The Tea Party Question I'd like To Hear an Answer To?

Wow! If that doesn't sound like a tomc response.....

 

Neither one of us can take you seriously. Could you at least give me a courtesy laugh...

 

Not me. I am very happy at my job.

I really only know 1 person where I work who is for sure miserable in their job. He hates coming to work. The only reason he stays is that he is greedy. He makes $80k to $85k and doesn't want to take a lower paying job. He'd rather be miserable at $80k than happy at $50 or $60k. Totaly opposite of what I chose. I'd pity him if it wasn't his own choice. He will probably stroke out eventually but at least he has the money.

 

I have exactly the same experience as you Stu. I've worked in private industry in banking, manufacturing, sales, and made twice the money I took when I started in academia. I couldn't be happier at my job and I will never retire because I like coming to work. Could I go back to private industry and make 2, 3 times as much? Easily even in this economy and I'd never consider it. My wife gets offers from headhunters almost daily for as much as triple the pay she currently makes and she'd never consider leaving either. That is the definition of job satisfaction.
Many of the people I worked with in private industry keeled over years ago and they died unhappy people. The rest are divorced, remarried, ailing, or just plain miserable without a whole lot of exceptions. I have met some people in clerical positions in academia that didn't like being there but I doubt they'd like being anywhere. I find that those miserable people filter their misery out into the general population and you can spot them easily. They never have a good word for anybody or anything. They blame others for their situation and believe that everyone is as miserable as they are. I always say that it is necessary to work for most of us but it isn't necessary to be miserable doing so. I've found my passion and I wouldn't trade it for all the money in the world.

 

I couldn't agree more. The only problem I had in making the decision was that I almost didn't get hired for the job I wanted because I was "too experienced". No lie, that really does happen. lol They were afraid after reading my resume that I wouldn't be able to be just a worker or that I was just taking a transition job and would leave as soon as I found something that paid more. Once they realized they were getting someone who actually wanted to be there, they changed their minds.

And my wife is the same way too. She loves working with special needs kids. She hasn't been able to get on full time yet since we moved so she is subbing. And teacher's aides don't get rich even full time. lol But, if you enjoy what you do, who cares? She'll get her foot in and get on full time and, in th mean time, we'll be fine and dandy.

While we could both make more, we have been together long enough that we have survived on much, much less.

 

I was over qualified for the job I eventually took as well but I got around that pretty easily. I took 5 years off and raised my three boys. It was great to be with them but after 5 years, I realized that I never wanted to retire. Too boring. I found a job where I can take all the classes I want for free, I get access to a very intellectually stimulating environment, and I get to work with very smart people all day. Why would I ever retire from that? I have it made already.

 

Maybe they can't fill those 4 positions because they haven't found anybody to work random shifts, unlimited hours (minimum 60), and perform all the duties of toilet cleaning, warehouse manager, parking attendant, painter, executive customer representative that can answer the phone, fix the roof and wax the floors...all for say a set salary of say two hundred bucks a week?
Tell your company to get up off some dollars and hire the eight people they need for those four positions, and pay them more than it costs them in gas to drive there. I'm sure they're being "very aggressive" waiting for the 4 suckers to walk through the door. Ever hear, "You get what you pay for?" Oh yeah...that only applies to CEO's who can cut somebody elses throat.

 

It is more likely that the labor pool is full of people just like you. I call them company terrorists.

 

Course that's possible. Another possibility is that the profiteers really don't care if the positions get filled because they save money on salaries in the meantime and are more comfortable manipulating the balance of employees...you know...the old "keep workin'..don't complain....you could be next" profiteer tactics.
Bottom line is profit is the bottom line.....not efficiency nor employee wellness. Just whatever looks good on the spread sheets. The corporate shell game before the next round of cuts.

 

Yeah, this is the typical response. You have no idea what the job entails but both you & moen automatically assume it's something awful (is it because deep down those are the only type of jobs BO is capable of "creating"?). Actually 3 positions are professional jobs and one would be considered labor so keep trying to paint them as something they are not. Anyway, if jobs are so tough and healthcare & other benefits are so seemingly rare to you guys shouldn't we just be celebrating the simple need for workers?

 

Very typical republican corporate response. We should all just be happy the profiteers NEED more workers. And I thought you boys were just hiring out of the goodness of your hearts. Facts is, you only hire because it serves your purposes and it is a necessity for MORE. Plain and simple. The desperate folks that need the jobs are of no consequence to your corporate agenda of MORE. It just so happens that it can help what is an unavoidable labor expense. There is no moral base Davey, simply a mega profit driven one so don't act like these profiteers are to somehow be admired. If the profiteers want MORE, they sometimes have to find somebody to exploit to get there, and exploit they will. Stop acting like they're giving the employees something the profiteers can do without.

 

But these are real jobs...permanent positions w/super benefits! I guess you prefer the "jobs" BO creates in ficticious locations or the temp census jobs he hails or IRS Barack-cracy jobs to oversee his healthcare fiasco? I apologize for not being able to offer jobs that pay 100k and don't require any effort. Also, you really nailed it when you claim these positions are only for the benefit of the company...we love spending time & money on recruiting, hiring & training just for the laughs. Wow, and you're really a functioning adult? That's scary. I'll bet when your co-workers are looking around the room at their competition they love seeing you there.

 

Maybe this should be a wake-up call for tomc. Moen on the left, Stu in the middle & me on the right...each one of us has our dream job.
I spent nearly 20 years working for one of the largest banks in the world. Early in my career I took every opportunity to travel, meet important people, work hard & advance through the ranks. When kids came along I cut back, actually working from a home office for the last several years. The big bad bank bent over backwards to accomodate me. In '08 I was able to walk away from the big salary & go to work for a small, local company. I didn't regret a second of the time I spent in Corporate America or my decision to walk away from it...it actually is kinda of nice to be able to semi-retire at 41. These days I can usually work Mon- Wed in the office, Thursday from home & then we can enjoy a 3 day weekend (oh that evil employer of mine!). My time in big business and the sacrifices we made also allowed my wife (an accountant by trade) to leave the corporate world and follow her passion of teaching music to children (evil right winger, leaving a six figure job to teach piano, voice & guitar to underprivileged kids).
See tom, working hard today does have some benefits. I don't feel the least bit guilty for working hard & saving money over the years. We have a lot of free time, the kids are provided for comfortably, we are a bit more protected from the country's economic woes.
I think I've done a pretty good job handling my affairs so why should I surrender any more control of this to the government?

 

If your corporate boys could figure a way around it, hiring anyone that is, they would have done it long ago. It's no gift. Recruiting and training? Well...perhaps if they'd employee the proper amount of people, treat them decent...they probably would rarely have to train or recruit anyone. Just because (using your example of a good 100k job) that position is being offered, it doesn't amount to a hill of beans. Hey..maybe they're replacing 3 or 4 positions with one that supposedly "pays good". If you need 3 or 4 people, but only willing to hire one....how is that beneficial to anyone...especially the future "well paid employee?" Morals....profit....two worlds apart Davey boy. If some former greedster corporate dog ever stumbles onto that combination together, they might have something. Till then,it's just more "business as usual", rape torture and pilfering and profiting by the few at the expense of the many.

 

So here's what I get from you tom:
Companies are bad for eliminating jobs, companies are bad for creating jobs
Companies are bad for not paying enough, companies that pay decent wages are up to something

Does that about sum you up?

 

Not quite Davey..
"Corporations" are bad (your word but it'll work here) for outsourcing/eliminating jobs for the purpose of things like CEO bonuses, or otherwise slitting societie's throat for personal gain.
Corporations are bad, for shrinking/combining/squeezing/outsourcing or otherwise destroying other's futures in order for them to sustain or acquire MORE of everything for their own benefit.
Corporations are bad, for only well paying a select few and paying poorly those same folks which actually produce the "work" required to initiate their continued mega wealth. (I'm talking about work...not lounging in the comforts of your own home moving your fingers around on a laptop a few hours a day....Shew! That's a rough one!!)
Corporations that pay well to certain key individuals, yes, are bad, and only do so to those few because they have to, nothing to do with deserving it or otherwise earning it. They HAVE to. Corporations don't run on charity. Trust me...they're looking at ways to cut your throat too...they just haven't found a more 'efficient" way of doing so.....YET.

 

Or they are not bad and you are just a terrible employee who needs someone or something to blame. What % of your time at work for which you get paid do you estimate you are not actually working? BTW, your answer to this question will reveal your true character, and we will know if you are lying.

 

Sparky..listen..here's one of my views that may interfere with your distorted view of me.

When I'm at work...I'm on the employers time. They paid for it. So long as they're not making me do anything illegal, immoral or dangerous to myself or others,.I got no problem being whatever employee they need me to be during the time they are paying me. They've paid for my time. I'm here. So long as I am doing what is required, that is, the assigned tasks, with no discrimination, bias, or other forms of moral inequity, that's cool with me. I collect my paycheck. I perform the assigned tasks. You make a nice profit off of my work. If you didn't...I wouldn't be here. If I weren't doing my job...I wouldn't be here. That's that.
But then here's another side to my ideaology that will likely add to your delusions.
Expect me, the employee, to treat you,the employer, in the same manner that you treat me. You, the employer, pay me as little as possible, frequently often disregard my personal commitments to myself or my family in lieu of the corporate interest...or the bottom line. So here's my bottom line. Continually don't give out raises...continually put the excesses that are corporate America, well ahead of my long term wellness, stress level, or any other thing that you, the employer, could have a POSITIVE influence over, and instead pile on additional stresses, manipulate, or otherwise rule through intimidation, threats, or some other form of added hostility (as corporate management usually does), then expect no different from myself.
If at any time you feel, as an employer, that I am not doing my job, then fire me, but don't try and squeeze me for more when it isn't reciprocal. You've heard of give and take? Great idea. Long since lost in the corporate world of Mega profit and MORE for the sake of MORE. You have no problem paying me as little as possible. Otherwise...we'd all be happy and there would rarely, if ever, be an issue.

But that's not the way the corporate game is played. Rather...it's "Go team" (Walmart being the model Gods), and "We're all in this together", or some other such horses**t. Rather it is how can I extract MORE profit from this poor slob but not have to pay him for his time? That's my other biggest pet peeve. The idea of "my" time outside of normal working hours. You see..."my" time is extremely valuable to me and is not available to you, the employer, unless I agree to surrender it to you. If you want "my" time, then you need to pay me the premium that "I", not you, think it is worth, because that's all I really have is "my" time to enjoy as I see fit. Not you. You don't automatically own me at any hour or any day, and at the drop of a hat. In the same way you refuse to surrender more than the minimal amount of compensation to me to attain your corporate goals, I refuse to surrender "my" time to you, at your price. Like I said...the minimal "extract as much as I can attitude" seems to be cool with you, the corporate employer. I don't know why that same attitude, reflected back at you, wouldn't be cool with you too.

There ya go Sparky. Call Davey and begin your "cut and paste" sessions.

 

So you honestly feel that you can mask your contempt & utter hatred for all things corporate those few hours you're on the clock? My guess it shines through & is noticed resulting in the treatment and lack of respect you receieve. I find it hard to imagine you put on an Eddie Haskell face & no one notices. Perhaps that explains your boiling over when you post here?
I've got another thing for you to consider. Not everything a business accomplishes is at your expense, tom. Sometimes what is good for the company you work for is good for you as well. Ever consider that?
Sometimes profits can be made without "extracting" "bending over" "outsourcing" or whatever your exagerated word of the day may be.

 

I asked a really simple question. What % of your time at work for which you get paid do you estimate you are not actually working? Did anyone see a % listed in that lie ridden response?