anything you can say that would change my mind.

Your ideas are intriguing to me and I wish to subscribe to your newsletter.

[Ducimus]

Originally Posted by mookiemookie

Your ideas are intriguing to me and I wish to subscribe to your newsletter.

Hah. The truth is, im both angry and scared. Scuttlebutt at my work from someone that has their ear close to the ground is that Myself, and about 9 other people are probably not going to be around very much longer after the first of the new year. Our CEO is looking to "cut costs", that means cutting heads. If he wanted to cut costs, he could cut back on his travelling with "investors" that im told is breaking the company financially. Instead, i hear he wants to cut heads, and really doesn't care about anybody. The fact that he's distanced himself from everyone only proves this. It really sucks how you can give a company a decade of dedication, only to have your job cut by some total stranger who walks into the "captain's chair" so to speak, who doesn't have a fraction of the time into the company that you do. The worst part of it is in a few years he'll probably move on to his next abomination. of course by then' hes reaped his rich's and screwed everyone over in the process.

Not only that, but the job market REALLY sucks right now. I've barely started to look at my options, but man, its depressing. What was really depressing is that Even getting into the AF is compedative now. People are starting to look at the miliary more as job option apparenly. Im way past re enlistment age, so once my job is gone, i'm not sure what i'll do.

But, its therapeutic to vent, and here is the only place I can. There's really nothing else I can do about things. I talk a bunch of ****, but really im just scared, and crying on a messageboard about it.

*sigh* As the saying goes, "It's good to be the king". The rich get richer, the poor get poorer. Middle class is declining, everythigns made in china, etc etc. The American dream is so far from my grasp. I never asked for much in life. A job i could count on that would put a roof over my head that I could call my own, food on my plate, and the occasional vacation. And even that, is slipping further and further from my grasp.

It sucks.

[AVGWarhawk]

Duci, employer employee loyality has not been around on any grand scale for well over 20 years. As soon as companies started looking at 401K for retirements and pension plans abolished employees became nothing but a number to the HR department as well as management. Incentives to get the fat bonus was more important than employee loyality. So, I agree whole heartedly with your assessment of the current state of affairs in the working world. I too worked for a company for 11 years. Dropped me like a bad habit because a new regional manager came onboard. He wanted to cut everyone out of my terminal. Including me. His manager said I stay and eveyone else was sent packing. I survived about another 12 months but the writing was on the walls. Trained people and moved an entire trucking terminal to a new 100 door facility. Got my walking papers after that. However, it was a blessing. I love were I work now. I'm well taken care of.

[Gerald]

Obama to Outline Goals in Speech.President Obama is prepared to announce his opposition to extending tax cuts for the wealthy during an economic speech in Cleveland Wednesday, but White House officials told Fox News not to expect the president to draw a line in the sand.


http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2010...sion-tax-cuts/







Note:Published September 08, 2010