On Wed, 17 Sep 2003 19:31:37 -0700, Cuyler Page <[log in to unmask]> wrote:

>> I might be inclined to suggest that a
>> guy who works for a government agency may not fully appreciate these
>> concerns,

>The
>government Manager (daydreamer) was puzzled and almost too embarrassed to
>take the plan forward to the Heritage Trust Board for approval,
saying "But,
>where is your vacation time?  It just doesn't look right in the plan that
>you don't have any vacation time."
>
>For me as a private business, vacation meant no income.   For him, he could
>not comprehend any other work/life style than the government one he had
done
>since college graduation 30 years before.

hey all, I would like to suggest that the current business model which
applauds working like an animal without vacations or going to the doctor,
or seeing your kids grow up (unless they are laboring for you when they're
not in school) or any other thing that might be construed as sitting down
on the job until you're old enough and established enough that you can kick
back and hire some other people to work like animals without vacations, is
sick.

Furthermore, unless you are in a niche, the bidding process, pitting one
little company against another  for construction work, is messed up. If
there are 10 of us bidding a job, and only one doesn't provide vacation
time, health care, sick days, etc for his/her self or employees, then NONE
of us can. Oh sure, there will be the customers willing to pay the
conscientious contractor a little higher price -- for a while -- but
eventually, the larger market will sink to the lowest common denominator
until everyone is so worked out, sick, broke, or dead, that someone (union,
government) has to step in and regulate it. Again.

Having been on both sides of the desk, I have to say that I think the
illusion of choice for the smaller businessperson is largely a myth. There
is an old joke about being self employed goes like this: Hey, I'm finally
in business for myself, and I only have to work half time! And the best
part is, flexible hours -- I get to _choose_ which twelve hours a day!  ;)

deb "call me a commie or whatever you want, I don't care and name calling
doesn't solve the problem anyway LOL" bledsoe


required reading: recent NYT magazine articles on Happiness (Gertner 9-7-
2003), and Taxes (Krugman 9-14-2003)

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