CABL Forum - a shell of it's former self

i guess by veteran standards i'm relatively green where linework is concerned. four years to the day to be exact. in that time i have worked with some very talented linemen and of course some hacks. i worked hard to establish myself, i invested all i had and more just to stay afloat and at times managed to sink anyway. a former partner of mine used to refer to the brotherhood that reportedly was so prominent among cable dogs. a fabled unity that apparently no longer exists. breached contracts, broken promises and blatant lies are what's left in it's stead.

i've been on the verge of changing occupations for the last couple of years. having as much invested as i do makes it hard to want to walk away from what at one time, seemed like such a promising industry. a last bastian for the undereducated, where income potential was only limited by how many locations you could drag yourself to each day. a way for average people to accomplish an above average income. my first year i more than doubled my average income and it wasn't a full year.

i'm sure most of you are aware that things took a turn for the worse. i personally found myself doing twice as much work to make the same amount of money. too many subs trying to be primes, greed or perhaps hunger drove the prices down, every now and then there would be an apparent rebound. but the truth of the matter is this industry has deteriorated dramatically at the hand of people who's bottom line has to be met regardless of the cost. drugs, women, toys, whatever the case, enough just isn't enough anymore.

i'm a relatively intelligent individual, i work hard, i'm reliable, and most importantly i'm honest. as vain as it sounds there needs to be more people like me in this business. if for no other reason than to eliminate some of the b.s. that gets passed around as fact. i've been on the receiving end of one too many unethical business practices and i won't be a party to it anymore.

i'm not whining, i'm not complaining, i'm just saying..... the people that do the work out in the field deserve to be treated as the assets that they are. it's their effort that turns an average contractor into the proverbial golden child. don't forget who got you where you are, and don't think you can't lose your place in the hierarchy if you do. theres far more profit to be found if you conduct business the way it should be conducted, and that does not involve ripping off your subs. ok i'm done venting now, good luck to ya all.

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a shell of it's former self