Lansing MI & Crew Defection

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lansing,_Michigan

Lansing may be the capital of Michigan but it has not been spared the effects of the recession. It too looks beaten down and unkept. Lansing was made the capital of Michigan, inland from hostile British territory, in 1847 after worries that Detroit would again be capitured by the Canadians as it had in the War of 1812. It is the birthplace of the Olds Motor Company and giving recognition to the automobile industry past the Minor League baseball team is name the Lansing Lugnuts. Driving around doing my jobs I passed the MSU area of East Lansing which is definitely nicer than the rest of Lansing. It is a really neat university area and reminded me a bit of State Street in Madison or down by ASU in Tempe. The former governor of Wisconsin, Tony Earl, was born in Lansing as was Magic Johnson, Steven Seagal, Burt Reynolds, Malcolm X, George Teague and Larry Page, one of the founders of Google. Unfortunately one can see why these people all left!

Thursday afternoon Bill got a text from one of the crew, Quintin, stating that the guy he rooms and rides with, David, had to return to Georgia as his mom was put in the hospital. Quintin said that he had to go back and get his own vehicle and would be back on Sunday. Later on talking with Roger, his boss, Bill found out that David had been ticked off that he was not getting a per diem in addition to the $175 a day pay. Come on....even if you take $100 off for food and hotel, that leaves $75 which is over $9 an hour for an 8 hour day. You think you should get more than that for unskilled labor in this economy? So we don't know if Quintin will be back tomorrow night or not. The company called and got two temp workers for Bill so that he could get the stores done. I can see where David MIGHT have been mistaken as the policies keep changing. When Bill interviewed they had originally told him that if I signed on I would get the $100 per diem too...then all of a sudden -- no. I think what is happening is that the company got these contracts so fast that they are developing a system and policies as they go. But still, if you sit down and figure it out there is no way you should make more money than what you are for that job. I'm sure that there are plenty of other people who will be ready and willing to fill David's spot.