Firms still slashing jobs

MSNBC.com ^ | 9/5/03 | ASSOCIATED PRESS

[lelio]

This nation didn't get to the top by producing legions of ditch-diggers, nor will it stay on top if that's what we regress to.

Bumps to that.

[riri]

That could be done with a speaker phone. I have seen this all up close and it is not pretty

I bet we could share some good stories.

Flights on the Concorde, keeping cronies on the payroll as "consultants"-who never actually consult-as favors to see stock options come into profit, guys who make $400,000 a year demanding $5,000 expense reports be processed immediately.

Full blown insanity.

[1rudeboy]

Dean will get elected, and these same people will be posting wondering why, even though we are telling them why it could happen over a year in advance.

Actually, you've been telling us for decades.

[oceanview]

you can't get any honest wage data, because for it to be reflective of what is really going on, wage earners about $200K per year would have to be eliminated from the statistics. when 10 executives offshore 1000 people, and those 10 get huge bonuses while 1000 go to work at home depot, the ultra high wages of those 10 would have to be eliminated from the figures to really see the truth.

[skeeter]

"...so we must make it as unfree as possible."

LOL

[Orbiting_Rosie's_Head]

Belief in efficient markets is not "selling-out," even though it comes with the understanding that the market will choose winners and losers. Finally, belief that the government can do better at choosing winners than the market can is downright dangerous, and the fundamental basis of many failed economic experiments.

We don't have a free market. It is broken. What we do have doesn't work, or isn't working now. The market isn't choosing winners and losers. Morons in suits are. Why do you have so much faith in their ability to choose? Because they are rich? I've met plenty of stupid rich people. They are not all Hank Rearden, industrial Uberman. Many of them are dumber than the morons in government, if that's even possible.

[oceanview]

offshoring is now decimating the republican base, white collar private sector middle class people. when it was low skilled manufacturing jobs, the political impact wasn't there (they were Dems anyway). the tune has changed. there is a quiet, seething anger building out there amongst these people.

[1rudeboy]

Yes, those who claim any action taken to stem the flow of jobs abroad is tantamount to 'government intervention' have turned reality on it's head.

No policy proposals.
No recommendations.
No explanation what "action" would not require government intervention.

"It's for the children."

[Poohbah]

Having read your posts...

I can tell you that if this attitude of yours is the real you and not a persona you adopt on the 'Net, (a) it's easy to see why you're getting terminated, and (b) you're going to have one hell of a time getting another job.

[riri]

Many of them are dumber than the morons in government, if that's even possible

So, so true. These guys fly by the seat of their pants half the time. These same guys driving around in the Lexus, snapping their fingers at waiters are reduced to nervous wrecks before they have to make the conference call to tell investors they just can't make the projected numbers. Stuttering, stumpling. Most of them would sell their mother to not have to make those announcements.

[skeeter]

Post #23

Or do you approve of corporate welfare?

[1rudeboy]

I find it hard to imagine what would compel you to ask me that question.

[Orbiting_Rosie's_Head]

If you really know what you are talking about, go directly to the board of directors or chairman of the company (not whinning and carping) but with specfic details (the newspaper story of the matters (who, what, when, where, how, and why).

Ha! Ha! Ha! You're kidding right? How would that help, seeing that the Chairman of the Board, the board, and all the senior executive staff are all best buddies and all go sailing on the same boats and drink from the same bottle of wine at backyard barbecues? I'm not "whining and carping" and I don't even want my job back. I'll move on and be fine. I'm just calling them like I see them, and calling attention to the fact that you and 1rudeboy and the rest of the corporate apologists on the website have absolutely no idea what you are talking about. Stop being a coporate shill for a moment to reflect on the idea that "the market", as you call it, is being steered by a bunch of narcissistic egotistical Clintonoids with more money than sense.

[laurav]

Have you thought about trying to go into business for yourself? I definitely recommend it, especially if you have software/high tech skills that could be done on a consulting basis for all these companies that are now laying off their actual talent. The downside is paying your own benefits and a slightly higher marginal tax rate (to account for the employee and employer FICA contributions). The upside is your own hours, choice of projects, accruing all profits, massive tax breaks for expenses if you keep good records, and never having to listen to a pointy-haired boss again.
I became self-employed about a year ago, and have doubled my previous income at a corporate job. Especially if you have savings, I'd look into it.
Best of luck!

[1rudeboy]

The market isn't choosing winners and losers. Morons in suits are. Why do you have so much faith in their ability to choose?

Which leads to the question: did your job-loss come as a surprise, and if so, why?

[Orbiting_Rosie's_Head]

I can tell you that if this attitude of yours is the real you and not a persona you adopt on the 'Net, (a) it's easy to see why you're getting terminated, and (b) you're going to have one hell of a time getting another job.

You have no idea what you are talking about. Anyone who thinks they can divine the reason for a person's termination by reading posts isn't really worthy of a response. But since you elected to insult me, I can trully say that your's is the dumbest post in this thread by far.

[skeeter]

I find it hard to imagine what would compel you to ask me that question.

I'll try once more.

The government IS intervening in the form of OPIC and the IEB. It IS intervening by allowing business to import cheaper labor on special visas. Eliminating these would get us closer to the 'free market' you say we have now, wouldn't it?

When is government intervention OK & when is it not?

[skeeter]

I find it hard to imagine what would compel you to ask me that question.

I'll try once more.

The government IS intervening in the form of OPIC and the IEB. It IS intervening by allowing business to import cheaper labor on special visas. Eliminating these would get us closer to the 'free market' you say we have now, wouldn't it?

When is government intervention OK & when is it not?

[Orbiting_Rosie's_Head]

Which leads to the question: did your job-loss come as a surprise, and if so, why?

It was a big surprise to everyone but me. I base my foresight on watching the idiotic moves of management in the last 4 layoffs.

I provide programming support for many other engineers to enable them to collect data on systems under development. I'm the only person in the group who does what I do (and quite well, I might add), and there will be no replacement. It has started the others to think they are not far behind because without me, lab productivity will plummet since I'm the only one who knows how to program in the language used in the lab (I've got 9 years experience versus, no real experience among the others). Since I started 5 years ago, I've produced a mountain of source code that no one but me has even seen. Throughout all of the past layoffs, everyone always told me they wished they had my job, because it appeared the safest. Now they're all terrified because they know that since I've been let go, that likely means there is not any development work being planned. In fact, there are rumors that all future development work will be outsourced to China and India.