Angry cries of America's 'outsourced' middle class

The Arizona Republic ^ | 03.09.04 | E.J. Montini

[Beck_isright]

Among those who apparently didn't listen to the 43-year-old unemployed woman whose recorded message was posted online last week by The Republic were Arizona's Jon Kyl and John McCain, along with 24 of their Senate colleagues, all of them collecting fat government paychecks.

[FreeReign]

LOL! I'll stop in at WalMart and tell them hi.

The KMart in my area just shut down laying off a bunch of people. The Tech company that I work for will have hired 400 people by the end of 2004.

Go figure.

[oceanview]

good post. increasingly, the middle class is going to be made up of government workers.

and you are correct about the "education bubble". its already starting with engineering, enrollment is down and its going lower, market forces are steering people away from it. i guess we'll have to make do with even more lawyers. at some point, americans who only have to look forward to working in the service industry will find they don't really need much college, especially 4 year degrees and anything in the sciences.

[KC_Conspirator]

What US job isn't "obsolete by the wages they command"?

Its simply companies cheating the laws of supply and demand. Because these "American" companies believe they can go outside the friendly confines the market they enjoy - tax breaks, a business safe environment, government contracts, the world superpower, and just to get cheap labor, not have to pay benefits, etc.

Illegal immigration is the same thing. Employers claim that "no one will take the jobs" because of the low pay. Market laws would say that in order to meet the demand employers would have to raise the wages in order to meet the demand. But no, they are going outside laws of the market and getting illegals to do the work.

Now of course, the US loses millions of dollars circulating through its ecnomy in the process. But Bush and the GOP are running like 1932 Republicans.

[Texasforever]

Good thing Walmart ONLY sells cheap products made by slave labor...it gives us poor folk someplace to buy the cat food we eat.

I like Meow Mix myself.

[Jorge]

Doubling up in housing is a fairly cost effective approach...mortgage and heating stay the same, savings can go for food etc increased water bills etc.

What's cost effective about taking in people with NO INCOMES?

You're still paying the entire mortgage, the heating bill but the hot water and electric will go up with more people using them as will the food bills, with the extra person contributing nothing.

Remember we were talking about people who have supposedly given up on looking for work and no longer collecting unemployment?

I wouldn't be surprised if that figure is accurate, whether it's moving back with mom'n dad or taking extra roommates.

8.2 million people? Right.

Maybe I'll give up working or even looking for a job and just take in "extra" roomates to pay my bills for me. LOL

[technochick99]

I didn't think you were whining at all. There are some FReepers who act like jerks here. Is it due to the anonymous nature of discussion boards? Is it their real self coming out?

Who knows, and who really cares? As my mother says, just be thankful you don't have to live with them.

Best of luck to you in your new search and your triumph over your health issues!

[Ches]

Yeah, I'm a rock n' roll star.

[CWOJackson]

I'll have to give that a try. I bought some cat foot that looked like granola a while back but neither the wife or I could stand it.

Once she read the box she got all kinds of angry and said I'd never do the grocery shopping again without my glasses. Something about litter...litter brand? Anyway, that pretty much sealed it for her...Bush isn't going to get her vote and I'm stuck finishing off this big box of cat granola.

[rdb3]

Yes, there ARE some class warfare posts on this thread.

Go to any economic thread and you'll find that they are choc-full of class warfare rhetoric.

Show 'em my motto!

[oceanview]

It's their own CHILDREN we are talking about here for god's sake. why are you doing an economic analysis on it, they are not taking in people off the street.

[clamper1797]

BTW for all who ask ...

I blew away the interviewers on my last 3 interviews. The technical guy said he "loved me" (his exact words) and would hire me on the spot if he could ... that was 5 weeks ago at Sun Micro ... no word. The HR rep called me last Weds from the next interview and said all that interviewers were all very impressed and excited including the VP of engineering who grilled me for 1 1/2 hours and that they were going to make me an offer and I would have it by last friday ... as of today ...no word. Texas Instruments called me today about my interview in Dallas ... said that I'm over qualified ... that's how it's been going

[Texasforever]

Ya know, I don't really believe in Karma but it is really ironic that the ones screaming the loudest about outsourcing are responsible for the automation of millions upon millions of manufacturing, clerical and administrative jobs over the last 30 years. Those jobs they didn't automate away they made it possible for a buck an hour Mexican to watch a computer aided spot welding machine as well as a 50 buck an hour UAW worker in Detroit. All of the IT workers made more real jobs disappear than all Presidents since JFK.

[Ches]

"it gives us poor folk someplace to buy the cat food we eat."

LOL! Does cat food go good with your Columbian for the Sunday morning drug threads?

Is that you Juan?

[txdoda]

Why hire a highly skilled American Engineer, (Accountant, Technican, etc.) when you can hire an Indian (Pakistani, Chineese) with the same basic training at much less cost. >>>>>>>

Yes, & let's not forget that mexico now has NO limit on the "NAFTA Visas" (for professionals), that were previously 'capped' at 5500 per year..

[templar]

does it include taxes and housing costs (inflation in the price of acquiring a home)? are they still excluding food and energy, because no one eats or uses gasoline?

Allegedly. Interestingly, the Bureau of Labor Statistics denies that the CPI is a measure of inflation terms of being a cost of lining index (which makes it kinda meaningless). Their FAQ page is one of the best examples of government obfuscation and double talk that I've seen: It seems to say everything in detail but completely leaves one wondering what it means..

[oceanview]

and its effective because of stuff like this:

CHICAGO (Reuters) - Bonuses totaling more than $10 million were paid out to five Kraft Foods Inc. executives at the end of 2003, even as the giant food maker made plans to lay off thousands of workers.

[clamper1797]

There are some FReepers who act like jerks here

It's my honest opinion that alot of the are NOT acting

[Texasforever]

Yeah, I'm a rock n' roll star.

Then I am sure you are well acquainted with unemployment.

[Will_Zurmacht]

Speaking of Wally World, I had to end my nearly year long boycott of the big W. It's pure economics, but it's really sad. I prefer buying local, but heck, I don't make enough to subsidise Mom & Pop. Place makes me sick, but I went in and got my stuff I needed and got out....actually felt dirty...hehe.

And yes, dang near everything I got was made in China/Indonesia. But it was 5-15% less, and all in one store.

I'll still shop my local grocery for food, but I have to admit I was amazed by the selection and prices here at the SupaSize-King Size-Mega-BigFriggin-WalMart. Their meat department is about the size of our Mom & Pop grocery. And there were at least 50 kinds of salsa, tamales, and Mexican foods I never even heard of. Most of the food is Mexican/Latin American/Canadian while everything else is China/Indonesia/Some Island somewhere.

[FreeReign]

and you are correct about the "education bubble". its already starting with engineering, enrollment is down and its going lower, market forces are steering people away from it. i guess we'll have to make do with even more lawyers. at some point, americans who only have to look forward to working in the service industry will find they don't really need much college, especially 4 year degrees and anything in the sciences.

The company I'm with can't find enough S/W engineers. We're in the process of hiring 400 over two years.

BTW, I don't live offshore.