How's that Obama economy working out for you?

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Friday, June 3. 2011

How's that Obama economy working out for you?

People seem to feel it's pretty lousy, unless you are lucky enough to have a government job. Since we all work as serfs for the government from January 'til May, and since the Chinese are loaning us money to pay the bills, no surprise there.

Speaking of jobs, Dogs Make Employees More Productive At Work. Perhaps our economy needs more puppies.

Or perhaps we need less government: Businesses afraid to hire here

Speaking of the economy, my neighbors down the road are adding a fancy new master bath, and I stopped by to take a look. I like construction. Things are not universally bad, I guess. Those are legal Mexicans working on it, of course. The jobs Americans don't want to do.

Posted by The Barrister in Hot News & Misc. Short Subjects at 12:50 | Comments (13) | Trackbacks (0)

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Well, they look a bit well off, perhaps they are in the top reaches of the top 10% of earners who are supposedly the ones keeping the economy going. The very same, I might observe, whom Obama wants to tax till they stop spending.

Well, I hope they checked out those workers or the contractor. It's hard for an American contractor, who pays decent wages, carries Workers Comp, maintains his license, properly disposes of waste and owns a level, to compete with some "Mexican" builders.

#1 JKB on 2011-06-03 13:04 (Reply)

I could heel my dog past the guard unnoticed on weekends at work, for many years.

It was a highly trained dark dog in a dark hallway.

#2 rhhardin (Link) on 2011-06-03 13:45 (Reply)

Barrister I have often considered the possibility that you are a most profound example of hypocrite. Today, you proved it!

#3 apple pie on 2011-06-03 14:41 (Reply)

I, too, am fascinated by construction. Whenever a new home goes up in my neighborhood or there's a major remodeling job, I like to stop to watch the workmen for a few minutes each day, until the project comes to its happy conclusion. Think of this: if you were an alien visitor from another planetary system, wouldn't you be utterly intrigued by all these rituals we humans go through to create shelters for ourselves? It's an art! It's a science! It's a craft! Think of what it reveals about us, about our society, about our culture.

Down the street from me, a new house is about to go up on an abandoned home site. I am thinking about taking pictures each week to record the progress of this new home, from the pouring of the foundation to the nail-gunning in the roof shingles, just to see what it would look like as an mpeg time-lapse animation.

#4 Agent Cooper on 2011-06-03 14:46 (Reply)

How's the Obama economy working out for us? The One seems to be taking his cues from the FDR playbook, and we all know how well that approach worked out back in the 1930s, don't we? My crystal ball predicts the current economic malaise will be with us for nearly a decade. A lot of the jobs that have been lost since 2008 won't be coming back soon, if ever; businesses that manage to survive will learn to adapt and do more with fewer workers and lower labor costs. Perhaps someone should let Obama borrow a copy of Amity Shlaes's book, The Forgotten Man, not that Obama would deign to read it. Or maybe the US should just get involved in a major war, since WW II did such a fine job of getting FDR and the US out of its last big financial funk. However, the minor skirmish in Libya is just small peanuts, Mr. President; it won't do the job.

#5 Agent Cooper on 2011-06-03 15:16 (Reply)

Its working out just fine for me. As I write this, a crew of four legal Mexicans and their supervisor are building a loft in the living room, installed the railing after doing a custom stair case, they start on the hardwood floor tomorrow and it should be done by Monday noon - and they might be done tomorrow evening. Parts and Labor to install a 15X15 loft, including flooring, $6,500 and it's one heck of a good job they are doing.

Couldn't get an American contractor to even bid the job - too small supposedly. What it really was was the custom staircase they couldn't deal with - couldn't use prefab stairs.

When I was at Data General, we used to have doggie days where we could bring our dogs in as long as they were socialized, trained and above all, quiet. Its a great experience.

#6 Tom Francis on 2011-06-03 16:17 (Reply)

Actually i am a Contractor, The Work being shown is in a direct violation of OSHA rules and could be a 20000 dollar fine, The Workers need to be tied in or scaffolding needs to be put up all the way around, The Toe boards are illegal Not wearing a shirt is a fine, Funny im about out of Business i cannot compete with "contractors" like this.

Bad Example

#7 bobby on 2011-06-03 17:55 (Reply)

I have never in my 50 plus some odd years of watching roofers seen any "tied off" or use scaffolding even on super steep roofs. Professional contractors too.

Heck we did almost 45 square on our old house done by Edwards Roofing from Woodstock, CT and none of those guys, about 10, were tied in and there wasn't any scaffolding.

#7.1 Tom Francis on 2011-06-03 18:14 (Reply)

I believe bobby is right.

Just because you don't see it doesn't mean it is not required.

1) They have to catch you and if there is an accident and you are not in compliance you are in very deep doo-doo.

2) I am not sure how the rules fall on smaller business (less than 20-25 employees) but it could be that they are exempt from some of the regs imposed on larger contractors.

3) I would not be a bit surprised if a blind eye is given to minority contractors.

Experience tells me OSHA prefers to pursue the Big Boys. The ones with deep pockets.

#7.1.1 feeblemind on 2011-06-03 19:21 (Reply)

I just took a quick look at the OSHA standards for residential roofing. There is some mumbo jumbo, but basically, these guys on the roof are in compliance for what they are doing at this time. Technicaly, they aren't directly working on the roof at all - they probably gained access through the addition and from what I can see, they wouldn't be falling more than 6' into the addition.

I would suspect that when the roof does go on, they will use slide guards and be in compliance for this type of job.

The OSHA rules are different for residential and commercial roofs.

Speaking of which, one of the more horrific roofing accidents I ever saw was one of the locals working on a flat roof using hot tar. He fell off the roof right into the hot tar. That was one time I wished I wasn't on the Fire Department Rescue Squad. That was just plain nasty.

#7.1.1.1 Tom Francis on 2011-06-03 19:35 (Reply)

Tom Im a Roofing contractor, Believe me I know what the OSHA rules are, If One of the roofers fell off your roof their Boss would be up for Criminal charges, You could have been liable too, The OSHA inspectors go over jobs with a fine tooth comb, They drive around and video tape the site, Those roofers in the pic would need full body harness's, The Ladder is set wrong , The new rules coming are ever stricter pretty much means full scaffolding which adds days to a job, Think about this A roofing company needs workers comp, Any injury increase their premiums., Does the Insurance company want to pay if some one gets killed, If a Roofing company does not follow the OSHA rules to the letter the Insurance company does not pay and the Roofing company or YOU pay and lose everything plus are up for criminal charges., Perhaps there are no OSHA inspectors where you are at regardless all rules apply. Do companies not follow these rules,. Sure and take a big risk. Are the rules oppressive?, sure they are. Im not trying to be a know it all its my reality. Go by the rules add days to a job or get underbid

#7.1.1.1.1 bobby on 2011-06-04 04:41 (Reply)

2 years ago, I wanted to redo the small bathroom. Most contractors wouldn't touch it. Even though they needed work, it was "too small".
I called a friend who hired aliens to work for him, his business was so bad, he had to let them go. He didn't want my job, he was focusing on larger deals. But he felt bad for the fellows who he'd let go, so I called them.

The job was probably $6-8,000 if I'd hired an American. But by purchasing the goods myself, doing the demo myself, helping the 2 aliens, buying them lunch, paying their train fare, and driving them home at night, I was able to do it for under $4,500.

I know what some of the people here will say, and I think it's all BS. If someone out there can do it better, and cheaper, than an American, then I'm hiring them. We, as Americans, are losing our competitive edge, our desire to be better and less expensive. We feel we deserve things without working hard for them. I say we, because while most people my age would disagree, I work with 22-30 year olds who have spent their entire lives being coddled and promised good things without putting any effort into it. Not one could've demo'd the job the way I did, done the carpentry, plumbing or painting I did....nor would they care to.

They are more concerned with getting the company to pay for their lunches and dinners, and moving up a ladder faster than their experience should dictate.

Yet we complain about the aliens who show up and are willing to do the work these zipperhead juniors aren't even interested in.

#8 Rick on 2011-06-03 22:35 (Reply)

"The jobs Americans won't do"- That's bull! I worked in construction 20 years in Massachusetts. When I left Mass in 98 there were no illegals around, 'doing the work Americans won't do', it was Americans, every one except for the occasional Irish illegal. You think nothing got done until the illegals started pouring in and saturating the labor market? I knew plenty of young guys with their own companies who'd have loved a 6000 dollar job. You liars who said 'no one would do it' just found someone who'd do it sooner and cheaper- surprise, surprise, an illegal! What a coincidence. When I came out to Los Angeles and started working in landscaping, I was the only American on any job I worked on. Lots of times I was the only one who spoke english besides the contractor. And they're all working under the table, so keep your argument that they pay taxes just like anyone else. You phony conservative blue-blood Republicans make me puke- Jobs Americans won't do- kiss my ass!

#9 joe on 2011-06-09 02:20 (Reply)

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Friday, June 3. 2011

How's that Obama economy working out for you?