As our series on local plumbers named Joe draws to a close, let's try to sum up what we've learned.
One thing all these Joes have in common is that they're concerned about the economy. Most reported that business is way off in the past few months, as homeowners put off remodeling work. Joe Gomez, who is backing Obama, said that his business in Wilmington is off by as much as 70 percent.
Most are also concerned about taxes. As small businessmen, they have to worry about how to make a payroll and pay health insurance for their workers. Our last Joe, whom I'll introduce in a moment, said he worries that higher taxes will break the back of the working class, and stop people from spending money altogether.
All of these Joes are individuals, and they bring their own personal views to the table. They don't all agree on who would be the best president for the next four years. But as a whole, their struggles are similar, and they share a common vision for the future: low taxes, a strong economy, and lots of customers calling up with plumbing problems.
Now let's meet our last Joe,
Joe Johnson of Long Beach. When I talked to him yesterday, he was still undecided.
"I'm having a hard time at this juncture deciding who I'm going to vote for," he said. "I might write in Huckabee or something."
Johnson, a Republican, voted for McCain in the 2000 Republican primary. But he voted for Democrat John Kerry in 2004.
He said he is impressed by McCain's war record, and believes Obama may be too far to the left.
That was the top concern of the original Joe the Plumber, who rose to fame after telling Obama that he was afraid his taxes would go up in an Obama Administration.
"He doesn't quite understand," Johnson said. "You gotta be making $250,000 net (to get a tax increase under Obama's plan). You gotta be working 24/7 as a plumber to make that kind of money."
And like Joe Grammatico, Joe Johnson is no fan of Sarah Palin.
"I don't know what they were thinking," Johnson said. "She may be very smart, but with the economy the way it is, we need somebody that really knows how to go in an surgically do what is needed to make the economy work again."
Though Johnson sees himself as a regular guy, he detects a bit of condescension in the whole Joe the Plumber phenomenon. He believes the concept has been used to demean plumbers as a whole, and he takes pride in what he does.
"It's an insult," he said. "All of us that are working class are the backbone of this country. These people are living where the air is rarefied. They use it in a demeaning way."
Joe had obviously spent a lot of time thinking about politics over the past few months, and had opinions strongly against corporate lobbyists and the bailout of Wall Street. But when I talked with him, he still had not come to a decision on the presidential race, and time was running short.
"I've gotta make up my mind," he said. "I'll probably do it right there in the booth."
That concludes our four-part series on plumbers named Joe. As always, leave a comment and start a conversation on taxes, the economy, the presidential race, or even plumbing.
As a special plumbers-and-politics bonus, here is an photo I took from my car on the Harbor Freeway today:
No word on whether the driver's name was Joe.
