Nobody Wants to Work

[Stevicus]

And on that point, I have some suspicion that the price of property and housing is inflated. I suspect that housing, like other technology, has modernized, becoming cheaper and quicker to construct, and probably more efficient, in terms of efficiency of utilities. And also most obviously, because it is seen as a product as opposed to a right, and all products have some arbitrary factors in their pricing. But the point on materials and building costs, relative to the past, should especially be investigated.

It does seem strange at times. A lot of it seems to come down to deception and manipulation. A salesman hawking a product he knows to be worthless, yet hypes it up and touts it as being the greatest thing in the world. It's salesmanship, all based in perception and superficial imagery. P.T. Barnum said "there's a sucker born every minute."

 

[Wandering Monk]

 

[Wandering Monk]

 

[PureX]

If someone has only a tent or box, would you
take that from them, & give them nothing to
replace it? That's how it goes now.
So until you provide an alternative, don't
deny people what they're able to get.

Why am I providing the alternative? Why aren't you doing it? You're clearly in a far better position to do that than I am. And what makes you think any form of housing would be useful? Most of the people we;re talking about wouldn't even use a shelter if we gave them one unless it was next to their drug supplier. They are junkies. Getting and using drugs is literally all they care about. Are you proposing that we set up junkie camps with free shelters, food, and medical care? Because that's what it's come down to, now. That, or watch them die in the streets. Or keep chasing them into every forgotten corner of our cities and town, to die there. Because that's what they are, now. They are junkies and they are going to die junkies. We can write them off, and watch them die, or we can try and take care of what is left of them.

Which of these do you propose? After all, it's your beloved capitalist system that has created most of them. And that will continue to view them as a useless waste of money, and let them die. Just as it is currently doing.

 

[Revoltingest]

Why am I providing the alternative?

It seemed that you opposed allowing the homeless
to live in substandard conditions, eg, trailers, tents,
boxes, shacks, tiny homes. Without an alternative,
your policy makes their plight even worse.
I advocate government's getting out of their way,
& cutting them some slack.

In an act of civil disobedience, I enable some
to live in unconventional ways, eg, in a car,
in a trailer (where not zoned for it). Sometimes,
what's right isn't what's legal.

 

[Revoltingest]

And on that point, I have some suspicion that the price of property and housing is inflated.

It is inflated, IMO.
The factors....
- Heavy government subsidy of home ownership,
eg, tax deductable interest & property taxes.
- Government lending subsidy, eg, Fannie Mae,
Freddie Mac, PMI.
- Institutionalized inflation makes home ownership
a hedge against inflation.
- Increased population leading to higher density
housing, which is spendier.
- Zoning laws requiring minimum square footage
above what's needed.
- Zoning laws banning tiny homes, RVs, & trailers.
- Restrictive covenants requiring spendy upgrades,
eg, type of driveway pavement.
- High transfer taxes upon sale/purchase.
- High building permit & inspection fees.
(A remodeling contractor I know says 25%
of a job's cost is due to this.)
- Zoning laws that limit dwelling unit occupancy,
- Housing codes that require more space than
necessary.
- Zoning laws that require more land for a home
than necessary.

 

[SalixIncendium]

Or do they?

They do not.

1 out of 3 applicant will even bother to show up for a scheduled interview. About 1/4 those that do interview and make it through the onboarding last 90 days. Most leave when they find out that to get a check, you actually have to show up for work and do your job.

This is the "entitlement generation."

 

[Shaul]

Employers actually pay more than half of all income taxes. Surprised? Here's how this is true. The total amount of income tax on employee earnings is divided in half. One half of the income taxes are deducted from the gross pay of the employee. So one half is paid by the employee. The other half is paid by the employer. The employer pays it but it is credited to the employee's tax liability. In other words half of all the income taxes of wage-based employees are paid by their employer. Add to this income taxes on corporate income, dividends paid, and other income taxes and it is clear that corporations pay more than half of all income taxes. They just don't get any recognition or credit for it.

 

[amorphous_constellation]

It is inflated, IMO.
The factors....
- Heavy government subsidy of home ownership,
eg, tax deductable interest & property taxes.
- Government lending subsidy, eg, Fannie Mae,
Freddie Mac, PMI.
- Institutionalized inflation makes home ownership
a hedge against inflation.
- Increased population leading to higher density
housing, which is spendier.
- Zoning laws requiring minimum square footage
above what's needed.
- Zoning laws banning tiny homes, RVs, & trailers.
- Restrictive covenants requiring spendy upgrades,
eg, type of driveway pavement.
- High transfer taxes upon sale/purchase.
- High building permit & inspection fees.
(A remodeling contractor I know says 25%
of a job's cost is due to this.)
- Zoning laws that limit dwelling unit occupancy,
- Housing codes that require more space than
necessary.
- Zoning laws that require more land for a home
than necessary.

Yup I have questions about all of that.

 

[Revoltingest]

Employers actually pay more than half of all income taxes. Surprised? Here's how this is true. The total amount of income tax on employee earnings is divided in half. One half of the income taxes are deducted from the gross pay of the employee. So one half is paid by the employee. The other half is paid by the employer. The employer pays it but it is credited to the employee's tax liability. In other words half of all the income taxes of wage-based employees are paid by their employer. Add to this income taxes on corporate income, dividends paid, and other income taxes and it is clear that corporations pay more than half of all income taxes. They just don't get any recognition or credit for it.

And for sole proprietors, we pay Self Employment tax
in addition to income tax, unemployment insurance,
real property tax, personal property tax, fed income
tax, state income tax, & city income tax (in some places).

 

[amorphous_constellation]

They do not.

1 out of 3 applicant will even bother to show up for a scheduled interview. About 1/4 those that do interview and make it through the onboarding last 90 days. Most leave when they find out that to get a check, you actually have to show up for work and do your job.

This is the "entitlement generation."

There's two sides to the story man. If you want to say that about the younger generation, you can, but as someone in my mid-thirties, I don't exactly have glowing reviews of the people 20 or 30 years older than me, than I've had to work with. Granted, I didn't start out as a good worker, but the way they treated me in the beginning of my working life was absolutely uncalled for.

I remember working for this guy as a painter, fresh from high school, and I swear he was just mean for no reason. Trash talking unions.. talking about how you should 'work your fingers to the bone' to make 15 an hour. Well now I'm in the kind of shape where I could work three times faster than him, but I don't think I'd yell at someone I was training. You know a lot of these people who do manual labor are drinkers, and they just they just let their mouth run

 

[SalixIncendium]

There's two sides to the story man. If you want to say that about the younger generation, you can, but as someone in my mid-thirties, I don't exactly have glowing reviews of the people 20 or 30 years older than me, than I've had to work with. Granted, I didn't start out as a good worker, but the way they treated me in the beginning of my working life was absolutely uncalled for

There is a clear distinction in work ethic between the generations you describe. I'm speaking from nearly 30 years of management experience.

 

[The Hammer]

They do not.

1 out of 3 applicant will even bother to show up for a scheduled interview. About 1/4 those that do interview and make it through the onboarding last 90 days. Most leave when they find out that to get a check, you actually have to show up for work and do your job.

This is the "entitlement generation."

Do you have a resource for your stats?

 

[SalixIncendium]

Do you have a resource for your stats?

A web resource? No. Purely based on my management experience over the last several years.

 

[The Hammer]

There is a clear distinction in work ethic between the generations you describe. I'm speaking from nearly 30 years of management experience.

Over 30 years, pay has stagnated and profits have increased exponentially. How enthusiastic do you expect applicants to be?

 

[The Hammer]

A web resource? No. Purely based on my management experience over the last several years.

Then you'll have to understand why I can't fully accept your opine then.

 

[SalixIncendium]

Over 30 years, pay has stagnated and profits have increased exponentially. How enthusiastic do you expect applicants to be?

As enthusiastic as I was when I took the well-paying position two years ago. I meant to leave management and just be a driver, but it was my experience and the employers need that sucked me back into management, albeit in a different field.

 

[SalixIncendium]

Then you'll have to understand why I can't fully accept your opine then.

I can, but as I explained in a subsequent post, I played on both ends of the field. I came on entry level and worked my way back up. I know the job because I did it and accepted the pay rate offered.

 

[The Hammer]

As enthusiastic as I was when I took the well-paying position two years ago. I meant to leave management and just be a driver, but it was my experience and the employers need that sucked me back into management, albeit in a different field.

My experience is skewed because of a decade of military service. But in that time I didn't notice a huge difference in work ethic between generations.

Now, attitudes were a bit ****tier in the newer gens, but I've always attributed that to aging.

 

[The Hammer]

I can, but as I explained in a subsequent post, I played on both ends of the field. I came on entry level and worked my way back up. I know the job because I did it and accepted the pay rate offered.

Unfortunately, the pay rates offered now (in most places) aren't worth their salt in cover living expenses. Let alone retention. Maybe 30 years ago, but not now.

For most U.S. workers, real wages have barely budged in decades

People are applying for dozens of jobs now, and turning up for interviews at only the jobs that pay the most, I would assume.