Text 23091, 132 rader
Skriven 2011-11-27 12:04:57 av Roy Witt (1:387/22)
  Kommentar till text 23082 av Nicholas Boel (2430.fidonews)
Ärende: See what I mean...
==========================
25 Nov 11 20:51, Nicholas Boel wrote to Roy Witt:

 >> Not here in Texas. What would take a California construction company 6
 >> to 8 months to finish, would take a Texas construction company at
 >> least 2, if not 3 years to do. One in particular began widening of a
 >> street here in town from 2 lanes to 4 lanes for about 1.5 to 2 miles
 >> with one existing bridge that was already 4 lanes wide. All they had
 >> to do was add a pedestrian walkway to the side of the bridge. That was
 >> over a year ago and their projection is late 2013 to finish it.

 NB> A bigger California construction company is probably union.

Considering the liberal politics of that state, no doubt.

 NB> Especially when it comes to major road work. In Texas, as well as a
 NB> majority of southern states, unions are very weak.. which is another
 NB> reason I can see non-union making the same if not more than union
 NB> there.

TXDOT, the Texas Department of Transportation awards those contracts
to the lowest bidder. I wouldn't do that because over the years I've
learned that the lowest bidder is not necessarily the best one for the
job. Too often the low bidder low-balled the bid just to get work and will
never be able to meet the contract progress or due dates. I always tended
to award to the next higher bidder. Especially if his bids are in the ball
park with the other bidders.

 >> As you may or may not know, gas stations have evolved over the years
 >> from self service to full service and back again. What was a full
 >> service entity when I was working in them (yes they/I checked your
 >> water, oil, hoses, belts and washed your windshield for free) are not
 >> a service anymore. Today they are money collectors at the point of
 >> sale where a tanker truck unloads their product for them. You get to
 >> do what they used to do, on your own time and also get to pay too much
 >> for their product.

 NB> Agreed. That and the fact that not many gas stations are realy owned
 NB> by true US citizens now, either. Seems as though foreigners buy 'em
 NB> up, cash out on them for a couple years, and then sell them to their
 NB> brother or son to do the same.

With Walmart leading the low prices for fuel, at least one of them is
American owned. A prime example of what you've been saying about non-union
low paying entities. Here, they lead the low price field in fuel and the
competition on the same corner has to comply with those low prices or go
under. I specifically don't buy there because there is a Exxon/Mobile gas
station owned by a local (Mexican side of town) and his prices are
normally lower than Walmart's by at least one penny, And surprise of all
surprises was last Wednesday when I had to drive up the freeway to San
Marcos and the TA truck stop at the top of the hill at the edge of town
had a 4 cent lower price than the Exxon/Mobile.

I've also seen stations like you're talking about and avoid those places
like the plague. At least Walmart displays oil at their stations that you
can buy, while the foreigners (usually Arabs) don't.

 >> Until he got senile in his old age, then he switched to Chrysler
 >> products, claiming they were more comfortable. As a mechanic, he
 >> didn't understand it when I told him that his choice of product had
 >> less brake surface area on a heavier vehicle than he was used to
 >> driving (Dodge Grand Caravan).

 NB> About 8 years ago I had a 1997 Dodge Ram 1500. After the gas guzzling
 NB> 5.9L went through 2 transmissions (covered by a powertrain warrantee
 NB> I purchased just because I had a wierd feeling), I got rid of it and
 NB> will never own a Dodge/Chrystler/Mopar anything again. :)

Heh...I said that when I got rid of my 1953 Dodge Red Ram hemi powered
D500 in 1960...replaced it with a 59 El Camino with a 283 that got 18mpg.

 >> I don't think so, my uncle was there in the 70s or early 80s. He went
 >> home and was complaining about it to my mother (his sister) who was
 >> still working for Micro.  She related his story to me...

 NB> Hmm. I thought Clinton has something to do with NAFTA. Maybe
 NB> continuing what was started previously.

Yeup.

Negotiations began on NAFTA in 1986, reps from all three countries met
here in San Antonio in 1992 (Prez GHW Bush was present) to sign the
agreement. It then went to each countries legislative bodies for
ratification.

Wikipedia:

"The the House of Representatives approved NAFTA on November 17, 1993, by
a vote of 234 to 200. The agreement's supporters included 132 Republicans
and 102 Democrats. NAFTA passed the Senate 61-38. Senate supporters were
34 Republicans and 27 Democrats. Clinton signed it into law on December 8,
1993; it went into effect on January 1, 1994."

Clinton while signing the NAFTA bill stated: "...NAFTA means jobs.
American jobs, and good-paying American jobs. If I didn't believe that, I
wouldn't support this agreement."

 >>  NB> See? Both sides of politics suck. :)

 >> Carter and Clinton...that's just one side. 8^)

 NB> Yeah well, everyone since Reagan has been pretty crappy, to be
 NB> honest.

I think so too.

 >> Meanwhile, my SS benefits have been frozen since the O'bama has taken
 >> office as Prez. SS benefit increases, if any, are based on a COL
 >> index, and according to the index, there hasn't been an increase in
 >> cost of living since 2008 and I won't see one again this year. Which
 >> is a joke, as just gasoline was less than $2.70/gal here before he
 >> took office, now it's over $3.10 after a high of $3.90 earlier this
 >> year.

 NB> But you DO remember it making it somewhere over $4 and $5 while Bush
 NB> was in office.

I also remember it dropping back to normal (under $3, even in California)
while Bush was in his first term.

 NB> They all are the same.. they just preach a different line of BS.

None of as much as the O'bama. I no longer pay any attention to him
because he is such a liar.


                R\%/itt


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