Freeball,Freeballinginawetsuit said:Well I've got a mate who has a degree as well, but now he's at Murin Murin as the H&S staffy on FIFO and raping it in. Whats youre point?.....you can't always have youre cake and eat it!.
Sure their not really his skills but who cares. Its a bit like the arguement of some wheat and sheep farmers,making no money but not prepared to change their ways......., doh.
wayneL said:In principle I strongly agree, in the real world, things can be very different as I detailed in the above post. In the real world, folks may have extraneous circumstances which can prevent them moving to greener pastures. (family considerations, intellect, physicality, race, disability etc etc etc)
For instance, I was injured in my last occupation that makes any sort of real physical work impossible, and I've always worked in very physical roles. I'm just lucky enough that my brain works in a way that makes other things possible.
Agreed about what happens when wealth becomes too concentrated. I think it was Henry Ford who noted that the best way to boost his (at that time) new business manufacturing cars was to double the pay of every worker. That way the workers could all afford to buy one of the company's cars and in doing so created pressure on other employers to also raise wages such that their employees could also afford to buy one. I would be hard to argue that his strategy was anything other than brilliantly successful.coyotte said:Could the first one 1988 have had anything to do with Bob Hawke's betrayal to the union movement, hence setting the scence for lower wages and conditions for employees ---- hence lower building costs -- with lower relative building costs the only way out was increased land values.
The second one 200? when these changes started to take effect, with falling relative building costs the only way out was again to increase land values.
With John Howard's new industrial laws the same cycle is now inevitable.
Also interesting that the three nations involved in the Iraq slaughter are the same three nations where land values have skyrocketed --- govt passing on debt to the public sector? --- apparently none of this has occured in Europe.
Used to be a economic theory that as the wealth of a nation becomes concertrated the outcome is always recession and possible depression.
Looks like Keating may have been right "Banana Republic" here we come.
Cheers
One thing I've noticed over the past couple of years is a marked decline in the general willingness of people to take on additional work, for example paid overtime.Freeballinginawetsuit said:If you have skills or a work ethic that employers seek (and their are plenty seeking ATM) youre in a good market to be remunerated accordingly.....simple supply/demand scenario.
wayneL said:Don't be too hard hearted because you're doing well.
Cheers
Julia said:That's a really good reminder to us all. When we are doing OK, we can so easily assume a sense of superiority and be critical of others who are still finding their way.
Thanks, Wayne.
Julia
Smurf1976 said:Agreed about what happens when wealth becomes too concentrated. I think it was Henry Ford who noted that the best way to boost his (at that time) new business manufacturing cars was to double the pay of every worker. That way the workers could all afford to buy one of the company's cars and in doing so created pressure on other employers to also raise wages such that their employees could also afford to buy one. I would be hard to argue that his strategy was anything other than brilliantly successful.
As for housing, I'd like to know why, exactly, the building industry (land clearing through to house completion) has collectively become so much LESS efficient in recent years.
A decade ago 3 years wages bought a generic house in the suburbs. Something that, in the outer suburbs at least, can be pumped out just like cars out of a factory. And yet today it takes 6 - 7 years wages to buy an idendical house.
Someone, somewhere, seems to be making an incredibly large profit out of all of this. Nothing "wrong" with that but I'd be interested to know why, exactly, the cost of building has increased so much more than the price of virtually anything else.
I suspect all those "economic rationalism" outsourcings and privatisations of the 1990's has a lot to do with it. Government and the bigger companies traditionally turned out thousands of apprentices nationally each year. But it just doesn't happen on that scale anymore with the focus on minimising cost no matter what the consequences. Hence not enough builders and other tradespeople and far higher prices for their work.
I find it rather absurd that building costs more than double and few say anything about it. And yet someone works out how to save 5% on the cost of anything else and the politicans come forth with a radical plan to implement it without delay.
It's seen as so important to save maybe $500 on airfares or $200 a year on phone bills that we've radically restructured entire industries to achieve it. Petrol costs perhaps $2000 a year and we've had dozens of inquiries into the price of petrol. We've got the ACCC running around threatening anyone who even thinks of ripping off the consumer.
And yet the cost of building a house goes up 100% more than official inflation, costing consumers far more than they'd ever spend on airfares, phone bills and petrol combined, and nobody even bothers to find out why it has increased so much. Something ain't right here...
Several times in your posts you allude to your success in life/wealth. It seems to be important to you that people know this. It's probably somewhat important to most of us, but I think it says something. I have suggested books on this topic elsewhere, but I digress...Freeballinginawetsuit said:I relate to youre musings Julia, but the fact of the matter is I have hung my head out a few times this year and been stung by those finding their way.
"Like subbing a guys wages, only to find out he hasn't been at work for a week."
Excuse me while I go back to eating some peaches and cream.
The truth isn't flashy.
Flashy words aren't true.
Educated people
aren't always smart.
Smart people
don't always have an education.
Good people don't argue.
People who argue aren't good.
The Masters don't hang on to things.
They're always doing something
for other people,
so they always have more to give.
They give away
whatever they have,
so what they have is worth more.
If you want to get right with Tao,
help other people, don't hurt them.
The Masters always work with people,
never against them.
wayneL said:Several times in your posts you allude to your success in life/wealth. It seems to be important to you that people know this. It's probably somewhat important to most of us, but I think it says something. I have suggested books on this topic elsewhere, but I digress...
Actually Wayne the quote 'Peaches and Cream' was meant for Julia, she seems very blue blooded, as per her response. (hence the smile)
I simply tried to state the fact that being accomodating sometimes results in getting ripped off by some......simple.
You seem so quick to jump the gun and ever to keen to whip on those shorts.....comments.
Freeballinginawetsuit said:...comments.
dubiousinfo said:The actual cost of building hasn't increased that much above inflation and part of that increase is due to increased insurance and regulation compliance costs.
Wages within the industry have tracked inflation and builders margins have not moved significantly. In percentage terms they are similar to what they have traditionally been.
The biggest increase in the cost of housing is the land content.
Freeballinginawetsuit said:Well I've got a mate who has a degree as well, but now he's at Murin Murin as the H&S staffy on FIFO and raping it in. Whats youre point?.....you can't always have youre cake and eat it!.
Sure their not really his skills but who cares. Its a bit like the arguement of some wheat and sheep farmers,making no money but not prepared to change their ways......., doh.
juddy said:Though I respect your comments FB, it is fortunate that not all people think like this, especially those in the 'caring' professions. Most (not all) police, teacher, nurse 'drones' work in their fields for the betterment of society, not to become wealthy. What would happen if they all chased the $100k mining jobs? Chaos?
The sacrifice these people make allow others to chase those big bucks and still come home to a house with their possessions still intact and healthy, educated children.
I appreciate the role these people play and are thankful they stay there.
Smurf1976 said:One thing I've noticed over the past couple of years is a marked decline in the general willingness of people to take on additional work, for example paid overtime.
Why? Because only those old enough to remember past recessions or with an interest in economics have even the slightest concern that maybe, just maybe, they ought to be making $ while the economic sun is shining.
Everywhere you go, most believe the boom will go on forever and are less motivated to work as a consequence of that view.
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