The Plumbers Way

Discussion in 'This Whacky World' started by DonC, Mar 3, 2014.

  1. DonC

    DonC In Maximum Overdrive SILVER MEMBER

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    Location:
    Gonzales Louisiana
    Joe the Plumber
    Barack Obama discovers a leak under his sink, so he calls Joe the Plumber
    to come and fix it.
    Joe drives to Obama's house, which is located in a very nice
    neighborhood where all the residents make more than $250,000 per year.
    Joe arrives and takes his tools into the house. Joe is led to the room
    that contains the leaky pipe under a sink. Joe assesses the problem and
    tells Obama, who is standing near the door, that it's an easy repair that
    will take less than 10 minutes.
    Obama asks Joe how much it will cost. Joe immediately says, "$9,500."
    "$9,500?" Obama asks, stunned, "But you said it's an easy repair!"
    "Yes, but what I do is charge a lot more to my clients who make more than
    $250,000 per year, so I can fix the plumbing of everybody who makes less
    than that for free," explains Joe; "it's always been my philosophy. As a
    matter of fact, I lobbied government to pass this philosophy as law, and
    it did pass earlier this year, so now all plumbers have to do business
    this way. It's known as 'Joe's Fair
    Plumbing Act of 2014.' I'm really surprised you haven't heard of it."
    In spite of that, Obama tells Joe there's no way he's paying that much for
    a small plumbing repair, so Joe leaves. Obama spends the next hour
    flipping through the phone book looking for another plumber, but he finds
    that all other plumbing businesses listed have gone out of business. Not
    wanting to pay Joe's price, Obama does nothing. The leak
    under Obama's sink goes unrepaired for the next several days.
    A week later, the leak is so bad that Obama has had to put a bucket under
    the sink. The bucket fills up quickly and has to be emptied every hour,
    and there's a risk that the room will flood. So, Obama calls Joe back and
    pleads with him to return. Joe goes back to Obama's house, looks at the
    leaky pipe, and says, "Let's see - this will cost you about $21,000."
    "A few days ago you told me it would cost $9,500!" Obama quickly fires
    back.
    Joe explains the reason for the dramatic increase. "Well, because of the
    'Joe's Fair Plumbing Act,' a lot of rich people are learning how to fix
    their own plumbing, so there are fewer of you paying for all the free
    plumbing I'm doing for the people who make less than $250,000. As a
    result, the rate I have to charge my wealthy paying customers rises every
    day.
    "Not only that, but for some reason the demand for plumbing work from the
    group of people who get it for free has skyrocketed, and there's a long
    waiting list of those who need repairs. This has put a lot of my fellow
    plumbers out of business, and they're not being replaced - nobody is going
    into the plumbing business because they know they won't make any money.
    I'm hurting now too - all thanks to greedy rich people like you who won't
    pay their fair share."
    Obama tries to straighten out the plumber: "Of course you're hurting, Joe!
    Don 't you get it? If all the rich people learn how to fix their own
    plumbing and you refuse to charge the poorer people for your services,
    you'll go broke, and then what will you do?"
    I'll just sit on my ass and draw unemployment for 99 weeks. By then, I'll
    qualify for food stamps, housing allowance assistance, and the many other
    government programs which all together amount to $168.00 per day, which
    is more than I was making before.
    "The limits of tyrants is prescribed by the endurance of those whom they
    oppress." Frederic Douglas, 1857
    The ideal tyranny is that which is ignorantly self-administered by its
    victims. The most perfect slaves are, therefore, those which blissfully
    and unawaredly enslave themselves."
     
  2. Denny

    Denny In Maximum Overdrive

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    That makes the point very well. Unfortunately there are still people who won't understand it.
     
  3. ribald1

    ribald1 Banned PLATINUM MEMBER

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    Location:
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    I doubt many really don't understand it, that is why they take the money at the point of a gun rather than let people opt out as happened in that story.
     
  4. As Is '66

    As Is '66 2 Wheeled Mod Staff Member

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    Location:
    Southwest Georgia
    Thank you DonC...
    AC/DC
     

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