Baltimore bridge collapse

[LBrandt]

Finding people to work at all is very difficult. Our company has been looking for all kinds of jobs for the last 2-3 years and we offer good wages and benefits. Most people applying don't even return phone calls or show up for interviews. It's like they are only applying to prove they are attempting to find a job.

SO TRUE. LB

 

[LBrandt]

Cripps I get minimum 80hrs every two weeks, average is probably 90hrs and busy season not uncommon to be 100-115hrs just depends. I have actually tried to cut back some so that I can spend time with my kids. I often think about trying to pick up some side money but think at what cost and what am I giving up now days. I make a comfortable amount to live on, can pay my bills and daily expenses throughout the month and most anything that pops up or the family needs. When I was younger and single or dating I pretty much worked 55-60hr weeks, worked on the road a lot at 5 days on 2 off, many 10days on 4 days off, a summer of 3 weeks on 1 week off. When school loans came due I paid them all off, eventually could by myself a 2yr old used 2004 dodge 3/4 for pulling and farm use, then got a 32' flatbed, restored some old tractors, at 25yr old bought a house. When I still worked out of town we had a heck of a time with interns because they were upset because they missed their friends or were missing a party, most of them were only 2-3yrs younger than me. Mommy and Daddy had coddled them too much in my opinion.

Its like the Umbilical cord and the tit nipple never got cut or taken away,. LB

 

[lunkerslayer]

The real problem with busting ass is that the more hours you work the more taxes you pay in. Over 50 hrs a week its basically 1:1, they take out for taxes, then turn around and give it to people who don't want to work or to another country. That's why the left is pushing for immigration even if it means that they come here illegally because they have nothing left to lose and will be the most loyal to the ones who give them a life they could only dream about in their native country. And the worst part is the ones who are working a steady job, just want to be left alone so they can keep paying in those taxes to the government who turns around and gives it to people who don't want to work. Insanity

 

[Obi-Wan]

Or if they are hired show up late can’t do anything they said they can. Thing is people think the h2b visa program is cheap labor it’s not you have to pay them a minimum which if I remember right for a common labor is 23 ish an hour then provide housing along with other benefits. The competition just to get those guys to work they won’t accept jobs that are at the bottom of the pay scale unless it is their first year here. If a kid had any ambition and learned how to pour residential concrete they could be a millionaire in short order working 7 months out of the year around here.

I think your comment of ( residential concrete they could be a millionaire in short order ) is a bit of a stretch. at what age did you become a millionaire ?

 

[Kurtr]

I think your comment of ( residential concrete they could be a millionaire in short order ) is a bit of a stretch. at what age did you become a millionaire ?

Considering i dont pour concrete and have worked for the dot paid $10.25 an hour and then testing asphalt and now on the supply side i didnt make near what they could right now. But i would say around 40 ish going back and looking at my ss report. They are getting around 20.00 a square foot for flat work around her and the one guy that still does it is 7 plus months out if you want to get on the schedule and he works at a medium pace. It would not take to many shops that the farmers are all putting up to get there and its about as easy as it is. No specs just set it up pour and finish and your done. It goes to the fact there is huge opportunity if some one wants to take advantage of it. How much experience do you have with the concrete around Mobridge and the surrounding areas to even have a clue?

 

[Rowdie]

It pisses me off that those that work OT have to pay a higher %rate in taxes. I've always believed that they should be less not more. Say two average tax payers that earn the same annual wage (say $100,000), If one guy has to work 50 hours every week to earn that and the other 40 hours, the guy working 50 hours should get a tax break.

 

[CAH]

devil’s advocate here….

Maybe the younger generation is seeing that working harder/more hours doesn’t get them further ahead? Living frugally and having more family time/life experiences could be more fulfilling than bragging about how many hours you can work in a week. Life is short. Make the most of it with family

 

[NDSportsman]

devil’s advocate here….

Maybe the younger generation is seeing that working harder/more hours doesn’t get them further ahead? Living frugally and having more family time/life experiences could be more fulfilling than bragging about how many hours you can work in a week. Life is short. Make the most of it with family

That isn't the case here either. We've gone from 50-60 hour weeks to just 4 10 hour days and 3 day weekends and they still don't want to show up and work!

 

[Skeeter]

devil’s advocate here….

Maybe the younger generation is seeing that working harder/more hours doesn’t get them further ahead? Living frugally and having more family time/life experiences could be more fulfilling than bragging about how many hours you can work in a week. Life is short. Make the most of it with family

Had a 19 year kid got hired full time as a welder making $120,000 a year. He quit after 2 months because he didn’t like working 2 weekends a month. If this kid would’ve invested smart and stuck it out he could’ve retired in 25 years and had 25 or 30 years to enjoy life. I started pretty late in life at the mine and won’t be able to retire until at least 65. I’m hoping to have $1.5 to retire on but not sure if I’ll get that.

 

[Obi-Wan]

Considering i dont pour concrete and have worked for the dot paid $10.25 an hour and then testing asphalt and now on the supply side i didnt make near what they could right now. But i would say around 40 ish going back and looking at my ss report. They are getting around 20.00 a square foot for flat work around her and the one guy that still does it is 7 plus months out if you want to get on the schedule and he works at a medium pace. It would not take to many shops that the farmers are all putting up to get there and its about as easy as it is. No specs just set it up pour and finish and your done. It goes to the fact there is huge opportunity if some one wants to take advantage of it. How much experience do you have with the concrete around Mobridge and the surrounding areas to even have a clue?

Zero experience in the Mobridge area but do have 39 plus years in the Bismarck area and I can guarantee you nobody is getting $ 20.00 sq ft for flat work around here. It might get close with colored and stamped concrete or very small jobs. Our cost for 4000 psi concrete right now is $ 155.00/yd so 4" thick that would be just shy of $2.00/sq ft for the concrete

 

[luvcatchingbass]

Considering i dont pour concrete and have worked for the dot paid $10.25 an hour and then testing asphalt and now on the supply side i didnt make near what they could right now. But i would say around 40 ish going back and looking at my ss report. They are getting around 20.00 a square foot for flat work around her and the one guy that still does it is 7 plus months out if you want to get on the schedule and he works at a medium pace. It would not take to many shops that the farmers are all putting up to get there and its about as easy as it is. No specs just set it up pour and finish and your done. It goes to the fact there is huge opportunity if some one wants to take advantage of it. How much experience do you have with the concrete around Mobridge and the surrounding areas to even have a clue?

I'm just starting up a couple new to me customers and they already have 120,000+ sq ft of conc to pour in the Grand Forks surrounding area. They are two smaller companies that work with each other a lot, there is a reason they are investing in technology vs trying to hire more people because they can't get the people. So they invest in technology and pay their good help and the technology is supposed to help make some of their job easier and more efficient. Not sure if a guy could be a millionaire over night but with a good work ethic and if you can kick out quality work you will be able to make a nice living in theory, just need to be able to afford the right equipment for the job types you are doing. Me personally I couldn't do it at this stage in my life. I haven't heard what concrete prices are projected at up here but hear they were going to be going up from last year.

 

[eyecatcher]

It pisses me off that those that work OT have to pay a higher %rate in taxes. I've always believed that they should be less not more. Say two average tax payers that earn the same annual wage (say $100,000), If one guy has to work 50 hours every week to earn that and the other 40 hours, the guy working 50 hours should get a tax break.

Taxes are calculated on annual income. Not per pay check.

 

[johnr]

Taxes are calculated on annual income. Not per pay check.

I am paid on 3 checks a month, two regular pay checks, and a "bonus" check which is taxed at a 10% higher rate.

 

[Rowdie]

Taxes are calculated on annual income. Not per pay check.

Yes I realize that. BUT I wish the guy who has to work 50 hours per week would be taxed less than the guy who makes the same money annually but only works 40.

 

[wslayer]

It pisses me off that those that work OT have to pay a higher %rate in taxes. I've always believed that they should be less not more. Say two average tax payers that earn the same annual wage (say $100,000), If one guy has to work 50 hours every week to earn that and the other 40 hours, the guy working 50 hours should get a tax break.

Or a different job

 

[lunkerslayer]

Yes I realize that. BUT I wish the guy who has to work 50 hours per week would be taxed less than the guy who makes the same money annually but only works 40.

There's actually an easy fix to this problem and many unions through out this country were able to get around this tax problem by paying overtime after 8 hours per day rather then the traditional 40. Another possibility is being considered and that is lower the required hours to receive overtime. The former example would be my choice if one was to pick a way to stick it to the government, when it came to taxing my hourly wages.

 

[svnmag]

Or if they are hired show up late can’t do anything they said they can. Thing is people think the h2b visa program is cheap labor it’s not you have to pay them a minimum which if I remember right for a common labor is 23 ish an hour then provide housing along with other benefits. The competition just to get those guys to work they won’t accept jobs that are at the bottom of the pay scale unless it is their first year here. If a kid had any ambition and learned how to pour residential concrete they could be a millionaire in short order working 7 months out of the year around here.

Until the govt found out he was becoming successful and independent without it's programs. Lord forbid he divests in "Real" estate.

 

[svnmag]

 

[Sum1]

I just hope my pack of ten Chinese fishing lures I ordered for $2 wasn’t on that ship.

 

[svnmag]

I just hope my pack of ten Chinese fishing lures I ordered for $2 wasn’t on that ship.

No shit.