WITH student loans? The more loans, the more beholden people are to their employer. "I owe my soul to the company store..."

yep

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Jim

I've lived in OB since 76, just as many bikers gangs now as then. The bikers don't bug me much, it is the tweakers that suck.

You mentioned earlier that some employers in SD didn't value your east coast engineering degree. That is probably not the case, without that degree you would not have even been considered for the job. Most waiters and waitresses in San Diego have degrees, your degree did not set you apart from the crowd. The tech certs show that your knowledge is current and you make the effort to keep up to date. Hundreds of other applicants have degrees and certs, hiring managers have to eliminate people somehow, lack of certs is as good a reason as any and better than most.

Tech certs don't necessarily establish currency as much as establishing willingness to put up with mindless B.S.

I wasn't actually looking for a job in SD, but I was browsing listings and freelance work specifications out of curiosity. (If I wanted a job in the area, I have an in to a very small tech/engineering company that serves a narrow purpose and would be happy to hire me.)

As far as education level:
% people with BS degree in 5-borough NYC: 33.7%
% people with BS in San Diego County: 34.2%

Manhattan, NY: 57.7%
San Diego city: 41.0%

per: State and County QuickFacts
I'm not seeing a gigantic difference when you compare surrounding areas.

It would be interesting to see what the numbers are around here.

After joining the local papermill engineering department I asked the human resources lady how many resumes they received for the job and how many ppl they interviewed. She said they received many resumes and I was the only one they interviewed. Nothing speaks better than 30 years experience in my career field.

__________________
Jim

Talking to a guy who works in a local chemical plant and he said that it is really easy to manage the workforce these days. They point to the stack of hundreds of job applications and say "... and all of those applicants want your job if you want to go home".

He should watch it: it's a chemical plant. Should be easy enough to arrange an industrial accident for the dirtbag. He may spend the last few weeks of his life begging for mooooorphine after getting hydrofluoric acid burns on 90%.

Labor negotiation strategy: You might meet with an accident.

We are talking about institutionalized dirt baggism. You want the job? You one of their little *****es.

I speak with people across The US, and around the world every day.
From my perspective economic depression is the only possible word.
Even people who diligently scrimped and saved all their lives are suffering.

Common people today are forced to decide:
* Buy required medicine to live another month or make the house payment.
* Pay auto insurance or fill the fuel tank for work.
* Get health insurance (might have catastrophic illness) or lose your home because you can't afford both.
* Repair the car or buy food.
* Visit the dentist (for abscess) or pay the home heating / power bill.
* Put a new roof on the house or have hip surgery (so you can go back to work).
* Etc, etc, etc...

Just because you are not hurting, does not mean your neighbor is not in pain.


.

So true! Thanks Roy!

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[SIGPIC] Diesel loving autocrossing grandpa Architect. 08 Dodge 3/4 ton with Cummins & six speed; I have had about 35 benzes. I have a 39 Studebaker Coupe Express pickup in which I have had installed a 617 turbo and a five speed manual.[SIGPIC]

..I also have a 427 Cobra replica with an aluminum chassis.

The government should pay for it. Yeah, that's the ticket.... What could possibly go wrong with that idea?

U.S. National Debt Clock : Real Time
The Dismal Political Economist: Mismanagement and Incompetence Reign Supreme at the U. S. Postal Service

Wanna hear something that will make you angry?

I drive a lady and her kids (she's a friend of mine) somewhere once a week. She has three kids from two different men. Used to be in the AirForce before getting pregnant. Was given money to go to trade school a few years ago, aced every class. But after finishing and looking for a job she didn't want to be poor so she stayed on welfare.

She currently has a nicer townhouse than I do (owned by the state, rent free), gets welfare, food stamps and extra money for taking her kids in a taxi to school (even though they take the bus). She and her kids wear better clothing than I do. And she gets a new cell phone every other month (because she forgets to pay the bill).

At one point last year her daughter left something on and burnt the townhouse down. The state found her a new one the next day.


So compare me, a struggling engineer, paying his way and his wife's way through school, and this girl with three kids, no baby daddy and is living off of the state because she doesn't feel like being poor if she got a job.

Does our system really work this way?

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Onus probandi incumbit ei qui dicit, non ei qui negat

I recondition w123/w126/w124/w140/r107/r129/ steering boxes!


1984 300D "Elsa" odo reset 6/2011 147k
1983 300TD "Mitzi" ~268k OM603 powered
1995 E300 "Adelheid" 262k [Sold]

Maybe the diff is the unemployment rates?

"......you drive her somewhere once a week....."

Given the entirety of what you posted, your story doesn't seem to make sense........why would you drive her at all?