Another Commencement Address

They got us all at each other's throats, just like Ayers planned.

Funny, back in the 80's everything was booming under Reagan. I worked on a production painting crew in the West Palm area. We went in and got new condo developments painted. The guy I worked for was a good 'ole boy, man he knew how to make money.

A couple sayings of his I'll never forget: " If it breathes, I'll hire it." " If it don't work out, I'll give a day's wages and we'll part company as friends."

We would go in to start a whole development, the roads were still Florida sand. I recall the condos when we started were going for $35,000 for a 2 bedroom.
By the time we left they were going for $75,000.

Fast forward to Clinton doing nothing about the 93 WTC bombing, the USS Cole, Bin Laden being handed to him on a silver platter, to busy with *censored* interns I guess etc. Even Clinton is bashing the Community Organizer!!!!

Fast forward years later when the DEMOCRATS forced banks to lend to the sea of deadbeats that couldn't afford to pay their mortgages which caused the housing collapse.

If you're a third world minority, I can understand your support for the big government socialist nanny state ideology that is bringing us down like Europe.
But if you're a white liberal my humble opinion is that you define hypocracy.
A bunch of white liberals on a COAL CLUB forum agreeing with the destruction of the coal industry, while their coal stoves keep them warm.

Liberals that support the potus plan to disarm us ( wants to reduce our nukes by 80%, etc.) while ignoring The massive Chinese buildup of their navy and military.
Iran, Putin, all our ENEMIES LOVE you libs that's for sure!
Putin is dusting off a couple cold war warships to send to Syria, he's sending attack helos there, and the boring in cheif goes on and on in MEXICO about how he thinks the Russians don't support Assad!!!

It's your funeral too libs! When Chinese UN troops parachute into your backyards you all will probably welcome them with Koolaid and cookies!

Hey libs! I heard Obama laugh in our faces about the bs "Shovel ready jobs!!" I went out and got some shovel work from a private citizen last week!!

PS: Gallup's three day rolling average shows ONLY a 45% Obama approval.

xaos wrote:

jpete wrote:History might not lie but people do.

Your OPINION is that life is better under one party or another. That's not necessarily so.

Well, that would be your opinion ..
My opinion has history to back it up.

Who's life?

My life sucked when Clinton was in office. And that rat bastard is still making my life miserable. Thanks to NAFTA, I get to be out of a great job that I wanted to do for the rest of my life.

Figures lie and liars figure.

If you think there is ANY difference between R's and D's, then you are too partisan.

Your wealth is being stolen from you daily, but if a D does it, you tell him how happy you are.

NAFTA was already a done deal when Clinton willingly signed it, already negotiated by the 3 country presidents & passed by both houses. Jpete, maybe your co-workers should have worked harder & taken pay cuts, your always quick to blame unions but you also have to blame the signers of those union contracts as well as look in the mirror. Just like most downturns, it ain't too bad until it happens to you.
Even now in a major recession you don't see too many empty seats at football or hockey games, baseball signed their own fate. If I remember right you were all for allowing the auto industry & banks to collapse but if your Co. heads South it's not the same.

samhill wrote:NAFTA was already a done deal when Clinton willingly signed it, already negotiated by the 3 country presidents & passed by both houses. Jpete, maybe your co-workers should have worked harder & taken pay cuts, your always quick to blame unions but you also have to blame the signers of those union contracts as well as look in the mirror. Just like most downturns, it ain't too bad until it happens to you.
Even now in a major recession you don't see too many empty seats at football or hockey games, baseball signed their own fate. If I remember right you were all for allowing the auto industry & banks to collapse but if your Co. heads South it's not the same.

Would it matter that in the 10 years I was there, we gave up time off, any raises for 4 years and my health insurance copay was increased over 400%?

And I'm fully aware that Reagan proposed NAFTA, Bush promoted it, but Clinton signed it.

I'm a big fan of blaming people(or giving credit) for the things they DO.

Clinton signed it. He owns it.

And I'm not sure how a policy of allowing companies to import products tax free is the same as allowing bad investments to continue doing damage. Are you a fan of throwing good money after bad?

Maybe you really like "corporate welfare"? Isn't it you always railing about corporations not paying taxes?

Let's face it Sam, If Bush had sign NAFTA, you'd bad mouth it and him 'til the cows came home but because it was Clinton, you have no problem.

Excuse me there Jpete, where did I say that I liked or agreed with NAFTA? Just pointing out the facts is all. Gave up time off, what's that? Froze wages for 4 years, big deal. Copay has done nothing but gone up for many. I did know about your being a big fan of blaming people, can't recall much credit given but I'll give you a bit on that. What about that guy that stares back it that silvered glass?

Partisan politics aside, my own bias aside, and with deference to Samhill; we're being sold out faster than we can post. Again, China has a workforce of 800,000,000! Some will work for three bowls of cabbage soup a day.

Your so right Dann, & those in the oil rich countries are still living in tents, every place in the world has stood still while America marched forward. Well time to put my coolie hat back on & get back to the garage if only I were a rich con I could hire an illegal to do some work.

samhill wrote:Excuse me there Jpete, where did I say that I liked or agreed with NAFTA? Just pointing out the facts is all. Gave up time off, what's that? Froze wages for 4 years, big deal. Copay has done nothing but gone up for many. I did know about your being a big fan of blaming people, can't recall much credit given but I'll give you a bit on that. What about that guy that stares back it that silvered glass?

Didn't say you like NAFTA, but your attempt to deflect credit(or blame) where it's due is laughable. Clinton signed it. No need to qualify it.

I'll blame my union for doing stupid union things like filing needless grievances, but we made plenty of concessions that the company said it needed.

According to management, our division was always profitable, often making up for deficits in other divisions.

As far as what I do, I'm more than comfortable looking in the mirror. If I'm getting paid to do a job, I do it to the best of my ability. If I don't think I'm living up to my end of the bargain, I find someplace else to work.

Jpete, why haven't you mentioned the difference between you past employer going under & allowing the banks & auto to go under? I had no idea you were union, if you had time off (still haven't explained that) but it sounds like you liked it, then you must of had one of those good strong contracts. Did you do Gov. work?

samhill wrote:Jpete, why haven't you mentioned the difference between you past employer going under & allowing the banks & auto to go under? I had no idea you were union, if you had time off (still haven't explained that) but it sounds like you liked it, then you must of had one of those good strong contracts. Did you do Gov. work?

You don't know what time off is?

Sick time, personal time, vacations? We had a certain amount, and we agreed to take a cut in the amount of paid time off we could take.

I didn't personally do government work thought there is a division of the company that did do some defense contracting.

I made stuff mainly for the oil and gas industry. Pumps and seals for refineries.

The company didn't go out of business, just closed the plant I worked in and moved most of the machines to Mexico City.

Part of it was to break the union, because unions do the stupid stuff we all hate unions for but it was partly due to pure financial reasons.

The company said straight out, "Why would we pay you $26/hr for something we can pay $10 for?"

The availability of cheap labor, and no tax to ship it back into the country, even though the lead times went from days to weeks and the quality went in the toilet, it was still worth it to them to spend the money and make the move.

As far as the auto bailouts go, why should any company be insulated from their bad decisions? And at the expense of the taxpayers? Aren't you the one ranting about "Big Business" and "greedy CEO's"?

Who benefited more from the bailout? The CEO or the average line worker?

The average line worker Jpete, the CEOs would have just left with a golden parachute & gone on to screw up another Co., at least some average workers got to keep earning a living for their families & that's not counting all the support business that kept afloat.
I was union & the only thing we had was vacations, never had sick or personal time, no wonder they moved.

samhill wrote:The average line worker Jpete, the CEOs would have just left with a golden parachute & gone on to screw up another Co., at least some average workers got to keep earning a living for their families & that's not counting all the support business that kept afloat.
I was union & the only thing we had was vacations, never had sick or personal time, no wonder they moved.

After screwing the shareholders and bondholders and the taxpayers royally for much more than the company is worth, the problems still exists for GM and it will go bankrupt anyway.

Basically they keep the same management theory & blame the union & workers if it fails again. My B-in-L used to instruct & certify for ISSO & he always said that it was the upper management that he had the problems with. It seems like the small & mid. companies do pretty good with it but not the big boys.

samhill wrote:Basically they keep the same management theory & blame the union & workers if it fails again.

If you have to pay the workers $10 more per hour than other car companies, who would you blame?

Pensions and healthcare are still not properly funded.

Nobody but the top management gave the unions the contracts & along with it their own bonuses, they could have easily said no. In the early years unions could shut a company down for the most part but that was many decades ago, for a long time now only one plant of one of the big three could be picketed & the company choose what plant. Just like with the Gov. when everything is going well they could care less, just pass the costs on & the dumb loyal consumer would pay.