Monday, March 29, 2010

Depression's Untold Story

It turns out the job of dog-kennel assistant is even less glamorous than it sounds.


There are bad hours (lots of weekends and holidays). There's low-as-it-goes pay — as in minimum wage, $8.55 an hour.
But mostly there's the poop, says Guy Palumbo, owner of Roscoe's Ranch, a 24-kennel outfit north of Woodinville.
You want to be the kennel helper? You're on the hook for the poop. You'll spend part of every day scooping it up (if all digestive systems work as designed) or mopping it (when they don't).
"It's not most people's dream job," Palumbo laughs. "Usually I get high-school kids applying. Or maybe a college kid for the summer.


"I've never seen anything like this."


Two weeks ago Palumbo posted a want ad on Craigslist for a part-time dog-kennel assistant. The ad does say that working with dogs can be fun but then goes into some gory detail about the hardships — including the poop.


So far, 260 people have applied.
And they say the recession is over?
I remember a few years ago when farms, kennels and horse outfits had trouble finding any workers, other than undocumented immigrants. So Palumbo went through the résumés with me, obscuring the names. I wanted to know: Who now wants to be a dog-kennel assistant?
(snippet)

Among the lowest-income — roughly the minimum-wage workers — unemployment nationwide is at true Depression-era levels of 20 to 30 percent, says a report last month by the Center for Labor Market Studies at Northeastern University. It's only 3 to 4 percent for those making $100,000 or more.
Here, this state's Employment Security Department says that between February 2009 and February 2010, two-thirds of all job losses came in just three areas that make up only one-quarter of the total jobs — construction, manufacturing and the hospitality industry (mostly entertainment and restaurants).
That what this recession has wrought — mainly an even greater widening of the gap between rich and poor than we had before — isn't getting more focus from the press and political leaders is a scandal, the Northeastern University economists suggest.
"Who will tell the people?" they write at the end of their paper. "Does anybody care?"
Palumbo says he's a believer. They may say the recession's over, on paper or on the nightly news. His electronic stack of résumés says otherwise.
"It's simply amazing to me, and I still can't believe it," he said, "that from age 14 up into their 60s this many people are dying to be a minimum-wage dog-kennel assistant."
More Here..


Finding A Job Is Hard For Even The Most Educated
More Here..

8 comments:

  1. Its not going away, its just getting worse. Open your eyes people and join the movement..... www.thezeitgeistmovement.com

    ReplyDelete
  2. YES, WE ALL LOVE OUR PETS. MY WIFE AND I HAVE 4 CATS. NEEDLESS TO SAY, WE SPEND ALOT OF MONEY ON THEM, CARE, FOOD, ETC. WHEN WE GREW UP MY BROTHER AND I ALWAYS HAD DOGS. MY PARENTS COULDN'T AFFORD CARE & PET FOOD. REALLY, ANIMALS ARE INDEED A LUXURY???

    ReplyDelete
  3. All this, and B.O. puppet is out pimping the 9/11 con job as justification for the billions being wasted in Afghanistan. Full riot police with AR-15s stormtropping in the NYC subways this morning. Welcome to the thug state.

    ReplyDelete
  4. A dumb-downed PhD grad scoops poop for money for food.

    An enlightened kindergarten kid photocopies money and uses it to buy food.

    Welcome to the real world!

    ReplyDelete
  5. 9:33
    science and technology in harmony
    but zm and tvp have no money
    yeah blaaa blaaa blaaa
    fcking no action talk only

    http://donmilligan.blogspot.com/2009/10/zeitgeist-addendum-movie.html

    ReplyDelete
  6. It will build and build till it explodes...And it won't be good...Just alot of revenge and anger at government/blacks/hispanics/whites/poor/rich/military just one big ass stupid divine comedy.

    Love my country but it no longer exists...Might come back in 15-20 years when a new generation comes from the mess we've made...But until then lock and load and pray.

    ReplyDelete
  7. And we ain't seen nothing yet.

    Wondering what will happen when the sheeple actually wake up?

    We are so screwed.

    ReplyDelete
  8. HAHA ZM.....lot's of that has been debunked till it hurts
    Some truth but not all of it

    ReplyDelete

Everyone is encouraged to participate with civilized comments.