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SPC Steven Depuy
8
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Edited 3 y ago
A year ago, I bought 2" PVC pipe by the skid for .58 a foot. Now its 2.08. A gas furnace that cost us $927.00 last December is now $1,166.00. A copper line set which is the pipes that run between the AC unit and the indoor coil that was $156.00 last summer, is now $283.00. It goes on and on. I can't honor a quote right now for more than 30 days. I quoted a $46,000 geo thermal job Nov 19th that is now $48,395.00. I think some of this was going to happen anyway, because when you pay people to stay home for a year, and not have to work, don't be shocked that they don't want to come back, and the politicians won't tell them to suck it up, they say your a victim, it does not matter that pay rates in my area are up about 60% from two years ago, here, lets extend your unemployment, and send you a check each month for each kid, and make it illegal to foreclose on your home, and make it illegal to evict you for not paying rent. And then they are shocked saying oh wow, we never thought this would happen. I have lived through a lot in my life, even spent about 10 days living on the streets in 1981 when my parents threw me out of the house, after I got back from the army, and would not hold a steady job. The reality was, I was lazy, if that happened today, people would want to give me a house to live in, send me money to sit on my ass and play Call of Duty all day long, because no vet should live on the street, right. Thats what they say constantly in the begging for donations I see. My personal non political view on life is, as people we are generally lazy. The great thing about capitalism, is it gives you a chance to become anything you want to become, if you are willing to work for it. In 1994, I had two small kids at home, and an infant, and quit my job having nothing more that a shovel, a hack saw, tape measure, and a few small tools, and started a plumbing company, did 32 sewer lateral hookups and earned enough money to buy a van and power tools. I worked 60 hours a week for 20 years, to get where I am today, sitting in a warm office each day now running a multi million dollar company with my wife. Is it easy now, no way. We can't find help, even though our rates went from $18 per hour two years ago to $32 now. Now in NYC, that's not much, but in Lancaster County PA, where you can buy a home still for under 200k, and a new one for 300k, its a decent wage. We pay 70% of health insurance, pay for disability insurance, life insurance, and match IRA contributions. We provide all major tools the guys use, give a clothing allowance since they all hated uniforms. Half our trucks sit in the parking lot every day. Its life at this point. I am soon 63, and have changed my wanting to work to 70, to lets just get out at 65 and be done with it. I got wiped out in 2007-2008, had to cash in life insurance, IRA's, everything to keep the company going during the recession. Have managed to put away about 200k again now, but whats that going to be worth the way things are going. So while I don't blame it all on 46, because 45 started this all with his 15 days to flatten the curve, and started the flow of checks. I remember when it happened thinking you just opened Pandora's box POTUS, the DNC is going to run with this and just keep expanding it. Because when everyone is dependent on the government to survive, you vote for the ones who offer you the most. My morning rant is done, have a great New Years all.
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LTC David Brown
LTC David Brown
3 y
Nailed it
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Lt Col Charlie Brown
Lt Col Charlie Brown
3 y
My Virginia car tax actually went up as the value of our two used vehicles INCREASED this year...when does that happen?
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SPC Terry Page
SPC Terry Page
3 y
Great contribution SPC Steven Depuy ! Very good picture of what we're going through. Happy New Year!
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Cpl Vic Burk
8
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Lt Col Charlie Brown We better be braced for possibly another round of double-digit inflation rates like occurred during the Carter administration. Wages didn't keep up with it then and it won't now either.
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SSG Environmental Specialist
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I don't expect it to get any better in the next 5 months either.
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