Maybe and maybe not. As a group, I'm sure plumbers are a decent sort. But, in my personal experience I have never had a positive experience with any of them.I'm reminded of the scene in the movie "Moonstruck" where plumber Cosmo Castorini, played by Vincent Gardenia, says to a couple (paraphrased) "Copper, now that's the best." "How much" asks the couple. Castorini ponders a second and says "$10,000 dollars." He, Castorini, replays the scene with the couple to his girlfriend later in the day, implying, boy, did I take them!" That same scenario is played out every day, perhaps every few minutes, across the US, by all sorts of small businesses.
But, that's how I see plumbers. That's also how I see HVAC repairmen, mechanics, roofers, contractors and builders. I'm sure many are straight up businessmen, but not the one's I've dealt with. Those would be greedy, overcharging, slow, lazy pinheads, who you just want out of the house as soon as possible. Many have asked for cash so there is no record of the "transaction" and so "they" don't have to pay taxes.
Now Sen. McCain's "Joe" is someone I would have to question. He can't be much of a plumber if he can't buy that business. He needs a new accountant. He needs to charge more, which is what any decent plumber would do when he wants to buy something. And like many of the plumbers and contractors I deliver to across the US, he needs to get replace his higher paid white workers with cheap Mexican labor. He would be able to buy that business in no time.
The photo credit is http://distributedresearch.net/blog/2005/07
PS/Turns out "Joe" doesn't have a plumbers license or a union card. Apparantly his income is in the $40K range and he would qualify for the Obama refund plan.
