"Richard J Kinch" wrote in message
. ..
BroJack writes:

and so we have a scarcity of skilled blue collar people. In this
area, you can wait up to 6 months for stump grinding, asphalt paving,
spot welding, masonry repair, painting, etc. More often than not,
messages requesting estimates are ignored. You gotta damn near beg
people to work for you.

Nonsense. You just have to pay them enough.

Of course, the trades like to set up all kinds of "protections" and
"codes" that foul up the marketplace. Maybe you live in a place like
that.

Assuming that 'protection' statement is true; which it might very well be,
it testifies to why doing you own home repairs/renovations can be so
satisfying, economical and popular. There is a British (do it yourself) news
group uk.d-i-y which discusses much the same areas as here and
constantly bemoans the increasing amount of control, registration of craft
people required (all in the interests of 'protection of the consumer' and
safety of the general populace of course!).
I hope this is less so in "The land of the free"? Too much 'control' limits
enterprise, growth and prosperity IMHO!
Of course there is always litigation! In other words if you manage, for
example, to burn down your own house and it is deemed it was because you
used a 30 amp breaker on 20 amp wiring, your house insurance company may
decline to recompense you?
In this part of Canada I think we are somewhere in between the two extremes
of a lot of government legislated regulation/control and rampant, unsafe and
in some societies construction which takes place only with graft and
corruption. (For example; places where buildings fall down because extra
stories were added unsafely, schools with combustible roofs that catch fire
without exits to reasonable standards, nearly 100 children are killed!).
Here common sense 'generally' prevails and while there are most definitely
botched jobs (and/or some incompetent does not clear a heavy snow load off
the roof of a shopping mall or supermarket, it collapses and someone is
killed), there is a general level of competence or knowing someone who will
help, do it for you, or knows how to do it correctly. For example a person
who is rough carpenter knows someone (or relative) who is a welder. They in
turn know where to get a deal on plumbing fixtures and have a buddy/mate
who is a plumber and does a bit of work 'on weekends'! And so on. Also a
general willingness if you are practical helpful person oneself to share the
information and/or occasionally help out, works wonders. My neighbour
doesn't understand electricity at all (he wouldn't mind me saying it either)
so I help him fix anything electrical on his tractor trailer rig and his
house electrical repairs.
I have always been puzzled and annoyed, by this attitude that because
someone has several initials (degrees) after their name i.e. not blue
collar, they are more knowledgeable and therefore are superior in attitude
and get paid more than those of us who 'Don't mind getting our hands dirty',
either as professionals or doing our own work. Great people the degree
holders probably, but sometimes in limited fields of expertise.
Anyway got to go and finish fixing our 20 year old dishwasher, a small
faulty microswitch in the water inlet circuit btw, so avoiding buying a new
d.washer or an expensive house visit (they only come to this area on
Tuesdays) by Sears!
Rant over. Have fun.