I just drove past my local Home Depot

[Andy9o8 1]

This thread is a classic example of the barely, thinly veiled racism that I'm talking about underlying so much of the commentary on this subject.

Why do you guys even try to be remotely coy? Why not just call them "fucking spics" like you really mean? You know you want to. Say it and be done with it already. You're beginning to bore us.

[n23x 0]

Don't be pissed at them.

Let them whistle through their hillbilly teeth (let's be honest, a majority are probably wearing coveralls with no shirt, or a just a wifebeater and shitstained whitey tighties).

At the end of the day, we all know that they're just pissed about the lack of drive/success in their own life, and have to take it out on somebody intent on improving their own life.

.jim

"Don't touch my fucking Easter eggs, I'll be back monday." ~JTFC

[freethefly 6]

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Don't be pissed at them.

Let them whistle through their hillbilly teeth (let's be honest, a majority are probably wearing coveralls with no shirt, or a just a wifebeater and shitstained whitey tighties).

At the end of the day, we all know that they're just pissed about the lack of drive/success in their own life, and have to take it out on somebody intent on improving their own life.

.jim

Hmmm. Not so. Construction sites that use these guys undermine the attempts of the unions to build a strong economy. When builders use illegals and those who are willing to give up there time for pennies they are robbing the locals as much of the wages leave the country not to be redistributed into the local economy. Also, much of the work is sub-par and not at all up to union standards. The St.Louis carpenter council has hit construction sites that bus in mexicans and have shut them down until the builder has to use the LOCAL union workers. The last jobsite I worked was shut down due to the mexicans. Very few of those guys spoke english. Their work was pure crap. We did so much rework that it pushed everything back and ran into more time that it should had been. Many of those job thieves were arrested for being illegal and those who weren't were denied union membership and kicked off of the site. The guy who owned the project was fined. I think the dirtbag should had been jailed. Union is strong in the St.Louis area and the high quality of craftmanship shows this to be true.
Some of you people may see it as racism but, to the guy who pays union dues, lives in the community, sends his kids to the school he pays for and spends his money in his community, he sees it as standing up for his family, his job and his community.

"...And once you're gone, you can't come back
When you're out of the blue and into the black."
Neil Young

[airtwardo 7]

Houston has no zoning. That is why housing is cheaper here than other cities.

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Sure they do...I've lived in & out of the Houston city limits 3 times in the last 10 years...and NEVER MOVED!

We can shoot fireworks in the front yard...but not the back!

Need a permit to do the roof...but I can build a house in the side yard without one?!

Freakin' Htown.

~ If you choke a Smurf, what color does it turn? ~

[DFWAJG 4]

Wow, imagine that. People who want to work! I wish more legal Americans had the same attitude.

[akarunway 1]

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> The OUTRAGEOUS thing lately is some cities in California are REQUIRING
> Home Depot to build "Day Laborer Centers" when they build new stores.

I think that's a great idea! Provide some shade, a sign-in area where you can sign up for a given job (or see what tradesmen are there) and an INS officer.

Now. I'd go along w/ that.

I hold it true, whate'er befall;
I feel it, when I sorrow most;
'Tis better to have loved and lost
Than never to have loved at all.

[akarunway 1]

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I'm curious to know why it pisses you off--I'm not agreeing or disagreeing at this point, but without the specific "why" I have a hard time responding.

It pisses me off because all my family came thru Ellis Island many yrs. ago. LEGALLY. And worked their asses off to help make this country what it is. (well WAS)

I hold it true, whate'er befall;
I feel it, when I sorrow most;
'Tis better to have loved and lost
Than never to have loved at all.

[akarunway 1]

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>Don't dare pull in and stop, or they'll surround your vehicle like
>rats, looking for day labor work.

I go to a Home Depot like that all the time. That's never happened to me.

Kind of hard to jump on the back of your bike, Bill! LOL. Good one. Thanks

ltdiver

I hold it true, whate'er befall;
I feel it, when I sorrow most;
'Tis better to have loved and lost
Than never to have loved at all.

[headoverheels 329]

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I don't understand why Home Depot allows this on their property.

Materials and labor at the same location -- one stop shopping.

I say fuck the construction unions. At least in your job, you don't have to compete with someone 12000 miles away, where one can live as well on 20% of the salary.

[freethefly 6]

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I'm curious to know why it pisses you off--I'm not agreeing or disagreeing at this point, but without the specific "why" I have a hard time responding.

It pisses me off because all my family came thru Ellis Island many yrs. ago. LEGALLY. And worked their asses off to help make this country what it is. (well WAS)

I would guess that many of them are or were union, paid taxes, spent the money in the community, sent their kids to the schools they paid for. It's the local people that supports a community, not the illegals that send the money south of the border. My own family has been here since before 1800.
I worked in Mexico for 7 months. I was contracted to inspect the railroad system. I would see boxcars and gondolas packed with mexicans heading for the border (I have pictures of them and should post them). The guys we worked with down there dispised the border jumpers and saw them as traitors to their own country. They saw them as people who were not willing to help their own country. Illegals are traitors to their country and an enemy of the working American.

"...And once you're gone, you can't come back
When you're out of the blue and into the black."
Neil Young

[akarunway 1]

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Don't be pissed at them.

Let them whistle through their hillbilly teeth (let's be honest, a majority are probably wearing coveralls with no shirt, or a just a wifebeater and shitstained whitey tighties).

At the end of the day, we all know that they're just pissed about the lack of drive/success in their own life, and have to take it out on somebody intent on improving their own life.

.jim

Hmmm. Not so. Construction sites that use these guys undermine the attempts of the unions to build a strong economy. When builders use illegals and those who are willing to give up there time for pennies they are robbing the locals as much of the wages leave the country not to be redistributed into the local economy. Also, much of the work is sub-par and not at all up to union standards. The St.Louis carpenter council has hit construction sites that bus in mexicans and have shut them down until the builder has to use the LOCAL union workers. The last jobsite I worked was shut down due to the mexicans. Very few of those guys spoke english. Their work was pure crap. We did so much rework that it pushed everything back and ran into more time that it should had been. Many of those job thieves were arrested for being illegal and those who weren't were denied union membership and kicked off of the site. The guy who owned the project was fined. I think the dirtbag should had been jailed. Union is strong in the St.Louis area and the high quality of craftmanship shows this to be true.
Some of you people may see it as racism but, to the guy who pays union dues, lives in the community, sends his kids to the school he pays for and spends his money in his community, he sees it as standing up for his family, his job and his community.

I've been in my new local in So.Cal for six yrs. My last job was mostly rats. I thought I was living in Mexico when I walked on the jobsite every morning. Fithy pigs. Shitting in the urinals in the port-o-lets and such. Did a powerhouse job in Florida awhile back and the run every mexican off. TIL THEY LEARNED TO SPEAK ENGLISH. For saftey reasons. You say "Hey motherfucker. HEADS UP" and they look around and get hit in the head. And actullay most speak English. They play stupid when talking to the GRINGO.

I hold it true, whate'er befall;
I feel it, when I sorrow most;
'Tis better to have loved and lost
Than never to have loved at all.

[freethefly 6]

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I don't understand why Home Depot allows this on their property.

Materials and labor at the same location -- one stop shopping.

I say fuck the construction unions. At least in your job, you don't have to compete with someone 12000 miles away, where one can live as well on 20% of the salary.

You're against standards and good wages?
Hmmm, I am supposing you are then for crap work and dirt pay?
These people steal jobs and put honest contractors out of work. I did contract siding for a couple of years. Often we were under bid by someone and would lose the job we hoped to get. We would drive by the house we bid on to see who got the job. Wasn't ever a surprise to se 20 or more mexicans doing the job. These guys would work for less than $50.00 a square while the rate was near $200.00 a square. These people are stealing what should had been ours. Hard to pay bills when a person from another country is grabbing the work for chump change. These people put Americans out of work. I'm sick and tired of hearing how the illegals are only trying to better their lives. They should go back where they came from and help better their own country. We can do just fine without them.

"...And once you're gone, you can't come back
When you're out of the blue and into the black."
Neil Young

[freethefly 6]

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Shitting in the urinals in the port-o-lets and such.

I was going to mention such. The last site I worked, the mexicans would often shit and piss right on the floors of the apartment complex we were building. A lot of these guys would live in the vans they came in right on the site. It looked and smelled like a ghetto. I'm glad the union busted those pricks and booted them off the site.
I really dispised working next to someone who wasn't union and refused to speak english. I dispised even more when we had to do rework that wasn't our job in order to do our job.
You pay someone $5.00 an hour you get $5.00 an hour worth of crap. With the union, if you do crappy work, you're gone. Booted off the site. Illegals don't give a crap about local build codes. The union does. You want quality, hire union.

"...And once you're gone, you can't come back
When you're out of the blue and into the black."
Neil Young

[headoverheels 329]

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You're against standards and good wages?
Hmmm, I am supposing you are then for crap work and dirt pay?

I'm not in favor of illegals, or guest worker programs. I'm just pointing out that you are competing against people who are living here, with similar expenses for whatever level of lifestyle.

How much do you make, compared to what you were making 6 years ago? I can hire a Stanford PhD (more than I have) consultant for electronic design, at a rate that is 62.5% of what I was charging 6 years ago. With inflation, less than half.

[freethefly 6]

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You're against standards and good wages?
Hmmm, I am supposing you are then for crap work and dirt pay?

I'm not in favor of illegals, or guest worker programs. I'm just pointing out that you are competing against people who are living here, with similar expenses for whatever level of lifestyle.

How much do you make, compared to what you were making 6 years ago? I can hire a Stanford PhD (more than I have) consultant for electronic design, at a rate that is 62.5% of what I was charging 6 years ago. With inflation, less than half.

6 years ago I was making over 40 grand in the factory until Ingersol Rand decided it was better to send the work to Mexico. I worked on my own doing contract siding. Often we got beat out to out of state Mexican crews that travel. They'll do a $5000.00 job for $1000.00. Where with us, there was 3 of us. One cutting and two hanging. It would take us 2 to 3 days to do a regular size home. With the Mexican crews of 20 or more the job is done in a few hours and they move on to the next. Their work is almost always crappy.
As for similar expenses. I don't believe so as many of these guys will live 20 or more in a small cramped apartment. Many do not pay taxes nor do they have the normal expenses that the local people have. These guys have no intentions of calling your town home. They are there for the quick buck and then move on. When their work falls apart, good luck getting it redone by them as they are long gone. These guys do not give a crap about codes and will shortcut most jobs with shoddy workmanship.
For the record, I did have to go on disability for an illness but, I do work and pay taxes. I run a small home based embroidery and t-shirt printing business. Hopefully it will get me off of disability.
I think it is really up to the community to stop hiring these people. Don't hire them and they will go away. It pays in the long run to use union.

"...And once you're gone, you can't come back
When you're out of the blue and into the black."
Neil Young

[AdamLanes 1]

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I say fuck the construction unions.

Seconded. All in favor, all opposed. Motion carried.

[akarunway 1]

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I say fuck the construction unions.

Seconded. All in favor, all opposed. Motion carried.

LOL. Come to my local union hall and say that. You won't leave alive. Trust me.

I hold it true, whate'er befall;
I feel it, when I sorrow most;
'Tis better to have loved and lost
Than never to have loved at all.

[Casurf1978 0]

I see your point, but dont be pissed off at the illegals. The ones you should be pissed off at and go after are the people that hire them. They are the ones that are screwing you over and breaking the law. If they followed the law you wouldnt be competing against very cheap illegal labor. There are two sides to this issue and everyone is focusing on only one.

[SkyDekker 1,319]

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LOL. Come to my local union hall and say that. You won't leave alive. Trust me.

And that one line pretty much sums it all up...doesn't it...

[freethefly 6]

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I say fuck the construction unions.

Seconded. All in favor, all opposed. Motion carried.

I take it that you and headoverheels have no idea what the trades unions guarantee. They guarantee that your project will be built up to code. They guarantee that a strong wind will not rip the roof and siding off of your building. They assure you that your home will not burn to the ground due to shoddy electrical work. You can rest easy knowing that the frame of your house is strong. With the trades unions you get the best in craftsmanship. If there is any problem whatsoever, the union bends over backwards to remedy the problem as their reputation depends on it. You may not have ever been union and that's fine. But, by not being so, you have no idea what it takes to stay on a union jobsite. You do shoddy work, you are out of there as the union does not tolerate corner cutters. With illegals you have nothing but crap. You may save a few dollars by hiring those guys but when shit falls apart you have nowhere to turn.
You union haters can say what you want about unions but remember it was the unions that built the USA. Not some illegal who refuses to speak english or give a damn about build codes. It's the union worker who pays taxes not the illegal you hire to put a roof on your home for chump change. It is the union folks who spends their money in the community, not the illegal who sends it south of the border.
Go ahead and bitch about the carpenter who is pulling down 50 grand a year. Maybe you refuse to realize that these people have families to support. Maybe a child in desperate need of the medical benefits that the union negotiated. They have bills and mortgages like everyone else. They learned their trade and are proud of their work. I always felt proud when I drove past a building that I helped build. I loved to point out a complex where my buddies and I did all of the siding, soffit and fascia on.
I think it is freaking funny when some moron hires a crew of job thieves and then has to hire in union later after their great deal falls to pieces. Illegals do not guarantee their work. They do not go by codes. None of them are even licensed to work in the counties they infect (in St. Louis you are required to be licensed to do contract work). Honest contractors pay for the right to apply their trade. Illegals do not. Go ahead and hire those thieves. You are only doing a disservice to yourself, your community and your country. You want a thriving community? Hire the union.

"...And once you're gone, you can't come back
When you're out of the blue and into the black."
Neil Young

[Zipp0 1]

Hang in there. In 5 years or so, when the shoddy work done by illegals starts to fall to peices, you can charge them an arm and a leg to make it right. Be sure to point out to them the sub standard work and ask them who they paid to do such a garbage job.

--------------------------
Chuck Norris doesn't do push-ups, he pushes the Earth down.

[JohnRich 4]

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Other mysteries about Home Depot:
* why don't they check your zoning permits
* why don't they ask to see your electrical / plumbing / etc licensing

It's not their job to enforce the law.

If you think someone is doing unlicensed contracting work, based upon what they're purchasing, then follow them to the parking lot, get their license number, and report it to the appropriate authorities.

[JohnRich 4]

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Don't get all pissed off at the illegals, what about the people that hire them. It's simple supply and demand. There is demand for cheap labor and the illegals supply it.

Drug dealers work based upon supply and demand also. Does that make their trade acceptable? Should I not get pissed off at them for violating the law and ruining lives with their trade?

[JohnRich 4]

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illegals send roughly 28-billion U.S. dollars annually back to Mexico.

That's why Mexico actually helps them leave their home country. They alleviate their own unemployment problem, they no longer have to provide services for them, and they get free cash back in return.

America, on the other hand, gets stuck providing for their health care, education and infrastructure needs, while getting no taxes from them to help pay for it, since they're mostly paid under the table and off the books.

What a deal!

If you get a chance to see this movie, I highly recommend it.

http://www.bordermovie.com/

I went to a special showing, and it was excellent. They talk about things like the "rape trees" created by the coyotes, that smuggle the illegal immigrants into the country. The story started when the border patrol would find a tree inside the border with women's panties hanging all over it. After interviewing many immigrants who had been captured, the explanation came out. It turns out that these are prize souvineers of the coyotes, who routinely rape their women charges, and then brag about how many panties they have on their rape tree, to other coyotes.

Illegal immigration doesn't just hurt America. It hurts the immigrants too. Their bodies and souls litter the southwest.

[JohnRich 4]

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Twice I have seen raids at Westpark and 59! And you should see the rats run like hell!!!!!!!!

Cool. But... but... if they're not illegal, as the liberals here imply, then why would they run?