Picture if you will, a tropical paradise. A small island only accessible by boat. It has 30 private bungalows, a restaurant and every spa service imaginable. It has docking for yachts up to 100 feet in length, rock stars, millionaires, billionaires and lottery winners. During the high season (January though April) a couple can expect to pay $13,000.00 for a week long stay. Imagine now that same tropical paradise having a very difficult time attracting and keeping responsible, hard working employees. What could possibly be the problem with working at such an interesting and beautiful place? My guess is the pay scale. They will pay a person with a wonderful employment record, brilliant references and 20 years of experience at a skilled trade, exactly $12.50 an hour, plus tips. Have you ever tipped a hotel maintenance guy? Me either.
This senario is the same throughout all of the Keys. It costs a fortune to live here, the cost of everything being at least 30% higher then on the mainland, and the jobs pay just over minimum wage. It's a perfect place to live if you are fresh out of college or high school and want to have forty room mates.
The employers can't seem to make the link between bad pay and bad employees. The want ads are hilarious! Don't waste our time if it takes you two hours to pick out a door know at Home Depot or Don't apply here if you are a druggie, you've probably already worked for us, etc... Here's is my advise, pay well and you'll attract and keep good employees. It's as simple as that.
We were propositioned by a woman who owns a few properties and knows everyone in the lower keys, to start a lawn care business. She said she would have enough work to keep Chuck busy about 40 hours a week. She also said we have to lower our standards of living just to live here through the winter. OK, so we have to lower our standard of living and expect very low pay just to live here, hmmmm, that's a tough decision.
We looked at the only RV sites available throughout the winter and there is no way we would live there. We're talking about a space that's too short for ruby so the back end would be hanging over the water and the people next to us are zoo close we could here them snore at night. Not to mention the fact that these places don't encourage tenants to throw away their trash or broken-anything! All for $2000.00 per month. Ha?
Anyway, enough bitching about the financial inequities of living in paradise. The weather is amazing!
We are at a site that has a dock on the bay. This little peninsula has an interesting history. It was actually created in the 1960s and used as a missile launch site with all missiles pointed at Cuba. Then in the 80s it was turned into an RV resort. Completely wiped out after hurricane Wilma six years ago and is now, once again, a lush tropical garden.
Yesterday was my birthday. We walked around the quiet streets of Key West and looked at the cute houses, then went down to the Pier House to watch the boats and eat some conch fritters. Of course, you can't eat fritters on the pier with out a couple beers and some rum rummers, now can you?
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