Retirement thoughts Past Present Future

[NoTrespassing]

Driver’s license rules change at 71

Kentucky is starting a visual screening process when you go in to renew your license as a senior. Actually they use the same equipment when you go to get your driver license when you're 16, 17 or whatever. A driver with impired vision kill the brother of an Opthamologist and that led to steps in Frankfort. This case got me interested in full Self-driving technology.

Holy Cow, self driving followed me to another thread on TBN. Now I know it's an evil scourge! (a person or thing that causes great trouble or suffering)

 

[Gale Hawkins]

US bank trouble heralds end of dollar reserve system

If keeping SS checks coming long term is dependent on foreign borrowing after reading this article I need to rethink some things. Perhaps it is not if SS benefits will be cut but when and by how much.

This is not just a SS issue I expect. The sky is not falling but I think I will keep an eye on it just in case.

 

[OldMcDonald]

The output of most government agencies stayed constant or even increased when they began working from home.

How do you know? Are you one of them?

I cannot speak for USA, but that was most definitely not the case in either Portugal or the UK. Responses from government departments in both countries virtually ceased. Only hearsay evidence but I am told the same happened in other countries.

People "working from home" do not. That is the problem. In an office situation I know many spend time on computers not actually working (thereby stealing from their employer who is paying them for that time - in public service cases you the taxpayer) but there is always somebody about that ensures at least some work is done.

I am aware from overheaing conversations on mobile phones that it also happens in private enterprise.

 

[MossRoad]

How do you know? Are you one of them?

I cannot speak for USA, but that was most definitely not the case in either Portugal or the UK. Responses from government departments in both countries virtually ceased. Only hearsay evidence but I am told the same happened in other countries.

People "working from home" do not. That is the problem. In an office situation I know many spend time on computers not actually working (thereby stealing from their employer who is paying them for that time - in public service cases you the taxpayer) but there is always somebody about that ensures at least some work is done.

I am aware from overheaing conversations on mobile phones that it also happens in private enterprise.

My wife works for a financial institution. She and everyone in her department are still working from home, 3 years on. Her employer can't find any valid reason to bring them back in to the office. Productivity is up.

Wife thinks productivity is up because when they were all together in the office, they spent a lot of time socializing, and less time working.

If you have a manager that can delegate tasks and hold people accountable, it really doesn't matter where they are physically located in desk jobs anymore.

Physical jobs, well, of course you have to be there.

 

[jigs_n_fixtures]

How do you know? Are you one of them?

I cannot speak for USA, but that was most definitely not the case in either Portugal or the UK. Responses from government departments in both countries virtually ceased. Only hearsay evidence but I am told the same happened in other countries.

People "working from home" do not. That is the problem. In an office situation I know many spend time on computers not actually working (thereby stealing from their employer who is paying them for that time - in public service cases you the taxpayer) but there is always somebody about that ensures at least some work is done.

I am aware from overheaing conversations on mobile phones that it also happens in private enterprise.

I am a Facilities Engineer for the US Government.

Goals, work assignments, and deadlines didn’t change. The majority of government workers, are white collar, and college educated. My annual construction projects, have to be in to the purchasing folks on set dates to allow for the required public bid time, and contract award needed before we can start. And we need to start soon enough to get done before fire season starts, or the snow flies. So, my work load can’t lag or slow down. For most of the people I work with are in the same kind of situation. Timber folks have to be ready to plant tress on last years fires, in the spring which there is still moisture on the ground to let them establish. Which means they need to let teh nursery know how many seedlings to get ready, by the end of November. Fire folks, have to interview, and hire seasonal fire folks in time to get them onboard and trained before fire season starts. River Patrol, Trails Construction Crews, Seasonal Recreation staffs needs to get hired. Lots of moving parts have to move by given dates, and you need to be ready on time, there is no way to delay things. Engineers, need to be ready to build things during the short time windows between the various time periods we are restricted from working because of species of concern.

Agencies have been reducing the time in office for at least a decade, and have been investing in cloud computer resources, to allow more mobile work. When Covid hit and we were ordered to work from home, the computer infrastructure was in place to make it possible.

In fact for many people things sped up. In the office a 20-gb/s service is shared among 60 to 100-people depending on the season. Most of us have a minimum of 10 or 20-gb/s at home. Downloading things from the cloud storage, took about a tenth of the time at home, that it does in the office now, with only a third of the people working in the building, and the rest remote.

Most folks don’t realize, a major portion of every agencies budget is rent for work spaces. And, Congress hasn’t increased that budget to keep pace with inflation. So, agencies get creative, Lower level employees are allowed 4-hours a week, in a shared cubical, at least nine other people use it the other 36-hours. The employees are providing their own home office space, for free without reimbursement other than the potential tax write off for maintaining a home office. There are shared conference rooms available for group and public meetings. If you need one you need to schedule and reserve it.

The work from home didn’t work for me, mostly because I have a large closet full of specialized equipment, which I need during the field season, and they wont give me a truck capable of carrying it. So, I have to spend time every day loading and unloading milk crates of tools and equipment. And, if they gave me the truck, it has to be returned to the yard every night. So, I start and end my day at the office for at least six months out of the year. Might was well work from there since I have to drive to and from daily.

 

[JJT]

I've been retired for years, but had a boss years ago that would say "if you can work from home, I can, (and will) outsource the work to India/China/Mexico".

 

[Oaktree]

The employees are providing their own home office space, for free without reimbursement other than the potential tax write off for maintaining a home office.

Isn't the IRS pretty strict about what they will allow for home office expenses? You can't just use the kitchen table and take a deduction, you generally need a dedicated work space that's only for business use. I'd imagine there's a lot of abuse of these deductions.

I've been retired for years, but had a boss years ago that would say "if you can work from home, I can, (and will) outsource the work to India/China/Mexico".

For a lot less money than they'd need to pay U.S.-based remote workers. I'm surprised there hasn't been more of a move in that direction, especially as the economy contracts.
Government (whether federal, state or local) probably are required to live in the U.S.

 

[OldMcDonald]

Wife thinks productivity is up because when they were all together in the office, they spent a lot of time socializing, and less time working.

THAT is one of the problems. People. Why was she wasting time socialising? And why was she and her colleagues allowed to waste such time?

Does she actually put in a full 8 hours or whatever at home? No, I thought not. Morning coffee break? Lunch - really just 60 minutes and no more? Afternoon coffee break?

Importantly, I note you are responding to what you wife tells you. I expect you to believe your wife. Any man that does not is asking for a heap of trouble.

 

[turbo36]

US bank trouble heralds end of dollar reserve system

If keeping SS checks coming long term is dependent on foreign borrowing after reading this article I need to rethink some things. Perhaps it is not if SS benefits will be cut but when and by how much.

This is not just a SS issue I expect. The sky is not falling but I think I will keep an eye on it just in case.

David P Goldman? Hasn't he been predicting the end of the dollar since writing for Lyndon LaRouche?

"Lyndon LaRouche was a serial presidential candidate, a convicted fraudster who spent the early 1990s behind bars, and a onetime management consultant who became the head of a Marxist sect and then a sort of proto-fascist."

 

[Gale Hawkins]

David P Goldman? Hasn't he been predicting the end of the dollar since writing for Lyndon LaRouche?

"Lyndon LaRouche was a serial presidential candidate, a convicted fraudster who spent the early 1990s behind bars, and a onetime management consultant who became the head of a Marxist sect and then a sort of proto-fascist."

I do not know, but I think everyone with a banking account knows that the demise of the dollar is up on us because of the buying power decline over the last 100 years.

I know in the 50s my dad bought a couple farms. I think one was $25 an acre. Another one was $40 an acre so yes the American dollar is shot I agree