Say Anything Blog

Is that a racist statement?  I hope people show up and take him up on that.

Course he probably is about as serious as that as he is about the gas tax vacation.  Has he bothered to show up at the capital to introduce an actual bill rather than just talk about it.

What’s going to happen to US industry when the global warming extremists like John McCain double the price of electricity?  I would think all these factories will close and set up in countries where they aren’t scared of technology.

I’m starting to think that our only chance at a sane govt is to concentrate on electing conservatives to Congress.  A veto-proof majority would be nice; then we could keep whichever leftie wins the Presidency from ruining the country with taxes and global warming nonsense.

The secret of financial success:

If you can’t afford it, you don’t deserve it.  Even if you can afford it, that’s no reason to buy it.

Apparently McCain is unfamiliar with the Emancipation Proclamation, which freed the slaves in the middle of the 19th Century.  You are always free to leave any job, contrary to what he believes.

The secret of financial success:

If you can’t afford it, you don’t deserve it.  Even if you can afford it, that’s no reason to buy it.

How the hell do I sign up for this deal?

When we look at the “socialist paradise” that is Cuba, we must remember that a sizable share of the misery those people suffer is directly attributable to Che Guevara bringing Castro into power, and giving him many of the policies that have caused so much pain. The real symbol of Che should be the raft, to remind us of all those who have died on rafts in the ocean trying to escape the Cuban nightmare and get to freedom. And had he not been killed, begging for his life like a coward, he would’ve done the same thing again and again in countries all throughout Latin and South America. His actions have inspired terrorists across a continent and caused countless deaths.

I’m starting to think that our only chance at a sane govt is to concentrate on electing conservatives to Congress.

I am starting to agree rob.  McCain needs to stop making these stupid statements.  I thought he heard the wants of the American people last summer and said that he knows we need to cut down on illegal immigration.  What a phony.  I am glad these guys booed him.  Heck, I’d pick lettuce for $50 an hour.  $2000 a week would be pretty nice.

A political party cannot be all things to all people. It must represent certain fundamental beliefs which must not be compromised to political expediency, or simply to swell its numbers.

He made this comment years ago, several of the journalists started trying to sign up for the job, and the morons are still voting for him today.

Actually hiring those people McCain is talking to, the lettuce growers would go broke. 

I don’t care how much you pay them, they ain’t gonna do this work.

I’m a white boy and I’ve worked with white boys.  If I Paid Mexicans 60 dollars per hour I’d at least stay in biz while the fat lazy white boys complain about how hard they have to work and lay exhausted under a tree saying, “You’re killing me man”

Lazy White boys won’t pick lettuce for Fifty bucks an hour.  Not even for 75 bucks an hour.  They won’t work.

We have no work ethic left in this country.

the AVATAR
Old Tigers are more dangerous when they believe this could be their last hunt.

From , “The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen”
Old tigers, sensing the end,
they’re at their most fierce. 
And they go down fighting.

We have no work ethic left in this country.

Nice skin-color racism, Gene.  I can remember when this was said about black men; they were lazy.  Now it’s said(with the same lack of truth) about white men, as if skin color has anything to do with it.
I will say that “white boys” will invent a machine to pick lettuce, and it will be faster and cheaper than the present system, but with the invader labor, there is no incentive to make the investment to build such machinery.
A few months ago, I posted an article about a grape-picking machine, but I don’t think it went anywhere, for the same reason.  This “cheap labor” is costing us plenty, in many ways.

The secret of financial success:

If you can’t afford it, you don’t deserve it.  Even if you can afford it, that’s no reason to buy it.

Gene:

Lazy White boys won’t pick lettuce for Fifty bucks an hour.  Not even for 75 bucks an hour.  They won’t work.

I think that was McCain’s point too.  Affluence makes people lazy, though it doesn’t have so much to do with skin color, as access to other’s resources.

My wife owns a plant nursery, and she has people who are “poverty class” who could have full time employment with her.  But they would rather show up for 2-3 months and a time, then slack off till they run out of money.

Lazy White boys won’t pick lettuce for Fifty bucks an hour.  Not even for 75 bucks an hour.  They won’t work.

We have no work ethic left in this country.

I’ll bet you yell at people to get off your lawn too, you old grouch.

Our economy has changed, and most of my generation doesn’t have to pick vegetables for a living.  Though I have no doubt that a good deal would for $50.00/hour.

Saying they wouldn’t is just a bunch of pessimistic hooey.

When the people fear their government, there is tyranny; when the government fears the people, there is liberty.

-- Thomas Jefferson

Rob’s recently listened-to songs:

I’m a white boy and I’ve worked with white boys.  If I Paid Mexicans 60 dollars per hour I’d at least stay in biz while the fat lazy white boys complain about how hard they have to work and lay exhausted under a tree saying, “You’re killing me man”

Anyone want to take bets on how many illegal immigrants Gene employs?  I guess things like sovereignty, security and citizenship don’t matter as long as Gene can make a buck or two.

“Fat lazy white boys.” Get a life, Gene.

When the people fear their government, there is tyranny; when the government fears the people, there is liberty.

-- Thomas Jefferson

Rob’s recently listened-to songs:

Gene - Lazy White boys won’t pick lettuce for Fifty bucks an hour.  Not even for 75 bucks an hour.  They won’t work.

I worked my ass off for a tenth of that when I was 15.

Maybe the problem, Gene, is that you don’t know how to look for help.

I know a lot of “fat lazy white boys” who are working 70 hours a week in the winter cold and summer heat of North Dakota out in the oil fields for a lot less than $50/hour.

When the people fear their government, there is tyranny; when the government fears the people, there is liberty.

-- Thomas Jefferson

Rob’s recently listened-to songs:

I’ll admit my experience in hiring white boys hasn’t been great.  Finding any is the reason I end up hiring those of other language skill.

By the way, when I say white boys, it goes for those in the inner city of hip hop culture as well.  Lazy bums.

The kind of work McCain was talking about and that I have to find people to do is dirty, hot, repetitive, long, team oriented, no coffee break, if you loaf you are left behind and no complaining allowed.

I have worked on the farm, worked in factories, worked in fields (Redlin Produce in Harwood ND, we had 120 acrea of melons every year and used white boys to our demise). 

White boys want to drive the tractor, sit on their butts, sit in the shade, listen to their ipods, and get off early to drink beer.

I’m ashamed that I am a white boy (man) OK, Old man.

When I have to work with these out of shape lardo’s who bitch all the time, I’m very discouraged about our future. 

Oh, there are a few good hard men left.  Just not many.  I’m not one anymore.  I wrote on this lamenting the fact that I Can’t go like I used to.

the AVATAR
Old Tigers are more dangerous when they believe this could be their last hunt.

From , “The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen”
Old tigers, sensing the end,
they’re at their most fierce. 
And they go down fighting.

And we of the white race are ashamed to have you, Gene.

Naw, guys like Eugene just make us look more manly around the girls.

I think he only started talking like that after he moved out of North Dakota.

What’s going to happen to US industry when the global warming extremists like John McCain double the price of electricity?  I would think all these factories will close and set up in countries where they aren’t scared of technology.

I see a whole bunch of white kids working their butts off de-tasseling corn every year, and no, they’re not making much at all.

""That’s the problem with you lefties, you’re not willing to get your hands dirty. I’d suggest you roll up your sleeves.”

-Jack Bauer

I have worked on the farm, worked in factories, worked in fields (Redlin Produce in Harwood ND, we had 120 acrea of melons every year and used white boys to our demise).

White boys want to drive the tractor, sit on their butts, sit in the shade, listen to their ipods, and get off early to drink beer.

I’m ashamed that I am a white boy (man) OK, Old man.

Honestly, Gene.  I just lot a lot of respect for you.

When the people fear their government, there is tyranny; when the government fears the people, there is liberty.

-- Thomas Jefferson

Rob’s recently listened-to songs:

ROB

Honestly, Gene.  I just lot a lot of respect for you.

Not out of an attempt to regain myself but in fairness not ALL white boys I’ve ever hired or worked with were bums.  Not all Hispanic were supermen.  Not all African American’s were hip hop culture layabouts.

I have knowns some diligent hard working steady white boys.  I have known some just plain lazy Mexicans and I have certainly known some hard working Black Men who could get the job done.

It’s just that when you publish a job that says,
“Landscape Workers needed, 7am till dark. Seasonal. Must be willing to work.  $14 per hour to start. Call xxx-xxx-xxxx” Most of what I get comes from Labor Ready, a temp firm.

Fourteen Bucks is about what we have to pay to get what amounts to a strong back now in my area.  It’s all shovels and wheelbarrows.

What follows is real life recently.  All of these are real people in recent past.  The stories of how they worked out follows

I hire
5 white boys, I’m not getting the Harvard grads here.
One guy is just off Dope living in a halfway house.
One guy is burned out mid 40s
One kid had dropped out of school and living at home
One guy is just out of prison and trying to get work
One guy is unemployed and just looking to make a few hundred bucks, says he’s a good worker.

5 Hispanic
One is an older man, maybe 50.  Speaks little English but when he looks at the situation, looks for a shovel.
One, Rodriquez, has been in the country maybe 6 weeks.  NO ENGLISH.  Mid 20s, wants to get established.
One, Jose, I think they are all named Jose, is young, very young, I wonder why they sent him.
One, a rough boy, speaks pretty good english, second generation here.
One is a son of someone who comes along that day.  Good English, Danny I think they called him.

5 Black Guys.
One drives up in a car, doesn’t ride with anyone.  Mid 30s.  WAAAAY overweight.  Manny.
Ike, an educated man, comes with fire in the belly and wants to work.
Jim, a kid with corn rows and a great smile comes with Ike
A lady comes with, obviously needing the money, obviously needing the work.
A big hulking almost football playing size fellow with a loud voice shows up and his first question to me is when break time is (that’s no lie)

Remember these guys come in response to an ad in a temp agency.  I don’t worry about anything except their willingness to do the work.  The temp agency takes care of everything else.

We begin digging holes, moving trees, loading trucks, unloading others.  Hard repetitive work.  Physical.  Not intellectual.  The kind I do.

The kind I did last week.  The week before. 

By mid day I have lost 3 white boys.  Leaving The ex con and the doper.  I like the doper, he’s not rocket science but he’s steady.

By mid day, all the Hispanics are still with me.

By mid day, Of the blacks, Jim, Ike and the Gal are still with me.  The ball player and Manny are gone.

The day starts to wrap up when people start dropping out.  I want to go till dark but by 4PM most are fading on me. All the white folks and Black folks hang it up.

The Hispanic folks are willing to stay and push thru except for the rough boy.  He bails too.

So we work a couple more hours and wrap up about 6.

On this project we have to clean up and put away.  Me and Rodriquez spend the last hour finding the spades that were left laying around by the others and rolling the barrows back where they were supposed to be.

Everyone that leaves I invite back for tomorrow as I sign off on their time sheets to pay them.

No one is uninvited except if they choose not to come back.

Show up I say:
Tomorrow, same place same time come ready to work.

Tomorrow comes.  Who shows up?

4 of the 5 Hispanics (Rough boy doesn’t make it)
The ex con (white boy)
And Ike, the black fellow

I called the service, Wassup?  Where’s my people?  They tell me that some they didn’t know.  Didn’t show up.  The ones they contact complain the work is too hard. They ask the service What else you got that’s easy.  Something in a warehouse involving air conditioning and a fork lift.

OK, let’s suppose I offered $50 bucks an hour.  Do I retain or get any better workers for what is admittedly serious grunt work? Or is it the work?

Mc Cain is right.

If you look over the story, and by the way it’s all absolutely true.  Composite over a few days but it’s experience that trumps our prejudices all day long and rules the day.  Even if the truth hurts.

Reflecting on this, I wonder how good second or third generation Hispanics will be? 

Maybe this is all a cultural thing.  Once we become acculturated Americans we lose the ability or willingness to do stoop labor no matter the pay.  Black or white or Hispanic. 

My story only proves John McCain’s point.  I don’t think you could get white lettuce pickers to work the field for 50 bucks an hour.  I don’t think I could do it any more.  When I was 30 yes I could.  Not at 60.  I have worked with crews of Mexican laborers.  I’m astounded at their stamina.  Particularly women.  They go and go and go and go.

The hungry hard working foreigner has always been a part of the fabric of the American work force.  Only in the last 20 years have we hit the wall in resenting them.  Maybe the pendulum has swung too far.  Maybe when construction and meat cutting became populated by cheap labor and we lost the union label things went south. 

Strikes stopped. We all cheered. Meat got cheaper and new homes stayed affordable because of it all.  We liked that.  We just didn’t like the cheap wages.  It’s Like we like cheap crap at Wal Mart but hate the fact that is builds the Chinese economy.  We like cheap gas but hate the fact that some caliphate is built larger every time we fill our tanks.

Wasn’t it ever thus?  Irish, Italians, and my German ancestors in the late part of the 19th century who walked from Mid Minnesota where the rail line stopped to near Watertown SD with what they could pull in a wagon by hand and what they could carry on their back.  A 3 day walk.  Working for whatever they could earn, speaking only German.  Doing what they could to work hard to make a place and homestead.

Now 120 years later we’re still here. 

I look at Rodriquez and see my great grandpa August Redlin (who was also Terry Redlin’s Great Grandpa).

We are a long way from those days.  But sometimes I regret that whatever that work ethic was is lost.  I wish I COULD hire some good white boys and do some good by them.

Oh, I’ve had a few.  Very Few.

So, Rob, and all, unless you have had my experience you are living under the illusion of the “Hard Working American”.  Yes there are some, but lots of them speak Spanish.

I don’t think we are hungry enough to do stoop labor anymore.  Who will?  At what price.

Somebody has to pick that lettuce and pick those oranges.  Who you gonna call?  I think if you want someone to do that work you’ll have to speak Spanish when you ask them.

the AVATAR
Old Tigers are more dangerous when they believe this could be their last hunt.

From , “The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen”
Old tigers, sensing the end,
they’re at their most fierce. 
And they go down fighting.

Honestly, Gene.  I just gained a whole lot more respect for you.

“If a conservative is still a republican after the last 13 years, he is blind to the fact that his party of choice has failed him utterly.” – Realitybasedbob

That was a nice addition to the conversation Gene.

One of the problems your seeing is that when you deal with Temps you aren’t getting people with the best work ethic.

Those hard working white boys already have a job, where they’re valued highly.

I’m not saying that $14/hour isn’t a good wage for unskilled labor, but most people want to be paid for skilled labor.  Plus it’s an hard job.  A person might decide to work retail for the better conditions even though it pays nearly half of what you’re paying. 

Finally your comments about the children of immigrants is spot on.  I think these folks won’t be any more motivated than your “lazy white boys.”

By the way you keep saying that at 60 you’ve become a lazy white boy yourself.  Face it Gene you’re no longer a boy.  Nobody expects you to do physical labor at that age, or even my age.

What’s going to happen to US industry when the global warming extremists like John McCain double the price of electricity?  I would think all these factories will close and set up in countries where they aren’t scared of technology.