Sign of bleak jobs picture...
 

Okay so here is the undisputed sign about the bleak jobs picture for me.

We always order pizza from the same place, and all the different delivery guys usually come by in 10 year old cars with nice loud exhaust leaks so I always know when they are coming. Most of them look a little high on something, but anyways...

Order a pizza yesterday and the delivery guy is dressed in khakis and a polo-style shirt, but the real kicker was he was driving an immaculate 08-09 BMW 5-series. I have never seen that before... :hs: I wished I took a picture....damn!

Was it Dave Ramsey?

Nope, he only buy's "cash cars"...the 5-10yr old $2K beaters that get you down the road further than any similar monthly note.

I bet Dave can pay cash for a new BMW...on the other hand, I doubt he's still working pizza delivery at night.

I bet if we give subsidies to GREEN businesses and improvements, it would solve our economic problems. We should also force our employers to pay us more.

In for wealth redistribution and "browning" America.

Yes! I agree! We NEED MOOOORRRREEE GREEEEEENNNN! It will fix everything. Just ask your local lib.

I called on a customer yesterday who is trying to hire a couple of truck drivers. One came in for an interview and was offered the job. He said he wasn't interested because it was only $60 a week more than he made on unemployment, but when that runs out in a couple of months he'd be back. Big government fail.

Today a customer was on the phone with a laid-off heavy equipment operator of his asking him to come back for a big project that was about to start. Operator said he'd have to think about it because he still had plenty more months of unemployment left. More big government fail.

Extending unemployment benefits even further TWICE was twice as much fail. We need more "No worky, no money." People would find work to do even if they didn't like it. Most people don't like what they do anyway. Right now we are encouraging paying them to stay home and eat Doritos on the couch. And that is helping America move forward how?

I think unemployment is a fail all together. 'unemployment benfits" should be some menial job you could always get, like sweeping up the courthouse floor, or getting coffee for some gubment suit, or something other than just collecting a check.

abolish minimum wage and you'll see the unemployement (possibly homeless) rate drop significantly.

Homeless? Oh, you mean Urban Outdoorsmen.

That would be sort of funny since a persons benefits are based on their previous earnings. Imagine some guy making 3K a month to pic up trash 3 days a wekk.

It would also be (ironically) government theft of private resources (not that it basically isnt already) since a lot of unemployment is drawn off of previous employers. IDK if that's common knowledge or not.

Pizza delivery ain't what it used to be. And rich kids need jobs too.

I know a kid that delivers pizza in a 700hp 300zx.

http://www.food2.com/images/blogpost...2-fullblur.jpg
http://pictures.topspeed.com/IMG/cro...a-e_460x0w.jpg

Never thought about it that way... I guess that's why I dont make the rules :)

At some point "reasonableness" should come into play. Perpetual welfare must die.

Yes.

It's all about personal responsibility, but we've never found a real metric for that, or policy to promote it. Instead we just keep giving away, in increasingly easier-to-cheat ways.

You might appreciate this, but our Ike evacuation and ensuing damage cost us a little under $2K all said and done, not counting lost wages (and that $1.5K class I failed after falling 4 weeks behind). Did we file for FEMA? Nope, we had an emergency fund...just for that kind of situation.

When will bastards learn to take care of themselves? Reasonable amount of help...okay. 18months on unemployment? Get a fucking job.

Teh freebie Katrina perpetual sustenance really makes me insane. I must leave the thread now.

http://img94.imageshack.us/img94/9774/image001jtu.jpg

Uploaded with ImageShack.us

"When she put that card in there, yo we got food stamps!" -ODB

:cry:

Damn double post.

LOL ODB.

I heard something about more green? I'm in for that. My pay is fucking pitiful. Decent job, but not quite enough pay to support myself on my own while finishing up school. Everyone always hassles me, asking why I still live with my dad. I can't afford to move out with a low paying job. The cost of living goes up and up, and it seems everyones pay stays about the same. Sure the minimum wage goes up, but that doesn't really effect most of us making more than that.

Ever stop to think that it might be because you live in...Alabama. Just saying...

There are many high salary jobs and low hourly jobs in Alabama just like any state. But you get more of everything for your money. There are expensive neighborhoods and poor ones just like anywhere. You just need to be in a desirable career field and that is a personal issue regarding choices, education, drive, and determination.

I would much prefer to live in Birmingham over Baltimore and I have visited both. I would prefer Birmingham to any city in New Jersey as well. Or Cleveland, or New York City, or Buffalo, or Philadelphia, or Washington DC, or Norfolk, or Chicago, just to name a few I have spent time in over the years. It is actually quite a nice town. Montgomery Alabama notsomuch.

But what's with the propensity to look down on the South? Most people in the north have got it soooo good? I call BS on that one because I've lived all over this country.

Well I live in Baltimore. So please do tell why you prefer Bham vs all those other cities. Please do tell- I am curious.

I'm not going to debate that with you. I agree that there are high salary jobs there.

I would however be willing to debate the amount/availability of high paying jobs there vs other parts of the country, like the DC area. Including areas reaching down into Stafford County thanks to QMCB. The DC area, largely because its a hub of Govt and Tech industries provides a unique ability to make city wages while working AND living outside of the city. I live in Richmond, have an EASY 1hr commute each way to Quantico, and make the same amount my comparable position in Arlington would be. I know because I've worked there before also. So I can rent a 2k sqft house in Richmond for $950/mo, pay way less for gas, and food and everything else. While still making DC metro pay. Yes I commute, but there is virtually no traffic each way allowing me to drive 80+mph almost the entire way. Even If I moved back up to the Stafford area, the cost of living only slightly increases. My house might cost me 1100/mo instead, and gas is an avg of 5-10 cents more per gal. Food costs are relatively the same, as well as utilities.

There are areas all around DC like that because its just such a large area. The fact is you just can't get this opportunity in many areas in the country. The majority of the south fits in that list for many reasons, population density, presence of Tech industry, etc... Other areas similar would be Silicon Valley, Seattle, and other places with a mix of Tech and Govt, or a lot of one or the other. Its really a simple matter of the amount of opportunities.

If there are more jobs available that pay more, you opportunity for getting one increases. You might say, but there are also more people competing for those jobs. Yes, but is the percentage of qualified applicants increasing at the same rate? My best guess is no.

Then again, if you are going to school full time, as in during the day, its going to be tough to land a great position anyway. Most, not all, good jobs require you to be in the office. Lord knows I've been hunting for a position that will let me telecommute a few days a week since I can do most of my job from anywhere with fast internet access (internet at home is faster than work; SAD).

If you are just going online or at night though, then depending on what you do you could market yourself as a studying, professional job hunter that is just finishing up. A lot also depends on what you do, as Six said. Some careers require a degree just to get into a entry level position. Some value work experience as much or much more than a degree.

So if what you do, or want to do is not in high demand where you live. You realistically either need to move, or change your career to match the demand in the area you live. Where you live and the types of positions available will have a tremendous bearing on your ability to get a job as well as one that pays what you consider well.

Ever stop to realize that Huntsville, Alabama has the highest concentration of PHD's in the country?

Surprisingly, it's up there.

I know it's got the highest concentration of engineers int he country and I think it's like 2nd or 3rd for PHDs.

Actually I'm not suprised, my company has many jobs available there. But I can tell you that for each one available there there are at least 10 available in northern VA, and we are not based out of VA.

If you don't think location has one of the largest bearings on it, then you are not one of the people with a phd.

I would guess he does not do heroin. That is probably why he does not like Baltimore.

Have you been here lately? :giggle: I'z not so great, akshualy. But yeah, there are worse places, our economy is just crap, thanks to the crooks in charge of the city and county. No surprise we have made it into the national spotlight as one of the worst off cities in terms of economy/government. In it's day it was nice though.

Yes, we do have running water in Alabama, and we do have rich and poor like any other state. If anything we have larger pockets of rich people than just about anywhere else I have been. Just in the area we have Mountain Brook, very high end city, Vestavia, Hoover, Trussville to some extent, all pretty uppity cities with a lot of snoby rich people. The high paying jobs are out there, but there is a huge gap in between high and low paying. So you are either poor, or fairly well off, not much in between. Unfortunately right now I am the lesser of the two until I finish up my education which is proving to be long and drawn out. Been working on some kind of higher education since I was 16... now I'm 24 and still trucking.

Fortunately I work in a medical lab, and work the 2nd shift (6pm-2:30am) and have some time to continue my education. I hope I can get enough shit done to actually get a decent job within a year, maybe a bit more. Fortunately in my short life I have avoided much debt outside of school loans and other little things, so I'm not hurting too bad for money, it just sucks living under the same roof as my dad at age 24. Most everyone else I know my age has already moved on. Then again they all live paycheck to paycheck and are no happier than I am, and have to struggle to make ends meet, so I'm not too envious I guess. I've tried to play things smart and not rush myself. I have a long time to live with regret if I fuck it up this early on. Besides we work opposite shifts, and I have the upstairs to myself like an apartment and pay a little rent, so it's almost like I'm not still here, lol.

Is Huntsville because of Redstone Arsenal and the Marshall Space Center? I wasn't aware of that statistic. We did have Wernher von Braun, I guess that counts as 50 regular engineers.

I just moved out from living with my mom too. Less because I could afford it, more because I just can't stand her. I love my mom, but I can only take her in doses. 2x a month max. I feel your pain.

I guess me and my dad get along, but we are nearly polar opposites in almost every aspect of our lives. Still a comfortable living situation, so I'm in no hurry to run out and get into a shitty apartment I can't afford and mess my plans all up.

IIRC Mobile has the highest VD rate in the country.

It's big enough to have everything you need without being so big that it becomes a mecca for things you don't want. It is in the rolling hills of the southern Appalachians which makes it an attractive city. It has a large population of professionals and has a nice sized university with an excellent academic reputation which adds to the appeal of the city. There is a balanced amount of new development and old charm without being run down. There are many nice upper-middle class neighborhoods where one could comfortably raise a family and a large enough business base to be able to support a career. The taxes are much lower and nice housing is less costly as well. It is far enough to the south to have a long summer season and a relatively mild winter season without the heavy doses of winter rain/sleet/ice that the Maryland/Nova/NC area get along the Piedmont region.
So, topography, climate, professional base, presence of academia, cost of living, intrusiveness of government to name a few.
Amount of high paying jobs is not in question. Amount of quality available housing at very reasonable costs is certainly a question. I lived in Tyson's Corner for two years, so I'm not talking out of my ass. Traffic does suck going anywhere during rush hour. It just does. Much of the available housing has been there for half a century and is more expensive than newer houses in other parts of the country. That's why COLA's are higher there than lots of other places. Crime is teh suck in lots of the greater DC area.
I have family in Richmond and I know how far you are having to drive to find relief from the sprawl and its effects. Quantico isn't exactly DC either. It is much closer to Fredericksburg than DC. And the fact that you drive through Fredericksburg and then another 40 miles to find a place to live kinda supports my point. That's a pretty long ass commute. And I wouldn't say Stafford was Baltimore either. It is a long way and worlds apart. Besides, I'm not running down NOVA because parts of it are really nice. I'm just saying there are nice places to be that you might not have considered and for reasons you might not have considered.

True, and I'm not saying that everyone needs to book a flight to Birmingham today. I'm saying that there are opportunities to be had there just like some other places, but that the lack of realization of the opportunity might either rest in the hands of the OP or might just have not occured yet due to not having punched every ticket he needed to move to the next level. He should be able to make a satisfactory living in that city. It doesn't suck.

OP probably needs to complete resume enhancement therapy.

Yes. They build rockets that go boom. Even when they shouldn't.
That's where the government cheese is. If your company designed and built something like, perhaps, mechanical street sweepers they probably would not choose to be anywhere near NOVA. The tax structure incentivizes companies to GTFO.
If you like Cheese Whiz go where the cheese is.
Or crack. Or prostitutes. Or muggings. Or urban decay. Or shipyard workers. Or urban decay. Or gangs. Or urban decay. Or high taxes. Or urban decay. Or denial of firearms rights. Did I mention the urban decay? Baltimore is like Detroit Lite.
The economy is bad all over. Everyone just sees it most where they live. Suck it up. You don't live in Andalusia yet. And many local governments had people stealing money when there was plenty of it and noone noticed. Since things tightened up many municipalities went back and checked the books on where the money went and found dirt on public servants. We had some of that in Tampa as well. That's politics.
It is good to be impatient at your age, but you are nearly there. Stay at home as long as you are in school and use that opportunity to focus on finishing school instead of paying bills. There will be plenty of time for making money and having nice stuff later. You will eclipse those who left school early and went to work without ever getting their degrees. Your job right now is to get a degree.
Made in the shade...
Damn, is he still alive?

It's a real party town.:)

To be fair, I did not say I live in Richmond because thats all I can afford. I live here now because I wanted to get a house with my brother. I lived in Fredericksburg for the last 7 years and I could easily afford to rent a house there too and then only have like a 15min commute. I just chose not to because I wanted to help out my brother with his living situation.

Also, you completely missed my point about Quantico. It isn't DC, you're right. The point is that you can make nearly DC wages working a full 30-40 mi south and out of all the shit traffic and expensive living. On average, at least in IT, you can make 90% of the pay the same job would pay right in the city. There are places like that all over the area surrounding DC.

Arlington Senior IT Admin:
Pay - $100k/year
1br apt in Courthouse area - $1500/mo
Commute - short distance, still will take you 15min or longer to get anywhere even by metro
Parking - $80/mo and up

Fredericksburg working in Quantico area same position:
Pay - $90k/year
1br apt - $700/mo
Commute - hop on i95, drive 15-20 min to job
Parking - Free

Are there any colored folk above the poverty line? I'm one of those..

Is it sad that $1,500 a month for a 1br apartment seems relatively cheap to me by comparison? :rolleyes:


This is a very valid and important observation.

When I was in my mid 20s, I found that I was often envious of the fact that many of the folks who I knew from back in High School, even the ones who hadn't gone to college, were buying houses, driving new cars, owning all the cool gadgets and so on, while I was living in an apartment, driving an old Celica, and so on. It took me quite a long time to really absorb the fact that they were simply in debt up to their assholes, had no savings, etc. And even knowing that, it still didn't completely erase a sort of low-level but constant envy.

It's tough making the right choices and then living with them sometimes. Seems like you've got your head on right.

Daddy's boy. :D

Do you pay rent and utilities? Buy your own food?

I know quite a few people over the age of THIRTY who still live at home, mooching off their parents.

It's on mostly straight, most of the time.

I cut my dad an even amount every month for "rent", which to help with the bills. The house is and has been paid off, so only have a few utilities to pay. And yes, I buy my own food and drinks. So while I live at home, I'm currently not mooching. I was for about 9 months while I was going to school full time. At least I'm trying to make good use of it.

I hope I am out of here by thirty. If not, I may just have to hang myself.

You're which, colored or above the poverty line or did you mean both? I found that a bit ambiguous, so it was difficult to address properly. If you are both then you might be under the misconception, as many urban blacks in the north are, that white people in the south keep our negroes barefoot and make them fill burlap sacks with cotton by hand to this day. This is not true. There are machines that do that now. We pay them to stand guard outside the liquor store and holla at shawty about creating more social service dependents. I think there will be a serious backlash when machines are developed to do that, too. But seriously, there exist as many black executives and business owners as their drive and ambition leads there to be. Minority owned businesses are still granted priority status with all local and state government contracts including IT, security, telecommunications, roadbuilding, underground utilities, HVAC, office supplies, structural steel, concrete foundations, blocklaying, roofing, etc. Not to mention all of the same opportunities that exist in the private sector to compete for every type of business. Do you think that the guys building rockets care if the engineer is from Illinois or India as long as he knows his field? As long as he has a security clearance, nope.

Looking at a few stats just now, the median income for Birmingham vs. Baltimore is a couple grand a year difference, but the median dwelling costs $40K less, is 13 years newer, and is at over five times less population density which means larger properties and lower percentage are apartments for that money. They have the same number of precipitation days per year, but Baltimore averages 21 inches of snow annually and Birmingham averages zero inches.

MD also taxed it's wealthy a few years ago and, in direct effect, the number of millionaires residing in the state dropped substantially and MD started taking in less revenue each year than before the tax increase. :idea:

Envy is a sin.

http://www.mybudget360.com/wp-conten...stribution.png

I'm not even on that chart. Its sad how much I work as a teacher and how little I get paid.

now, we should compare the amount of employees/business owned under each tier break.

And how much in taxes paid.

How much do you work and how much do you get paid?

He's a teacher so he probably works 80hrs a week and gets paid like 40kish. So he makes like $10/hr. My mom was a teacher for 8 years before they let her go in the recession, most k-12 teachers are like this. Although the k-2 grades are much more cake. I mean, you grade like coloring and addition and subtraction. That would be money. Teaching high school is probably the worst job you could have. I'd have a better time collecting trash.

Then don't be a teacher. Don't choose a low paying career path and then complain about the pay. That's just silly.
If high pay is important to you you should quit your job, risk everything you own, and take on lots of debt as an entrepreneur. Then have your business fail around five times over the course of 8 to 10 years. When/if you figure out what to do to keep from failing and how to choose the right type of business and product/service niche you can grow it over the course of 20 more years. If you are very good at managing your business and have chosen your type of business properly and put all of your time and effort into it, you have the chance (but just a chance) of making that kind of money. Many try but most don't quite make it.

Additionally, most of those listed as making a million a year are not typically going to be individuals, but sole proprietorships that report as individuals on their taxes. Our tax system creates the problem of reporting this incorrectly and it feeds into the "wealth envy" baiting crowd's agenda.

I do like the idea of a 3 month vacation.

https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...1&d=1276268358

I see wat u did thur. +1 for accurately scaled graph.

wtf your new signature pic :laugh:

This.

I mean no disrespect to any teachers. But 80 hours a week? I know what that is, the vast majority of people think they do and simply dont. I was a door to door salesman one summer to pay the tuition. I knocked on my first door by 7:59, and finished no earlier than 9:30. No joke. 6 days a week. Lunch eaten between doors. At the end of this wonderful 11 week odessey I was deliveing orders. I was driving from Utica NY to Watertown with a bunch of orders and fell asleep at the wheel at around 2:00AM (stupid 21 year old at the time, I should have taken a fucking rest and started the next day a little later. Fool.) somewhere between 50 and 60 MPH into a field. Only my dumbassed Forest Gump levels of luck saved me. I just got stuck in some mud in a level field with a really small drainage next to the road, no damage beyond cosmetic. Thank god I did not head-on someone and kill them.

For a teacher to work 80 hours a week, they would have to go home after school, grade papers for at least 5 or 6 hours, then work all day Sat. Minimum. And that's not counting Summer, 1-3 weeks of Christmas, and some others. Its also not counting the benefits that are by and large better than the private sector. All of which are pretty fucking huge perks.

Being a teacher is tough. No doubt. But frankly 40K (starting, with bennies) for about 9 months of work is pretty fucking sweet. Your ceiling is 60-70 thou with your masters. Boo Hoo.

Go teach middle or high school math, then come back and repeat that entire ignorant post back to me again. I watched my mom do it for 7 years. At least 2x a week she LITERALLY did not go to sleep overnight at all because she was grading papers through the night.

And benefits better than the private sector? No...