What do you think about the teachers? (Scranton: houses, construction)

[ashley19]

I agree about the job force as well because they do want degrees but I have seen people (one who in now an accountant) who barely made it through high school and cheated his way through college (he cheated from me as well). How does that make him more educated then me? Because he has a piece of paper? Sorry if calling some one shallow and self centered bothers you but anyone who belittles people because of their job is just that in my book. Some times the truth hurts but needs to be said to show people who they really are, and I never even met the person, but that comment is a disgrace to all the hard working or "uneducated" workers in this world. I could be one of the nicest people you ever want to meet (I have been told that often) but don't judge me because I work in a warehouse. Judge me for who I am and not what I am.

[weluvpa]

Originally Posted by ashley19

Sorry if calling some one shallow and self centered bothers you but anyone who belittles people because of their job is just that in my book. Some times the truth hurts but needs to be said to show people who they really are, and I never even met the person, but that comment is a disgrace to all the hard working or "uneducated" workers in this world. I could be one of the nicest people you ever want to meet (I have been told that often) but don't judge me because I work in a warehouse. Judge me for who I am and not what I am.

Bravo, Bravo that is it exactly right there. I could not have said it better. thank you.

[rockky]

ashley, I'm "uneducated" as well. I didn't feel that anyone was talking about me personally. Nor do I feel it's my job to teach someone who they are or anything about themselves. My ego doesn't allow for that. Besides, life and experience will do what preaching or demeaning can never do.

It's a difference of time and place and different perspectives. I respect others views even if I don't agree with them.

[ashley19]

" There's a LOT of bashing in NEPA when it comes to teachers, lawyers, doctors, politicians, etc. Hell, I think anyone in our region who had the foresight to develop themselves professionally is frowned upon. Too many around here have the mentality that we should be dragging others down to lower levels instead of raising themselves up to meet the levels of others."

This statement is referring to everyone that does not work in a "profession".
How can that not be taken personally by every blue collered worker?

[SteelCityRising]

Originally Posted by sunflower53072

WOW! This thread is reminding me of why I was so happy when we were transfered from NEPA. Much of the area does not support education. The fact that teaching is one of the highest paying careers in the area is not a good thing. When I live there back in the 90's administrators were still taking bribes from people trying to get hired in certain districts. Nepotism was huge too. There is a real resentment of teachers in NEPA that I have never encountered any where else that I have lived.

I'm now getting the hell out of NEPA ASAP as well. Something happened to me other day that finally made realize that it's worthless and pointless to live around here anymore and do nothing but battle people who support racism against Hispanics, oppose same-sex civil equality, despise higher education, overprioritize sports, condone alcoholism and drunk driving, etc. My teachers in high school were the very same ones who told me to leave the area for greener pastures, but I refused to listen to their advice at the time. I kept telling myself "things will get better." Unfortunately, the nastiness on this forum the past few days has shown me that I AM making the right decision in leaving, even if all of my friends have already left. If NEPA doesn't want a "savior," then let them try to fix their problems on their own with one less person at the helm.

[SteelCityRising]

Originally Posted by ashley19

" There's a LOT of bashing in NEPA when it comes to teachers, lawyers, doctors, politicians, etc. Hell, I think anyone in our region who had the foresight to develop themselves professionally is frowned upon. Too many around here have the mentality that we should be dragging others down to lower levels instead of raising themselves up to meet the levels of others."

This statement is referring to everyone that does not work in a "profession".
How can that not be taken personally by every blue collered worker?

Perhaps if so many blue-collar workers in this area didn't SLAM white-collar workers into the ground, then we wouldn't have such tensions? As an upcoming white-collar worker myself who worked in a blue-collar profession up until a few weeks ago, I have the unique experience on being on both sides of the fence. It was amazing to hear so many blue-collars at my former job bashing people who went to college for having more than they did. The petty jealousy I heard from both customers and co-workers about teachers, attorneys, politicians, physicians, accountants, and others turned my stomach sour towards blue-collar workers in general. If you don't want we white-collar types to be condascending towards blue-collar workers, then please stop giving us a hard time for what we have with our lives. I used to have a lot of respect for mechanics, carpenters, plumbers, etc. until I heard all of the b*tching and bashing they did of people who made more money than they did. Now, I don't have nearly as much respect.

[SteelCityRising]

Originally Posted by rockky

ashley, I'm "uneducated" as well. I didn't feel that anyone was talking about me personally. Nor do I feel it's my job to teach someone who they are or anything about themselves. My ego doesn't allow for that. Besides, life and experience will do what preaching or demeaning can never do.

It's a difference of time and place and different perspectives. I respect others views even if I don't agree with them.

My problem is that I toss the word "uneducated" around too broadly, and I apologize for it. I really should be saying "ignorant," as I know of many "uneducated" people who possess much more intellect than some "educated" people. You are a prime example of this.

I take issue though when people around here can't look at "the big picture" in terms of economics. We're in a Catch-22. High-paying employers won't come here because so few have the skills and educational levels they require in a workforce. So few educated people are staying here because so few high-paying employers are coming here to match their skill sets. I get angry because someone with only a high school diploma or G.E.D. really has no right to be "demanding" the aforementioned high-paying employers unless they have the appropriate skill sets to show for it. Why would Microsoft, for example, move here if there weren't plenty of unemployed software engineers running amok. They wouldn't (and aren't bringing their high-paying jobs here as a result). It's sad when there were people in Tunkhannock quoted as being hopeful about "high-paying jobs" coming with a new Wal-Mart Supercenter store (that has since fallen through). The mentality of this area that $8/hr. is "high-paying" is exactly why we can't attract any DECENT employers besides Sanofi, Tobyhanna, Prudential, MetLife, and a handful of others.

[weluvpa]

Originally Posted by ScrantonWilkesBarre

Perhaps if so many blue-collar workers in this area didn't SLAM white-collar workers into the ground, then we wouldn't have such tensions? As an upcoming white-collar worker myself who worked in a blue-collar profession up until a few weeks ago, I have the unique experience on being on both sides of the fence.

What the hell is Blue collar about Lowe's? What the hell did you do?, stock shelves, thats retail my friend. You want blue collar try putting down 3,500sq. ft. of shingles on a roof in 90 deg. weather for 10 hours, try doing that two days or five days in a row. I wore a suit to work and was the Vice President of a printing company for 10 years after that I went to Prudential and the suit to work everyday thing again and you know the best decision I made was quiting and actually doing something that made me feel good about myself. You can sit and crunch someones numbers all day long buddy but when I put a $15,000 roof on a house and step back and look at what I did with my time and the money I made, I feel better than I ever did at the end of my White collar day. I actually feel like I accomplished something. You have no idea what the hell your talking about and you probably are just reading verbatem from some other site anyway.

[SteelCityRising]

Originally Posted by weluvpa

What the hell is Blue collar about Lowe's? What the hell did you do?, stock shelves, thats retail my friend. You want blue collar try putting down 3,500sq. ft. of shingles on a roof in 90 deg. weather for 10 hours, try doing that two days or five days in a row. I wore a suit to work and was the Vice President of a printing company for 10 years after that I went to Prudential and the suit to work everyday thing again and you know the best decision I made was quiting and actually doing something that made me feel good about myself. You can sit and crunch someones numbers all day long buddy but when I put a $15,000 roof on a house and step back and look at what I did with my time and the money I made, I feel better than I ever did at the end of my White collar day. I actually feel like I accomplished something. You have no idea what the hell your talking about and you probably are just reading verbatem from some other site anyway.

What the hell do you call the plumbers, electricians, roofers, contractors, landscapers, etc. who frequented my store and conversed with me when I helped them load purchases into their vehicles? Are they not blue-collar workers? There are three "collars"---white, blue, and pink. Retail people certainly aren't pink collars, and I wouldn't consider them to be white-collar. What's left? I really didn't like it at all when I would hear some of these people make fun of the "stiffs" they saw walking by them in suits, nor did I appreciate it the one day when my manager and a customer I was helping went on for five minutes to ridicule gay people right in front of me. If only I had my tape recorder; I could have filed one hell of a lawsuit against my manager for creating a hostile workplace environment. "You have no idea what the hell you're talking about" is probably something you have said the most during your tenure here on this forum. Just because someone doesn't agree with you doesn't necessarily mean that they don't know what they're talking about.

[CosmicWizard]

SWB

If you leave NEPA due to your stated reason, you are likely to encounter the same situation wherever you go because whatever it is inside of you that allows your buttons to be pushed will still be inside you. An old saying comes to mind, Wherever you go, there you are. Until you can calmly accept what is, and the way things are, you'll still have buttons that can be pushed...and I guarantee that people will push them, if not conscioulsy, then unconsciously. People have a knack for intuitively recognizing our buttons and pushing them.

I'm not questioning your insights and impresssions. You're probably right on the money. It's your emotional reaction that I'm addressing. Not that your reaction is right or wrong, but rather that it is likely to influence you into taking rash actions that you may regret down the road. So calm down, and give people space to share their thoughts, impressions, and prejudices...becasue that's all it is....just people thinking out loud, sounding off, clearing the slate so to speak. From reading this thread, I don't get the impression that anyone wishes you any harm. Speaking only for myself, I wish you all the best in whatever you decide to do.

blessings...Franco