I've been in Roosevelt a year. A year as of last Thursday. I know the exact date, not just because it was the beginning of the new chapter of my life, but because it was the day before Pioneer day, and when I went down to Job Services the day after I arrived, they were closed. Pioneer day.
Strangely enough I've had two jobs since I've moved back here. When I arrived, jobs were still in abundance, and I had a pick. I took the first one that offered me work, at a gas station ordering and stocking their cooler (and doing other odd jobs).
I worked there nearly six weeks.
After a month of working there, (all the while still checking the job boards electronically) I found the job I currently have: a grocery store. I bag. I stock. I fetch carts. I deal with weird shit that doesn't always make sense. Mostly I don't mind it. As jobs go it's not the greatest, but it's tolerable. You get to know the regulars and interact with them. That can be fun. And for the most part I like everybody I work with. Fun group of folks really.
The job market here is down. (Big surprise.) The oil industry has slowed, partially due to the lower gas prices (artificially inflated) and partly due to the revoking of the oil leases shortly after Obama took office. Now, let's get something straight; I like Obama over all. I don't think he's doing a terrible job, or even a bad job. Revoking the oil leases however was something I didn't agree with. I know we need a different source of energy for our infrastructure to run on. However I also know that until a viable option is found (a realistic option that is sustainable) oil is going to continue to be it. The oil industry is the life blood of this region (as is natural gas and gilsonite) and shutting down further exploration that was already granted seems, to most folk out here, nearly spiteful.
Obama isn't popular here for that reason and for the inherit racism that most folks here have in gereral. They didn't like the stimulus package (I haven't liked everything that has been done with the stimulus, though I think that it still has potential (only 10% of it has actually been used.)) They really don't like the idea of a healthcare package that is being debated, despite the fact that most people out here would benefit from it. I'm one of the few people that I personally know.
So what is next for me?
Well, more of the same honestly. I'm going to continue working at the grocery store for a while.
For a long while honestly. I can't afford to move while the economy is so down, and taking a realistic perspective, I don't think true will recovery will happen for a few years. Roosevelt is as good a place as any to work through the rough patch.
I've got some scripts I'm working on. I'll continue to work on those. I'll continue to venture to Logan and to Salt Lake to see folks that I make me happy.
Till next time.
posted by F.G. Shaw @ 11:25 PM
3 Comments:
Maybe if the oil industry went about it all in a fair and honest way Obama would come around. The problem is all of those leases were snuck through by Bush at the very last minute, when no debate or vote could be dealt with in Congress. Wrong way to go about it.
Sorry about the rough patch for the petroleum people. But isn't that the way it always is - the thing that employs gets precedent over the greater good. Tough calls.
The recent fighter jet they stopped building is a good example. There are already 187 of these things at around $350 million a pop and never has one been used in combat. They were developed for a war with a giant, namely Russia, and we find ourselves fighting (don't get me started) with small insurgencies and guerilla fighters.
Another nasty fact that went hand-in-hand with the fighter building program is that the government spread the manufacture and building of these jets through 38 states, making almost certain that the votes would keep coming to keep the program alive. Too many jobs, you see, and no congressman would vote to lose jobs in his or her district. Nasty business, that Washington politics. Well, all of it for that matter. I'm just shocked it actually got shut down. Couldn't have happened at any other time than now, with the economy so bad.
We'll catch you one of these days when you're in Logan. I'm searching for a new job myself and if I'm lucky it'll happen sooner rather than later so I better make sure to see you next trip. Chances are it's gonna take a couple of years, though.
Well, you should know that I'm not a real big fan of corporations in general, so the fact the oil industry did these things underhanded doesn't surprise me (nor bother me surprisingly) it's something I wholly expect from pretty much every corporation. That being said, I'm not sure that even if the leases hadn't been revoked that things would be ok. Most folks agree that gas needs to consistently around 3 bucks a gallon for the industry out here to continue to survey and develop regularly. There are still a lot of leases that haven't been fully explored and developed, and those are currently idle, or being developed slowly. What I'd really love to see is the CEO's take a pay cut and for these companies to put that money into development of alternate fuels. Yes. I live in a pipe dream.
As for the jobs out here: we're going back to levels of the 90's. There are still a lot of jobs that need to be done. Unfortunately, those jobs will go primarily to those who've been in the "patch" for 10+ years. The oil wells still need to be maintained, as well as the pipelines, disposal plants, and roadways into the wells. So what's really happening is that the jobs disappearing are all the new jobs that were created the last 5 to 10 years.
I'm not worried about my job, at least being fired anyway. I do know (because both my managers are fairly candid about this, and because it's locally owned) that sales are down for the first time this quarter in nearly 12 years. I expected it. They, seemed to expect it, but were never the less disappointed by it. If next quarter is also down, I can see getting my hours cut, making me part time (at about 32 hours a week) so essentially cutting one shift. I can see that happening to a lot of folks. (I'm one of about 20 full time people there, including the managers, most of the others are part time, a majority of those are checkers).
It'll be interesting to see what happens. I keep seeing economists say that the worst is over. I'm not inclined to necessarily believe that. I think that the worst might be here, but it'll be here for quite a while.
Hope you find something. USU will be at a loss without you, but honestly, it's going in a direction that is really contrary to your philosophy about theatre.
I should be traveling up that way either mid-September, or definitely mid-October (though aren't you directing Sweeney Todd? When is that?)
So I'll shoot you a line then.
Holy Crud! Frank Shaw. I saw a link to your blog on Richie and Chrislynn's page and I thought "Oh! I love Frank Shaw! I wonder what Frank is up to." Now I know. Roosevelt huh? Wow. I'm so glad I can keep up now. :)
Mindy (McKinnon)
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