Civilians go after jobs ... in Iraq -- $212,000 salary enough to make some consider

[Bozita]

Source: Detroit Free Press

Civilians go after jobs ... in Iraq -- $212,000 salary enough to make some consider work in country at war

$212,000 salary enough to make some consider work in country at war

December 15, 2007
BY TIM HIGGINS
FREE PRESS BUSINESS WRITER

The job market in Michigan is so tough that for some even moving to Iraq sounds good.

The pay is high, as much as $212,000 for a yearlong stint.

So Friday, in the first hour of a Warren job fair for work maintaining military vehicles in Iraq, about 100 people came looking to apply.

"There's no money coming in right now. There are no jobs. There is nothing," J.J. Woodman, 30, of Hazel Park said. "I've been on the computer and driving around for four months -- there's nothing. Everybody wants to make it sound good, but when it comes down to it, nobody is hiring. Everybody is laying off." The chance of a good-paying job attracted Woodman, and his story was echoed by many as they waited in lines Friday at the Michigan Technical Education Center to apply for such jobs as mechanics, welders, administrative assistants, production controllers and supply technicians.

Read more: http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071215/BUSINESS06/712150331

[kurth]

1. High-paying jobs over there so there won't be any here

Freedom Is Not Free etc. etc.

[simmonsj811]

21. Now that's a slogan

Do you mind if i use it kurth?? "High-paying jobs over there so there won't be any here" :thumbsup: :kick:

[kurth]

25. No prob

[patrice]

2. And should you land one of those civilian jobs in Iraq . . .

You'll always have employment even when "we" "come home", because you will have proven that you're the kind of person they need to do their bidding, no matter what.

What with corporate conglomerates, with contractors returning from Iraq and Veterans returning, I expect domestic jobs to be harder and harder for war resisters to get.

[terisan]

7. You're right. the resisters need to concentrate on green economy. nt

[patrice]

9. Absolutely! (And I'll have you know I don't use that word very often.)

Young and Old need to get together and start building our own world. Intentional communities etc. Here's something I found recently; we need more things like this: http://www.ncbcapitalimpact.org/default.aspx?id=146 customized to the needs and desires of each self-defined community.

[ohio2007]

3. Many living in Michagan were from Iraq

AT least some would be able to understand the local language if their Haliburten trucks break down and need assistance.....

[terisan]

4. Bush's equivalent of FDR'S Public Work Projects,1930s-but doesn't build up our infrastructure

and costs us huge amounts in this private contractor bureaucracy and worker salaries.

[patrice]

11. = Socialism ->No doubt about it. No matter *how* this particular project (Iraq) turns out,

Death and Destruction to pay for your SUV and McMansion IS being rooted in America's middle-class jobs base.

[Solar Power]

5. I know someone who was thinking about this..

They offered him 160,000 tax free dollars to go to Iran and be a transelator... I fellow working in as a stock person in a large upscale retailer..

Fluent Arabic, just fair English...............but, and here is the but......He risked his life to get out of Baghdad. He made it here and is legal, got a green card and all....but the money is a real attraction. Now he makes about 22,000. He sure would like to live better, and get the so called good life...IT makes me sick to think about this. He is a friend of mine, and he asked me, and I said. no. what for........

[JohnnyLib2]

6. Here in the Ft. Campbell and Ft. Knox region--

I am aware of a minimum of 7 or 8 men who have taken such jobs for well above $100,000, often for several years. At least one was killed. Sometimes part of the employment package is a large life insurance policy, 1 or more million dollars. This leaves an unknown total of unofficial "waiting wives" and children with all that implies.

Several of these men have left the military; they make more this way and
sometimes have more flexibility to take leave. Who knows the real effect on the active forces?

IMO, this is also having another barely noticed side effect (of the whole Iraq mess); pitting higher income vs. family life.

[Deja Q]

8. No family; I might consider it.

Nothing wrong with making money...

[patrice]

10. for murder X n? nt

[JohnnyLib2]

13. DU can only approve this if

you have internet access!

[patrice]

18. nothing to do with DU.

I've opposed War since I was 16 and debated whether there should be an international organization to control the proliferation of nuclear weapons. For which I proposed, BTW, a sort of international cap and trade bank for peaceful nuclear technologies, and technological assistance, well over 30 years ago now.

[sandnsea]

17. That's what is wrong with this country

Yes, sometimes there is something wrong with making money in a particlar way. If people knew that, we wouldn't have these fraudulent mortgages because nobody would sell them in the first place. We wouldn't have nonprofits exploited for personal greed. A whole host of things would be significantly different. People used to know that, I don't know what has changed to make people think it's okay to cheat people.

[patrice]

19. !

:applause:

[Habibi]

32. I join Patrice

in :applause:

My husband and I have been living on the edge since being laid off of our respective high-paying tech support jobs. We are *very very lucky* in that we've not had major expenses since then. I can understand being desperate enough to find this attractive. Still, I pray I will not be in such a position that I need to consider it.

[rocktivity]

12. Shouldn't our MILITARY people be maintaining our military equipment?

If anybody deserves those kinds of salaries, THEY do!

By the way, does your family get to go with you, or do you get to come home? And what about the occupational hazard of getting killed?

Sounds like a draft workaround to me. I suppose it's a nice gig if you don't mind being a mercenary--and if you live.

:crazy:
rocknation

[JohnnyLib2]

15. I go with the "draft workaround" view, along with profits

to the business end of Eisenhower's 'military-industrial' complex.

[progressivebydesign]

14. I'd rather live in a studio apartment with my whole family than take blood money.

There's this thing called conscience, and then that thing called 'quality of life'. Yeah.. great to make all that money but to be miserable and frightened and detatched from the life you now know, just for money. Not worth it at all.. Life is so damn short as it is. Why waste it doing something like that?

[mitchum]

16. It's still filthy lucre

[Tandalayo_Scheisskopf]

20. I know a guy who took one of those jobs in IT.

Sure, lots of tax-free dollars, but when he got there, one of the first things they did was issue him a helmet, vest, webbing, M4 and sidearm.

How those are used on computers is anyone's guess.

[ohio2007]

22. When did he come back ?

I presume he thought the $ wasn't worth the risk?

[rocktivity]

23. LOL--I can think of PLENTY of computers that should thank their lucky stars

that I didn't have a firearm at my disposal!

By the way, why SHOULD their salaries be tax free when they're making enough of it? Don't military personnel pay income tax?

:headbang:
rocknation

[tinymontgomery]

24. Not if it is labled a war zone

If labeled a war zone it's tax free. A lot of military people wait to be in the war zone before reenlisting so if they get a bonus it is also tax free.

[humbled_opinion]

29. Doing the work Iraqi's won't do....

So somebody needs to tell the GOP that our soldiers equate to illegal immigrants in Iraq and we know how all the Republicans feel about them Illegals....

Oh thats right we need a (WALL FOR PEACE) thread...

[Goat52a]

30. Think about this

Most educated Iraq employees are long gone. They fled....

[entanglement]

26. Are they stealing jobs from Iraqis or doing the work Iraqis won't do?

;)

[davhill]

27. Plenty of Money

If we run out we can always borrow more from the Chinese. Let your grand-children pay for your big salary, and their grand-children.

[alarimer]

28. And the bonus is you are apparently subject to no legal jurisdiction

So you can rape and murder at will. At least if you work for Blackwater.

[Arctic Dave]

31. Shouldn't the repukes be over there for free

Who cares about the money. When all is said and done, isn't
being able to tell your grandchildren that I helped invade,
occupy and destroy a country be all the gratification you
would need?