Need something else!

[Allifunn]

At one time, we had agriculture. Later, there was a poultry processing plant. Not very aesthetic, and you had to get used to chicken poop, but it was there and provided a good wage for many north-end residents.

:scratch:Is this considered a "real Job"? More so than waiter, waitress, bus boy, real estate agent, house cleaner, restaurant owner, tourist shop owner???
If you move industry into the area, which will provide jobs for higher professionals,won't you still have the resort areas that will need people to preform these jobs? I think the whole problem with the begining of the thread is, FG opened herself up when using the term "real job" many people took offense to this, who is to say what a "real job" is? It sounded high handed and condescending.

 

[Jdarg]

:scratch:Is this considered a "real Job"? More so than waiter, waitress, bus boy, real estate agent, house cleaner, restaurant owner, tourist shop owner???
If you move industry into the area, which will provide jobs for higher professionals,won't you still have the resort areas that will need people to preform these jobs? I think the whole problem with the begining of the thread is, FG opened herself up when using the term "real job" many people took offense to this, who is to say what a "real job" is? It sounded high handed and condescending.

Actually, it just seems like her usual diatribe against all change and progress in Walton County. She can't turn the clock back and make all the development, newer residents, and tourists go away. Thankfully, we have not run across other "real natives" that so publicly share her views.

 

[ShallowsNole]

I can understand the "real job" comment. My husband made the same - uh - error several years ago. I was working for a well-loved but underappreciative local merchant, $6.50 per hour with no benefits, juggling care for my son who was then a toddler, netting about $40.00 per week after day care, making no real progress toward a better life except for attending college three nights a week in Fort Walton. My daily loop was house south of Freeport, take Wesley to Freeport, drive to Seaside, drive to Fort Walton, return via Niceville (I HATE HWY 20 TO THIS DAY), pick Wesley up, go home and be wife and mommy, and study.

Graduation day came - and darling Fuzz, who is videotaping it, whispers into the microphone "Finally! Now she just needs a REAL job!"

He meant benefits, home at night, better wages, being treated with respect on the job instead of being treated like "just a little beach girl" (yeah, been called that by customers AND employers before). But, still...

 

[Bdarg]

SN,

I have used the "real job" vs. just "the job" before in my life as well. It was in another place and is another story. However, truth be known, I agree with FG in that it would be nice to have more high paying non-service jobs in Walton County--nothing against service jobs mind you. I think that some high paying/high tech/ high responsibility jobs do exist, but most of the tech jobs are centered around Eglin or Tindel Air Force bases and many of the high responsibility jobs are low paying relatively speaking.

I think problem that people have with FG's comments is when she grabs both horns of a dilemma, pulls hard, kicks the bull around and then wonders why no one takes her side. There has to be a side to take for one.

These past few days have offered a perfect example. That is, on one thread she is advocating taking our educational system back to the stone age with censorship and crossing the church/state line, all the while preaching about ridding sowal of non-natives (does that mean American Indians only?), etc., etc., etc….

Then she whips around grabs the other horn and says that we need to attract high paying high tech jobs to the area. How do we do that without getting our kids on the cutting edge of education that we pay for in taxes and that they deserve (and god knows we have more than enough money in the school budget for that). We would also need to get the county population to be accepting of people who would come and bring those businesses to our area and not look at them as a non-person to fleece, ridicule and throw out after their pockets are empty. For either tourist or high tech, we need to be a place where people feel welcome.

Does anyone truly think that companies will relocate their businesses and high skill/high pay jobs to a region that wallows in its own lack of education, then goes on to judge people by the length of intrusion on the native soils? If that is representative of the mindset of the county, then we need to collectively sort out which horn of the dilemma we choose to pursue then either start marketing our warm, smart and friendly area, or put out the beware of dog sign and start building the fence.

 

[Miss Kitty]

Excellent post, Bdarg. I'd like to think that most of us are willing and able to listen to both sides of an issue. To me, this was a case of the message being presented in such an inflammatory manner, that the essence was lost.

BTW...Mr. K is an attorney and he is a service provider.

 

[ShallowsNole]

Thanks, bdarg.

Kitty, Fuzz is a service provider too...but most folks don't want his services

 

[Miss Kitty]

Thanks, bdarg.

Kitty, Fuzz is a service provider too...but most folks don't want his services

...so true!

 

[Jdarg]

But they are both sweet service providers!

 

[scooterbug44]

There are a variety of jobs in this area that require a college education, specialized training, or graduate degree. Just because those aren't the job openings you most often see posted in the want ads doesn't mean this area doesn't employ doctors, lawyers, accountants, stock brokers, architects, engineers, interior designers etc. Based on various definitions all of those folks could be classified as "service" workers.

True, there aren't a lot of factories or high tech computer jobs, but it's not like you only have a choice of 2 jobs.

Bear in mind that chefs go to culinary school for years, most resort personnel have a hospitality or management degree, and just because someone is pouring your drink, answering the phone, or building your house doesn't mean they don't have a college degree.

 

[Bdarg]

This is reminding me of the Bob Dylan lyric "you're gonna have to serve somebody".