Re: OT-Gasoline Prices & other trivia


"The Lone Haranguer" <linusz@xxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:BW2Xe.11416$bs4.20526148@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> > ago there were 17 workers and not a one could speak English.
>
> Did you ask to see their Green Cards?
I didn't say they were illegals. There are a lot of them Green card types
too.
>
> Private contractor or working on the city payroll? Both need Green Cards.
The card thing is pretty hard to control. Contractors pick up the workers
on day to day jobs and pay in cash.

Those roofing guys worked their butts off. It was blazing hot on top of the
roof and I hardly saw them take a break. I don't really agree that they are
taking jobs that Americans don't want. The thing is they are willing to do
more hard work than most Americans for less pay. We would have to pay more
for most everything without them.

Another example, a fellow I know who has a back hoe had to dig a trench
about 10 feet long and six feet deep. Instead of bringing the back hoe over
he hired a Mexican to dig it with a shovel.

> Here they hire young kids because they can understand English. I
> worked construction when I was 15, working for a cement contractor
> building sidewalks. Also at 17 before I joined the Air Force. I
> didn't see any big strong adults doing work I wasn't asked to do.
Sure I did things like that too. During the war I was able to get a
chauffeurs license at age 15 so I could drive trucks. It was restricted. I
couldn't drive a cab or bus. Lots of my buddies worked on the railroad
section crews.

Here it is getting to where one of the best qualifications is to be able to
speak both English and Spanish.

My son was working part time for a law firm in Baltimore. They had about 75
lawyers. They called my son back in during the school year to help with a
case where much of the documentation was in Spanish. With 75 eastern
Lawyers, not a one of them knew Spanish. They probably knew French and
Latin. They had to bring in this south-western kid to help them out. I
thought if they knew Italian they might be able to get by.

When my son was laying foundations he was working with a close buddy who was
half Japanese. Someone kidded his friend that what they were doing was
Mexican labor. His buddy replied "I can pass". Gee, that was about 30
years ago.

Hardest job I had I think was working in the harvest fields one year. No
combines in those days. Cut the wheat and shock it. The bundles got
heavier and heavier as the day wore on. Convinced me I did not want to be
a farmer.

> > The phone company announced last week that the yellow pages will now be
> > produced in Spanish (For our Spanish Speaking citizens).
> >
> I see another Quebec situation fast approaching.
A local columinst said that it should be a requirement for police to speak
Spanish and her exact words were "so they can communicate with our Spanish
Speaking Citizens". I guess I have always had the mistaken understanding
that to become a citizen it was a requirement to have a working knowledge of
English.



> LZ


.