Choosing not to work?

[marty f]

I have a question that has baffled me for years, and with this recent oil price down fall it has come up again.

It has been said that many people would rather not work at all if they could not get the pay they wanted. I have actually seen this first hand, been told this when offering someone a job. "Id rather stay at home and do nothing then work for that" and Im talking a $20 hr starting job.

It blows my mind. But heres my question, how do these people live? how do they get by, how do they keep the lights on, pay the mortgage, put gas in their car, put food on the table? how ? how? I understand there is Gov assistants but is that system so fruitful one can turn down 20$ an hr

And its not just recently, Id have to say Ive seen this mentality for the last 15-20 yrs, I don't get it.

I have worked my entire life since I was 14, and even earlier on G dads farm. Id like to think Im a smart guy, not much boggles me. Im in aviation and we see ALOT of new tech all the time and I get it, but this whole living, getting by with out a job really does boggles me, Im dumbfounded by it, I cant wrap my mind around how you can "live" with out a job. Ive never had to use gov assistance so maybe I just don't understand how it works, how it can allow you to turn down good paying jobs.

Now Im not talking about retired peps, hell I hope to be retired or semi in 5 yrs, Im talking people in their 20s-30s. Maybe Im not seeing something

This really has bothered me for some time now, yrs and yrs, do you have an answer?

[Nickt87]

First, the country creates an enabling, attractive, and comfortable environment that allows a person to be unemployed for unrealistic reasons and for an unrealistic amount of time. Second, the lazy people(or people living in daddy's wallet) create a culture that views living in such a way as attractive, easy, or just flat out the right thing to do. CULTURE and GOVERNMENT have created a Monster.

China has an unemployment rate that seldom exceeds 3-4% but their minimum wage is 85% less than ours. Yes, their cost of living is less than ours but by only 40% or so. So they are working for 45% less on minimum wage(factoring in COL)as America and their unemployment is half of ours. Why is that? BC if you don't work in China the government won't subsidize your lazy butt for it. They work because they HAVE TO not because they want to.

[Ragin_Cajun]

It is either another source of revenue stream or the quality of life they have accepted to live.

Either way, the well does run dry eventually and at that time, they need to look themselves in the mirror.

I see the same in my industry. An individual will go out as a fire watch paired with a HSE professional and in two weeks, SHAZAM!!!! He knows it all! He wants to be a HSE professional. Apprentice programs seem to be a thing of the past and it is a shame that some of the younger generation have lost the work ethic this country was founded on. We have become an "instant gratification" culture in need of "immediate results".

The best education I have ever had was being tied at the hip of an elder working for 10.00 / day on the back of a boat and in a pipe yard.

Wish I had a solution!

["W"]

Originally Posted by marty f

I have a question that has baffled me for years, and with this recent oil price down fall it has come up again.

It has been said that many people would rather not work at all if they could not get the pay they wanted. I have actually seen this first hand, been told this when offering someone a job. "Id rather stay at home and do nothing then work for that" and Im talking a $20 hr starting job.

It blows my mind. But heres my question, how do these people live? how do they get by, how do they keep the lights on, pay the mortgage, put gas in their car, put food on the table? how ? how? I understand there is Gov assistants but is that system so fruitful one can turn down 20$ an hr

And its not just recently, Id have to say Ive seen this mentality for the last 15-20 yrs, I don't get it.

I have worked my entire life since I was 14, and even earlier on G dads farm. Id like to think Im a smart guy, not much boggles me. Im in aviation and we see ALOT of new tech all the time and I get it, but this whole living, getting by with out a job really does boggles me, Im dumbfounded by it, I cant wrap my mind around how you can "live" with out a job. Ive never had to use gov assistance so maybe I just don't understand how it works, how it can allow you to turn down good paying jobs.

Now Im not talking about retired peps, hell I hope to be retired or semi in 5 yrs, Im talking people in their 20s-30s. Maybe Im not seeing something

This really has bothered me for some time now, yrs and yrs, do you have an answer?

Because they might have enough money saved to survive 6 months and just wait for that job they want and depends what they know


I will use my self , I have several certifications that make me worth a certain amount of money on top of ton of schooling over the years .
My resume speaks for itself

For example if I lose my job today ; I would not jump on the 1st thing I found unless it paid same or more but would not take a 10%-30% pay cut
I would just do my guide service full time and wait for the right job

So it all depends on the person !

[marty f]

Originally Posted by "W"

Because they might have enough money saved to survive 6 months and just wait for that job they want and depends what they know


I will use my self , I have several certifications that make me worth a certain amount of money on top of ton of schooling over the years .
My resume speaks for itself

For example if I lose my job today ; I would not jump on the 1st thing I found unless it paid same or more but would not take a 10%-30% pay cut
I would just do my guide service full time and wait for the right job

So it all depends on the person !

Granted Ill give you there maybe the one or two. But in your case you have experience, training, knowledge. Im the same as you, I have experience, training, knowledge, I have the savings, external income, I can wait out a 20$hr job but it took me 28 yrs to get here. Im talking entry level jobs, new license holders, apprentices, 20 yr olds. Now that being said NOT all 20 yr old are like this, just seems to be the majority of the ones that have applied and I offer a job to want TOP pay right out of the box, I don't get how they think they are entitled to top pay, and if they cant have it they would rather stay at home.

Like I said maybe Im missing something, thus my question.

["W"]

Originally Posted by marty f

Granted Ill give you there maybe the one or two. But in your case you have experience, training, knowledge. Im the same as you, I have experience, training, knowledge, I have the savings, external income, I can wait out a 20$hr job but it took me 28 yrs to get here. Im talking entry level jobs, new license holders, apprentices, 20 yr olds. Now that being said NOT all 20 yr old are like this, just seems to be the majority of the ones that have applied and I offer a job to want TOP pay right out of the box, I don't get how they think they are entitled to top pay, and if they cant have it they would rather stay at home.

Like I said maybe Im missing something, thus my question.

Probably still live with mom and dad
Same ones that get a job offshore and get 1st paycheck then go but a 60k truck with tires to look cool but have NO house

[marty f]

Originally Posted by "W"

Probably still live with mom and dad

Maybe that's it, I was out of the house at 17, never looked back. We have 4 kids, two are in college left home at 17-18, wont be back, both are already lined up for jobs (lawyer, veterinarian) the high schooler is lined up for college and my middle school son is already talking college.

Guess that's what Im drawing from.......never understood the freeloader concept. Now that I think about it I think I read an article that children are living at home with mom and dad longer

[Speck Attack]

Originally Posted by Nickt87

First, the country creates an enabling, attractive, and comfortable environment that allows a person to be unemployed for unrealistic reasons and for an unrealistic amount of time. Second, the lazy people(or people living in daddy's wallet) create a culture that views living in such a way as attractive, easy, or just flat out the right thing to do. CULTURE and GOVERNMENT have created a Monster.

China has an unemployment rate that seldom exceeds 3-4% but their minimum wage is 85% less than ours. Yes, their cost of living is less than ours but by only 40% or so. So they are working for 45% less on minimum wage(factoring in COL)as America and their unemployment is half of ours. Why is that? BC if you don't work in China the government won't subsidize your lazy butt for it. They work because they HAVE TO not because they want to.

right on the money...stop the cycle.

[Mako19]

This same issue does not make sense to me either.
I know several people who I was friends with in high school and while I was in college who are ~30 years old, live with mom and dad, have not worked in 6+ years, but won't take a job that they feel is "beneath" them.

How can a job be beneath you when you haven't worked in 5 years!
I blame it all on the parents that allow their children to stay living at home without working. I would bet that if the parents kicked their lazy kid to the curb then they would get a job. Well, either get a job or start stealing and end up in jail.

[swamp snorkler]

Originally Posted by marty f

I have a question that has baffled me for years, and with this recent oil price down fall it has come up again.

It has been said that many people would rather not work at all if they could not get the pay they wanted. I have actually seen this first hand, been told this when offering someone a job. "Id rather stay at home and do nothing then work for that" and Im talking a $20 hr starting job.

It blows my mind. But heres my question, how do these people live? how do they get by, how do they keep the lights on, pay the mortgage, put gas in their car, put food on the table? how ? how? I understand there is Gov assistants but is that system so fruitful one can turn down 20$ an hr

And its not just recently, Id have to say Ive seen this mentality for the last 15-20 yrs, I don't get it.

I have worked my entire life since I was 14, and even earlier on G dads farm. Id like to think Im a smart guy, not much boggles me. Im in aviation and we see ALOT of new tech all the time and I get it, but this whole living, getting by with out a job really does boggles me, Im dumbfounded by it, I cant wrap my mind around how you can "live" with out a job. Ive never had to use gov assistance so maybe I just don't understand how it works, how it can allow you to turn down good paying jobs.

Now Im not talking about retired peps, hell I hope to be retired or semi in 5 yrs, Im talking people in their 20s-30s. Maybe Im not seeing something

This really has bothered me for some time now, yrs and yrs, do you have an answer?

I know this chic who is shacked up with a business owner (metal building contractor).

He bought a house, rents it out to girlfriend for section 8 (government funded housing) and lives with her, I believe a 3 BR section 8 is about $1100 a month. The mom also get food stamp benefits and her kids, all 3 of them, go to private school on the voucher program. The kids are also on Medicade.

["W"]

Originally Posted by Mako19

This same issue does not make sense to me either.
I know several people who I was friends with in high school and while I was in college who are ~30 years old, live with mom and dad, have not worked in 6+ years, but won't take a job that they feel is "beneath" them.

How can a job be beneath you when you haven't worked in 5 years!
I blame it all on the parents that allow their children to stay living at home without working. I would bet that if the parents kicked their lazy kid to the curb then they would get a job. Well, either get a job or start stealing and end up in jail.

I agree with that

I see this all the time on our production platforms , guys with 2-3 years learn a little bit and want top pay

Had a guy the other day with 2 years experience and was threaten to leave unless they paid him $23 hr dude was a C op

Some kids lo

[duckman1911]

Lazyness and a lack of pride. A lack of pride in young men. Too many young guys are nothing more than a watered down pansy azz version of what a man should be. I started my family when I was young. It wasn't always easy and it wasn't glamorous but I paid for it all from my own wallet. I worked my azz of feveryday to make it work. Too many youngsters are still sucking on mommas titty and are used to life being served to them on a platter.

[Speck Attack]

Originally Posted by swamp snorkler

I know this chic who is shacked up with a business owner (metal building contractor).

He bought a house, rents it out to girlfriend for section 8 (government funded housing) and lives with her, I believe a 3 BR section 8 is about $1100 a month. The mom also get food stamp benefits and her kids, all 3 of them, go to private school on the voucher program. The kids are also on Medicade.

that is never ending problem...to many people work the system for what is was not design for....Get a job...Never ending cycle...

[marty f]

Originally Posted by duckman1911

Lazyness and a lack of pride. A lack of pride in young men. Too many young guys are nothing more than a watered down pansy azz version of what a man should be. I started my family when I was young. It wasn't always easy and it wasn't glamorous but I paid for it all from my own wallet. I worked my azz of feveryday to make it work. Too many youngsters are still sucking on mommas titty and are used to life being served to them on a platter.

BINGO! these are my thought!!

Originally Posted by Speck Attack

that is never ending problem...to many people work the system for what is was not design for....Get a job...Never ending cycle...

that's what Im getting at, I have jobs for people good jobs, but $20 hr isn't good enough?

[C-Bass2mouth]

As a younger guy (24), I can say I see this a lot in my peers. Now I don't have kids, and have no business telling anyone how to raise their own. But I just can't help but blame the parents for the most part. I've had a job since I was 12 or so. Or at least a summer job. My first job was with an uncle that's a watermelon farmer, got 20 bucks a day, just as much as Jose and Miguel were making beside me. And this was from strict instructions from my dad to my uncle. When school was out for the summer, most of my friends got to sleep all day and play playstation and what not, while I had to be up early and in bed early to work the next day. Most of my friends kinda thought my parents were d**ks for this, but I was used to it and didn't think anything of it. Looking back now, some of those same friends are the ones that you speak of. They were never taught any sort of work ethic, so how can you expect them to just all of the sudden after high school to just be a jam up hand, or student. Now I know plenty of other kids that never worked a day in their lives, and went to college and are now great employees. But these kids parents pushed them to succeed in school, sports, or something at least. Even though they didn't have to work an actual job to make money, at least they were working at something. Here's an example: I was fortunate enough to have my parents buy me an older trailer to stay in while I was in college. Well 2 years ago I graduated, and my parents needed to sell that trailer. So with no place of my own I quit my job bartending and waiting tables, and moved back home temporarily to do the whole job hunt thing. But I needed a paycheck for the time being and "plant experience" to help out on scoring a job with my degree. So a buddy of mine hooked me up with a contractor at a paper mill just down the road from my parents place. I was making 11 dollars/hr packing a weedeater for 10 hrs a day in mid-summer. With 6 years of college behind me. Well I made a few checks and was having to take off occasionally for interviews and all that jazz. Long story short, our site manager heard about me and made an available office position for me to fill temporarily. It's been less than 2 years and I've been through 3 different job titles with this same company, and I'm now making $17/hr more than my hire in date. If my boss would have not spotted my work ethic and humbleness, would I still be swinging that weedeater? God I would hope not, but if it was between that and not working at all, you bet your a** I'd be getting a check every week. And I have no one else to thank for that but my parents. Now I'm in the position I can help people get hired on fairly easy. It's crazy how many of my old friends that stayed back home that haven't worked in forever, will turn down jobs. Guess what these same kids were doing every summer... Be a parent, not their friend.

[eman]

Back in the last oil crash I saw guys that i thought had some sense,lose everything they (and the bank) owned. To proud ( or stupid) To take a $10 -$12 hr job to try to stay afloat till things recovered.

[simplepeddler]

false sense of reality..........just listen to our president right now.....no clue.......smart as a whip......but he has no clue....know all the buzzwords......but no clue how to apply them.

We live in a culture that accepts mediocrity....everyone gets a trophy.

I consider myself successful, and I can sit here and tell my story much the same as the ones above.

But instead I will tell of my 18 year old son.
He drives a 11 year old vehicle that has been paid for for 8. He didn't like it at first and many MANY nights I felt guilty for not going out and buying him something new, because frankly, I can.........but I know in my heart he has to learn to provide for himself.

He has over a 4.0.......works 35 hours a week, volunteers at church and will be entering college with 26 hours of credit.

He just received a raise, and while it's not "independence" money, it's well above minimum wage. He expects more out of himself, because I expect more out of him, because my dad DAMN well expected more out of me.

We have a leader that wants to have parents "pay" for their kids insurance until they are 26 years old.

Hell my son pays 1800 a year for his own insurance.........

We simply cannot seperate the real need from the lazy pititful bastards.

No excuse was good enough for my dad......none......nada.......Stayed up to late drinking? Tough ****.....puke while you work.........blisters from yesterday's 12 hours? Too bad *****, get out there and work.......want more pay? Show them why you DESERVE it........

When I bagged groceries in high school, there was no other two bag boys that were going to out do me.........I have NEVER asked for a raise in life. And I have never accepted a handout from the government.

But I can tell you this, if my family needed me, I would flip hamburgers in a heartbeat so my children could SEE ME WORKING and not sitting on my *** filled with a false sense of pride.

[mriguy]

Originally Posted by simplepeddler

false sense of reality..........just listen to our president right now.....no clue.......smart as a whip......but he has no clue....know all the buzzwords......but no clue how to apply them.

We live in a culture that accepts mediocrity....everyone gets a trophy.

I consider myself successful, and I can sit here and tell my story much the same as the ones above.

But instead I will tell of my 18 year old son.
He drives a 11 year old vehicle that has been paid for for 8. He didn't like it at first and many MANY nights I felt guilty for not going out and buying him something new, because frankly, I can.........but I know in my heart he has to learn to provide for himself.

He has over a 4.0.......works 35 hours a week, volunteers at church and will be entering college with 26 hours of credit.

He just received a raise, and while it's not "independence" money, it's well above minimum wage. He expects more out of himself, because I expect more out of him, because my dad DAMN well expected more out of me.

We have a leader that wants to have parents "pay" for their kids insurance until they are 26 years old.

Hell my son pays 1800 a year for his own insurance.........

We simply cannot seperate the real need from the lazy pititful bastards.

No excuse was good enough for my dad......none......nada.......Stayed up to late drinking? Tough ****.....puke while you work.........blisters from yesterday's 12 hours? Too bad *****, get out there and work.......want more pay? Show them why you DESERVE it........

When I bagged groceries in high school, there was no other two bag boys that were going to out do me.........I have NEVER asked for a raise in life. And I have never accepted a handout from the government.

But I can tell you this, if my family needed me, I would flip hamburgers in a heartbeat so my children could SEE ME WORKING and not sitting on my *** filled with a false sense of pride.

Great post!

[Ilovestohunt]

Originally Posted by swamp snorkler

I know this chic who is shacked up with a business owner (metal building contractor).

He bought a house, rents it out to girlfriend for section 8 (government funded housing) and lives with her, I believe a 3 BR section 8 is about $1100 a month. The mom also get food stamp benefits and her kids, all 3 of them, go to private school on the voucher program. The kids are also on Medicade.

There's a giant racket that our government has built since maybe the 60's. LBJ probably. Too much to comment on here and I'm no genius hell I sell heavy equipment and don't get paid if I don't perform. I have heard that the state has finally made it illegal to use food stamps ( I guess we have to say EBT card or something so we don't offend people who have them). Anyway it's now illegal for tattoo parlers to accept them. Guess that explains all the ink I see at Walmart etc.. Nothing against tattoos but I think you get my point. It's so far gone I'm not sure we can ever get this country back but we can hope and pray!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[fishinpox]

another problem i find is all the plant work in louisiana overpays general labor , they spend more time hiding in the plant trying to pretend to be busy than they do working for the 20-25/ hr. then they lose the job and end up coming to our jobsites demanding 20/hr and cant even read a tape. sorry bro so people were just ment to be ditch diggers and the wages for digging a ditch isnt 20/ hr. i have saved and saved and saved so if the bottom falls out i can survive BUT if i needed to id go flu burgers at mcdonalds for 8$/hr if i had to no problem ...better than earning nothing