TWO INDUSTRYIES WITH LITTLE OVERSIGHT

AND ABSOLUTELY NO SELF-CONTROL!

(Brian McIntyre, Shutdown Corner/Michael Kunzelman, Associated Press/Frazer Chronicle)

Two industries completely out of control, with dollar bills blinding their sight, seemingly with little or no conscience with regards to the health of their employees, or work-place safety. Both industries make billions of dollars each year, employ thousands, and are connected in the communities that they operate with “spin-off” business.

 

One is for “rough-necks,” the other is dominated by “red-necks,” both industries encourage aggressive behavior, and the ability to “stand tall, like a man,” and never back down from a challenge. Both industries require a fearless “devil may care” attitude, and a unique understanding of teamwork.

 

Both industries pay their employees well, offer all sorts of insurance inducements and bonuses connected with productivity. Believe it or not, most in these two lines of workers have college degrees hanging on their walls at home. Engineers, physical education, computer science, marketing or communications, these are just a few of the degrees that these people have in higher education.

 

They aren’t dummies, these men that work in these professions, and with little exception, these guys know the score, the dangers, and the riches that waits for them…..if there good. Neither industry is “cut throat” pretty much because you have to rely on your co-workers. Those people that do not measure up to the challenge are quickly jettisoned by either management or in some cases, their co-workers.

 

May burn out, and turn their backs on the limelight to search for other avenues of employment to make a living for themselves and their family. Both industries really do appreciate the effort that their employees approach their jobs and give every day of the week.

 

The country depends and appreciates the products that are delivered by these two entities every single day of the week. People talk about the availability of the product, what condition the end result is, and why it’s costing so much to deliver.

 

Although every part of the country seems to need these products, only selected cities or regions of the country, or world for that matter have the necessary ingredients to produce the products that we all crave and feel necessary to have in our lives.

 

VISIONS OF GRANDURE:

One of these industries is in the public eye every day, and is referred to in newspaper articles, reported about on radio, television and in magazines. Score are kept to measure success by teams, players, and organizations.

 

The other industry is kept score of for a different reason, “how hard your wallet is going to be hit” when you have to surrender to its exotic smell, how you use it, and the residue it’s use leaves for all of us to deal with.

Without any doubt, both industries are manned and dominated by “titans” of industry, people with diverse interests, people driven to one end, ‘how much can I make with the least investment.” These people are true Capitalists in every way. They probably have “flex of gold” in their toilet paper.

 

Employees in these two professions…..once there in, stay the course, usually never leaving until, “kicking and screaming,” they are forced to the sidelines to take some sort of cushy job in management, sales or as a spokesman for their respective industries.

 

The uptick in both industries is the avenues that are opened to them for advancement, the glory of their profession, and the “denaro” their efforts put into their 401 K plan. However the aftermath of their driven attempts to reach for success can, in later life can be disastrous. Ones a “rock star,” the other can sometimes “buy a rock star.”

 

THESE TWO INDUSTRIES ARE DIFFERENT, YET THE SAME:

“What” are these two industries you ask, “or at least you should,” and what is their similarity?  One can produce “rock star” type importance, while the other can buy himself one. Professional football and an oil rig worker, believe it or not. Many in both industries are talented, articulate, well read, and a super star in their own right.

 

People hunger for the product both of these industries bring to us, and we pay dearly for the services rendered. I live in Green Bay, Wisconsin, home of the National Football Leagues Green Bay Packers, and if you removed the green and gold for Green Bay, 20% of the people would probably leave two the day after they moved.

 

The oil industry in the United States in selected regions and cities is quite the same as the National Football League, if oil companies moved out, clearly 20% would leave, probably within months of the companies move. For one, the Packers, its pride in where you live, tax dollars, and spin-off business, for the other, oil, its tax dollars, spin off business and a complete loss of identity in community.

 

But beyond the similarities of income, pride and purpose and tax base, both industries approach their employees in much the same manner. “What” you say, “well, ya, it’s true, what’s the difference in a twisted “backward knee-cap,” and a “Wildcatter” who suffers a debilitating broken back,” NOTHING.

 

Both Injures hurt, can cost you the ability to make money in ones chosen profession, and in some cases can lead to death, or sitting in a wheelchair for the rest of your “vegetative life.”  Injury or illnesses that are caused on the job need to be tracked by competent, unattached organizations that can recognize the red flags that are usually connected with impending doom for workers.

 

Again you say “What” well I’m gonna tell you, and in the end, you won’t be surprised, basically because it makes undeniable sense. Old time football players, the kind that rubbed mud on their wounds and got right back in the game, seem to be dropping like flies.

 

Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy, or term I never even heard of, “it’s a concussion,” seems to be taking old time players with astounding regularity. The damage that these guys suffered and the knowledge that their owners knew what was going on would seem to illustrate exactly why the National Football League and other industries throughout the United States need to take responsibility for better “work area safety.”

 

But it’s their choice…..right, well ya yes.  But don’t employers have a responsibility to make the work area as safe as possible. How many readers out there, “suffer” morning stiffness, sore backs, touchy knees or necks that really don’t work anymore the way their supposed to? And we didn’t even play in the N.F.L.

 

Oil rigs, oil-field drilling, natural gas-wells, off-shore oil platforms all have one thing in common, their dangerous, and can cause a debilitating injury that will last a lifetime, or worse, death. Of course football is not necessary to continued life, but actually, petroleum products aren’t necessary to basic life either.

 

A responsible approach to the “gladiator vs. Lions” that professional sports have become needs to be changed for all of us. Oil drilling, the manufacturing of gasoline and other petroleum products needs to be really “reined in,” for workers protection as well as ours.

 

How can this be achieved “boys and girls,” well, a damn good way to start would be better governmental control over all of the above that I have talked about. But it’s in the private sector you say, well “Whoopty do,” quite being such a right wing conservative and listen to what I’m say, “sport can be enjoyed without the catastrophic injuries that seem to be mounting.”

 

Petroleum exploratory searches and the production of the product “really, really” needs to be watched, like football, they have exhibited a propensity to break whatever rules and regulations that they are supposed to follow.

 

Hopefully the “jig” is up for these people that continuing to break some of the rules that they actually designed to control their greedy attitudes. It reminds me of the criminals in prison establishing security rules that keep them incarcerated, that never works.

 

Tomorrow when you are watching the Packers playing the Lions, and you see huge men being tossed around like rag dolls, or a penalty called for roughing the passer, and assessment of 15 yard, but nobody can find the quarterback because he’s been drilled so hard into the ground he draws oil, remember that there could be rules instituted to safeguard him.

 

Or the next time an off-shore oil rig blows up, killing workers, and horribly injuring others, rules and regulations should, and can be in place to safeguard the innocent workers who are just tiring to make a decent living for themselves and their families.

 

“I’M OUT”