Hi David, I am still young, but all these stories about older folks being shown the door in their mid-50’s scares me. I’m struggling just to pay rent in San Jose, and hoping that housing prices drop to the point where I can afford one. Funny how a computer engineer with a master’s degree in computer science has to struggle in Silicon Valley.
I actually listened to your show on KLIF back in Fort Worth before my parents moved us out to Monterey. I had to have been 7 or 8 years old. That was over 20 years ago now. I was surprised to hear you on the weekends here on KSFO—more that people could survive for over 20 years in the radio business than anything else :-).
What seriously needs to happen in this country is for the government to protect our labor from countries who don’t protect their own. I’m pretty sure we don’t want to live like the poor of India and China, but instead of lifting them up, the competitive market and US trade agreements bring our own workers down. The federal government has to realize that this country is in competition for business with other countries and Ireland and Singapore will actually give businesses incentives and tax breaks while the US hands out more red tape. Much of what the country regulates tends to hurt families just starting out in favor of established workers. Prop 13 has the effect of shifting the burden from more established people to the ones just starting out trying to afford a home that his older neighbor could never afford in today’s market. It’s like the boomer generation climbed the ladder and then took a saw to it for generation X and Y.
I have been really blessed. Doing what I do for thirty nine years. Conservative before conservative was cool. But, radio, as we know it, is in deep trouble. Syndication is our outsourcing. Local shows simply too expensive to justify.
The age thing is real. However, there are some employers that realize maturity and experience is a plus. They will become more numerous as baby boomers leave the workforce.
Your points on foreign competition are spot on.
Keep listening Sundays.