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I want to be a Tree Surgeon in Massachusetts
Posted by Raven on August 11th, 2008
In my line of work, nursing, the nation is seeing a huge increase in home health aides quitting their jobs because they cannot afford to do the work, with the price of gas. Aides are spending more than 60% of their income on filling up the fuel tanks and it’s just NOT WORTH it anymore.
Massachusetts is always among the leaders in addressing these problems. Well, sort of…if you’re an elderly or disabled person who needs some help with daily activities of living- to keep you free and independent and OUT of state paid nursing homes– you’re shit out of luck.
If you’re a tree, with peeling, dying bark however, you’re all set. You’ll never have a lack of care givers…the state is making sure of this.
Just as Gov. Patrick was close to shaking his “Cadillac Deval” image, his administration has disclosed that more than 500 state employees get to cruise home in gassed-up, state-owned vehicles, among them elevator inspectors, a tree climber and a bridge painter.
With gas hovering at around $4 a gallon and the state facing a billion-dollar deficit, administration spokesman Kyle Sullivan, responding to a Herald public records request, released a list of a whopping 501 officials and employees with take-home vehicles paid for by taxpayers.
Also among those lucky enough to score take-home vehicles: a chief of hatcheries, an acting tree surgeon and several foresters.
So we know where Massachusetts’ priorities really are. For a state that mandates health care coverage for all, and insists upon taxing the hell out of it’s people and businesses to pay for it, we see a tree’s health care is more important than a human being’s health care.
I’m sure this is happening in every state. In my opinion, there are very few people who deserve a free ride these days. The President, his VP, and state governors are those people. NOT their staffs. Not their office helpers. NOT anyone else. And sometimes, in a world where we must help people, I believe choices in handing out the free rides should be based upon cost vs. savings. The work of the home health aide is FAR more valuable and cost effective, than a tree surgeon or fish harvesters.
August 11th, 2008 at 9:42 am
As usual, the party members get the privileges while the simple proletariat gets to suffer en masse. I say that tongue in cheek somewhat, but also somewhat seriously, if that makes sense.
August 11th, 2008 at 10:10 am
The special class factor should be put aside. Since this IS Ma, they are going to waste money. I say put the money to better use: Gas the home health aides’ vehicles so that the elderly and disabled don’t have to go into nursing homes…which costs ten times more than the gas. IdiOts in MA. Stupid people who vote for these robbers never cease to amaze me.
August 11th, 2008 at 4:21 pm
Human life is cheap and plentiful. I think I wrote that somewhere before.
August 11th, 2008 at 9:47 pm
Yes human life is cheap, to some. To me it’s priceless- esp when this stuff comes along.