Forever a fan,

Gary

First I should mention that I’ve liked some of the things you’ve written in the past, although we don’t agree on other things. I also agree that a university education is not for everyone. People have different interests and aptitudes. It totally makes sense that some will opt for a tech college, apprenticeship, or on-the-job training. The important thing is to have opportunity and to maintain a strong university system. America is experiencing increasing competition from other countries in jobs, health and education. While the economic crash hurt many places worse than the US, we can’t count on that fact to sustain us in the future. What is very real is the growing gap between rich and poor. One way or another, our politicians need to make decisions which increase employment, especially jobs that pay decently, have benefits and are not so likely to disappear. At times, workers are almost nomadic as they trudge across the country trying to find a job which is semi-permanent.

As for Governor Walker, I was until recently a Wisconsin resident and have paid attention to Walker’s decisions and actions. He has serious trouble behaving in an ethical way. I don’t say that because we have different beliefs. It is shown in the double talking and back room dealing of his administration. I wish he would argue practical matters directly with his opponents and encourage his supporters to do the same. Instead, we get partisan bickering. So… it won’t be fun for me to see whether Walker knocks it out of the park. That’s politics and public opinion. I’d rather he got down to governing by sound principle and speaking straight. There will still be differences in opinion, but more people will have jobs, and the dialogue will be a heck of a lot better.

You are going to have a loss of employment and employers are going to replace labor with capital (machines) when you raise the minimum wage. That is impossible to avoid.

I couldn’t agree with you more. I dropped out of college after1 year and a few years later ended up in the Carpenters Union Apprenticeship program. This happened in 1978. Since then
I was able to hone my skills and ended up being a foreman, jobsite safety
coordinator and job site superintendent. Then I was afforded the opportunity to
be an instructor within the apprenticeship program. I did have to go back to
college for 2 courses so I had the skills to teach adults. I taught fulltime for 8 years and after what consider a great career in the construction industry in the Puget Sound region of
Washington state, I was able to retire at 57 1/2.
I still work for my previous employer conducting outreach events at high schools and career fairs throughout the Northwest on a part-time basis, because I know the importance of what a good career can be and all without a college degree.

Thanks for the work you do in promoting the need to provide young adults alternatives to the
“everyone must go to college” mentality we are constantly bombarded
with here in the USA. All one has to do is look at Germany and their
educational system and see also that their unemployment rate has been far
better than ours over the past 15 years.

Keep up the good work,

Paul

The problem isn’t the amount of the minimum wage. Rather, the problem is that minimum wage (or near-minimum wage) work has become the norm not just for high school students working after school at the movie theater, but for adult workers who might spend years earning it while trying to support a family with little realistic possibility for advancement in their careers.

There are some people who are too poor to spare even a dollar. And before you mention being online, that can be done for free at a local library. Even with a full time job, my bank account is in the negative and I have many past due medical bills in collections thanks to having had cancer. And with no money for repairs, my house is crumbling down around me. So technically, I can’t afford to donate a penny, let a lone a dollar. Not everyone can be as affluent as you. Maybe its you who should stop and –Think–

Just come out and say its a union thing for you. I’d respect your opinion more than the lies about how they already buy that much.