07-01-2008, 03:34 AM
Let's assume that the mass migration of people who cannot make a living here continues.
Let's assume two years from now we get a hurricane, and a fair number of new houses down the hill get torn to bits.
Would you all feel it to be fair and just for labor in that environment of need to be charging "the going rate?" Or would many of you feel that price gouging to be "taking advantage" of people in a desperate situation?
Be careful, there's not only a moral concern but a sensible selfish one here too. In the affluent boomer enclaves of Sausalito, or Tiberon, or San Rafael, for example, where I had my last boat moored for about a year, you couldn't get anybody to wash your car for under a 100 bucks. I'm not kidding, that that's because no one of working class can afford to live within 80 miles. That sort of situation is a long ways away here, but as many capitalize on near 3rd world levels of education and resources on a community level, this sort of trend can only advance and could escalate.
As for the wages I pay, I'm able to afford that on the modest income I generate by living proportionately modest, having very few large projects that would require outside labor, and, well, I don't take vacations to Thailand. Not to bust anyone here too much, and we all must make our deal with the devil, and there's a whole lot of ways to wiggle the issue, but paying people well communicates respect in any culture and in any language, and if anything, is the utter backbone of any meaning improvement in quality of life.
I think there is a flip side of the issue too. Having done a lot of construction, woodworking, etc., what I find myself gravitating and doing more and more is what I call the "handiman" sort of work. There is a real need for people of comprehensive skills that can, say, replace a hot water heater for a sensible amount of money. While many people I work for are of sensible means, it's not rare to encounter people who are in desperate situations, for example, an elderly couple who need a hot water heater. In no way is it of any sort of "community value" to bust people in that situation the "going rate." One can afford that sort of give-away labor by the same sort of lifestyle that allows me to pay good living wages to those I might hire. I'm not compelled to drive the 50000 dollar diesel super cab truck to prove I build things, I don't need 3 cell phones, and again, I live very modestly. There is a community spirit in that as well, and one that serves me pretty well, I think.
It cuts both ways, for sure.
Let's assume two years from now we get a hurricane, and a fair number of new houses down the hill get torn to bits.
Would you all feel it to be fair and just for labor in that environment of need to be charging "the going rate?" Or would many of you feel that price gouging to be "taking advantage" of people in a desperate situation?
Be careful, there's not only a moral concern but a sensible selfish one here too. In the affluent boomer enclaves of Sausalito, or Tiberon, or San Rafael, for example, where I had my last boat moored for about a year, you couldn't get anybody to wash your car for under a 100 bucks. I'm not kidding, that that's because no one of working class can afford to live within 80 miles. That sort of situation is a long ways away here, but as many capitalize on near 3rd world levels of education and resources on a community level, this sort of trend can only advance and could escalate.
As for the wages I pay, I'm able to afford that on the modest income I generate by living proportionately modest, having very few large projects that would require outside labor, and, well, I don't take vacations to Thailand. Not to bust anyone here too much, and we all must make our deal with the devil, and there's a whole lot of ways to wiggle the issue, but paying people well communicates respect in any culture and in any language, and if anything, is the utter backbone of any meaning improvement in quality of life.
I think there is a flip side of the issue too. Having done a lot of construction, woodworking, etc., what I find myself gravitating and doing more and more is what I call the "handiman" sort of work. There is a real need for people of comprehensive skills that can, say, replace a hot water heater for a sensible amount of money. While many people I work for are of sensible means, it's not rare to encounter people who are in desperate situations, for example, an elderly couple who need a hot water heater. In no way is it of any sort of "community value" to bust people in that situation the "going rate." One can afford that sort of give-away labor by the same sort of lifestyle that allows me to pay good living wages to those I might hire. I'm not compelled to drive the 50000 dollar diesel super cab truck to prove I build things, I don't need 3 cell phones, and again, I live very modestly. There is a community spirit in that as well, and one that serves me pretty well, I think.
It cuts both ways, for sure.