April 4, 2005
Monday

I do agree with Mr. Branco on some of the problems of minimum wage but I feel there is way more to this than just minimum wage earners. They are not the ones causing the cost of construction projects to be so much. The government is the one. And why do I say that? Look at  the Unions - my God, Davis Bacon wages are so high. I am not knocking the Unions as bad just to damn greedy. Just think how many jobs could get done just bringing the wages from $40.00 per hour back to $30.00 per hour. Then consider every time a big job comes to town good employees making $20.00 per hour or less tramp the small local employer for the big money. Then the small guy has to find new help that will not tear up stuff. I have been in business for 7 years and to be honest I have only gotten maybe 10 calls from people looking for work. I am not saying I have a job open. I think that most people do not want to work. But I could just imagine how much someone willing to work for minimum wage could get done. The last time I worked for minimum wage I was delivering newspapers in Jr. High. Now that I have my own business I spend a lot of time working for no pay. When I first started out being an operator of heavy equipment I would get replaced by the ones that were better all the time and now I am the better. I kept trying harder and learning - basically busting my butt.
 
Now that that's said, I was just wondering why the K.G.B. is going to ship its sludge from here to Washington? We are paying a sludge fee to get a plant at Ward Cove. Is that not right? Did you forget about this project? Why has it stopped? I thought that was a good idea, we could take all of Southeasterner's crap and charge them to possesses it. Do not tell us lies just to raise money so you big boys can keep paying yourselves the big salaries. 

I feel if times are tough and you're out of money, the big salaries should come down. It's not the small salaries of the workers that make much different. It's not the worker's fault you do not have any money left... it's yours - the manager's and mayor's and so on. You can not keep taking from us and not yourself. But then what do I know I only get paid what I go out and earn. I have thought about getting on the assembly but it's a lot of work for 200$ a meeting and no family life. So would any of you vote for me as mayor I have never made over a 100 grand a year so I could quit doing what I do and concentrate on the work that needs to be done.
 
Well I stirred up things again so I better quit. But like always it's just my opinion.

Robert McRoberts
Ketchikan, AK - USA

 

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