Big cities are dying. This should shock you.

[Steppenwolfe]

There’s nothing you can do to help people who don’t want to help themselves. Money or lack there of isn’t the problem.

I think people are just giving up on living. For what ever reasons many now just don't appreciate the gift of life.

 

[Industrial Toys]

I think it's more a gift of experience and learning.

Regardless, life has sure become complicated. So much is beyond our control, that controls our lives. The old rules about clean living and working hard just isn't enough any more to ensure at least a small measure of success.

 

[aczlan]

I think it's more a gift of experience and learning.

Regardless, life has sure become complicated. So much is beyond our control, that controls our lives. The old rules about clean living and working hard just isn't enough any more to ensure at least a small measure of success.

I would disagree to a certain extent. Someone who's willing to work hard, be teachable, show up to work on time and who can pass a drug test will have employment in this economy.
If they learn quickly, they are also likely to be promoted by their boss and or headhunted by others.
Yes they may have to get their hands dirty, but I see more than a few industries that are screaming for people who are willing to work and act like they're interested in working vs acting like their employer should feel privileged to have them as an employee.

Aaron Z

 

[Industrial Toys]

There is virtually no more ascending from the lower ranks, from my observations. I have had customers a long time, and seen very good employees set up for dismissal, in very ugly ways, because these individuals are making too much money for their position and they won't be promoted to management.

You used to be able to be a moderately sucessfull blue collar employee, have the wife stay home, and afford a modest home, two cars and a cottage. You tell me, that's even remotely possible anymore.

Also, I believe, companies don't want great employees. They want ones that are just good enough that can be readily replaced by others, just good enough. And these employees are going nowhere in the company. They might even be salaried, made into some "manager" at less pay and longer hours than what they were making if they are dumb enough.

 

[ultrarunner]

Most of the smaller towns around here are parasites. They use annexation to get the Walmart then the Highschool so they can tax the workers but little outlay on the towns part. This is because they are going broke spending more than they take in.
I am a firm believer in the build it and they will come philosophy when it involves the homeless. The more infrastructure ya put up the more will come.
In days past the Salvation Army and the local churches would tend to what homeless there were. Now its a business to run a nonprofit homeless shelter and dont forget about all the new agencies we now have to handle what for a lot of people is a lifestyle not a hardship.

Interviewing Homeless Under the bridges and when asked why not a shelter the most common reply is too many rules...

 

[lilranch2001]

There is virtually no more ascending from the lower ranks, from my observations. I have had customers a long time, and seen very good employees set up for dismissal, in very ugly ways, because these individuals are making too much money for their position and they won't be promoted to management.

You used to be able to be a moderately sucessfull blue collar employee, have the wife stay home, and afford a modest home, two cars and a cottage. You tell me, that's even remotely possible anymore.

Also, I believe, companies don't want great employees. They want ones that are just good enough that can be readily replaced by others, just good enough. And these employees are going nowhere in the company. They might even be salaried, made into some "manager" at less pay and longer hours than what they were making if they are dumb enough.

I disagree, I just retired from a company that promotes from within, almost all management promotions within my 2 local manufacturing facilities in the past 20 years were promoted from within.

 

[ultrarunner]

There is virtually no more ascending from the lower ranks, from my observations. I have had customers a long time, and seen very good employees set up for dismissal, in very ugly ways, because these individuals are making too much money for their position and they won't be promoted to management.

You used to be able to be a moderately sucessfull blue collar employee, have the wife stay home, and afford a modest home, two cars and a cottage. You tell me, that's even remotely possible anymore.

Also, I believe, companies don't want great employees. They want ones that are just good enough that can be readily replaced by others, just good enough. And these employees are going nowhere in the company. They might even be salaried, made into some "manager" at less pay and longer hours than what they were making if they are dumb enough.

Lots of truth to this... especially with large organizations.

Went through this when my small community hospital became part of a large Health Care System... aside from classifications like Doctor and RN many, including myself did not fit into any of the HR slots because we had overlapping responsibilities...

Part of the On-Boarding was to write your current job description... mine was accurate and detailed... it was reduced to two sentences... when I mentioned that I do so much more along with degrees and certifications I was told the job description would be impossible to fill... Hiring, Biomed, Patient Care, Facilities, Engineering, Fabrication/Installation, Leasing/Property Management, Contract Administration, Company Historian, Security, Hazmat and Parking Lot Sweeper...

That said, my income has gone up and time on the job reduced since becoming hourly after 25 years as Salary... so much so Corporate has offered to create a special Salaried position which means I have come full circle again.

While it does come with some satisfaction, I have decided to pass because I have discovered what it is like not to be there 7 days a week and salary would put me right back into the 24/7 cycle.

Here is a recent commentary on SF

Survey of Downtown San Francisco Reveals Trash on Every Block, 33 Piles of Feces and 1 Drug Needles - NBC Bay Area

 

[Industrial Toys]

Don't you think that is the exception these days?

And then there are those family run businesses. You will never go anywhere there either. I know of one, where there was a manager working for them for decades. Because of restructuring, he found himself back on the factory floor at the controls of a production machine. He just quit!

I was just watching a documentary on Seattle. I had to turn it off. I saw enough. I will say it again. There must be those in power that wish to destroy America as we know it. There can't possibly be any other answer.

 

[lilranch2001]

I think you are painting with a very wide brush (or 18" roller), maybe in your experience it is true, but I do not think it is as bad as you portray it.

 

[ultrarunner]

I don't know... what I have learned is corporations move very slow and there is a policy and procedure for just about everything which sometimes overlooks the very reason the firm exists...

That said, keeping your head down and showing up on time can go a long way when it comes to longevity... even if it doesn't serve the mission... in other words there are a hundred reasons to say NO and play it safe...

It can be small things... like postage due on a medical device that is critical... unless you are the shipping and receiving clerk paying postage due isn't your problem... or refusing to accept deliveries because it is break time but the order is critically needed for patient care...

I do think we as a society have taken a more play it safe strategy instead of focusing on the task at hand which also applies to how cities cope with homeless and trash... must be politically correct first and foremost...

For nearly two years the gym at the local middle school was closed because the roof leaked and the district said it did not have the funds to repair it... so it was empty with maintenance replacing tarps periodically... it became very much an issue for the PTA president who happened to be a builder...

District was closed for Thanksgiving and on Black Friday the PTA president with his licensed roofer and contractor friends and other parents took matters into their own hands... they stripped the roof and put on a new one... what a media frenzy as word got out parents/volunteers taking matters into their own hands... the press coverage put the district and city in a bad light... the parents broke all the rules but the kids got their Gym back and all labor and materials donated... District personnel were all away enjoying the holidays and government closed... the workers had a long track record with the city so quality of work was not an issue... one of the engineer parents supervised etc...

 

[Industrial Toys]

Just look at consumer debt levels. Everyone wants everything now, and that can't be helping their long term prospects. We had one b&w tv (that we had for decades), one telephone and one radio in the house. I was just watching something on the cheapest Billionaires. Many of the Richest men fly coach, and Warren Buffet buys modest hail damaged cars! lol

 

[ultrarunner]

Just look at consumer debt levels. Everyone wants everything now, and that can't be helping their long term prospects. We had one b&w tv (that we had for decades), one telephone and one radio in the house. I was just watching something on the cheapest Billionaires. Many of the Richest men fly coach, and Warren Buffet buys modest hail damaged cars! lol

You can live quite well today with cast-offs...

There is recent story about this in San Francisco...

In San Francisco, Making a Living From Your Billionaire Neighbor’s Trash - The New York Times | Global News Archive

As a property manager for decades I see what people toss out and leave behind... low income to high income... I have been given cars that needed nothing more than air in the tires and a jump... all those shiny new Christmas Presents fill the dumpsters by Easter...

I'm always finding kids bikes at the dumpsters... when I ask the response is generally indifference... like it is broken or my child doesn't want it anymore... a broken bike could mean the tires need air!

Never before have there been such an abundance of material possessions… so much so that value suffers... toys, furniture, electronics, clothes, etc...

What I am about to say my surprise some...

A big problem here and for the city is electrical tampering... businesses, to city street lights having the Junction Boxes opened leaving live wires dangling...

The reason is the Homeless have smart phones but no way to charge them unless they get creative... so they use jumpers on live circuits to charge their electronic devices...

Only in America... homeless and living on the street with a smart phone and internet/entertainment but having to steal electricity to keep the batteries charged.

 

[goeduck]

Heck the druggies in these encampments live every day with cast offs.... out of garbage cans. I have seen them with generators and wood stoves.

 

[goeduck]

Now we have Medieval diseases in these camps.

Typhus and Tuberculosis Are Spreading in Homeless Populations - The Atlantic

 

[aczlan]

There is virtually no more ascending from the lower ranks, from my observations. I have had customers a long time, and seen very good employees set up for dismissal, in very ugly ways, because these individuals are making too much money for their position and they won't be promoted to management.

IMO many companies have no concept of loyalty to their employees and have no idea how much losing good employees hurts them with their customers.

You used to be able to be a moderately sucessfull blue collar employee, have the wife stay home, and afford a modest home, two cars and a cottage. You tell me, that's even remotely possible anymore.

How much of that is wages being stagnant and how much of that is the cost of things skyrocketing (ie: look at the cost of a truck now vs even 15 years ago)?
With the right company, it is still possible. Sadly, they are few and far between.

Also, I believe, companies don't want great employees. They want ones that are just good enough that can be readily replaced by others, just good enough. And these employees are going nowhere in the company. They might even be salaried, made into some "manager" at less pay and longer hours than what they were making if they are dumb enough.

Sadly true at many companies and the employees need to realize when that is the case and move to another company to get a bump in pay, or move up the ladder as there is no way that they will get it where they are at.
I did that a few years back and have been very happy with the company I landed a job with.

Aaron Z

 

[aczlan]

You can live quite well today with cast-offs...

There is recent story about this in San Francisco...

In San Francisco, Making a Living From Your Billionaire Neighbor’s Trash - The New York Times | Global News Archive

As a property manager for decades I see what people toss out and leave behind... low income to high income... I have been given cars that needed nothing more than air in the tires and a jump... all those shiny new Christmas Presents fill the dumpsters by Easter...

I'm always finding kids bikes at the dumpsters... when I ask the response is generally indifference... like it is broken or my child doesn't want it anymore... a broken bike could mean the tires need air!

Never before have there been such an abundance of material possessions… so much so that value suffers... toys, furniture, electronics, clothes, etc...

There is that too, when you buy a new TV, game console, etc, etc, etc and have 5 working TVs in the house, all bought on credit cards with payments at 15-20% interest, that burns through a lot of your buying power in a hurry.

What I am about to say my surprise some...

A big problem here and for the city is electrical tampering... businesses, to city street lights having the Junction Boxes opened leaving live wires dangling...

The reason is the Homeless have smart phones but no way to charge them unless they get creative... so they use jumpers on live circuits to charge their electronic devices...

Only in America... homeless and living on the street with a smart phone and internet/entertainment but having to steal electricity to keep the batteries charged.

As you said, "only in America"

Aaron Z

 

[lilranch2001]

I feel sorry for you guys negative attitudes.....

 

[Steppenwolfe]

I feel sorry for you guys negative attitudes.....

I don't think these are attitudes as much as they are perception. Look around... it isn't that great right now for feeling good about where you may be in life. Me, I'm light years past where I ever thought I would be and love my life, but... I try not to get riled up by the evening news.

 

[ultrarunner]

I feel sorry for you guys negative attitudes.....

It is just the times and seeing first hand the decline...

Gets old having to scrape poop from doorways and washing down the area with bleach at 4:30 am so the area is presentable by 6 am opening... I have been here since 1991 and this only started a couple of years ago... It would be different if someone that had to go went behind a tree or deep in the landscaped areas... but the main door to out patient surgery division???

 

[goeduck]

But the law enforcement officers have to be able to enforce the law. In the Seattle documentary the cops quit because they were NOT allowed to enforce laws that are on the books.

It cannot be legal for someone to crap in a hospital doorway or drain their oil in a parking lot, but cops are told not to enforce laws by elected officials who obstruct the law... how did it get this way?