[wetibbe]

Two salient issues to addess:

New Yorkers:

I was actually born in Missouri and grew up in Pennsylvania so I was not a new York original. However, I have lived in New York, off and on, since about 1954. The last stint 43 years. Fortunately I live in an upscale neighborhood with many educated neighbors. Over the years, I can attest, from my extensive dealings with New Yorkers of all stripes that generally and commonly they are very polite courteous, helpful, and caring. I'm a pretty big guy - 6'4" = 260 pounds, myself laid back, well spoken and polite. I don't know if this is intimidating but almost universally everyone I come in contact with is friendly, polite respectful. As I grow older they seem to be more friendly and more respectful. Everyone calls me Sir !!! When I am in a shopping plaza, cars stop and let me pass. The ladies smile at me ?? Some speak. When driving 99% of New York drivers are polite, careful and accommodating. It is very rare to see some cowboy take advantage but it does happen very, very rarely. Apparently some of the uncouth low life's in the Bronx and Brooklyn have given New Yorkers in general a bad name.

I will say that Mid-westerners, west of the Mississippi just blow away New Yorkers for friendliness and accommodation, however.

NY Unions:

Over the years I have worked in various jobs both union and non - union, as a manufacturer rep and a contractor. I had extensive dealings with the unions. There are two basic contractors representative membership one in NYC and another in surrounding areas. I belonged to both. If you want to work in NYC in construction you had better belong or you will be impossible. Some unions are clean and some are dirty. Some are infested with corruption and some not. I have dealt with both and those that were crooked universally were caught and landed in jail, both union and contractor. Those that were clean stayed out of trouble. I have found that I could work with the unions and the best bet was to be friendly with them. Some are always up to something untoward, bending rules, feather bedding, playing unsavory tricks. Generally so long as the contractor played by union rules and passed costs along to customers there wasn't a problem.

There were pros and cons, advantages and disadvantages. Generally I didn't have a problem with unions until they went radical outside of the rules or loaded up jobs with excessive personnel. It all depends on attitude. Union employees work from the union hall. They work when there is a job. NO JOB, NO WORK. Some are old and debilitated. They may be assigned to sit a job to the chagrin and detriment of a contractor but they are fighting to surviving and feed as family.

So it's whose ox is being gored.