Met Fall 2021 Banter.

[TauntonBlizzard2013]

Everyone deserves a living wage. It’s unfortunate that it’s going to come at the expense of the consumer though, not the giant corps. They are just going to pass the increased labor costs on to you.

[forkyfork]

1 minute ago, Ginx snewx said:

Really because if you left your protected lair and actually went out in society you would find those numbers very close to reality.  

let's see some graphs

[Ginx snewx]

7 minutes ago, HoarfrostHubb said:

Regarding the truck drivers... the shortage was starting before the pandemic.  I recall reading articles about a looming shortage due to retirements and not being able to replace them, several years ago.  The pandemic sped that up quite a bit.

 

Apparently hard working jobs are below the upcoming work force. All the coding jobs are full

[snowman21]

All of this is sleepy Joe Byden's fault ! This administration is just two weeks into its first fiscal year and already having all this inflation from trillion dollar infrastructure packages and labor shortages because of vaccine mandates that don't yet exist.

[powderfreak]

1 minute ago, TauntonBlizzard2013 said:

My new gig is 6% raises every July for at least the next 10 years. I’ve personally never seen that type of increase, but I’m happy to get it 

The great economic reshuffle.  In the end many are just finally getting the increases that might not have happened for years past in certain industries.  Those years of even 0% cost of living increases or where 3% was the most you’d get regardless of performance .

Supply and demand are still the single largest economic factors.  A lot of people retired or left the workforce earlier than planned too with COVID.

Companies have been forced to pay to compete for employees… now is a very good time to be good at your job and show anyone above you that you are worth it. Because opportunities are sky high.  The replacement cost of losing an employee is exorbitant right now.  That gives everyone working leverage.

[Ginx snewx]

12 minutes ago, snowman21 said:

The U.S. already has socialism. Almost every country on earth does. I guess Americans just don't work as hard as our peers in other first world countries that have a substantially better quality of life. Get back to the fields and mines you lazy Americans ! Time to bring China's 996 work week to America.

So it's not capitalism that is failing as Forks says it's socialism?  You obviously don't understand how capitalistic societies also can help the underprivileged members by enabling them to move upward through job training, financial assistance while times are tough. Welfare was not created to be a lifelong job it was created to assist until people could get back on their feet. What we need is more opportunities for the downtrodden. But we also need motivation to work not just handing out money, there has to be a string attached. 

[DavisStraight]

9 minutes ago, TauntonBlizzard2013 said:

My new gig is 6% raises every July for at least the next 10 years. I’ve personally never seen that type of increase, but I’m happy to get it 

My wife's job is like that only they review you every year and decide whether its 1-6%, she's got 6% for years now.

[powderfreak]

7 minutes ago, Ginx snewx said:

Apparently hard working jobs are below the upcoming work force. All the coding jobs are full

It’s the years and years of parents, teachers, Hollywood, TV shows, career counselors, etc telling youngsters they are worth more.  Even parents who are truck drivers tell their kids they want better for them, don’t do what I did.

Its years of brainwashing essentially that you are better than that.  Blue collar parents wanting their kids to not follow their footprints.

I think it’s more than just saying people now in days are above those positions.  They were taught by everyone (even truck drivers) to be above that.

[Ginx snewx]

19 minutes ago, forkyfork said:

let's see some graphs

The annual inflation rate in the US edged up to a 13-year high of 5.4% in September of 2021 from 5.3% in August and above market expectations of 5.3%. Main upward pressure came from cost of shelter (3.2% vs 2.8% in August); food (4.6% vs 3.7%, the highest since December of 2011), namely food at home (4.5% vs 3%); new vehicles (8.7% vs 7.6%); and energy (24.8% vs 25%)

[snowman21]

7 minutes ago, Ginx snewx said:

So it's not capitalism that is failing as Forks says it's socialism?  You obviously don't understand how capitalistic societies also can help the underprivileged members by enabling them to move upward through job training, financial assistance while times are tough. Welfare was not created to be a lifelong job it was created to assist until people could get back on their feet. What we need is more opportunities for the downtrodden. But we also need motivation to work not just handing out money, there has to be a string attached. 

Nearly every economy on earth is a mix of socialism and capitalism. We are not unique other than the fact that corruption and bribery of government officials is legal here while in most other countries it is not. Until you fix that things are going to continue to spiral downward.

[Ginx snewx]

Just now, snowman21 said:

Nearly every economy on earth is a mix of socialism and capitalism. We are not unique other than the fact that corruption and bribery of government officials is legal here while in most other countries it is not. Until you fix that things are going to continue to spiral downward.

Agree totally.  Politicians are the worst. Lobbying kills. But still better than Forkys dictator taking care of his cronies while the rest suffer. Reality is a bitch.

[HoarfrostHubb]

1 minute ago, Ginx snewx said:

The annual inflation rate in the US edged up to a 13-year high of 5.4% in September of 2021 from 5.3% in August and above market expectations of 5.3%. Main upward pressure came from cost of shelter (3.2% vs 2.8% in August); food (4.6% vs 3.7%, the highest since December of 2011), namely food at home (4.5% vs 3%); new vehicles (8.7% vs 7.6%); and energy (24.8% vs 25%)

The fuel oil one is interesting, because the price of oil cratered at the start of the pandemic.  I don't know the other energy types, but I assume it is the same.

Obviously it is costing a lot more vs 2020, but 2020 was a lot less than 2019, 2018, etc.  You have to go back to the late 1990s to find similar prices when adjusted for inflation.

 

[Lava Rock]

38 minutes ago, powderfreak said:

This is the largest wage increase in many people's entire lives.  I can't complain, we’ve seen a 13% increase even at a management level to avoid compression and keep separation from lower positions that saw increases of as much as 30%. Thousands and thousands of extra dollars over the course of a year for the same exact job as past years.  My wife is seeing the same thing.  When people start at $30-35K/yr as the most basic entry level, all the sudden $60K a year turns into $70K a year above them.  The labor costs this winter are going to be insane.

None of us will ever see this type of wage adjustment happen in our lives, IMO.  It's been waiting to happen in many industries (stagnant wages) but this labor shortage tipped the scale.

And those costs end up somewhere.

I get many have been underpaid for too long, but suddenly people are worth 2X more than what they were earning?

[Ginx snewx]

11 minutes ago, powderfreak said:

It’s the years and years of parents, teachers, Hollywood, TV shows, career counselors, etc telling youngsters they are worth more.  Even parents who are truck drivers tell their kids they want better for them, don’t do what I did.

Its years of brainwashing essentially that you are better than that.  Blue collar parents wanting their kids to not follow their footprints.

I think it’s more than just saying people now in days are above those positions.  They were taught by everyone (even truck drivers) to be above that.

But then reality sets in. I encouraged my kids to get a trade job if college wasn't their thing.  I also showed them what hard work was. Not everyone is the same and not everyone can code. Having many skills including how to budget, fix a leak, take care of others and life skills carry you a long way. Reality is a bitch 

[Ginx snewx]

4 minutes ago, HoarfrostHubb said:

The fuel oil one is interesting, because the price of oil cratered at the start of the pandemic.  I don't know the other energy types, but I assume it is the same.

Obviously it is costing a lot more vs 2020, but 2020 was a lot less than 2019, 2018, etc.  You have to go back to the late 1990s to find similar prices when adjusted for inflation.

 

Where was 2020 a lot less? Food? Goods?

[powderfreak]

1 minute ago, Ginx snewx said:

But then reality sets in. I encouraged my kids to get a trade job if college wasn't their thing.  I also showed them what hard work was. Not everyone is the same and not everyone can code. Having many skills including how to budget, fix a leak, take care of others and life skills carry you a long way. Reality is a bitch 

I agree.  I know how I’d raise my kid these days… but it’s still probably hard to not want the world for them.

I’m just saying that people now in days have been brainwashed for so long by so many people regarding jobs like that.  Need more people like that “Dirty Jobs” guy advocating that it’s ok and pays well to do those jobs.

[Lava Rock]

23 minutes ago, DavisStraight said:

My wife's job is like that only they review you every year and decide whether its 1-6%, she's got 6% for years now.

same with my job

[powderfreak]

8 minutes ago, Lava Rock said:

I get many have been underpaid for too long, but suddenly people are worth 2X more than what they were earning?

$20/hr to make pizzas here.  Resort town but these places need staff to operate.

$20/hr for 40 hours is $800 a week…. That’s $41,000 a year job.  With a signing bonus.

[forkyfork]

do you really think they're getting 40 hour weeks 

[Ginx snewx]

41 minutes ago, forkyfork said:

some election truther pulled those numbers out of his ass and you ran with it. lol

https://protecttheresults.com/author/browndebbie21

Those numbers are spot on by the way. Don't even know who that guy is but you carry on with your delusions.

[snowman21]

1 minute ago, forkyfork said:

do you really think they're getting 40 hour weeks 

Only if you include the hours they drive for Door Dash and Uber. I wonder if the pizza place offers health insurance?

[forkyfork]

1 minute ago, Ginx snewx said:

Those numbers are spot on by the way. Don't even know who that guy is but you carry on with your delusions.

give us a source

[HoarfrostHubb]

10 minutes ago, Ginx snewx said:

Where was 2020 a lot less? Food? Goods?

Heating oil prices went way low in March of 2020.

The others not so much

[HoarfrostHubb]

We were able to secure the same number of gallons of heating oil as the previous year for only about $16 per month more than the previous season (which wasn't bad).

The mild temps this autumn will help as well for my house

[Ginx snewx]

Just now, snowman21 said:

Only if you include the hours they drive for Door Dash and Uber. I wonder if the pizza place offers health insurance?

Another Govt **** up placing 33 hours as when employers need to offer health care. Employers play that game everywhere. Obviously small businesses can't afford it but there needs to be a universal solution for working people based on income. The affordable care act isn't affordable if you make over 35k a year. It's a joke 

[forkyfork]

single payer. next

[tunafish]

loud noises

[snowman21]

Just now, Ginx snewx said:

Another Govt **** up placing 33 hours as when employers need to offer health care. Employers play that game everywhere. Obviously small businesses can't afford it but there needs to be a universal solution for working people based on income. The affordable care act isn't affordable if you make over 35k a year. It's a joke 

The ACA was dramatically watered down to get it to pass Congress. It was never going to be the end all be all, just the starting point. Most first world nations have universal health care coverage for everyone. No more making mom and pop offer insurance or play games with hours or force people into bankruptcy to cover a medical emergency or forcing people to stay in a bad job because their health care for them and their kids is chained to it. We can't even get lower drug prices on par with our peers because the people in our government have all been bought off. The best investment corporations have ever made was in our Congress.

[Ginx snewx]

23 minutes ago, forkyfork said:

give us a source

https://www.ams.usda.gov/mnreports/lswbfrtl.pdf

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://www.bls.gov/news.release/pdf/cpi.pdf&ved=2ahUKEwiOps_hpcrzAhUqmeAKHeHzCJ8QFnoECE8QAQ&usg=AOvVaw0jf3VaDAjhUy1yozqw_BMD

[klw]

On 10/11/2021 at 9:30 PM, powderfreak said:

Stowe lot made Jerry of the Day yesterday.

Leaf peepers have been in ditches all around town (can you say distracted driving?)… but this one was solid.

Two peepah moves observed yesterday:

 

1.  Downtown Burlington middle of the day on a two lane road a block from the bus station.  Two cars from Maine were parked on the side of the road.  The rear one pulls out and pulls just ahead of the other and stops in the travel lane to wait for the other.  Meanwhile stuck behind this are 6 other vehicle including two busses.  Despite honking by the bus the car just stays in the travel lane which then also blocked in the second Maine car.  The other traffic including both busses have to cross into the oncoming lane to get around.  Once everyone passes, 2nd Maine car pulls out and they go on their way.

2.  I-89 South at exit 7 there is a workzone due to bridge repairs.  There are 7 sets of signs over the mile before the workzone and exit saying the right lane is for exit only and through traffic goes to the left lane.  Mass plated car was behind me.  I go out into left lane, it comes up behind right as we near the work zone.  I slow as the work zone is tight and has a 50mph limit.  Mass car goes to right line, doesn't slow, goes 80 % of the way up the exit ramp before pulling left in front of me.  Sped through work zone.  This happens probably 3 of the 5 days I drive through it each week.