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This is a great suggestion given the OP's technical background. All of my friends/acquaintances who are enlisted or who are veterans wouldn't trade their experiences for anything in the world. The govt. paid tuition is a nice perk, but the things they talk about most are the friends they made and the good experiences they had after finishing boot camp and doing the work they were trained to do. The majority of my friends re-enlisted after their first few years of service despite cuts to re-enlistment bonuses. If you do choose to walk away when enlistment is up, as CTnative said, many employers give preferential treatment to veterans.
The OP is in school. I don't see interrupting schooling as a good option...
I think it's very unrealistic to only paint the advantages of the military and forget the small disadvantages-- such as being at war. I flew next to a kid last week who lost both his legs to a land mine. Have you any idea how many soldiers are coming back wounded?
Keep in mind that the poverty rate for enlisted folks who left the armed forces when their enlistment was up is HIGHER than the population at large as is the unemployment rate.
It's a sad state of affairs when one needs to join military as a means to finding a job versus out of a real desire to do so....
What i was trying to point out to OP is that survival AND saving to move is almost
impossible unless you're single/renting and making $50k a year,
9 dollars an hour does not jive with cost of living here
Bag of clothes, $300, Greyhound bus destined to Orlando, a week at the salvation army, then rented room, bicycle to work washing dishes and running the line at Hardees and other various crap jobs...3 years later working for a well respected job at Disney, in college, living in a private house. It CAN be done.
Agreed on the $9 an hour.
Quote:
Originally Posted by mlassoff
Keep in mind that the poverty rate for enlisted folks who left the armed forces when their enlistment was up is HIGHER than the population at large as is the unemployment rate.
Aint it a b*tch when we pay welfare moms who don't work, don't want to work, will never work, as well or better to fire babies out of their private parts like it was their jobs the same or less than those putting their life on the line for our country?
Aint it a b*tch when we pay welfare moms who don't work, don't want to work, will never work, as well or better to fire babies out of their private parts like it was their jobs the same or less than those putting their life on the line for our country?
Long term welfare clients are a problem. However, they are certainly the exception and not the rule. I also certainly don't want to punish the children-- who have no fault for their current situation-- by cutting mom's benefits to the point where she can't feed the kids.
I guess the is the price of living in a civilized society versus living in Somalia. Yes, there is definitely some abuse, but until we can figure out a way to eliminate it, we must continue to provide assistance for those who are temporarily in need-- as is the case with the vast majority of recipients.
Military pay isn't the abomination that many think once you factor in that room and board and most other necessities of life are provided. That having been said, I hope our job situation improves so the military isn't the job of last resort for anyone in Connecticut.
Military pay isn't the abomination that many think once you factor in that room and board and most other necessities of life are provided.
I disagree. Not everyone is able to live on base, which is akin to section 8 inner city housing in many regards. Lots of military familes have to resort to food stamps and indeed live below poverty levels. I'm not saying the military should be were you get rich, but they should earn a living wage for their family. Especially when you consider what many other government employees earn for much less risk.
There is great opportunity in the military for training and education so I wouldn't call it a "last resort". That can be a bit insulting to those who wanted to join.
I disagree. Not everyone is able to live on base, which is akin to section 8 inner city housing in many regards. Lots of military familes have to resort to food stamps and indeed live below poverty levels. I'm not saying the military should be were you get rich, but they should earn a living wage for their family. Especially when you consider what many other government employees earn for much less risk.
There is great opportunity in the military for training and education so I wouldn't call it a "last resort". That can be a bit insulting to those who wanted to join.
I did not mean to impune people who see the military as an attractive career option... and have a desire to serve. However, I think it's unfortunate that our economy is at a point where people join just so they have a job.
Why do you treat the military differently than other government workers? It seems like their total compensation (when you look at housing provided, GI bill benefits, etc) is pretty on par with other jobs that don't require a college education and that officers make a living commensurate with other professionals. Military officer pay is on par with Border Patrol agents and DEA officers who are also certainly in risky positions.
I guess I don't understand why you support a living wage for someone in the military so they can support their family, but seem to support minimum wage for those working in unskilled jobs in the private sector.
If you think it is just CT, think again. I am living in NC and trying to get back to CT since the economy is so bad here and the jobs are just not around for a person with my professional experience. I have been doing contract work since Sept 2009 and it has really taken it's toll. I have a family to support and my contract went bye-bye 2 weeks ago. I have some much better opportunities in the North. I have multiple job search engines set up and I consistently see more opportunities in the Hartford area than in Raleigh, NC. So just be careful, the grass is not always greener and it is just a matter of perspective as to where things are good and where they are not.
Whoa, that's crazy! that's the RTP. or what do they call that.. the Raleigh area is the best area in NC to get a job, but you cannot find one??
Oh, my gosh, that's tragic... that means the economy is really bad..
we've lived in the south too, and the jobs were always low paying, but honestly, if you don't want to live below the poverty level, please stay out of the western part of the state, especially AVL, the jobs there, are so low paying, and usually you'll only get a part-time job, not full time, with no benefits..
Another problem is too. they got a huge problem with wild bears and deer running in folks yards. Ugh.. much as I like to see wildlife, it's getting so dangerous there.
I do remember one time, seeing a newspaper that had a photo of a bear on the beach near Wrightsville Beach!
And they deer lining up along the road to Jacksonville too. It was pretty unnerving to try drive that road.
They had a bear running downtown in Asheville on New Year's Eve, last year, I read!
Whew! Spooky...
Even the full time jobs, that had benefits would start you out at $8/hr.
and the rents are gettin astronomical in the western/Asheville area.
that place is just worth the money anymore, unfortunately b/c they've not done too much to get well paying jobs in their area.
If you want to wait tables, or work at a low paying retail store, and have 2 or 3 jobs, you might make it, if you could live in a trailer.. but even the trailers are high now!
I don't know what's happened to our economy, but they've shipped many jobs out of the country. I think that's why!
I'm sad to hear that even Raleigh is doing bad honestly. It's because so many moved there, for the taxes used to be really low in the south... and the pay wasn't that much, but considering your housing was dirt cheap, you could get by...
Yup.. let's all pray for our country.. that it'll do better.
there are valid points here, but there's stuff you don't realize either
Quote:
Originally Posted by BronzeBeautyDoll
I still disagree.
Hmm, but who are you to say how long it takes to find a job? You are no one to decide that.
It's free to me and it helps me. Sorry if it's so painful to know that money is coming out of your check to help the poor. Gee I feel bad for you, that's so evil, seriously.
Forced eh? Hmm that's really biased. So if you saw an elderly man fall down the street, you would only help him if you knew him?
I can assure you that assuming can be a really bad thing. Have you personally dug into the lives of each and every individual who are receiving some/ all types of assistance? So no, you cannot assure me anything like that.
Ahh, in this economy, good luck with your business, just always know it's not guaranteed to you. I am glad that you have made it in this life with employment, but others merely can not get there as quickly as you did. Some might get there in 2012, some might in 2014, who knows.
And that's good for you, but guess what, just because you did it, it doesn't mean everyone else who wasn't able to do it as quickly or as successfully as you is a bad or lazy person.
You act as if "Oh I've been through it, so anyone can do it."
You could've taken the last slot to a schooling program that someone else wanted to get into. You never know.
A lot of companies have select hiring processes. People are loosing their jobs everyday. It's called a bad economy. Yes, I know there are lazy people but not everyone is.
You say you know what it's like to loose everything more than once eh? Well you might wanna get off your high horse because guess what? It could happen to you again, especially since it happened before. You proved my point exactly when I said your job isn't promised to you. Exactly.
Oh yeah, once again, here we go. "I did it so if the next person doesn't do it as quickly as I did, they're automatically lazy in my book" Very selfish and prideful way of thinking. You're not better than the next person. It's one thing to encourage, but it's another thing to put yourself on a pedestal when you are no better than the next person. If you're going to put yourself up there the least you can do is grab another person's hand who's trying to climb up there too and not criticize them because they didn't get up there as quickly as you did.
You suffer so we don't have to? Wow that's extremely selfish. Woah, all of a sudden you're the victim? You have a home to go to while some people don't. You had an education while others don't, but want one. You have food on your table while some wish they could eat and others go hungry. And your upset because the government is taking a couple dollars out of your check to help the needy? Really? lol. So now because you don't want to feel obligated to help the needy, you get upset, and call all of the needy lazy, when you once were there yourself? Hmmmmm.
Ok, so you grew up in the ghetto with a single mom, what if the government didn't have low income housing? Your mother wouldn't even have had a place to raise you. She'd be homeless and so would you. YOU received help from the govt and now you're criticizing all that do? It makes absolutely no sense. You ever think of that? I'm surprised because YOU came from humble beginnings so you should really be more understanding. No I'm not saying that every single person on govt assistance or unemployment are good people, but help is help, and for you to assume that most/all of us are lazy is just wrong. Then you're pretty much calling your own mother lazy because she lived in the ghetto (low income housing).
Oh yes, because you have your education, and job, and just because you have to give your tax dollars to people poorer than you, all of a sudden you suffer? You're just mad because your money is being given to the poor and you don't like it.
But guess what? With the way this economy is going, there are a lot of poor people out there. And no matter how much you hate it, your tax dollars are helping them and will continue to. And no matter how much you complain to other people or online, it is still happening
If you are starving, you do try and find food.
Okay, so the very very very small percentage of people who even get to come to America and escape poverty? lol.
And no, they do not laugh at families like mine but they do send money back home to their country to help all the ones still stuck there. It's not easy coming to America from countries of severe poverty.
You cannot use like less than 2% of immigrants from poverty stricken counties to prove your point.
The 98% of others left behind in those countries are still in poverty and many die from starvation and disease because there are NOT many jobs or govt assistance programs to help them. Just like people here would die of starvation and disease (and very few do) if there were no govt assistance programs to help fill in the gap.
There are not enough jobs to go around to every single individual in America at this time, sorry to busrt your bubble.
Why do you think govt assistance programs do exist? If it was so incredibly bad it would have never been started but guess what? It was and is so deal with it and accept it. There's nothing you can do about it.
Ha ha ha. That's all I'll say to that one. Movies are based on true stories, just like books are. Oh, and I am doing something productive, I'm in school. Oh yes, I forgot, to you, since I don't have a job, I'm nothing but a deadbeat lazy loser right? ha ha.
You're not for doing good to the poor though. You're looking at the poor and judging them for being lazy because they are not where you're at in life.
And what's funny is you actually think people on govt assistance are just putting their feet up?
Let me tell you something, when my spouse used to receive unemployment benefits, he went from making about $3600 a month to only about $1200 a month collecting unemployment. That's about a 66% drop in income. He had less than half of what he was used to making. And bill collectors want their money up front, they don't want to hear "Oh I lost my job." They don't care. And when you go from earning a decent amount to earning almost nothing, it gets VERY hard. It is a struggle. It's not a put-my-feet-up-and-relax kind of thing. It does motivate one to look for a job but if the jobs do not call, and the person remains unemployed, well, I'll be damned if you call them lazy, because they ARE trying and continue to strive. Many are trying. Govt assistance helps, but it's hard to live comfortable. Like I said, it is only to fill the gap. Lazy? Lazy my butt. Continuing to look for a job after getting laid off, and not being able to find one, and getting govt help, otherwise you'd be living in the street, is not lazy.
People on disability fight so bad because what they are receiving is not enough. I'll be damned if I ever saw someone tell a disabled person to get over it and work, and call them lazy. Let's just say I'll be damned if I ever let that happen. 10% unemployed, ok, but all are not lazy and I'll be damned if I'm gonna let you tell me that. Not saying some are, but not all are.
My point is, I understand that some people do take advantage of the system, but it is a very stuck up and selfish way of thinking to call all those without jobs lazy. To call all those getting help (a little or a lot) from the government lazy, is messed up. And you can feel free to continue to think in that negative disgusting way, but no matter what, the poor is getting help back on their feet and no one is better than anyone else, job or no job. Tax dollars are helping fund things that are beneficial and it's coming out of your check no matter how much you selfishly complain.
People who go to college, generally speaking, have to take out a college loan. that means, when they graduate, they are owing thousands of dollars.
There's nothing wrong at all getting a college degree. You got one, be proud of yourself. That's a ton of work, going to school for 4 long years, when you're an older teen. We never had time to fart around, and just slack off in college. We always were busy doing school work.
Now, all these parents who sent their kids to college worked hard all their lives saving so their kids could go. They spent $40,000 easy to get their kids a college degree.
But now, the poor students who've graduated college lately, are you having trouble getting jobs?
Tell me if you are.. If you are not you're certainly lucky. There's people out there with PhD, Master's, 2 college degrees who cannot find work anywhere!
And there's many many many disabled people who could never qualify for disabilty.
It's a very hard thing to get. People think it's easy, but it's not! We know people who can barely carry a shopping bag full of groceries, that's how impaired they are, yet, they are barely getting by.
I think most disabled people who cannot get disability start to fall thru the cracks after awhile.
I'm not sure why the govt doesn't enforce the ADA more, but there's many places, that will tell a disabled person, well, if you cannot life 40 lbs, yo cannot work here, even if the job applications says Equal Opporunity Employer!
It's tragic, how the elderly and the disabled are treated in many areas of our country.
it infuriates me that we insist the illegal aliens come here, and get jobs, get free medical, free schooling, etc, but we got to live like paupers and pay all their expenses.
I know we are a nation of immigrants, but most of our ancestors came here legally and had to climb the ropes.
I see so many illegal aliens loading up their shopping carts, like they're having a grand party, but I think it's just their week's worth of groceries! And yet, the americans who are getting low paying jobs are just getting by & just buy the bare essentials. I also see many illegal aliens driving great nice late model cars or trucks!
I don't they're hurting anymore economically, the way most Americans are!
I don't have anything against Mexicans. I think they're really nice people actually.
However, I don't think anyone has a right to come to our country illegally, and expect us to foot all their bills, when folks just cannot even afford to go to a doctor when they are really sick, because they're so poor!
I don't know if CT has as much problems with illegal aliens as some states, but I do remember talking to a friend of mine from Arizona, like 15 years ago, & they were highly agitated at all the jobs the illegal aliens were taking over!
But, you got companies who refuse to hire Americans, and only hire the illegals, cuz it saves them money! Oh, well, don't let me go down that road.
If we could find out which companies these were, and start to boycott them, then maybe they'd stop hiring the illegals!
Mlassoff: yes, I do know how many people come back injured from the military. One of my closest friends had his leg shattered in the Army last year. He's still recovering (and will be recovering for a long time) and he has told the Army he is prepared to go back the moment they allow him to. Of course there are tremendous risks in joining the Army/Marines, but that's no reason to discourage the OP from considering to join the armed forces. Imho, it's smarter to join an arm of the military with little risk (Navy, Coast Guard, Air Force) then have the government pay for tuition instead of going through college first. That way you'd have the advantage of on the job training and be debt free from college loans. I do not see there being anything wrong with people enlisting because of economic reasons vs. only enlisting to defend the country. I would be interested to hear if the OP has considered this option.
For JayCT: on the OT--the OP said he feels like "employers want you to slave for $8.25/hour." This leads me to believe he is turning down potential opportunities that start from the ground level. If he actually took one of these low paying jobs, he'd see that the majority of retail employers raise the hourly salary (or promote) after just a few months of work; wages start out low because employers don't want to give decent pay to someone who has no intention of sticking around. If the OP wants good money and he wants it now, the only ways I could see this happening are by joining the military or by doing odd jobs/commission work in addition to having a minimum wage position.
People who go to college, generally speaking, have to take out a college loan. that means, when they graduate, they are owing thousands of dollars.
There's nothing wrong at all getting a college degree. You got one, be proud of yourself. That's a ton of work, going to school for 4 long years, when you're an older teen. We never had time to fart around, and just slack off in college. We always were busy doing school work.
Now, all these parents who sent their kids to college worked hard all their lives saving so their kids could go. They spent $40,000 easy to get their kids a college degree.
But now, the poor students who've graduated college lately, are you having trouble getting jobs?
Tell me if you are.. If you are not you're certainly lucky. There's people out there with PhD, Master's, 2 college degrees who cannot find work anywhere!
No there is nothing wrong with going to college, but the college degree isn't the same as our parents generation. Today a college education only helps you get in the door and that's if your degree is in the sciences. I am very fortunate that I focused my degree in IT and friends of mine that focused in the sciences are doing very well in CT. The ones that are not doing so well where the ones that focused in the arts. Unless they became teachers or work for the state.
My son just started Kindergarten and I had started a Chet account on day 1 to help for college. Rest assured he will not be getting an arts degree with that account if college is in his horizons.
I think the future generations will have to dig in early, pre High School and begin to lay the ground work for what they want to do in life. Not necessary focus on a career when you are only 15. But focus on your interests and what you like to do and put a plan for the 10 years in doing that. I think that is what is missing from today's younger generation.
As for the current unemployed masses, I think its time to retrench. Focus on a career that pays the bills and still interests you. If it means going back to college or tech school than do it. Just make sure there is a worthy paycheck at the end of the rainbow.
I don't want this to read as an elitist post. Even if he or she would want to become a plumber or electrician I would support that decision in full. Note, I think the trades are a wonderful way to make a living in CT (job security). I urge may young folks if they are unsure of what they want to do in life or even if they have reservations about high school to look at the state vocational schools. Especially if they show some aptitude for working hands on. In the end you can still go to college.
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They don't have good jobs in Raleigh anymore?
It's free to me and it helps me. Sorry if it's so painful to know that money is coming out of your check to help the poor. Gee I feel bad for you, that's so evil, seriously.
ha ha.
