Guess which industry is fueling the biggest jump in U.S. wages since 2007?
posted at 3:21 pm on October 11, 2012 by Erika Johnsen
If you guessed “renewable energy,” you’d be wrong — so wrong. Sure, the green-energy industry may have created some 28,000-odd jobs (a very far cry from the 5 million we were promised, cough cough), but it’s important to remember that even those few ‘successfully’ created green jobs are not necessarily productive jobs.
The green-energy industry is only as big as it is because it’s on the receiving end of a whole heap of different types of subsidies, from tax credits to loan guarantees to direct payments, and subsidies are always and necessarily designed to distort free-market signals. All the money poured into the green industry by the federal government comes at the opportunity cost of that money being spent more effectively and profitably elsewhere — let’s say, perhaps if the government would just stop overstepping its Constitutional boundaries and quit trying to pick economic winners and losers with our money, and we all maybe just had lower taxes in general and could spend that money ourselves? (I know, I know — keep dreaming, Erika.)
However, if you guessed “oil/gas/mining domestic energy production,” you’d be right — so right. Via CNN Money:
Big pay hikes in the energy industry have helped fuel the biggest jump in U.S. wages in more than five years, according to an industry report released Wednesday.
PayScale, which analyzes data from more than 10 million U.S. workers, reported that workers in the mining, oil and gas exploration industry have seen their pay increase by an average of 4.9% over the past 12 months and that has helped to push the average U.S. worker’s paycheck 3% higher over the same period. …
After a brief slowdown in oil and gas exploration early in the recession, there has been a boom in the field. Drilling companies are flocking to places like North Dakota and the Northeast and prices at the pump have skyrocketed, nearly tripling since 2008.
With oil prices rising and the potential of natural gas expanding, the energy sector is going gangbusters — and this is just with the limited access we’re allowed under President Obama and his Interior Department’s meager permitting. Fewer restrictions on American businesses’ opportunities for oil and gas exploration would lead to productive, private-sector job creation, economic growth, and boatloads of federal and state revenue that could help all of our debt problems — but noooooo, we have to keep dumping our money into the bottomless green-energy pit, because that’s the direction that President Obama has magnanimously decided the country needs to take. How very generous of him.
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I take it you have read nothing I’ve said about my situation.
I’ll spell it out for you you sanctimonious turd:
I have a 182 day per year contract.
My husband & I have a full scale cow/calf operation & we also have a one man trucking operation running cattle, grain, & hay, + anything that fits on a flatbed.
It’s not under the table.
We have business insurance covering everything on the place under our farm & ranch policy, which is aobut $5,200 per year.
It is amazing to me you want to lump me in a boat of worthless govt workers when I’m no lazy teacher.
I actually took the chance at a job & pioneered an effort in my local community to have 2 high schools share me as their science teacher so 1, I could have some sanity from an incompetent lazy admin, & 2 so the schools could both save some $$. Bcs I also help pay my own salary as a tax payer.
I do not complain of the teaching workload as many teachers do. I feel my compensation is more than fair & have many times contacted my state reps to stop the union from forcing the state from paying my pension if the market fails.
I actually have done those things. Bcs I don’t think as a state employee my job should be any more protected than a civil worker.
I stand for the Constitution of the US, with heavy emphasis on the 10th.
I also champion some sort of merit pay system within education.
In reality, education should not be Federal. And I am all for that, even if it put me out of a job.
Bcs you see, I dod not get a worthless degree. I got a BS in geology bcs I wanted a skill that was desirable & worth something.
So you see, turd, I am not the person you characterize me to be.
You, in fact, are nothing but a judgmental a-hole who did not consider my situation when you lumped me in the boat of worthless teachers, which I can tell you there are plenty.
It would be interesting to know what your situation is. But I won’t castigate you for things I don’t know.
But things I would consider when judging you further are, do you have kids? Are they in public school?
Do you think you have a right to SS benefits?
Things like that.
Badger40 on May 12, 2013 at 1:11 PM
Anyone that spends that much time and effort defending themselves is lying.
lowandslow on May 12, 2013 at 1:14 PM
She’s not lying.
ladyingray on May 12, 2013 at 1:18 PM
And I wonder how much your “trucking outfit” takes in in cash. But it’s o.k., you’ve reasoned it all out that you deserve it.
lowandslow on May 12, 2013 at 1:18 PM
This is hilarious.
You equate the term ‘side job’ with illegal job, as in not paying taxes.
Where’s the apology a-hole?
Bcs I claim my income from photography when I pay taxes.
But I will not open a physical brick & mortar studio in the small town nearby bcs I already looked into it & I can’t afford the ADDITIONAL insurance.
I do, however, already pay business insurance through our current BUSINESS policy that takes care of this stuff. Only the photography occurs on my ranch.
Really, reading comprehension’s not your cup of tea. I see that.
And as I told you earlier, there is no photography biz here.
There WAS. She closed shop after many years about 4 years ago.
Now kids needing Sr pics, sports pics etc have to TRAVEL to more than 100 miles away in come cases for pics.
I am filling a need & since there is no legitimate biz here in that genre, I am not ‘undercutting’ anyone.
Dude, you are unhinged.
And a real dumba$$.
Badger40 on May 12, 2013 at 1:20 PM
Enough to hire someone to post a Google Map to your trailer park from the nearest Interstate exit, trolltard.
MelonCollie on May 12, 2013 at 1:23 PM
Sure you do, sitting around filing all your 1099′s come tax time.
lowandslow on May 12, 2013 at 1:23 PM
They can’t claim the expense as a deduction if they don’t claim the income. Believe me, I know.
The only thing I disagree with here is that you are a legitimate biz.
ladyingray on May 12, 2013 at 1:24 PM
The Hot Air community, defending some government working scab.
lowandslow on May 12, 2013 at 1:25 PM
What’s your $0.00 x 百万?
Get a passport, see stuff. Report back.
DarkCurrent on May 12, 2013 at 1:25 PM
You have to file your 1099′s come tax time…the IRS gets a copy of them, dumba$$
ladyingray on May 12, 2013 at 1:27 PM
Really? This is how you operate?
My husband does not deal in cash. He hauls for grain elevators & does work for lots of farms & ranches. There is a lot of paperwork involved.
And no one around here works under the table trucking.
OK. Clearly you’re not interested in hearing anything I have to say.
It’s much easier for you to attack me as just lying.
After all, you don’t know me at all, & cannot vouch for my truth.
It’s just so much easier to just call me a liar & thumb your nose at me.
I guess I’ve not recalled you here at HA before.
And I have seen your type on the Internet oh so many times.
Instead of thoughtful conversation, you’d much rather immediately resort to insulting someone who never even addressed you here on this thread & call me a liar.
I have several Hot Arians here who are FB friends with me & I know they can attest to my honesty & the fact that we do ranch & truck.
And bcs they personally know my character & a few have met me, I’m not worried about defending myself to you.
I only responded to school you in myself & where I stand on these issues.
You are the one on the attack. And I never solicited your nastiness.
If you are going to insult someone, have the facts of their situation, & if you’re not willing to consider their testimony & just automatically dismiss it as lies without ever being able to really discern that, then why even bother coming here?
Badger40 on May 12, 2013 at 1:27 PM
Anyone who makes a comment of exactly 12 words is very certainly lying
DarkCurrent on May 12, 2013 at 1:28 PM
WTF are you? I know Badger. You, I don’t know.
ladyingray on May 12, 2013 at 1:28 PM
Just spitballin’ here…..how ’bout we repeal everything that got passed in 1938?
cthulhu on May 12, 2013 at 1:31 PM
No. You’re right. I actually hire an accountant to file our taxes for us.
Someone like ladyingray.
You know really, now you’re just trolling.
Don’t you have something better to do with your life than holler at perfect strangers & clal them liars when they’re trying to engage in real debate about important topics?
You’ve not said one thoughtful thing here yet.
All you are doing is spewing hatred.
If you’re going to spew hate, you really ought to come up with some factual evidence that backs it up.
Badger40 on May 12, 2013 at 1:31 PM
THIS.
Badger40 on May 12, 2013 at 1:32 PM
And when even YOU can tell that lowandretarded is lying his a$$ off, it should be obvious to anyone.
Try 200 x 百万, Communist kapo. First paycheck from my new job.
MelonCollie on May 12, 2013 at 1:32 PM
Bwahaha!
OK that was funny!
Badger40 on May 12, 2013 at 1:34 PM
I’m guessing not. Learn to count.
DarkCurrent on May 12, 2013 at 1:37 PM
I can see why McDonalds declined your resume though.
DarkCurrent on May 12, 2013 at 1:39 PM
New job. First paycheck. After period of unemployment.
Clear enough for you, Sum Dum Foo?
Managers are picking resumes by lottery, they get so many applications. And that’s when the application isn’t online with some kind of filtering quiz, which if you don’t pass you’re screwed.
I’ve answered a 120-question personality test for a trained monkey job, passed it, only to be turned down for someone who wasn’t attending college at the time.
MelonCollie on May 12, 2013 at 1:42 PM
Melon, maybe they’re just looking for people who can you know, cout.
DarkCurrent on May 12, 2013 at 1:47 PM
or spell
DarkCurrent on May 12, 2013 at 1:48 PM
I don’t like big government, and really despise public unions, and I think the teacher’s union cares a lot about the teacher’s union, a little about teachers, and not at all about kids. But that doesn’t mean that every teacher, or every government employee is therefore corrupt or incapable of behaving honorably or giving full value for their pay. I was a government employee for six years and I think I did a pretty good job as a Staff Sergeant.
Immolate on May 12, 2013 at 1:48 PM
Thank you for your service. My son is currently a government employee as well. Government employees protect us every day – military, police, fire fighter – to disparage teachers as “government employees” is to disparage all of them.
You know. Our first responders.
ladyingray on May 12, 2013 at 1:53 PM
Ouch..insults..you are a sweet heart.
Right back at ya.
Go bi$ch about Perry’s cowboy hat or something.
bazil9 on May 12, 2013 at 1:59 PM
Don’t be nasty!
AsianGirlInTights on May 12, 2013 at 2:12 PM
*snerk* Suuure they are, irony with you aside.
That’s why they hire people who can’t count past ten (seen this personally) and reject, oh, someone who can do anything up to basic algebra in his head. You won’t get what you don’t test for, and not that many FF joints have even an elementary-math test on their application, like Subway does.
MelonCollie on May 12, 2013 at 3:04 PM
I’ve been railroading (I’m a locomotive engineer) for over 35 years. My union dues are a fixed monthly amount. Varying amounts earned from month to month (and I can work a lot of overtime) have no bearing on the amount of union dues I pay.
To be honest, my employer would rather pay overtime when necessary than keep enough people on hand to allow for comp time.
Unfortunately, all employers aren’t benevolent. As long as there are sufficient safe guards in place to protect people (in a timely fashion) who want the OT pay instead of comp time, its a great concept.
tgharris on May 12, 2013 at 3:31 PM
Off topic: A couple of weeks ago, a kid in a FF drive through lane gave me too much change. When I pointed this out, it was like I started a Chinese fire drill in the place.
We have Quick Trip gas station/convenience stores in our area. One reason I like doing business with them is because they require their people to make change.
tgharris on May 12, 2013 at 3:38 PM
Why would she do that? She lives in ND, probably the state with the most job growth. Including Texas.
ladyingray on May 12, 2013 at 3:39 PM
Huh? That makes no sense. Many teachers have to take second jobs anyway because their pay sucks.
In the first place, it’s not a three month paid vacation, it’s a furlow…they’re contract workers and work from day A through day B according to the contract. Also, in some places it’s two months.
Personally, I think that maybe 2-3 weeks summer vacation for the students is enough…there’s always more to learn as time goes by-not less.
But we’re dealing with hundreds of years of inertia when it comes to American education, going all the way back to the English model before public schools existed.
Oh, and summer vacation (June and July in particular) has nothing to do with farming. Most crops are harvested in mid to late August, the fall or for certain crops harvesting is in the spring (spring break). It was simply the best time of year in central and northern Europe to go out and do stuff. During the long dreary winters you may as well be inside studying and going to classes.
Kids still needed time off from school for the harvests and were accommodated by the the local school boards.
Dr. ZhivBlago on May 12, 2013 at 3:58 PM
ladyingray on May 12, 2013 at 3:39 PM
Ask her..lol
She has a problem with it.
bazil9 on May 12, 2013 at 4:59 PM
Don’t be nasty!
AsianGirlInTights on May 12, 2013 at 2:12 PM
Don’t hide behind your egg foo young sock.
Got something to say to me? Say it under your handle.
bazil9 on May 12, 2013 at 5:35 PM
Charles sock fest 2013.
tom daschle concerned on May 12, 2013 at 5:59 PM
tom daschle concerned on May 12, 2013 at 5:59 PM
hmmm..your a wise one Tom. Argyle,crew,and ankle. Bing*
bazil9 on May 12, 2013 at 11:16 AM
Suck my lily white a$$ you cretin.
Did I accuse YOU of whining? No I did not. Some people whine.
I guess if you’re one of them, GFY.
Badger40
I sense someone doesnt want a civil debate but enjoys inflammatory language. Yawn.
Sigh* Cause I don’t give a rats a$$ and in a good mood..I’ll refrain from name calling and profanity today.
cre·tin
/ˈkrētn/
Noun
A stupid person (used as a general term of abuse).
A person deformed and mentally handicapped due to a congenital thyroid deficiency.
Wow, badger is smart! I do have a thyroid issue.
bazil9 on May 12, 2013 at 6:36 PM
For nasty sock.
bazil9 on May 12, 2013 at 6:38 PM
ROFL the first line of the anthem.
tom daschle concerned on May 12, 2013 at 6:46 PM
@Tom..
I know..lol
bazil9 on May 12, 2013 at 7:03 PM
‘Bout f’n time.
Saltysam on May 12, 2013 at 7:15 PM
I’d believe it. I’d just had the idea of challenging managers in person that I could best any employee they had in mental math when my current employer called me. My sympathy for employers complaining that they can’t find anyone who can do the four basic operations is long since dead. They don’t test for those skills, they can suffer with math illiterates.
MelonCollie on May 12, 2013 at 11:06 PM
Hallmark of a troll??
AesopFan on May 13, 2013 at 12:50 AM
SIGH
I know. Such a silly thing for me to even wonder here.
Badger40 on May 13, 2013 at 8:10 AM
Wow, badger is smart! I do have a thyroid issue.
bazilI knew 9 on May 12, 2013 at 6:36 PM
I knew you’d pounce on that. IT was for your benefit I gave that to you.
Well my dear I’m not very patient or partial to a gal who dismisses my contribution through learned experience as looking at life through a narrow lens.
If you didn’t give a rat’s a$$ you wouldn’t waste you time responding to me.
bazil9 on May 12, 2013 at 11:16 AM
Your thinly veiled insult was only followed up with a sincere invitation to ki$$ my a$$. I didn’t call you a name.
If you find ki$$ing the a$$ of a 43yo woman offensive, well, I know my husband doesn’t.
I have a pretty decent a$$, as well.
And if you’re a lesbian, why maybe you shouldn’t be so insulted.
Badger40 on May 13, 2013 at 8:08 AM
Yeah..it made me lol. Your soooo clever.
My sexuality..lol..had to add that didn’t you?
You embarrass yourself.
No..your condescending attitude is shi$$y..I could have read the rest of what you wrote each time but your not into civil debate. I may even have agreed with you on points but ..that passed. Nope..could care a less..didn’t even read your entire comment..just amusing my self watching you spasm and your long posts shrieking like peacock. Sometimes..it is entertainment…you confuse that with caring.
Yep, this cretin lezbo is working but knew YOU would pounce. Cause you care! Fun game, eh?
LOL- good times.
Later pumpkin.
bazil9 on May 13, 2013 at 8:51 AM
Yeah, she’d be more trustworthy if she just let you lie about her endlessly and said nothing about it, you POS.
Akzed on May 13, 2013 at 11:02 AM
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