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msnbc.com
Camping season is long over in Campbellsville, Ky., but motorhomes and camper vans still fill its parking lots and motel rooms are booked for months.
When Amazon.com announced last month it was hiring for thousands of temporary positions at its Kentucky fulfillment centers for the holiday season, people from across the country converged upon the town of 10,000 in a rush to fill them.
"It’s like quick money for Christmas," Rita DeMichiel of Florida, one of the temporary workers, said. "We get in, we get out."
DeMichiel is part of a growing number of mobile job hunters who travel to Campbellsville during the holiday season with their entire families to work for $10 an hour, packing and shipping Amazon orders during 8-12 hour shifts.
"The pay is really good, it’s above minimum wage," DeMichiel said. "They pay overtime, so financially for us it was a way to make quick money and then be on our way to the next destination."
The camper vans filled with families, retirees or hard-up job seekers are becoming a holiday season staple in Campbellsville.
Ron McMahan, executive director of the Campbellsville-Taylor County Economic Development Authority, says these seasonal workers are adding dollars to local businesses.
"It’s like a three- to four-month convention," McMahan said. "These people are here eating in restaurants, they need medical services, they are shopping in retail stores, they need camper repair."
For most of the workers, hopscotching around the country for a paycheck is a lifestyle. When their work is done in Kentucky, they’ll drive their vans to the next job. Texas, Wyoming, Michigan are a few of the popular destinations for itinerant workers. Most of them hear about available jobs online or by word of mouth from other workers.
Debra and Mark Pinson traded in a three-bedroom house and a mortgage for life on the road. Their first time living in a work camp was this spring in Michigan. They now travel from job to job across the country in their RV, staying in work campgrounds rent-free.
"Well, the mortgage was $1,800 and we pay zero here," Debra Pinson said. "There are jobs out there. You just have to go out and look for them."
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Brian, a great story on jobs and Campbellsville, Kentucky. Looking forward to Monday night and Chelsea Clinton's
debut, and wouldn't you know PM Putin would blame Hillary Clinton for the protests in Russia.? Well, the woman
is empowered! I was surprised that Britian wants to isolate themselves. Have a great weekend!!!
So MSNBC is admitting that Americans actually do travel around the country looking for work at low-paying temporary jobs?
Doesn't that poke another hole in the liberal fantasy that illegal aliens are needed and don't steal jobs from American taxpayers?
Uh actually half-wit, $10 per hour is far more than agricultural jobs pay.
pjam09 So MSNBC is admitting that Americans actually do travel around the country looking for work at low-paying temporary jobs?
MSNBC is REPORTING the story, like they do all other stories. Did you see it on FAUX news? Apparently NOT!
Doesn't that poke another hole in the liberal fantasy that illegal aliens are needed and don't steal jobs from American taxpayers?
Yep, it sure does.. why don't you read up on GINGRICH's immigration policy. Looks like your staunch conservative lemming (you know the one) is in FAVOR of legalization for illegal immigration:
www.usnews.com/debate-club/is-newt-gingrich-right-about-immigration/newt-gingrich-plan-would-mean-more-illegal-immigrants
Gingrich also follows in his predecessors' footsteps by denying his amnesty is an amnesty. In the immigration context, an amnesty means the illegal immigrant gets to stay. Period. By saying that he's against amnesty but for a "path to legality," Gingrich is replaying the semantic game that has rightly become a red flag for the public. If you want to make a case for amnesty, as Gingrich obviously does, speak truthfully and frankly—voters have proven that on immigration, they're not idiots ready to be duped by rhetorical trickery.
And who would qualify? In the debate, Gingrich listed very specific criteria for his amnesty: at least 25 years of residence, U.S.-born grandchildren (not just children), consistent payment of taxes, church membership (he mentioned that three times), and obedience to the law (presumably not including the immigration laws).
However, what COMPLETE BS. Church Membership? LOL, I guess since I do not belong to a church, I must not be an american
I'm not a liberal, and I APPLAUD these families for taking the right steps to make an honest day's pay. n
Dust Bowl part deux. Just another sad reality of the "everyone for themselves" mantra shat upon the 99%. But take heart for...
The Times They Are A-Changin'
OCCUPY!
Can anyone say- "Grapes of Wrath"?
Please find something to OCCUPY your cranial cavity.
You first.. When things turn ugly just hope you're on the right side of history.
@MarkC-3886135 - Illegal immigrants work in a lot of other industries. They aren't all agricultural workers.
pjam09,
Totally, you have missed the point.
That our citizens and entire entire families have to hop-scotch around the country looking for a job is a sad day for America. If our economy was thriving, our people would not have to repeatedly displaced themselves seeking employment. The GOP sunk our economy.
The effect?
Our citizens are roaming the land to survive - to have a place to eat, sleep, and live.
This should not be the case for America.
We rest on the mantra of "this a land of opportunity."
Displacement is disruption.
Vote Democratic in 2012.
I don't know who Britian is. Why don't you inform us?
Great Britian, UK, and TGIF
ahhhh....John Steinbeck's book "Grapes of Wrath" in living reality.
Sounds like what the Chinese and India people used to do. they are now living well as people here beg for work. When will people wake up and see what is happening.
It would be interesting to see what the average length of time is that people live this lifestyle before running into a snag (particularly outside the holiday season). And how that might change if most of the under-employed tried hitting the road (in a nation still short millions of job openings, even for those counted as looking). Two things that would make this more doable, though, are being able to unload your house (assuming you're tied to one), and having a partner. The latter being the equivalent of having a dual-income trailer. :-) If one person loses/has trouble finding a job, the other may be able to take up the slack until something else is found.
We are well on our way to being a low cost labor provider to thew world...something for us all to be proud of and strive to not be a part of...
Back to the Gypsy way of life again. No benefits like medical, dental, vision, or a 401k to look forward to, but I guess that is fine with some people these days. That is how those 1% people got where they are today. Not giving people their fair share of the American dream. Fight back for it!
i dont understand why you say they arnt giving america their fair share? at least they are open about the pay and benefits. its not a secrete if people still come, thats their choice. if they didnt feel like it was fair for them to wrok that hard for that little . they would choose to do something else
As I said, some people are just fine with this situation, but the more that do it, the easier it is for the 1% that all the OWS people are protesting about. Just saying.
Assuming there was something better for them to choose, Poese. I suspect most of these people would not be on the road if there were enough living wage jobs with healthcare and retirement benefits (as in the good ol' days).
when one of them stated that the 10 dollars an hour was "really good" you can tell the options for them are somewhat limited. the medical field is still hiring, the pay much more than 10 dollars. if they are not qualified to do those jobs, is it really the 1% that is at fault ,or their own? for example RN's are listed as a top job for 2012. pay is MUCH more than 10 dollars an hour. I would LOVE to take a job in this growing field making as much as current RN's do. But I dont have the training for it or the education required. i could go back to school and get the training, but I choose not to, therefore I dont make as much money as them. Now. is that MY fault that I cant get into the growing field of nursing cuz i would rather sleep, hang out , watch tv, slack off instead of study? or is it easier to just blame the 1%
Oregon Stream a quick search on the internet will show there are a LOT of better jobs out there, in that area alone. about five jobs that pay 6 figures and may more that pay a LOT less than 6 figures but a lot MORE than 10 dollars. as a matter of fact theres a job there I would love to have Radiologist located in Radisphere National Radiology Group - Campbellsville, KY. that pays between 300k and 350k. Im going to apply for it even though I have no medical education. they even offer the benefits you speak "We also offer comprehensive benefits to include retirement 401(k), vacation, CME reimbursement, health and welfare benefits." Even though I dont have the required education. should I not get a call back, i wont blame myself for not getting the education needed for that great job, i will blame the rich 1%. they should have made me go to school. no one told me you actually had to get a high level education to make good money
ahhh the new american dream, travel around the country, away from your family and friends, get paid crap wages, have no health insurance, and have no way to have a solid address for more than a couple months. soounds like a gypsy to me also.
Dust Bowl part deux. Just another sad reality of the "everyone for themselves" mantra shat upon the 99%. But take heart for...
The Times They Are A-Changin'
OCCUPY!
Occupy????? get a life you feaking liberal dirt bag. Nobody cares about the "occupy campers"... Even they don't know what they are doing.
American nomads- the wave of the future?
Yes, awesome. Americans in desperation moving around like gypsies packing cheaply made garbage made in China while we have been betrayed from within, our jobs shipped to China and India by those that dodge paying taxes and involve us in criminal wars that made us hated all over the world. One day we will be coming for you and the day is coming soon. That is how revolutions start, drive people to desperation and see what happens. Lying and indoctrination will not save you, better have those armies of mercenaries and criminals ready to defend you because true Americans won't dirty their hands to defend traitors like you.
Frickin modern day live version of "Grapes of Wrath"
This is pathetic -- the USA, most advanced country on the planet and our citizens are grovelling about for subsistence. We are still two steps out of the trees.
Hats off to our elected officials -- you've got yours. Merry ---king Xmas!
of course you meant to say "Christ" mas. :)
pretty sure he meant xmas. don't put words in peoples mouths.
Ok... so what happens with the kids of these transient workers? Are then in school? or watching porn, drinking and doing drugs, while their parents work at $10 an hour jobs?
Nobody wants their life to be like this, but sometimes you're just glad that there are options. How many times have you logged on to one of these boards and heard the "helpful" advice of "relocate"? Easier said than done, in some cases. People who are in their senior years, those with children, those with illnesses or handicaps... moving isn't as easy as a healthy person might think.
And these are the lucky folks. Having a vehicle alone is a major economic step up these days.
Hey... remember that time before corporate America started offshoring entire industries?? A time before Wall St. and the Banking Cartels treated our economy as a gambling venue??
And Americans could look forward to moving into well paying jobs, and we had solid, middle class based communities all over the country???
It's beginning to look like future generations will have no idea what those times were like.. But I still do..
Such a pity, sounds like a return to sharecropper days to me...When I retired, sold my home, bought an RV and decided to blow in the wind until the grim reaper caught up, it did not take too long to realize there truely is no place like home............Hope so much these new gypsies by necessity will someday soon be able to call someplace home again.......
Time to start writing some great folk songs. America will be singing the blues for a long time until we pay off our debts and start saving money again to build manufacturing jobs. Th party is almost over.
maybe the answer for the short term is to "Tax the rich" and steal money from people who were more responsible or industrious or talented or lucky, I won't be back to the USA until that mindset is over.
Not voting for Obama again but who can lead us?
The answer is not ONLY "tax the rich".
Have the IRS investigate and prosecute them for tax evasion ! Confiscate their ill gotten gains if found guilty.
Eliminate the tax loopholes for companies like GE.
STOP THE CORPORATE SPONSORED WARS that kill thousands of our soldiers and cost us billions a DAY for the benefit of an elite few under lies like "spreading freedom".
Set tarriffs for merchandise imported and tax the hell of companies that outsource our jobs to India and China. That will bring back jobs back to the USA.
Folks traveling around the USA looking for jobs, working awhile and moving on. How romantic sounding. People doing what they can to remain self-sufficient, feed themselves and keep their families together. This is the new middle-class that resulted from bank deregulations and tax cuts for the rich Republicans must be so proud of. These people who used to own homes, before the banks were deregulated and "got drunk" as Bush II put it, now have their "freedom" to roam the country looking for survival jobs. Yes, it's a tough economy out there, but that's what makes America great, isn't it? So that's what Republicans do for America.
when one of them stated that the 10 dollars an hour was "really good" you can tell the options for them are somewhat limited. the medical field is still hiring, the pay much more than 10 dollars. if they are not qualified to do those jobs, is it really the 1% that is at fault ,or their own? for example RN's are listed as a top job for 2012. pay is MUCH more than 10 dollars an hour. I would LOVE to take a job in this growing field making as much as current RN's do. I could also look up how much doctors make, and go to med school, but do I really want to spend all that time working and studying so hard. heck no. im just going to sit here on my butt and blame the rich. But I dont have the training for it or the education required. i could go back to school and get the training, but I choose not to, therefore I dont make as much money as them. Now. is that MY fault that I cant get into the growing field of nursing cuz i would rather sleep, hang out , watch tv, slack off instead of study? or is it easier to just blame the 1%. Anyone who can use the internet can see what fields are growing, and what the pay is. if they choose not to do the work it takes to get it.... I have a hard time believing its the 1% keeping them from it
Perfect examples of why the USA is rated so low. Perry doesn't know their are 9 US Supreme Court Justices and has no idea where the major countries of the World are. Newt a form Speaker of the House/US Historian has no idea about Palestine/Israel history as he thinks it's a cartoon and Palestine was made up. He did fail his born against Christian classes as Palestine is written in the Bible. To put poor kids to work because their lazy and let them work the fields and be janitors even 5 year old. Sounds alot like slavery. Michele Bachmann is just nuts. Santorum will say anything for a donation as he is unemployed and has a large family to take care of. Ron Paul hopes somebody will block minorities from voting and he could slip in. Mitt is waiting it out knowing Corporations/Banks will put him in as the candidate and the VP pick Gov. Christie is already on the campaign trail.
We wonder why people take a job for 10 dollars an hour but try watching the movie The Help to understand. When Americans lose rights and democracy this is the results. Many question the actions of these families but after the new President takes office you will be joining the group.
Congratulations, Becky! In a story about Campbellsville, Kentucky, you actually managed to misspell the town's name three times in your post (as "Campbelsville"). How proud you must be. Can any of the Nightly News producers spell? Getting things right takes only a little bit of extra effort. Why not try it?
I was made to follow the Texas Rangers because my Dad was a life long fan and he talked about a man name Paul Campbell Jr. from the follow place
Campbellsville is a city in Taylor County, Kentucky, United States. The population within city limits was 10,498 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Taylor County,[1] and the home of Campbellsville University
I love my visits to Kentucky and it seems Becky did her homework. People should try to visit the beautiful State of Kentucky at lease once it's great.