Question for Washertalk and Others

[mistereric]

"Why are people making minimum wage supporting a family? Minimum wage jobs are intended for part time workers or people starting out, as they are entry level low skilled jobs. There is nothing in this country that stops you from getting skills you need to move up the ranks. I haven't had a minimum wage job since I was 16. By 17 when in High School, I was rebuilding engines at a service station and making great money, at skills I learned in High School. &quot <br
Always late to the game, I am, but.. <br
I work in a vo-tech school district and I might point out that just what you did here is getting harder and harder for the average kid. I see a lot of negative attitudes growing twoards work like mechanic work, which is considered by a lot of parents to be far too low brow for their children. These days, every kid is brilliant and is going to become a high powered lawyer, a brain surgeon or an engineer. It seems like it gets harder for parents to be happy with a kid who finds joy in working with his hands. (Like me! <br
Parents force the schools to drop auto shop and it gets replaced with standard and low-achieving classes. All of a sudden, no citizens are arriving at those low wage positions with the skills they need to advance. Now, add cheap immigrant labor to the pool and you are going to have an even harder time getting anyplace. Mess up and have a kid before you are ready and now you are sliding even further from breaking even <br
I've also heard lately that the low end of the pay scale is actually a lot farther from the middle than it used to be due to inflation. Low wage jobs have not kept up, putting the entry level worker at another disadvantage. Maybe 30, 40, 50 years ago that great money you were making at the auto shop was actually great money, and maybe now that level of pay is just not obtainable at the same skill level. (if i wasn't ready for bed I would do a little more reasearch and get some hard numbers here, and i apologise if i've pegged you a bit older than you are, Kevin, I didn't see your birthday in your profie) <br
But what it comes down to for me, with politics, is that I think the only thing we can do at this point is shake that damned tree every election day and hope some of the rotten apples fall out. Don't let any party become to complacent, keep your wits about you, and put a stop to erosion of the dream with common sense and decency. <br
Stay around here, all of ya, and ride out the storm. Vote with your head, and let the chips fall where they might, and maybe we'll get some new politicos who don't have their heads up their arses for a while who can get this country back on track and healing <br
Oh, and apparently, according to the test, I'm a liberal.

 

[neptunebob]

Finally, somebody agrees with me about Dennis! I thought I was all alone in being a Kucitizen. And yes, most people I talked to about him said he just would not stand a chance of being elected but if it were possible I would have voted for him. I did vote, with the rest of my family, for (hold the nose) Kerry, who should be a Shakesperean actor rather than a politician (didn't he sound like Dr. Smith on "Lost In Space"?) <br
As for a Department of Peace, I agree it doesn't stand a chance but I believe our present Department of State could do a lot more with international relations to help prevent wars than they presently do <br
As for careers, I wanted to work on heating systems and plumbing when I was young but Dad would not hear of it. He didn't want the "swearing/bar/drinking/I have another kid on the way" lifestyle of the blue collar world. I majored in Business in college, and had the nastiest classes ever. I was a bad time in my life. <br
Oh, and about the Department of Peace

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www.kucinich.us

 

[dalangdon]

Vocational training

I have a good friend who is an auto shop teacher in the Federal Way school district (Federal Way is a working-class suburb between Tacoma and Seattle) and a Ford authorized mechanic for one of the dealerships on the side. He can give you quite an earful about how the vocations aren't being respected by the school districts anymore, because of all the standardized testing, and budget cuts. <br
My Grandfather started out as an apprentice for Nebraska Public Power, then worked his way up to full fledge journeyman electrician. He made enough money to support a family of twelve. Things got easier and the pay got better when he went over to OPPD and became a member of the the IBEW.

 

[tomturbomatic]

It is very difficult to find any young people who are interested in becoming appliance techs. A technical school in Maryland still has the course and only has about 5 students graduate each year. The graduates are very young and the school is far from Beltsville. Even though John has had them work with him for like their practical experience period, they are still living at home and it's too far to travel each day for a full time job. Some decide that they don't want to work with appliances after all. It's no wonder we found a brand new GE washer scrapped out in a product exchange when all that is wrong is that the pump protector chamber is full of lint. The machine can be written off as a loss and it's probably cheaper than paying a tech to spend a lot of time looking for a problem on a new piece of equipment, especially if the tech has not had hands on training on it.

 

[rp2813]

Just as things were getting back to appliance repair ...

Great article in the paper today about how PA senator Rick Santorum's campaign is in big trouble and he's been consistently trailing his Democrat challenger by double digits. Finally the people of PA are waking up to the fact that they've had an extremist hypocrite in the upper house. Here's hoping 11/7 marks a new beginning for sanity and compassion in congress if not the White House and cabinet <br
RE: making a living on appliance repair, I probably would have taken that route and enjoyed getting my fingers dirty along with getting the satisfaction of keeping a good machine running for an owner who loves it, but doubt I would have been able to buy a house or drive a decent car if I had made that choice. Auto mechanic would be the same deal for me. I'd end up losing money taking the time to do things right fixing a car most mechanics would tell you wasn't worth fixing. Best that these fields remain nothing more than interests and hobbies for a guy like me.

 

[neptunebob]

Oh, I know all about Rick!

I live in the school district he took money away from (he charged them the cost of his "Cyber Home Schooling") and he doesn't even live here! We see his signs and commercials all the time - The commercials are rather mean. Unfortunately, Bob Casey, in his commercials, doesn't look into the camera, isn't that considered a no no <br
Like I said, I was interested in a vocational career when I was young but my father would not hear of it. Now, 12 years later, when my younger brother wanted to be an auto mechanic, he let him go to the vocational school for that field. He did go on to college and is now an electrical engineer. But someone who wants to work with their hands can be thought of as not "college material" or "go to the bar all the time". Maybe that's one thing wrong with America (oh, better duck and run!).

 

[washertalk]

see how your elected representatives voted on VETS

Find out if your representative is actually a supporter of our Valued Military men and women. <br
This site is excellent and Non-partisan. go to www.IAVAaction.org and put in your zip code to find out how your representatives actually voted the way they talk. The site gives a grade based on performance. There are even links to contact your representative if you are please, or not <br
(As heard about it on Al Frankens show today. <br

 

[dalangdon]

I was definitely not college material

I went to college because I had to. I had no idea what I wanted to do with myself, but my dad was afraid I'd end up working in the Union Pacific yards, like he did before he went to WWII. <br
Dad would have ended up back down in the yards if it weren't for the GI Bill, which paid for him to go to law school. My folks couldn't have afforded a house without that program, either. <br
While my Dad was in the war, his father died and the small family grocery store folded because he wasn't there to run it, and grandma was taking care of him. Grandma and my uncle would have starved if it hadn't been for Social Security. <br
That's what drives my mother crazy: When people her age say that they "never needed handouts". Just about everybody was on some sort of assisstance, and a lot of those people who say they never took handouts owed my grandparent's money on their accounts. Grandma was too soft-hearted to try much hard core collections, but Dad had kept the book of charge accounts, and Mom still has it. She knows just how poor and needy those people were - and which ones never paid their balance. <br
People forgot how desparate those times were, and why the social safety net is important.

 

[oxydolfan1]

Santorum's one of those delightful creatures that categorizes my personal choice of sex partners with bestiality <br
(There's a tempting one-liner in there somewhere, but I digress. <br
This is the "normalization of deviancy" advocate <br
All you need to know is when Santorum's baby was born stillborn, he made his wife bring the poor thing's body home and made his kids hold it, so they would know their sibling <br
God help Pennsylvania if its good citizens don't show this freak the door.

 

[Unimatic1140]

OK this is too much fun not to share...

I've heard rumors for quite a while that Republican National Committee Chairman Ken Mehlman is gay. I think it's important to let every Republican voter know this little fact, after all we like our voting population to be educated on the facts and issues <br
The link below is to a new parody ad mocking the the RNC's now-infamous "call me" ad. That spot, which the RNC eventually pulled this month, showed a scantily clad white actress saying she met Ford at "the Playboy party." It ended with her asking the congressman to call her. Many analysts believe it was produced to play on racist fears of interracial relationships. If you haven't seen that nasty republican attack ad you can see it <a href= target=_blank>HERE</a <br
Now check out the new little ad that will hopefully get some press this next week. It's fabulous...

 

[neptunebob]

Oxydolfan, I don't know of anyone who would vote for Rick but someone must because he gets elected, although I will not vote for him and neither will my family. People who own businesses seem to like him for some reason, maybe he is pro-business? <br
Someone I know told me a theory about Rick that is really "out there" and I will risk and tell it here: Rick is actually gay and to have all his children he and his wife have to do procedures like Michael Jackson does to have kids! I don't believe that but these days, I guess anything is possible! Nep

 

[oxydolfan1]

Yes, Ken Mehlman is gay.

 

[washertalk]

Santorum

He just looks gay....??????????
(head tilted
I hate to say that, believe me, it just sounds so simple minded and hick like, but...
And I don't have a problem with people 'looking gay' <br
Every pic of have seen of him, he just, looks,, gay
Yesterday I saw a pic of him wearing a violet jacket and pink tie w/shoulder pads. I don't know if the phot was altered or what <br
???? <br

 

[oxydolfan1]

I don't know that Santorum is gay, but many of the Republican "culture warriors" are <br
As I understand it, it's part of the whole "reprogramming" trip, to marry and have children. It's supposed to "reinforce" positive, clean values and so on <br
I'm strongly opposed to "outing" (while understanding the reasoning behind it) by anyone, but I do believe that many homophobes are motivated by jealousy, especially the lifestyles of those of us who don't have children, and are unattached <br
I used to kid around about it, until I realized I was hitting too close to home for some of these bozos.

 

[oxydolfan1]

The liberal blacklist is out <br
Someone obtained the list of 100 companies that refuse to advertise on Air America Radio. Care to guess what major US concern and detergent company is on the list?

 

[neptunebob]

Do you think that if Rick runs again, he will try to get elected by changing his look to look like Michael Jackson? I notice that John Mayer, a guitarist, if you go to the MSN home page, now is trying to look like Michael Jackson so maybe that look helps see CDs (and get people elected?) <br
I will say this much, Rick does answer letters. I read his book (mother borrowed it from the library, why spend money for it?) and it had a chapter about college, saying most colleges were "too liberal". I made up a story where I wanted to send my daughter (made up) to college to study music and based on Rick's values, what school would he recommend? Two months later he wrote back, though it was kind of vague, saying "Pennsylvania is home to many fine universities". But I must give him credit for answering. <br
Lately, there has been an uproar in PA over state legislators voting themselves a pay raise. One of the worst offenders is a representative north of us, Mike Veon. Mike is a very sharp dresser and I am going to write to him to ask where he buys his suits becuase when I sing in church I want to look as sharp as he does. Being such a sharp dresser, makes me wonder if Mike could be gay? Nep

 

[washertalk]

pic

I feel ashamed that I may be reverting to republican stereotyping.
Forget the clothes, it is just his face. I don't know?
And it's not that he's attractive to ME, because I would have no problem admitting that if it were true
It's just perplexing/disturbing for me..?.? :-( ~

 

[rickr]

Gay republicans, working for them? OMG!! All I can say is "cluck, cluck&quot <br
The 21st century "Uncle Toms"

 

[washertalk]

oxy

I saw the article on Air America, no surprise there. righ <br
Let's remember how "Married with Children" was blackliste <br
I cherish the knowledge that key demographics, the under 55 crowd, are shying away from fox news, specifically 'o'rilly', and other such dreck
same for Druggy limbau and pat robertson(Evil Uncle Chuckles- Thanks www.StephanieMiller.com).

 

[gansky1]

Contemptible!

Check out this appearance by Barney Frank on Real Time two weeks ago. Frank is talking about republicans and their long standing policy on gays and their rights to privacy. He mentions a U.S. Supreme Court ruling in 11/2003 striking down a Texas law (and by association "sodomy" laws in other states) but also mentions if there are more openings on the court the Bush gets to nominate for, this issue may be revisited by the court, with a different outcome.
I'm not generalizing every republican as a bigot, but I truly believe that support of a party with well documented positions such as this, cannot be simply brushed off as "that's not me." As my grandmother used to say, you are what you eat.