The City of Marion is building a new Farmer’s Market using NC Prison Inmates to reduce labor cost! Great idea, except when raining, weekend, holiday, no bracing, ect…
The opening has been delayed.
I probably caused this because I thought it was a very poor place to put it. In about 1/4th of one of the very few parking areas in the middle of town.
Cousin sent this, guess no one was hurt or I am sure he would have said something, he is the community policing officer.
Replies
what makes ya think prison labor is any different than average construction labor?
that's not a problem with the labor ... that's a problem with the supervision.
laoborers usually just do what they're told.
Jeff
Buck Construction
Artistry In Carpentry
Pittsburgh Pa
Actually I was just trying to come up with some smartaz title. I certainly agree with all your points. This is the same town that had the deal about the motorcycle barn I wrote about last year or so. The county and my little town have saved a pile of $ with them.
I am sure this failure was one of supervision/management and not the guys wearing the "inmate" shirts.For those who have fought for it Freedom has a flavor the protected will never know.
>> I am sure this failure was one of supervision/management and not the guys wearing the "inmate" shirts.<<
Right you are!
JimNever underestimate the value of a sharp pencil or good light.
then again ... maybe it's all a clever set up.
sending a message to the local youth ...
get arrested and do time ... and U just may find yourself dead from a mysterous construction accident!
Jeff Buck Construction
Artistry In Carpentry
Pittsburgh Pa
I was going to say exactly what Jeff said, supervision problem.
I really do like the prison labor here. County roads get all the trash picked up, the grass cut, (even at the schools) and the roads paved for the cost of a couple of supervisors and the rest inmates. They build our fire stations as well. Not sure I've seen them building any of the new police/sheriff's offices though, it might be a conflict of interest.
I wonder how much the inmates get out of the work programs after they get out?
I used to work for the State of California, which used to buy all its furniture from shops run in the prisons. That furniture is sturdier than a block of iron (weight not far off). The rules changed, and now my old employer is getting termite barf stuff that you can't move without emptying everything and, usually, disassembling it.
sounds like the bean counters made that decision.
I think it great to put them to work, seems much better than letting them sit and watch tv or pump iron. Drove through the next county the other day and saw at least 7 work parties cleaning up what the idiots had thrown on the interstate. I think there is a law somewhere here that you cannot take the bag of trash from fast food joints home to put it in the trash.
Here they seem to get exposed to some pretty good learning experiences.
For those who have fought for it Freedom has a flavor the protected will never know.
Edited 5/25/2009 5:59 pm ET by rasconc
Come up here and do some time at William Head. You wouldn't bother with TV or lifting weights. It's situated on a south facing peninsula in the Straight of Juan de Fuca with beautiful views of the Olympic Mountains, two fishing piers and condo-like housing units. Pick up trash? Ha Ha Haaaaa.
The Huey Long Bridge in New Orleans was built by inmate labor.
The prisoners are probably smarter then their supervisor/keepers but nobody will listen to them.
Our Police Chief got his walking papers a couple of years ago for asking one of the residents at the local jail his advice on a remodel (electrical service).
They charged the Chief with malfeasance and "theft of advice".... must of been a slow day in the legislature when they made that law.
Mike Tyson got in trouble when he went in. Seems a gaurd asked him for his autograph, and he gave it to him. He got solitarty for awhile because that was considered giving something valuable to the guard.
Tu stultus esRebuilding my home in Cypress, CAAlso a CRX fanatic!
Look, just send me to my drawer. This whole talking-to-you thing is like double punishment.
Sorry to see that.
Every time I nkow about when trusses fall over like that it's been porr erection bracing. No exceptions.
I hope no one got hurt...
Not that I know of yet, have been watching the "local" news from the next county and nothing yet. I was on edge when we set my 38' spans on my house. I had never heard of BT at that time and was having the heavy stuff done by a family of carpenters who did a pretty good job. Still an eye opener and semi pucker for me.
Looks like it pretty well messed the whole deal. Those beams are steel by the way and the posts are buried in concrete in the parking lot.
For those who have fought for it Freedom has a flavor the protected will never know.
Looked closer, posts not in concrete, brackets in 'crete. No injuries (:-).For those who have fought for it Freedom has a flavor the protected will never know.
Some of the best work I saw when I was inspecting for the state was done by inmates. They usually did have a pretty good supervisor.
These guys were pipe bending artists (EMT) but they had nothing but time to get it right.
Back around the turn of the century out at Hendry Correctional I found a perfect "2000" bent into a 10' stick in a run across the kitchen ceiling. (well the "2" took a little imagination to see). I am a little sorry I found it because the super made then take it out. I bet it is in his office or den now.
Other than that it was all top notch work. The best was at Desoto Correctional because of the excellent director of maintenance. Some of the pipe runs there were things of beauty, real art.
When I was in the Air Nat Guard back in the 70's we did a 2 week summer camp at a Army Guard base near Alexandria,La. and got a tour of a log cabin that the prisoners that were at the base built for the Gov. All made out of cypress. Stair case and all. I was impressed.
Wayne
A good friend of mine was a long time carpenter, now in Michigan corrections. Working, not an inmate!!
He ran the first program in the state of minuman security prisoners out in the trades. Taught them construction and when they were released he worked with companies for employment for them.
He gave us a tour of may state buildings and structures his crew worked on, mainly on the left side of the state. He showed us an historic covered bridge that his crew rebuilt, all except for the cedar shake roof. The state would not allow is workers on the roof and contracted it out. State was afraid that an inmate might fall off from the roof into the river.
His response was, "They are only inmates, we have plenty of them!!!"
The gov. cut the program, cost to much $$$$, now the inmates have color TV instead!!
Go figure!
Are you in Marion? My BIL lives there.
"Put your creed in your deed." Emerson
"When asked if you can do something, tell'em "Why certainly I can", then get busy and find a way to do it." T. Roosevelt
Old Fort, 10 or so west. Wife is from M'rn, go to church in Pleasant Gardens in between. What's his name? I do some work in "the city".
Bob SmithFor those who have fought for it Freedom has a flavor the protected will never know.
Ramsay Grant, wife Mary, been in the same house behind the Jr High for about 30 yrs. Retired from hardwood business, used to buy and sell veneers."Put your creed in your deed." Emerson
"When asked if you can do something, tell'em "Why certainly I can", then get busy and find a way to do it." T. Roosevelt
Who did he work for? Will keep an eye out for him. Mother in law lives very close, on Garden Creek across from the Baptist church.
BobFor those who have fought for it Freedom has a flavor the protected will never know.
Don't remember. His dw worked at one of the schools forever in the front office."Put your creed in your deed." Emerson
"When asked if you can do something, tell'em "Why certainly I can", then get busy and find a way to do it." T. Roosevelt
They really put one over on the public.
They weren't building a farmer's market.
It is abstract art.
William the Geezer, the sequel to Billy the Kid - Shoe
I thought it was pick up sticks.
By the way in another video you could see braces that appeared to be the Simpson spacer braces that do a lot but do not do much to prevent this. No substitute for diagonal bracing to prevent racking I guess. Could not see any other bracing in the rubble pile most of the videos and pictures but that does not mean it was not there.
Just on the news they showed that they ae trying to salvage most of the trusses. It appears that they are not full span but have intermediate support and will probably have metal roof. No serious snow load here either.
For those who have fought for it Freedom has a flavor the protected will never know.
Edited 5/28/2009 6:11 pm ET by rasconc