May I gripe? (apartments, utilities, wages)

[lone sailor]

Originally Posted by doubtingdreams

We as a country would be a lot better off if the "bail-out" was giving each household $500,000. It would have been a lot cheaper too. and what would the working class do with it? PAY BILLS which includes the banks. but it wasn't us they were thinking of.

What good would that do besides put this country more in debt? So you'd be able to pay all your bills, well that's great and all, but that money has to come from somewhere. Do you not know what the National Debt is?

[doubtingdreams]

Originally Posted by lone sailor

What good would that do besides put this country more in debt? So you'd be able to pay all your bills, well that's great and all, but that money has to come from somewhere. Do you not know what the National Debt is?

I'm saying that's how it should've started out. About us, not trillion doller exec. giving their wifes 2 million doller gifts then needing help "paying their bills" Who by the way is paying for the bail out? US! They weren't helping "We the people" otherwise we could buy/sell our houses. not worry about losing our jobs any more than normal. and never fear how our children will get their next meal. As far as i'm concerened the money can come from the rich lobbiest whom are paying off the people who are suppose to be speaking "ON OUR BEHALF" Money talks, Suffering voices are never heard. That's Washington.

[saxon75]

The problem is people scoff at jobs like that BECAUSE of the $8 pay. But in this economy $8 an hour is a HELL of a LOT BETTER than $0 an hour because you do not have a job. Besides I have had jobs that say $8 an hour on the job description but after 90 days it goes up to $9 or more. You are 100% right it is EXTREMELY HARD to live on $8 an hour. But if the alternative is $0 and you have to support yourself and a family and you are not living with mommy and daddy any more than I would take the $8 an hour and at least have employment till you can find something that fits you better or pays better.

[nanjosbrand]

Originally Posted by saxon75

The problem is people scoff at jobs like that BECAUSE of the $8 pay. But in this economy $8 an hour is a HELL of a LOT BETTER than $0 an hour because you do not have a job. Besides I have had jobs that say $8 an hour on the job description but after 90 days it goes up to $9 or more. You are 100% right it is EXTREMELY HARD to live on $8 an hour. But if the alternative is $0 and you have to support yourself and a family and you are not living with mommy and daddy any more than I would take the $8 an hour and at least have employment till you can find something that fits you better or pays better.

AMEN to that!!!

[TUPAC_in_the_KNOW]

Originally Posted by saxon75

The problem is people scoff at jobs like that BECAUSE of the $8 pay. But in this economy $8 an hour is a HELL of a LOT BETTER than $0 an hour because you do not have a job. Besides I have had jobs that say $8 an hour on the job description but after 90 days it goes up to $9 or more. You are 100% right it is EXTREMELY HARD to live on $8 an hour. But if the alternative is $0 and you have to support yourself and a family and you are not living with mommy and daddy any more than I would take the $8 an hour and at least have employment till you can find something that fits you better or pays better.

This is the way wages have been for as long as I can remember in the Ozarks. The difference is that in years past people could work 2 $8.00 an hour jobs and get by. The ol "Someone's always got it worse!" ploy rings pretty hollow to someone who is in such a situation. I remember when I first moved to the Ozarks back in the early 1990's I was unaware of just how low the pay was there. I spent the better half of over 12 years plugging away and then finally getting a college degree and getting out and still being offered coolie wages. Heck I remeber a guy who was an engineeer that was offered $20,000 a year in Springfield. I finally had to get out of there and my life has been way better since. If I were a person who was retired and living off a hefty pension, looking for an easier life Springfield might look ok to me. If you are young and/or have a family then please do not pass go, go somewhere else and make something of yourself because it isn't likely it will happen there.

[saxon75]

Originally Posted by TUPAC_in_the_KNOW

This is the way wages have been for as long as I can remember in the Ozarks. The difference is that in years past people could work 2 $8.00 an hour jobs and get by. The ol "Someone's always got it worse!" ploy rings pretty hollow to someone who is in such a situation. I remember when I first moved to the Ozarks back in the early 1990's I was unaware of just how low the pay was there. I spent the better half of over 12 years plugging away and then finally getting a college degree and getting out and still being offered coolie wages. Heck I remeber a guy who was an engineeer that was offered $20,000 a year in Springfield. I finally had to get out of there and my life has been way better since. If I were a person who was retired and living off a hefty pension, looking for an easier life Springfield might look ok to me. If you are young and/or have a family then please do not pass go, go somewhere else and make something of yourself because it isn't likely it will happen there.

I have to disagree, I think it is all in the job you have or the job you are looking for, or the situation you are in. I moved to MO in January of 2011 to except a job. And that job has worked out well for me, I am in a good spot with a good company and I am going to get my bachelor's degree at a local college starting in August. And I personally do better financially here because I have lower over head (meaning my monthly bills, gas, water, rent, cable,) are lower here than they were where I moved from. I love the Ozarks, but with my job I do not know how long I will be here after I get my degree. Because I am in the hospitality business and after I get my degree my company may want to transfer me to another state where they need a general manager. Although I love it here and would hate to leave.
Fortunately I do not have to work two jobs to make ends meet here because it gives me more time at home with my wife and daughter.

for your situation getting out was the right move. But for me moving to the Ozarks was the right move.
But I will say I did not move here without doing a lot of research regarding income and cost of living.

[saxon75]

Originally Posted by doubtingdreams

We as a country would be a lot better off if the "bail-out" was giving each household $500,000. It would have been a lot cheaper too. and what would the working class do with it? PAY BILLS which includes the banks. but it wasn't us they were thinking of.

For some reason I missed this the first time I posted on this thread. But I really have to disagree with you.

I guess in some ways that "Sounds Good" but I am from Mississippi and so that logic does not sit 100% right with me and here is why.

The whole world knows about hurricane Katrina that hit six years ago. Well a lot of people were given a decent amount of money for damages to their property or whatever. That money was SUPPOSE to go to FIXING things like the roof, or sheet rock, or what ever. But instead some people used that money that was meant for repairs to get a new vehicle, or go on a long vacation, or buy the biggest TV they could find. And I kid you not there are still houses with blue roofs or remnants of blue roofs in various parts of the Gulf Coast to this day (Blue Roof- A tarp over the roof to keep the rain out).
That is why your idea would not work, because we as a society get money and spend it NOT on what we SHOULD spend it on. Like growing credit card debt, mortgage, student loans ......... We spend it on what we WANT. The ONLY thing you would do by giving every house hold in america $500,000 is have the same broke,poor financially strapped people driving more expensive un-affordable cars, living in more expensive un-affordable houses, dressed in the latest un-affordable clothes.

Some people would take that money and use it responsibly, but the majority of us would blow it. Putting ourselves as individuals and as a nation MORE IN DEBT.

[20yrsinBranson]

Originally Posted by saxon75

I have to disagree, I think it is all in the job you have or the job you are looking for, or the situation you are in. I moved to MO in January of 2011 to except a job. And that job has worked out well for me, I am in a good spot with a good company and I am going to get my bachelor's degree at a local college starting in August. And I personally do better financially here because I have lower over head (meaning my monthly bills, gas, water, rent, cable,) are lower here than they were where I moved from. I love the Ozarks, but with my job I do not know how long I will be here after I get my degree. Because I am in the hospitality business and after I get my degree my company may want to transfer me to another state where they need a general manager. Although I love it here and would hate to leave.
Fortunately I do not have to work two jobs to make ends meet here because it gives me more time at home with my wife and daughter.

for your situation getting out was the right move. But for me moving to the Ozarks was the right move.
But I will say I did not move here without doing a lot of research regarding income and cost of living.

Your situation is very unusual. Obviously, you are employed by one of the major chains (I would guess Hilton), because this is definitely the exception in the area. About three years ago I applied for a position as a hotel manager and they expected my husband and I to be there 24 hours a day (except for 8 hours per week each for *personal time*) for $25,000 a year. I figured it out and it came to about $4 per hour. I emailed them and told them that Abraham Lincoln freed the slaves more than 100 years ago. He didn't think it was funny.

Most recently, I worked for a large chain as Sales Manager and I made $10 per hour. I was not "allowed" to work 40 hours per week, so if a bus came in or a group required my presence after hours, I had to do it on my own time and not be paid for it. Needless to say, I did not stay in that job too long.

You sound like you have a very promising career. Congratulations on being the exception in Branson. By the way, I spoke with someone in the business just yesterday and they mentioned that there are big layoffs in the area because tourism is down due to flooding and tornadoes - not to mention the price of gas.

20yrsinBranson

[sholomar]

another bad job thread here. Missouri seems like a beautiful area to me.. a lot like Wisconsin in topography but warmer. Springfield has a 3M plant that I'd attempt to transfer too after 5 years, but I'm not going to leave a good job that pays what the 3M here where I live pays. I feel sorry for people that have to work multiple full time low paying jobs. I know there are certainly people better off too but overall I'm grateful for my relatively high wage with relatively low living expenses... and very good work environment to top it off... assuming a 4-crew shift rotation and co-workers that don't use FMLA like it's going out of style of course.

We definitely get a hard winter here though, though our summers are pretty idealic.. but I can handle the heat so given the choice I pick hot and humid with mild winters.. though not something like TX or FL where it's 70 in the winter and 90 by march. Yack.

Best of luck to you.

[RogueMom]

As much as I hate the "F" word, and as painful as it is to hear, George Carlin was right.

100% correct.

It just amazes me to hear people drone on about how the current President has "ruined" our economy, or which past President casued it, which political party is at "fault", and how by just voting for this ****** or that , we're going to turn it all around.

They're all in the "club" together, I absolutely agree. People need to wake up and stand in reality, and start getting mad. No, $8.00 an hour is NOT acceptable for ANY job in these times. It is not a living wage. It is a pittance compared to what things actually cost.