Income and Insight

[antagon]

frankly, the real headline is that all of the demographics in the OP have declined. everyone who expected a 180* turn-around have had those expectations shattered by the state of the economy. the poll will be repeated in november.

you bring up a good point about the half-jobs. of course every client i meet says the contractor hightailed it, but i suspect some of them may have deadbeat their contractors. i know i ran into some shady pay last summer and spring, mainly from failing businesses letting subcontracts. i dont get the impression that i've got a lot of competition, i'm bidding cushioned quotes for these finish-ups. not only is it a pain to follow on someone's work, but i couldn't afford to get stiffed by anyone at this point. there's a lot of work out here, and people are starting to ask that it get done. i'm just not accepting checks.

i've always found sharing work in building difficult. efficiency slumps real hard when guys think that there isn't another job 'round the corner. the antagon school of construction management holds that an overworked crew will be happier and more efficient than an underworked one, and that less heartbreak will be borne when things slow down to regular time, than if crew-cutbacks are made.

that said, i still had to cut a guy loose in november. i tried to look him back up, but he'd just given up on this town, i guess. i felt guilty until i hired a new face last week - an absolute machine, with plenty of experience with a former competitor.

 

[editec]

why is it the conservatives post at nausium on stopping welfare but not the trillions on wars??? Is taxation really the issue?

They're working hard and object that everybody else isn't.

They also imagine that being on WELFARE is gravy train and that most of it is fraud.

They also think that WELFARE is WHY they pay so much in taxes.

They don't object to pissing away money on pointless wars because they think they're not pointless.

Most of them are, apparently both MATH and information challenged.

 

[Foxfyre]

frankly, the real headline is that all of the demographics in the OP have declined. everyone who expected a 180* turn-around have had those expectations shattered by the state of the economy. the poll will be repeated in november.

you bring up a good point about the half-jobs. of course every client i meet says the contractor hightailed it, but i suspect some of them may have deadbeat their contractors. i know i ran into some shady pay last summer and spring, mainly from failing businesses letting subcontracts. i dont get the impression that i've got a lot of competition, i'm bidding cushioned quotes for these finish-ups. not only is it a pain to follow on someone's work, but i couldn't afford to get stiffed by anyone at this point. there's a lot of work out here, and people are starting to ask that it get done. i'm just not accepting checks.

i've always found sharing work in building difficult. efficiency slumps real hard when guys think that there isn't another job 'round the corner. the antagon school of construction management holds that an overworked crew will be happier and more efficient than an underworked one, and that less heartbreak will be borne when things slow down to regular time, than if crew-cutbacks are made.

that said, i still had to cut a guy loose in november. i tried to look him back up, but he'd just given up on this town, i guess. i felt guilty until i hired a new face last week - an absolute machine, with plenty of experience with a former competitor.

I agree that guys working overtime are usually more motivated and productive than those who are underemployed or worried about whether there will be a next job. And probably there is some of that too.

But, a lot of these small companies around here are as much family as employer/worker relationships so the dynamics are maybe a bit different than some other places. Okay, let's face it. Some of them are literally all family, but that's a whole different dynamic.
But it's summertime in New Mexico too, and the trout streams and lakes beckon, there are hiking trails to explore, and the mountain air is cool and refreshing. As long as they feel they will probably have enough of a paycheck to pay the rent or mortgage and keep beans on the table, most of the guys don't mind a little extra time off if it doesn't last too long.

New Mexico is also a relatively poor state and a lot of guys in constructions, especially those working for smaller companies, are used to short dry spells and not working between contracts. Most have learned to manage their finances in a way that allows for those circumstances. But that is one reason why illegal immigration--we're also a border state--is highly resented too, because that gives some contractors unfair advantage when bidding for contracts. The legitimate workers can't wait indefinitely for work.

If this situation drags on longer and longer though, they'll become more and more restless. And if work does become even more scarce and/or contracts are harder to get, I think the atmosphere will get a lot uglier. I'm noticing that almost all the oil change places, car washes, and other such businesses now almost always have employees standing at the curb with "no waiting" signs. The once ever present 'help wanted' signs at the fast food places are gone.

It's tough out there. And our government has so far made it a whole lot worse for most with what they have done, and they're doing almost nothing that would help make it better. And how frustrating is that!

 

[Nonelitist]

Gee, I wonder why this portion got surgically excised from the OP?

And among those earning $7,500 or more per month ($90,000 per year or more), the highest income bracket recorded by Gallup, 47 percent said they approved of the job Obama is doing

So I guess while President Obama is doing best among the poorest,

he's doing second best among the richest.

oops to all you clowns who didn't bother to actually READ the article, or the data, before you chimed in with your class warfare rants.

lol

PS...note to dishonest OP'er. When you quote a portion of an article and intentionally leave some text out, you're supposed to throw in a DOT DOT DOT.

There was nothing dishonest about the OP.

Did you find it tragic that you had to read the entire article? Poor baby...

The lead sentence was "Less than half of middle class Americans now believe that President Barack Obama is doing a good job, according to a new Gallup Poll." and the OP contained proof of same.


You seem a bit petulant...could it be due to the numbers and how they reflect on your choices?

Grow up. Wise up.

I find it hilarious that I only had to read the article to find out you intentionally misrepresented the numbers in order to propagandize them. You managed to make fools of a couple of your rightwing nut buddies too, which is even hilarious-er.

So...let me get this straight....

Obama is the President of Choice for the Poor and Ultra Rich.... but the Middle class disapproves of him?

Ok... glad you pointed that out.

 

[NYcarbineer]

So, using the OP's premise,

in an 'insight' contest between Tony Hayward and a Louisiana fisherman,

who wins?