Jump to content

racechaser

Members
 View Profile  See their activity

  • Content count

    530

  • Joined

  • Last visited

Posts posted by racechaser

  2. Posted · Report reply

    I'm sure people all over America scratch their head at what Scott and I are talking about. I don't blame you at all. Here it is a cultural thing that must be broken and I really believe that Katrina did a lot to help that.

    In the year after the storm the workforce that was evacuated was unavailable to work so needless to say minimum wage went out the window.( It was a wonderful feeling to be able to show everyone that thought I was nuts for wanting to abolish the minimum wage that my idea wasn't flawed) People were making 9-12 dollars an hour at fast food places where $6.50 or so was top money. Young men and women were making 12-18 dollars an hour as laborers doing construction. One morning i had some errands to run after working nights. Usually at 4 in the morning people were on the street corners still hanging out. They weren't there and sure enough I was catching up on paperwork in my car when at about 6:00 AM masses of people were walking to work in hard hats.

    I myself was floored at the sight. I think it was just proof that if you pay a decent wage and teach a skill, most people will work.

    Scott

  3. Posted · Report reply

    Anthony

    I'm sorry it took so long to answer your rebuttal but we just got power back yesterday.

    I basically agree with most of what you said in theory. I'm as conservative as they come. But the thugs you heard about are few and far between in comparison of the population. The 1% get the press and give the other 99% a bad name.

    I think everyone has a responsibility to better themselves, but when WE THE PEOPLE, have provided an endless list of entitlement programs to give to people it's hard for me to blame them for using them. Yes I am against welfare and food stamps and medicaid for prolonged periods of time. But the people on these programs haven't been "flying under the radar" everyone knows there is generational dependence on these programs.

    Let's hypothetically say somebody like the shingle manufacturers would pay the roof cleaners $6000.00 a month to stay at home and not clean roofs. A lot of people would take them up on it. Some would rather make twice that running a business. So let's say this goes on for 30 years. Can you be mad at the people taking the money for staying at home.

    That may be a poor example but just trying to get you to see that you have to understand that this is a mindset that has to be defeated. Scott Stone was dead on with what i was trying to get people to understand about the poor in NOLA.

    It is just hard for me to see the 1% ruin all that is good in NOLA. Just like Russ's story from Craigslist, most of what you read is not true.

    One interesting thing I saw on TV was a black author saying that it only took 3 days for the blacks to turn on each other in NOLA during Katrina while in white areas we were cutting our own trees, churches cooking for people and gathering clothes for those that lost everything.

    That just shows the problems with government trying to provide everything to people. When they can't provide for themselves they forget.

    Hopefully next year I won't be on family vacation and can show you around at NOLA 09' hosted by the Eckhoff family. Love to get a few people here early and go on a fishing charter. There is lot to see close by.

    Scott

  4. Posted · Report reply

    Thanks! :) Word is they did fine, no damage at all. Again, they were lucky! How did you do? No damage I hope.

    Beth

    -

    I did OK Beth. No electricity replying back on blackberry. We were without power for 27 days for

    Katrina and they are saying however long you were out then they expect equal to or longer this time.

    Downttown Hammond is coming on quickly but I'm the second to last meter before leaving Entergy boundary. I mean when you live in a place called Pumpkin Center, La you can expect to be last.

    Scott

  6. Posted · Edited by racechaser · Report reply

    Well I really try not to post often here in case I get indexed into a thread that goes astray. But I have to set afew things into context.

    The first is the levees caused the flooding. They were built substandard to todays technology.

    How New Orleans Flooded

    Here is a diagram of how the levees failed in 05'. The corp came back and installed concrete on top of levee near base of levee so that overtopping would not wash it away.

    There are flood gates being built to block the surge from the lake and pumps installed in canal to pump water to lake.

    This was no new idea, it was on the list of things to be done for oner 15 years but the corp was underfunded. you see each of these floodgates were 6 million dollars each. Pennies compared to the 150 BILLION that was spent to rebuild from government.

    The people knew it needed to be done but had no control cause it was federal.

    These new floodgates will be the first line of defense and the levees the second line of defense.

    Point two is that New Orleans had never had a levee breach anything close to this before.

    So people were a little negligent in not leaving. BUT, and it's a BIG but, is that when you convince people in a metropolis that they don't need a car and should rely on a Mass Transit System you will have this problem.When you can go to work and the store and everywhere else for less than two dollars a day why own a car? Now how do the 100,000 or so people get out of a city when they don't own a car? Plus where are they gonna go? There were no shelters provided for them that they could have evacuated to that were just sitting empy.

    Point three is this happened to the poorest people in the city on the 29th day of the month. Like most people there was more month than money. Should they have savings accounts for emergencies?? Yes but that is a STUPID point to try to make so save it. What average American lower income level family anywhere in America has an adequate fund.

    Point four is that most poor people in NOLA earn minimum wage in the tourism and service industries. Yes there are a lot of leeches on the economy there but the majority are hard working, poorly paid people. It is not full of scum as many believe. They are black. They are very black. It is a cultural thing.It is not necessarily a bad thing as you may be led to believe. 85% of the people are good people that have been bred into a system that is truly hard to get out of. I have rental property in diverse neighborhood in Hammond where I live. In the middle of the day people(black men) will always stop me and ask I'm starting any work on my house cause they want a side job. Yes they are double dipping, they all are, but they are working and they DO WORK. Is it really there fault that for generations they have been bought off by a liberal party to buy their vote.

    Point five is that something like 80% of oil and natural gas come ashore in La. Who is going to work in oil and chem business and drive two hours to work so they are above sea level? And the port, where should we move the port to? Kinda hard to move the port when the deepest part of the river is NOLA.Where do you think the grain from midwest comes out through?

    There are many reasons to support NOLA so that levee failures don't happen again.There are European countries that are below sea level and protected themselves with levees and locks. They are not nearly as economically important as NOLA.

    And how about everytime California has an earthquake I say how we should let it slide into the ocean and cheer because it is full of gays and left wing whack jobs?? Would that be a fair characterization ANT? I mean I spent a week in L.A. in January of 06'. I rode subways, buses and and I know ya'll would have the same urban rescue problems we had.

    Scott

  11. Posted · Report reply

    My wife says that I am too stupid to know what I cannot do. I don't know what she means, I though I could do anything.

    There are a few thigns that I will not tackle. I have not rebuilt an automatic transmission, yet...

    And Why not an automatic tranny? I've used that as example to my wife for years but am dying to try on my next one. I mean they make manuals and sell all the parts. I bet that "Joe Scmo can't build a tranny" is like the biggest myth in car repair.

    I'm with you, I'm eager to try if time ever allowed.

    Scott

  13. Posted · Report reply

    I'll be the first to make a suggestion:

    One of the big points in starting an org is money.

    The second important point is participation amongst its membership. This can happen is many ways but the one significant one I will point out is fund raising.

    A group of people in various regions can accomplish this. Heck, we are pw'ers and have the equipment, how about holding a car wash locally? We have people with reclamation equipment and environmental pw'ing knowledge. Lets put that to use to make money for the org to get it off the ground.

    btw, this is but one of many suggestions people can make but doing is the contribution part. Let's make it happen! C-ya at Tom's.

    :wave:

    Rod!~

    Well I had really put a lot of thought into spearheading an effort last year to help start a new org for powerwashing.

    As far as finances for starting a "not for profit" org that would be solely responsible to no other founder or distributor, I had a few ideas.

    Here is my best one and it is OUT OF THE BOX so don't start bashing it.

    You start a membership drive with stated GOALS for the org.You have bechmarks based on number of members in advance. You keep the dues very low to encourage participation like $35-50.00 a year at first.

    As the membership grows, the dues go up along with the services the org is providing. For example the first year you get logo use and web and BBS privileges. That is all that is promised until membership hits a predetermined number such as 500 members. At that time (as previously stated in your business plan and goals) the dues go up to $100 -125.00 dollars based on what was the next service you rolled out for the members that had to be funded.

    Eventually if you had 10,000 members across the country you could raise your dues so that you had money to run ads in industry magazines or heck maybe even an add in a major media outlet.

    But whatever your goals were, simple or extravagant, you would only charge dues based on what you were providing while still reimbursing BOD members for ligitamate and necessary expenses incurred.

    This plan would facilitate rapid growth so that you could see what your base would likely be after say two years. Nobody would likey wait to join as maybe under a normal start up. I think that the first year people are not getting much for their money. People wait till it's really showing signs of return for their money before joining. But if the dues are low in the beginning, more will join because expectations are low.

    That was my idea starting an Org with little or no money out of pocket.

    Scott

  14. Posted · Report reply

    Scott,

    My version consisted of a radio flyer wagon with 2 guns mounted on both sides of the handle. The 2-6' hoses whips were zip stripped to the handle bar and then ran on each side of the wagon towards the back connected to a short lance which was pipe strapped to the wagon. The rider would obviously sit in the wagon and steer with the handle but also be able to apply thrust with the 2 guns aiming out the back. I thought this would be a great contest idea to go with hose rolling at a convention but there hasn't been any so it has been on the back burner since.

    I called it the power wash derby! The deciding factor in the race of course would be the weight of the rider.

    Anyway, what do you all think?

    Rod!~

    I think you need to find time in the winter to build it.

    Scott

  17. Posted · Report reply

    They're "Hydro Tek" brand name bought from "Northern Tool" catalog with 1/8" orfice tips .. Rated for temperatures up to 250 Deg... 27" Surface Cleaners..

    If you want to drive this far every month I may be able to get you a couple of gas stations to wash every month as well... they pay around 675.00 each every month .. not bad.

    Yeah I actually drive to BR all the time. Let me know when you stop servicing them after you sell all your stuff.

    If you still have the roof stuff in a couple of months I may be interested in a second rig.

    Scott

  19. Posted · Report reply

    Man Scott! I am way behind the curve!

    My wife is one of 8 her folks each one of over 10. You have to love a family so blessed!:)

    Yes two of them are my stepchildren but they were five and two when we married and are grown now. They are 23 and 20 now. My stepdaughter(20) is actually expecting in the spring. So that will make us grandparents also.

    It will be quite an interesting family dynamic. My grandchild will have an uncle that is only three months older than them. If hers is a boy, I will have to explain how I have a son and a grandson on the same T-ball team. LOL

    Scott

  21. Posted · Report reply

    Scott you're a Republican? I never would of known. LOL

    Hope I dont aggravate you to much

    Have a good one

    Jeff

    Nope I totally value every opinion. My life experiences are different than yours. Therefore we have different ideas on life.

    I bet you can honestly say that having a wife and kids and now having to pay taxes and expenses as an owner makes you a little more open to conservative values.

    I have six kids and another on the way. I would go anywhere and do anything to protect their freedoms and give them the same opportunity that I have had as an American.

    It will take you time to come around but you will.LOL

    Scott

  22. Posted · Report reply

    Racechaser what makes you think your the only one who has the guts to say he or she is a registered Republican?

    Jon

    Not anything arrogant meant by it. Just the last couple of threads were bashing the war and then this poll came up.

    When i voted it seems like there were 15 views and three votes including mine. One republican, one democrat and one other. I just thought there were people that were scared to say what party they were registered as since they didn't vote.

    Just early in the thread and nothing meant by it.

    Scott

  23. Posted · Report reply

    I don't think thread needs to be pulled because it won't be the last time that question is asked. But it will bring out opinions.

    I am going to dabble around with some wood at my house and I'm going to use WTW.

    But Shane uses Baker's Grey away and it looks super. I'd be torn between the two.

    Ready seal is a good stain too apparently.

    These three are propably 95% of the market share.

    Each has pro's and con's that sometime I think a chemistry degree is needed as a precursor to purchasing Stain.

    I'll let the pro's give their opinions though. As I'm a "woodie wannabee"

    Scott

  24. Posted · Report reply

    I wish we never went in and when we did we should have gone with a lot more troops like the last time. I think we should of left Saddam in charge and just contained him at least he kept everybody in check and we could have used him to go after Iran

    Hello!!!!!!!! Are you reading Revisionist History 101???? Do you happen to remember Sadaam shooting at our planes patrolling the "no fly zone" on a daily basis. The mission of patrols were to keep Sadaam from killing all the factions that disagreed with him and helped us in the first Desert Storm.

    Do you really think he was our friend against Iran?? Do you remember the night of the first invasion in Desert Storm he flew all his planes to Iran to keep them safe. Gave all planes to an enemy??

    I don't think so?

    Have the early 90's been that long ago, that we forget??

    Scott

×