Thursday’s column: Mechanics touched by readers’ hearts of gold
Mike Lehman and Jack Lancaster (left to right), former mechanics at General Truck Body, look through tools that were donated to them by Laurie Dimaio. | By JEANNA DUERSCHERL | The Roanoke Times
Laurie Dimaio picked up the paper last Thursday and what she read gave her pause. It was my column about the out-of-work mechanics from General Truck Body, who lost their jobs and their personal tools when a July 21 fire destroyed their workplace.
These unhappily unemployed guys needed tools to land new jobs at most places. But despite what they’d been led to believe by the company’s owner, theirs were uninsured.
The Vinton widow was moved. She wondered if there anything she could do. Her husband Joseph, who died in November, left her a lot of tools. Some she sold in classified ads, but she still has plenty left.
So she picked up the phone book and started looking up the guys whose names were in the paper. That’s how she reached Mike Lehman of Roanoke, one of the former General Truck Body mechanics.
Wednesday afternoon, Lehman and his former colleague Jack Lancaster spent some time at Dimaio’s home, rummaging through her collection. They’ve been doing that a lot lately.
Dimaio wasn’t the only one who responded to the mechanics’ plight. Jack Lancaster’s home phone has been ringing off the hook with unsolicited offers of cash, job interviews and tools. Wednesday was their fourth tool-hunting expedition in the past six days.
READ THE REST OF THIS COLUMN HERE.
September 20, 2012 - 6:00 AM
Stories like this sure beat the heck out of the constant bickering that goes on continuously on most of the other threads.
That was a good story. I heard another 30+ year small business shut down in Roanoke…3rd one in the past few weeks! Too much regulation hurting the small business owner.
Also, The video that Labor Unions don’t want anyone to see:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yQXZN_Qgmho&feature=player_embedded
Lots of good news.
There are still many good people left in this world and we need to try and remember that. Thanks be to God!
Your story, the response, the people … that is what I believe is the essence of being American. Thanks for sharing.
I just wish that sort of selflessness were evident in those who offer themselves as candidates for elected office.
“That was a good story. I heard another 30+ year small business shut down in Roanoke…3rd one in the past few weeks! Too much regulation hurting the small business owner.”
PP,
I had a long chat with Louis Tudor Saturday morning. During this, do you know what he volunteered, as the reason Tudors (which is nonunion, btw) was closing? One, people are eating a lot fewer biscuits. Two, he doesn’t have a drive-thru window.
Tastes are changing in the hyper-competitive restaurant industry.
You know why you don’t see many camera stores around any more? In that industry, it’s because technology changed. It wasn’t Bush’s fault when they all closed.
#1 See, Alfred, we can count on folks like good old PP to turn a feel-good thread into something negative and totally unrelated. Way to go, PP!!!
Geez. We can’t even have a feel good story without someone griping.
It’s true. Biscuits tase better when purchased from the front seat of your car, and it’s a perculiarly American experience for sure.
As for Pistol Pete…
What part of the Code of Federal regulations is directed toward the regulation of biscuits? While I have been familiar with 10CFR part 20, which keeps the public relatively safe in regard to the use of radioactive materials, I don’t know of any onerous regulations directed toward the purveyors of biscuits. Since you claim these things exist, I’d like to know more about them.
Your article somewhat restores my faith that there are still some good people in this world. However the lawyer mentioned in your article does not fall in to this category. What kind of person would dare charge $1500.00 for what is probably no more than 1 or 2 hours work in this situation?? He must have had major surgery to have his scuples, ethics, morals, and heart all removed at the same time!!
Maybe you could use your column to ask if there is an attorney that would donate some time to help these guys.
I think that most people, everywhere, will step up and help if they can in situations like this. Unfortunately everyone doesn’t have a Dan to make their plight known.
I apologize for being one of those people who complain about a feel good story, but I’m going to.
When this story was first reported, there were some who complained that these guys needs to go find other work, should have had insurance on their tools themselves, etc. Others couldn’t understand why the employer wasn’t providing tools, etc.
What I feel obligated to point out is that the people who no longer need the tools and are donating them to the mechanics are participating in a type of redistribution of wealth. The owners of the tools could keep them and sell them hoping to make a buck, and perhaps rightly so.
But this is one example where redistribution of wealth is a success and sets and example for us. Not all redistribution of wealth is bad. And redistribution works best when it goes from the upper to the lower, from those who have to those who need.
We really need to get away from capitalism and follow a more socialist model.
ScottM, the response you’re going to get is going to point out that the people donating the tools are doing so of their own free will and not at the behest of the government. They’re not wrong about that.
Personally, I’m all for redistribution of wealth in a downward direction, but those who advocate privatization of everything are going to point to this article as an example of how it can work. The flip side of course is…what if nothing had happened? What if no one had reached out in response? Also, everyone who has a disaster of this proportion doesn’t get written up in the paper, which was the prime catalyst for the workers’ current good fortune.
@13 Kristen, thanks. I figured the responses would be along the lines you say but was then going to point out, and this is something I think people miss often, is that it doesn’t matter how that redistribution happens. The fact is it does happen and that is what is important in the outcome.
Still I think many people will get hung up on the ‘how’ instead of the result.
You further say, “those who advocate privatization of everything are going to point to this article as an example of how it can work.” Agreed, that is what they will say but again they’d be wrong. I read in the newspaper yesterday I think Republicans in the house recently passed the Buffet Law where people can contribute more in their taxes if they think they’re being taxed too little. Of course, anyone that attempts to do this by themselves will know they’re being suckered which is why it has to be done together and involuntarily.
The problem with this “kind” of redistribution is that it is isolated and limited. There are people in need every day, there cannot be such stories for people to connect with them and meet their needs every day. This kind of help is great, but it means some will get a hand and some will not. People lose all they have, their jobs or their health every day. The only way for a system of “redistribution” to be fair/equitable and available for all is through the government. It just is the right thing to do and the right vehicle to deliver it.
This is indeed what makes America great. We step up in our community when we know of a need and we pay taxes and support the safety net programs for those who do not have such a chance for the community to help them. It is what we do.
From Jack Kemp who was, a longtime House member was the GOP vice presidential nominee in 1996. He was one of the last more rational and moderate republicans in the House, IMHO. He spoke on “redistribution of wealth” many times:
“To Republicans, I humbly suggest that we make it possible for Democrats to give up their quest for redistribution of income and wealth by our acceptance of an appropriate role for government in financing those public goods and services necessary to secure a social safety net below which no American would be allowed to fall.”
Sounds reasonable to me…
Dan, next time you speak to one of these guys (assuming you do), please suggest to them they start their own business. A co-operative where they own the business and work there. The wonderful thing about being part of a co-op is that the employees get to keep all the power, profits, etc. It’s a huge selling point.
They could contact the Evergreen Cooperative for some help getting started. See these links for details.
http://evergreencooperatives.com/
http://www.utne.com/Politics/Cleveland-Worker-Owned-Cooperative-Model-6765.aspx
We really need to get away from capitalism and follow a more socialist model.
Notice the libs on this thread predictably fail to recognize the folks giving these unemployed men what they need most; the capitalist BUSINESS OWNERS who are talking to them about JOBS. All the tools in the world from the “socialist’ model doesn’t do these guys a damn bit of good without the job to go with it.
Suzie, I wrote a rather long response where I publicly thanked the business owners too for helping these guys but forgot to fill in my contact info and the captcha monster ate it.
I can’t be bothered to write it all again.
Thank you business owners who have made offers to help.
Perhaps you would publicly thank those non-business owners that are helping also?
Suzie, forgot to say thank you for not being insulting. Thank you for that.