On a recent drive through rural Ohio, I was startled by an unusual image: a horse and buggy crossing over the interstate on a bridge. Later, at a rest stop, a long line of Amish folks, dressed as if from central casting, stood patiently in line at the Burger King. When they departed, I went up to the counter and asked what they had ordered. “Burgers and biscuits, mostly.” The Amish get biscuits from Burger King?
This memory came to mind when reading at Philly.com of a clash involving roofers in the western suburbs of Philadelphia. It seems that the Amish have an unfair advantage when bidding for roofing jobs against non-Amish contractors. The latter must factor in the costs of social security and workers compensation when bidding for work – and as comp practitioners know, the cost of comp for roofers is, well, through the roof. Under federal law, the Amish are exempt from social security; their religion rejects any form of insurance other than Divine. Under Pennsylvania law, they may opt out of workers compensation as well (though some Amish contractors do not). When you factor the costs of these coverages into the work, it’s no surprise that Amish bids are routinely 30% or more lower than non-exempt contractors.
In the good times (remember those?), these differences did not matter much, as there was plenty of work for everyone. Today, however, there is a hard-scrabble search for work. Non-Amish contractors complain that the Amish have an unfair competitive advantage.
Lifestyles of the Not-So-Rich and Famous
The Amish also have a lifestyle advantage. They reject many aspects of modern culture. Many, though not all, refuse to operate machinery. Most do not use electricity. They do not have to worry about flat screened TVs, cable, iPods, iPads, cell phones, etc. They cling to a simple lifestyle that explicitly turns its back on what most people think is essential and necessary.
This brings to mind one more image during my brief encounter with the Amish in Ohio. As I was entering the rest stop, an Amish family was exiting. The father, with his wife a few steps behind, led his six children (their families tend to be large). One of the daughters held the hand of the youngest, a sweet blond 4 year old, who was blind. Bringing up the rear came another daughter, about 16, in a long, plain cotton dress that covered her from neck to ankles, over which she wore big, clunky work boots, laced half way up. Her gaze was indefinite, as if she were oblivious to the prosaic surroundings. She was strikingly beautiful.
I could not help but wonder whether she would remain with the culture that nurtured her, or whether she would yield as most of us do to the temptations of the beckoning world, a world full of greed and gadgets, where insurance is an absolutely necessity …and by no means divine.