Some Good Words from an All Around Good Guy

Please explain; I don't see that.

I'm not going to get into a political argument....

Where was this ever a political argument?

How do we vote this OT?

Please explain; I don't see that, either.

If you have to ask.....................................

I'm not taking sides.

"Posts focusing on politics or religion will probably be removed"

If this ain't politics.....................................

Well I will ask then... What did I say?

(Now I am really curious to see where this thread goes.)

You endorsed the statement, therefore, you said what he said. Whether you see it as political or not makes no difference to me, I don't see that it fits this forum.

???

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My oh my, aren't you ever original? Why does appreciation of work(wo)men not fit this forum, pray tell?

I didn't understand your question, it wasn't clearly worded.

The OP was about a letter to the challenger and carried a knock against the incumbent president (didn't hear back from him). Given the timing, anything that mentions them is political. I don't object to a discussion of politics per se, but I do object to discussion/comparison of politicians on here.

There seems to be some confusion here, so as an impartial (and non-American) observer I shall try and clarify.

A couple of paragraphs can be considered Mike Rowe's personal political views BUT, the underlining point of the article is regarding a non-profit organisation for promoting trade scholarships (and such) and those political views expressed are used (in what I deem to be) background as to WHY Mike believed in and started the organisation mentioned in the first place.

From the end of the article......

To be clear, mikeroweWORKS has no political agenda. I am not an apologist for Organized Labor or for Management. mikeroweWORKS is concerned only with encouraging a larger appreciation for skilled labor, and supporting those kids who are willing to learn a skill.

So...everyone is right and the original post should stay based on the underlying point of the article (which I don't see as political or a personal attack against American interests).

It's an open letter to a presidential candidate stating that the current administration is not responsive to the needs of the working public, which is about as political as you can get....

I doubt that it would be different for any other political party; i.e., there is no partisan favoritism in appealing for appreciation of the working person. (Not a bad follow-on to Labor Day, either.)

I guess I never even thought about it as a political anything rather it was the aspects of his view on the dieing of the skilled trades and the lack of proper support form nearly every level of society starting in our schools going all the way up through the colleges and into the work force and leadership of our countries businesses and government is what I found interesting.

As a person who has spent all of his life doing what are clearly seen as 'trade jobs' I can relate to how we largely get looked down upon for our collective efforts in every business and company despite being the very people who's labor is what the company bills everything out on.

I look at it this way.In the company I work for I put fuel in trains. Sure its not a glamorous job but honestly every single person in the company above me could stop showing up for work for a week or longer and I would still be out here doing what I do and the customer would be happy. However if I disappeared for even part of one shift everyone and I mean everyone, both in the customers side and my companies side, would know about it and there would be a stink raised to high heaven over it because things immediately ground to a halt.

Thats what I related to in his writing. The politics implied or otherwise that have a few peoples undies bunched up never even entered my mind when I posted the link.

I would write more but you know, I have to and put fuel in a train now.

I'd think train fueling could be easily automated.

While we are on the subject, kids aren't generally born lazy. It's their parents who make them that way. I'm not talking about people our age, but younger.

People our age started the trend, by wanting little Jill or Johnny to "have a better life" and not have to toil at a menial job. Go to college, go to college, get a degree so you don't have to labor all your life was what we heard in the 60's and 70's.

Well, that's come back to roost now.

LOL....yes it can

"Buckeye Automatic Fueling System for Diesel Locomotives"

http://www.emcowheaton.com/buckeye.aspx?taxid=964

"politically motivated hogwash"

So is it hogwash in how our youth view hard work? That in what he puts forth is a big problem. We all can't be doctors, lawyers and engineers. Someone needs to do the dirty work. I spent some of my youth working the farm and as a roughneck on a rig.

I do not see this as politically motivated. It's rather the attempt to use politics in a election year to get a message across. I do believe tcmtech in his OP is pointing to problem as to how our youth views work. Not some hidden agenda some of you have read into it.

Yeah yeah, so it's a problem of lack of workers that has led to the high rate of unemployment, and not a lack of jobs,,,is that what you're saying? Listen I've been a blue collar worker for 40 years, as a working manager for many of those years, in charge of hiring workers, I can say that I see no difference from the day I started till the day I retired in willingness to work by individuals of all ages....Some people are hard workers by nature and some always looking for a way out, I suspect this has more to do with physical energy more than anything else, diet, lifestyle choice, adult role models, physical ailments, both diagnosed and undiagnosed, character, the list goes on and on....One thing that is universal and not exclusive to the working class is people bitching about their job, and lack of recognition, and low pay and.......(put your complaint in here)....no one is responsible, that's just human nature...

.....and just for the record, Mike might be a 'great guy', but you can be sure he makes more money doing what he does than any blue collar worker you know, and sympathizing with the workers portrayed on his show, is just good politics.....

How much does Mike Rowe make? About 10 million a year according to ...

http://www.celebritynetworth.com/richest-celebrities/actors/mike-rowe-net-worth/

And how many tens of thousands of pro athletes, actors, politicians, and crooked businessmen make far more than that yet don't lift a finger let a lone utter a word of praise for the people who backs they ride on that still get out and do something useful every day?

So what? he makes good money. I don't have a bad word to say about people like him who put forth a good public image and speak about the unsung working heroes of our country regardless of how much or how little they make.

I have yet to ever hear his name get mentioned in the news for illegal dealings or crooked under handed business practices or drug or prostitution issues or or dirty political dealings or worse.

So really now what did he do that is so bad that his speaking on behalf of those who do physical labor for a living merits this implied negativity?

What negativity? I don't have anything against Mike Rowe or his political affiliation, and I enjoy his show....I suggested real life working man shows to producers before there was any.....as well as teams of working mates competing against others for charities...and many other shows designed to show work ethics in the real world...But to suggest that one presidential candidate would favor the working class over another, regardless of the lack of validity of such a claim, is a political statement and clearly prohibited by the rules here....

Yeah there's a lack of workers, workers that don't mined getting their hands dirty or working hard for a living. Many of these skilled labor that they could make a very comfortable living at.

And yes I agree each person's work ethic differs for the reasons you mentioned. But this work ethic is going down hill. Mostly because of home life. No more capital punishment in the home. So if sonny don't want to clean his room or mow the grass we now do it for him. Just got tired of yelling. That's easier then dealing with emotional stress of getting them to do it. So what does that teach our youth other then to skate by.

Some in disagreement with me may say their children are not like that. When they ask their children to do something they jump right to it. Well if they do you got an exceptional child you should take then to dinner tonight and celebrate.

"I'd think train fueling could be easily automated."

Not really. The nozzles and truck loading systems are already automatic (Schneider nozzles and dry lock connection systems) however there is the glaring problem of such things as a person still has to drive up to the train hook up the hose, unhook the hose and all that stuff.

There are no real on the go type fuel stations where the train just pulls up and fuels like a vehicle does at a gas station. To do so requires the engines to be unhooked from the train taken to the fueling station on a dedicated fueling track and location then brought back and re hooked which requires a full air system check every time that's done. That takes even longer when a train is running two or more engines and one or more is at each end.

As far as having two fuel stations at each end well its rare that two trains are of equal lengths as well. So one engine would get filled then the train would have to move and the next engine would get filled and so on.

Point is its quicker and cheaper to have someone drive a truck load of fuel out to the train which can be in any of a dozen service lines or locations and still do the actual physical work of hookup, unhook and drive back and reload the truck. That's my job.

Don't get me started on how much more complicated that process can get if union labor is involved. Honestly if what I do is done by union labor there are 3 - 5 people involved to do what I do all by myself.

As far as this relates to the subject of this thread you wouldn't believe how hard it is to find people willing to do my job despite the high pay for what little work we do. Its clear that very few people want to put forth the effort of actually going to work and doing anything that required them to get dirty or possibly do something physical.