Protecting jobs.

[Towel_Rail]

Originally Posted By: andyd
If the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor tomorrow, the US doesnt have the bottoms available to transport materiel, let alone the ship yards or the personel to build anything. We've become a nation of hamburger flippers and cube rats.


Your argument only holds water if people can't learn new skills. Last I checked, no one was born knowing how to weld or do machine work. As a so-called "cube rat" I am HIGHLY offended at your insinuation that I am either incapable or unwilling to pick up new skills in a time of crisis. For that matter, what makes you think a burger-flipper couldn't pick up the welding torch and be productive in other areas?

If you're going to complain about our young people, you ought to meet a few first.

 

[oilyriser]

Originally Posted By: Shannow
Coming soon to a house near you
http://www.fairtrading.nsw.gov.au/shopping/safeproducts/electricalsafety.html

Quote:
By law any electrical installation work must be done by a licensed electrician. They must test the work and give you a uniquely numbered Certificate of Compliance Electrical Work to show it has been tested and ensure it complies with the regulations.


Not California, but we get to try new laws first.



Time to switch everything to 24Vac!

 

[VeeDubb]

Here is a timely read on the subject:

http://finance.yahoo.com/expert/article/economist/63874;_ylt=Aj6bxICmizpisrCAwU5RC9.7YWsA

The author's punchline is that we should create skills through education, particularly at an early age, not go into protectionism mode (which is just a disguised form of welfare).

 

[rn2fine]

I do believe that for the most part the American people are responsible for the loss of most manufacturing jobs in the USA. Americans are the biggest consumers in the world when it comes to most goods and they speak to the issue when they spend their dollars. They send a very clear message everyday when they go to the store and buy gobs of imported goods, most from China.

 

[TooManyWheels]

Originally Posted By: VeeDubb

The author's punchline is that we should create skills through education, particularly at an early age,


Of course. If you are going to farm out categories of jobs then you need something to replace them with. I have no problem with outsourcing per se, but with the fact that we are doing little on the leading edge to offset it.

 

[2002 Maxima SE]

Originally Posted By: Towel_Rail
Originally Posted By: andyd
If the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor tomorrow, the US doesnt have the bottoms available to transport materiel, let alone the ship yards or the personel to build anything. We've become a nation of hamburger flippers and cube rats.


Your argument only holds water if people can't learn new skills. Last I checked, no one was born knowing how to weld or do machine work. As a so-called "cube rat" I am HIGHLY offended at your insinuation that I am either incapable or unwilling to pick up new skills in a time of crisis. For that matter, what makes you think a burger-flipper couldn't pick up the welding torch and be productive in other areas?

If you're going to complain about our young people, you ought to meet a few first.


Also a cube rat here...I think part of the problem is that the american corporation is more involved/motivated in training/benefitting the offshore/temporary resource while idleing the full-time US employee with support type tasks.

 

[Kestas]

True. Our company is closing plants in the US and moving all the manufacturing equipment to Mexico.

The only reason I have a job is so we can 'police' the manufacturing at our tech center.

It took me six years of difficult schooling to achieve the highly specialized training that I have, and that the manufacturing industry no longer wants or needs. I don't think I can spend that kind of time again to retrain myself. Any other career for me would certainly be a step down.

 

[oilyriser]

It takes more than five years of experience to learn how to invent the scramjet, neodymium magnets, or supercavitating torpedoes. But one could possibly do another Manhattan Project, and import scientists and engineers from around the world, if they are still available.

 

[alreadygone]

"If the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor tomorrow, "


That'd sure be a first!!


Bob

 

[Gary Allan]

Originally Posted By: alreadygone
"If the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor tomorrow, "


That'd sure be a first!!


Bob


Back to the Future:

Who's the president?

Ronald Reagan.

 

[Win]

Originally Posted By: alreadygone
"If the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor tomorrow, "



Bluto Blutarsky? Circa 1978?

 

[andyd]

Originally Posted By: Win
Originally Posted By: alreadygone
"If the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor tomorrow, "



Bluto Blutarsky? Circa 1978?
YUP, My point was that skilled workers should be regarded as a strategic resource. Just as ships and other pieces of infra-structure that have been allowed to deteriorate should be. At last count, there are something like 600 naval ships protecting less than 300 US flagged vessels. Other than shipyards devoted to naval work, I dont think there is a single shipyard on the East Coast capable of building a ship from scratch. Or even the steel making capacity to supply the steel. . Its kinda scary. That sort of infra structure doesnt get made overnight, nor do the skills needed to man them. I hope WWIII gets fought with 1s and 0s

 

[oilyriser]

Don't worry, we can always hire the Red Army to defend us. They'll probably cost much less, too.

 

[crinkles]

Originally Posted By: Shannow
Coming soon to a house near you
http://www.fairtrading.nsw.gov.au/shopping/safeproducts/electricalsafety.html

Quote:
By law any electrical installation work must be done by a licensed electrician. They must test the work and give you a uniquely numbered Certificate of Compliance Electrical Work to show it has been tested and ensure it complies with the regulations.


Not California, but we get to try new laws first.



Would you be able to do it yourself and just have the inspection done?

I am still nervous chaning the oil on my car... done it 4 times though so I should settle down

 

[Shannow]

crinkles,
the electrician certifying your "mods" is re-certifying the whole house with his cert, including any and all works on the house.

They aren't interested in certifying work that they didn't do, as they've not made any (real) money off it (nor added to their GST input tax credits).

I know electricians who have refused to add a power point to a house due to the dodgy stuff that has gone on before.

 

[oilyriser]

They're rolling out the new safety standards in Canada, so that every moving part on all machines must have a guard around it, including the guards, if they are movable and can cause injury. And it all has to be safety interlocked, so that the machine cannot run without the guard in place. Ultimately I think cars will have to be made so the engine cannot run when the hood is open.

 

[Kestas]

Aren't permits/inspections easily dodged? As long as the work is done to code, it doesn't matter who does it and nobody really needs to know.

When I did my own reroof (including tearoff and redecking), I asked the experts on roofing.com about permits. They shrugged it off, calling it another form of taxation. They even said a lot of contractors don't bother pulling permits.

I imagine permits would only come to question if there was a disaster traced to work that was not done to code.