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Message: [QUOTE="oldude, post: 3588096, member: 7511"] Yes, driving a backhoe, getting a job in AC maintenance or as an electrical lineman are good-paying, “blue collar” jobs. My father dropped out of HS in 1942 to join the Marines, which got him an all-expense paid trip to the Pacific. When he returned he got a job as a machinist that provided us with a comfortable life. But high paying blue collar jobs have been disappearing in this country since the 1970’s due to the combined effects of productivity improvements and global competition. Your example is anecdotal evidence. Next time you pass a job site, take a look at the guy driving the backhoe. I’ll guarantee you he’s 50+. The “new” jobs available to HS graduates today include warehouse workers, food service and retail, and even those jobs are disappearing rapidly due to automation and on-line retailing. I don’t know if you have children or not. If you do have children I suspect that you haven’t encouraged them to be backhoe drivers. I have a son who my wife and I started a college account for before he was born. He earned undergraduate and graduate degrees in mechanical engineering, and currently works in the energy services business. He has no college debt and earns a very nice living for himself and his family. In a time when millions of blue collar workers are unemployed, we are very thankful that he has a good job. [/QUOTE]