How do people survive on minimum wage?

[occupied]

What should minimum wage be then? What is your solution to the perceived problem?

Mike

My solution would require a time machine or me being declared Emperor. We are already screwed out of thirty years of gains in real wealth creation by the working class, how do you fill a hole that big?

So you dno't have a real solution. And what is this "screwed out of thirty years of gains". How do you figure?

Mike

Where would all of us be if wages generally kept pace with inflation or the top salaries at any given company? If prosperity trickled down at the same rate as a bust?

 

[dblack]

Minimum Wage is one of those populist issues (like flag burning) that the demagogues whip out at election time to stir up the dimwits. I've always assumed they know it will do more harm than good but just don't care. It scores votes for the win.

 

[grunt11b]

The callous liberal answer is to double the min wage, throwing half the people out of work, putting them on welfare and blaming Bush.

The republican answer is to eliminate the minimum wage completely, force people to work for 3$ an hour sending the former working class into mass poverty, on welfare, and blaming Obama.

Wrong again, taking the minimum wage away would create competition among businesses, the best workers would be paid at a higher wage instead of at a "Minimum" wage. Your argument is simply a tactic of the left meant to tug at the heart strings of the populace and is factually wrong. Everytime they raise the minimum wage it hurts lower skilled peoples chances of getting a job, employers either raise the price of products,lay people off...or simply not hire anyones else. Either way it hurts lower skilled/lower income bracketed people. And you support it.

 

[The T]

Great, a thread for you to bitch about welfare recipients! Hurray!

And they wouldn't be RECIPIENTS for Welfare but for WHAT?

Care to expand Cowfart?

I bet if welfare just ended all of a sudden, the unemployment rate would drop like a rock. Granted some people really do need to be on it "Disability and what not", but a majority of people on it are just lazy and abusing the system, if you take away that safety net they would go look for jobs in a damn hurry.

Got that right. Sink or swim...

 

[DiamondDave]

My solution would require a time machine or me being declared Emperor. We are already screwed out of thirty years of gains in real wealth creation by the working class, how do you fill a hole that big?

So you dno't have a real solution. And what is this "screwed out of thirty years of gains". How do you figure?

Mike

Where would all of us be if wages generally kept pace with inflation or the top salaries at any given company? If prosperity trickled down at the same rate as a bust?

In a place where government trumps freedom.... in a place where we should never be

 

[JoeNormal]

OK. I'll try asking you. What should minimum wage be?

Mike

It's been almost 30 years since I made minimum wage so I have only a vague idea. I suspect it would take about $10/hr to keep a human in anything above squalor.

And if you polled those on minimum wage as to whether they currently owned a big screen TV, and a video gaming system what do you think the answer would be. Why do people always want other people to subsidize those who have no ambition to succeed? Not my problem, and stay out of my wallet.

You must know a whole different class of minimum wage earners than I ever have. Sounds like a Rush Limbaugh myth.

 

[Jackson]

Entry level jobs with minimal wage were intended for the teenager whop was living at home and making car payments and car insurance payments. As their education was done, they were qualified for jobs with a salary.

In an economy such as ours, I can see both bread winners taking two minimum wage jobs just to keep in the labor force and prove to prospective employers they are not on the couch waiting for handouts.

 

[The Rabbi]

So you dno't have a real solution. And what is this "screwed out of thirty years of gains". How do you figure?

Mike

Where would all of us be if wages generally kept pace with inflation or the top salaries at any given company? If prosperity trickled down at the same rate as a bust?

In a place where government trumps freedom.... in a place where we should never be

But it's all about "fairness", Dave. Don't you want life to be fair? It isn't fair that someone who spent 10 years in school busting his ass should start off making 5 times as much as someone else who was poor and disadvantaged and spent his time doing drugs and being chased by police. It isn't fair.

 

[grunt11b]

What should minimum wage be then? What is your solution to the perceived problem?

Mike

My solution would require a time machine or me being declared Emperor. We are already screwed out of thirty years of gains in real wealth creation by the working class, how do you fill a hole that big?

Well you have confirmed conservative thought of liberals wanting a dictator. gratz!!!!!!!

Obama confirmed those thoughts when he decided to pay no attention to the separation of powers and legislate on his own by going around congress, and being that those of you on the left still support him, it just seals the deal and makes it a fact that is so.

 

[occupied]

So you dno't have a real solution. And what is this "screwed out of thirty years of gains". How do you figure?

Mike

Where would all of us be if wages generally kept pace with inflation or the top salaries at any given company? If prosperity trickled down at the same rate as a bust?

In a place where government trumps freedom.... in a place where we should never be

That does not even make sense. Trickle down theory suggests that a rising tide raises all boats but it seems in this case that only the yachts are even still afloat and griping about all the capsized vessels in their path. I love a good metaphor.

 

[grunt11b]

Where would all of us be if wages generally kept pace with inflation or the top salaries at any given company? If prosperity trickled down at the same rate as a bust?

In a place where government trumps freedom.... in a place where we should never be

But it's all about "fairness", Dave. Don't you want life to be fair? It isn't fair that someone who spent 10 years in school busting his ass should start off making 5 times as much as someone else who was poor and disadvantaged and spent his time doing drugs and being chased by police. It isn't fair.

I know right.

A good example of there being no excuses for being lazy and poor is Herman Cain, raised poor and worked his ass off to become a millionaire.

 

[dblack]

Where would all of us be if wages generally kept pace with inflation or the top salaries at any given company? If prosperity trickled down at the same rate as a bust?

In a place where government trumps freedom.... in a place where we should never be

That does not even make sense. Trickle down theory suggests that a rising tide raises all boats but it seems in this case that only the yachts are even still afloat and griping about all the capsized vessels in their path. I love a good metaphor.

Me too. Got any?

 

[grunt11b]

Where would all of us be if wages generally kept pace with inflation or the top salaries at any given company? If prosperity trickled down at the same rate as a bust?

In a place where government trumps freedom.... in a place where we should never be

That does not even make sense. Trickle down theory suggests that a rising tide raises all boats but it seems in this case that only the yachts are even still afloat and griping about all the capsized vessels in their path. I love a good metaphor.

Reagan created 20,000,000 jobs with his policies of lower taxation and more economic freedom for businesses to grow. Trickle down works, if the government gets the hell out of the way and allows it, which you will never see this administration doing.

 

[DiamondDave]

Where would all of us be if wages generally kept pace with inflation or the top salaries at any given company? If prosperity trickled down at the same rate as a bust?

In a place where government trumps freedom.... in a place where we should never be

That does not even make sense. Trickle down theory suggests that a rising tide raises all boats but it seems in this case that only the yachts are even still afloat and griping about all the capsized vessels in their path. I love a good metaphor.

It only makes no sense to a person who is unconcerned with freedom

Because I achieve more and create (for example) a restaurant that booms and earns me $4MIL a year to my direct pocket, I should then be forced pay a dishwasher something commensurate with what I earn because I am a success?? Sorry Charlie.. A dishwasher does not get bumped from $7 an hour to $70 an hour because I went from $400k a year to $4MIL a year

 

[tjvh]

It's been almost 30 years since I made minimum wage so I have only a vague idea. I suspect it would take about $10/hr to keep a human in anything above squalor.

And if you polled those on minimum wage as to whether they currently owned a big screen TV, and a video gaming system what do you think the answer would be. Why do people always want other people to subsidize those who have no ambition to succeed? Not my problem, and stay out of my wallet.

You must know a whole different class of minimum wage earners than I ever have. Sounds like a Rush Limbaugh myth.

Try living in New York State... Where the "myth" is alive and well.

 

[Texanmike]

It's been almost 30 years since I made minimum wage so I have only a vague idea. I suspect it would take about $10/hr to keep a human in anything above squalor.

So what would you do with someone who is making... $10/hr? They are making above minimum wage right now (which means that they have 1/3 more buying power than the purchasing power of someone making minimum wage). Is their standard of living of no concern? Even the guy making $12/hr.. he had 60% more purchasing power than the very bottom of the totem pole... now he makes a mere 20% more than that. He's worked his way up a little bit and crawled out of the bare minimum. He's right back where he started though.

Mike

No, this gets back to what I said originally. Raising the minimum wage would have negligible effect on prices. This issue comes up occasionally, the biggest fury was when there was a debate about raising the wage of produce workers to the point where Americans would do those jobs. I think they calculated that doubling the wage of these workers would add about 2 cents to the price of a head of lettuce.

Maybe there'd be some resentment from the guys who are making $10/hour already. I've found myself in these positions before but somehow got over it.

Do you really think that a person who is making $10/hr now is going to work for $10/hr if that is the minimum wage? Are you not at all concerned about that person? Is the only person you're worried about the guy making minimum wage?

And by the way, eventually prices will catch up with the cost of labor. It might take a little while but if you walk into Mc Donald's and everyone is suddenly making $10/hr I guarantee you that your burger will cost more.

Shift managers make $11/hr (or did a few months ago). Are you telling me that a guy who walks in and applies for a job is going to make 90% of what a sift manager makes? Of course not. You're going to have to give shift managers a raise too. Who's going to put up with the responsibilities of being a shift manager if it is only an extra dollar an hour?

Or lets go back to Jiffy Lube. The first day technician makes about $8/hr right now. As you get certifications and approvals you get pay incentives to do other things that a Jiffy Lube offers. What is the incentive to learn those extras if you have bumped up minimum wage? Either Jiffy Lube has to pay you more or they will suffer a decline in service.

Mike

Mike

 

[Soggy in NOLA]

Where would all of us be if wages generally kept pace with inflation or the top salaries at any given company? If prosperity trickled down at the same rate as a bust?

In a place where government trumps freedom.... in a place where we should never be

That does not even make sense. Trickle down theory suggests that a rising tide raises all boats but it seems in this case that only the yachts are even still afloat and griping about all the capsized vessels in their path. I love a good metaphor.

You do realize that "trickle down theory" is a term made up by liberals?

There is no such theory.. except in the rabid minds of leftist moonbats.

And what of the notion that libs love whioch is that a lowering tide lowers all boats to the bottom of the lake?



Of course you realize this...

 

[JoeNormal]

In a place where government trumps freedom.... in a place where we should never be

That does not even make sense. Trickle down theory suggests that a rising tide raises all boats but it seems in this case that only the yachts are even still afloat and griping about all the capsized vessels in their path. I love a good metaphor.

Reagan created 20,000,000 jobs with his policies of lower taxation and more economic freedom for businesses to grow. Trickle down works, if the government gets the hell out of the way and allows it, which you will never see this administration doing.

Reagan's top marginal tax rates were over 50%. The tax break approach has it's limits and given the amount of debt that's piled on since Bush, I think you could argue that it's currently too low.

 

[The T]

In a place where government trumps freedom.... in a place where we should never be

That does not even make sense. Trickle down theory suggests that a rising tide raises all boats but it seems in this case that only the yachts are even still afloat and griping about all the capsized vessels in their path. I love a good metaphor.

Reagan created 20,000,000 jobs with his policies of lower taxation and more economic freedom for businesses to grow. Trickle down works, if the government gets the hell out of the way and allows it, which you will never see this administration doing.

Although Obama claimed to be a friend of Reagan...

 

[Texanmike]

My solution would require a time machine or me being declared Emperor. We are already screwed out of thirty years of gains in real wealth creation by the working class, how do you fill a hole that big?

So you dno't have a real solution. And what is this "screwed out of thirty years of gains". How do you figure?

Mike

Where would all of us be if wages generally kept pace with inflation or the top salaries at any given company? If prosperity trickled down at the same rate as a bust?

I'm not sure where we would be... I'm not even sure how you would get there.

Mike