Teamster Finds That Others See Him On The Wrong Side Of The Goal

Dear Tazi-Kat:

I am a union worker and proud of it. Because of this, a lot of people - who don't even know me - bash me as selfish, and a part of the reason the economy is in such a slump. Union workers have had to share their part of the pain, too, with many of us accepting concessions that were once unheard of for a union worker! Plus, as union membership gets smaller and smaller, many former union jobs are being shipped overseas where cheap labor and questionable quality lead to cheap imports, further devaluing the American economy. Once upon a time, all manufactured goods were Made in USA and the economy was humming along. What can I say to get people to realize that unions are not the problem - and to get them off of my back? Sometimes, I think they are just jealous of the good life that I lead.

Signed,
Proud Teamster

Dear Proud Teamster:

Once upon a time all goods were manufactured in America because most of the countries where manufacturing occurs - nowadays, China - were insular countries that did not have foreign relations with the U.S. Government. This led to great job opportunities for Americans, who could afford the higher prices of union-made goods because they, too, had higher paying jobs. Additionally, CEO pay was less because CEO's were not expected to work around the clock, 365 days a year; basically selling themselves to the company in exchange for multi-million dollar contracts and stock options (which were also worth a lot less back in the 1950's because fewer people played the market).

Nowadays, Americans are angry about the economy and unions are an easy target to blame. In some cases - like the American automotive collapse a few years ago - union contracts were to blame (with rubber rooms, minimum starting wages of $20+/hour, etc); in others, it is simply greed on behalf of the corporation. Right now, many state governments are on the verge of receivership due to public employee union benefits, which outstrip those of the private sector but are paid for by private sector monies (i.e. taxes). Can you see why people see a big ol' bulls-eye on your back when you comment that you are a "union worker and proud of it" and that you think people are "jealous of the good life" that you lead?

If you want to get people off of your back, you are going to have to lead by example: Buy American everything, from your car to your underwear to the gasoline you put in your rig. Pay full price for everything by refusing to shop at places like Wal-Mart, Target, or Costco; and try to get your fellow union members to do the same. This will not be an easy task, but it will leave you with a clear conscience when people harp on you about how unions are running down the economy, and it will give you a fighting chance against those who seek to argue.

Snuggles,
Tazi

Son Of White Coated Professionals Wants A Horse Of A Different Color

Dear Tazi:

I am 20 years old and enrolled in junior college because my grades in high school weren't all that great. It wasn't because I am stupid; it's just because I hate school. My father is a doctor and my mother an M.S.N [Ed. Note: That is a Nurse with a Master's in Nursing]. My whole life they have pushed education on me, but it just isn't my thing. What I really want to do is be a long-distance trucker.

Please don't laugh or think this is a fake letter because it is not. When I was a kid, I used to love talking on my uncle's CB radio. I would talk with truckers from all over the country, and I loved the stories they would tell me. It was never anything a kid shouldn't hear, just stuff about what they saw while traveling the country. I would go to bed dreaming about one day driving a big rig!

As a teenager my parents kept pushing school on me, making me get a tutor to improve my grades and grounding me for bad grades. I told them that I didn't want to go to college, that I wanted to go to trucking school to learn how to drive a rig. They never took me seriously and told me if I wanted to do that I could pay for it myself. I can't get financial aid because I am a dependant student and my parents make too much money. If I move out on my own, I won't be considered an independent student for at least two years. Right now, keeping my grades at passing level is hard enough without having to work full-time on top of it, so I can't work more hours while in school, even if I could get them. I can't drop out of school either or my parents will cut me off financially.

Tazi, do you have any ideas on how to get my parents to see my point of view?

10-4 Ol' Buddy

Dear 10-4...:

I think in ordeer to accomplish your dream you will have to take steps to show your parents how much your dream of being a professional driver means to you. At 20 years old, you are legally an adult and need to start being responsible for your own future if you wish to control where it is going. I can understand how your parents would want you to follow their path of white collar careers, but if this is not the path for you than you need to do what you must to get onto that path - even if it pulls you from your current comfort zone. As I see it, your options are not as entirely limited as you make them sound.

I understand that you are currently dependant upon your parents for financial assistance. I also understand that you do not like school, and get the impression that you have little to no desire to continue with formal/traditional education. You say that if you quit school, your parents will cut you off financially. If you were working full time, would you be able to make enough to support yourself? If so, this is one possible path; and in two years you could apply for financial aid as an independent student.

All the while attempting to make people understand....

If this plan does not appeal to you, another option would be to have someone teach you how to drive a rig. Do you know any truckers who would be kind enough to teach you how to drive a rig, and allow you to train on their tractor-trailers? Does your local Teamsters Union have an internship program to which you could apply? There are many professional drivers who never actually went to school to learn, but learned from other drivers or as part of military training, which brings me to your third option.

If you are physically fit and have an interest in serving, the Army National Guard; Air Force National Guard; or the Marine Reserves all offer opportunities for you to make extra money and learn how to drive large transport vehicles.

Any of these options will offer you a combination of training and experience that will loosen the financial grip your parents have upon you, as well as push you out of adolescence and into adulthood. Once your parents see how serious you are about becoming a professional driver, perhaps they will be more willing to invest in your dream. As parents, they only want what is best for you. If you show them that you are willing to do what it takes to make your dream a reality, perhaps they will be willing to meet you halfway and put your junior college tuition towards an education at your local tractor-trailer driving school.

Snuggles,
Tazi

Ask Tazi! is ghostwritten by a human with a Bachelors of Arts in Communications. Tazi-Kat is not really a talking feline.