Son of God, Husband to a beautiful lady, proud father of two sons and a daughter, all American Union Ironworker. Coming into my own on where I stand in my family, in my craft, and in my country.
"Something's wrong with a country that helps the rich get richer while most Americans get the squeeze," Andy Stern - author of A Country That Works Everyone has heard, and many of us have said, "the rich keep getting richer, and the poor keep getting poorer." "The middle class is diminishing." Inequality
Did you know that after WWII, from 1947 - 1979, the bottom 20 percent of American family incomes doubled, and so did the top 20 percent. That means every one benefited as the economy grew. From 1979 - 2003, the top 1 percent of wage earners saw his after tax income increase by 129 percent. But the bottom 20 percent is still stuck in 1979 - their average income only rose by 4 percent. That's unacceptable, don't you agree? And it's not getting better. As many woman filed for bankruptcy in 2005 than graduated from college. The median income for nonelderly households fell $2,572 from 2000 to 2004, a drop of 4.8 percent. Median pay for CEOs of the top hundred largest companies rose 25 percent from 2004 - 2005. The typical American worker's pay increased only 3 percent. How in the hell are we going to survive in this economy when we are making less money, and spending more?? EVERYTHING COSTS MORE! Yesterday, I spent $7.23 for a gallon of milk and hazelnut creamer, for my wife's coffee. Now, granted, I probably would have saved over a dollar if I would have driven to Wegmans rather than a quick stop, but it's no secret that I would have spent the difference in my gas tank. Who's idea was this?? What about someone who makes less than I do? How do they do it? I make pretty good money! But milk, creamer, and gas are gonna kill me! Or is it that I have too many dvd players in my home? I have 2! And one of them works only 1/2 the time. What is a "working man" to do? Do I not work hard enough as a Union Iron worker? Every time I climb a column, walk out on a beam I have no business being on, fill my bolt bags full of 3/4 inch bolts, leave my family to travel 1/2 way across the country for overtime, etc., I tell my self I should have been a gym teacher! But a gym teacher doesn't make what I made last year! Seriously, did I need to be a doctor or lawyer or politician to afford these things?? I need to think not! Yet, Americans still will vote for a candidate who's campaign is to convince us that it's better for us to not "spread the money around," maybe even my own wife! Americans still will refrain from joining unions that sacrifice every day in order to achieve better wages and conditions for everyone! Americans still will buy products and services from overseas, eliminating thousands of jobs by the minute! Americans still will not take a proactive approach on immigration in this country, eliminating thousands of jobs by the minute! Americans still will spend billions on a war so that we can buy oil and not have look at that "annoying flickering light" on the top of windmills!
I DON'T GET IT!
People say, "never talk politics or religion." Well, I'll leave religion out of it, but as far as politics goes, what's not to talk about? What is there to argue about?? It's time we take our lives back America! Not only for our own sakes, but for our childrens sake! Ben Stein wrote in The New York Times: " This is a country at war. For men who are already billionaires to look for more billions by firing hard-working middle-class employees or demanding they take a pay cut is not the kind of thing that unites a nation." Let's get our heads out of our ASSES America! Make the right choice on Tuesday!
Hello my friends. Let me take a minute, or a post, to start over and let all of you (all 7 of you) know why I've asked you to "check it out". After all, unless you accidentally pushed a wrong key, or passed by a million other blogs in your search for "wind turbine opposition," you are likely either a loved family member, or a close friend. Regardless, your taking time out of your busy day to read what I have to say; I won't take it lightly.
So lets make a deal!
If you promise to try to be interested in all the things that are pissing me off, enough to check in as often as your lifestyle allows you, I'll promise to stay pissed off until either the pot boils over on the issue at hand, or it doesn't matter anymore because the circumstances have changed. (or I have to take the kids on a hike or bounce them on the trampoline or cook and clean), just kidding honey!
Deal? .........Good! Thank you.
There is a catch.....You have to put up with my iron worker style run on sentences and occasional improper use of grammar, just to name a couple. My 13 year "in the front door, and out the back" approach to education wasn't the brightest idea I ever had. Thank God for spell check! Hopefully, with your feed back and my being pissed, it serves me well enough to provide a great resource for all of us; making the differences that we are willing to take the time to make.
So subscribe to my blog; this way you"ll be notified via e-mail, so I'm told, every time I post. And let me know if you have something you want me to blog about. Let's work together. Feel free to let me know of any trouble your having "checking it out;" I'll include your questions with my 1,000,000 per day questions to my wife, Jen. Thanks honey!
stay tuned for a day or 2 while I get my thoughts in order for my next post.
In the past two years, I've erected upwards of 250 turbines in Upstate and Western NY. Talk about an "economic stimulus!" Since the work on windmills I've climbed out of an unaffordable mortgage, payed off most of my debt, bought a new family minivan, finally am paying my monthly dues on time, bought a new computer, afforded to take my 9 yr old to one of the final NY Yankee Stadium home games, spent nearly $17,000 in my gas tank commuting to work, etc. etc. And I'm only one out of hundreds of men that have contributed back to our economy as we do in our times of feast. Not to mention all the taxes we've paid on those 70 and 80plus hour pay checks.
Currently, there are two considerably large wind turbine projects (both within my reach) that are on hold due to "opposition." I keep hearing, "save our mountains", "eye sore." They think turbines "create noise" and "annoying" flickers of light."(Give me a break!) "They will kill birds and bats." "Wind turbines consume more energy during manufacture than they produce over their lifetime."(NOT TRUE)! A typical wind turbine will actually deliver 80 times the energy used during construction over its 20-year lifetime, and there is no waste or pollution involved during its operation or cleanup, unlike a coal or nuclear plant.
Click on any photo to enlarge.
The more I surf the net, the more aggravated I get. I just can't get over the misleading information that "the opposers" will put out there. It has me up at 3am (unchallenged computer time for family of 5) discerning what I have learned (1st hand), (with my own hands), from the myths that the opposition puts on the table as the only legs they have to stand on. I don't mean to seem insensitive to you sightseers and hikers and preservists ~ I love to go sightseeing, I hike with my kids ALL the time, and naturally I teach them about preservation. But the fact is, everything bad "they" can come up with about wind turbines is a far stretch to reality, and some of it isn't even true. In all fairness, the appearance of these oddly large, deafening, wildlife murderers is purely a matter of opinion ~ as is our patriotic, economic, and environmental responsibility, I guess. But at least, have the right information, and be responsible! Watch the WHOLE video.
There are roughly 65 wind projects in development in New York and about eight already operating, mainly in the Southern Tier, Finger Lakes and North Country regions. The state plans to have online about 1,000 megawatts of wind power - enough to potentially power about 800,000 homes - by year's end.
Most concerned Americans are being bombarded with media every day, about the state of the economic/energy crisis we are in. Wind works! And provides work! Now, I wait... and hope.. and pinch pennies. That's good for the economy? Are they really even an eyesore? Is the Hoover Dam an eyesore?Everyone wants alternative energy, but no one wants it where they have to see it. I think they're a sight to see. GET WITH IT AMERICANS! Let me know what you think.
