Well are you?

[francoHFW]

I'm pretty sure that businesses here in America get pretty good tax breaks. I remember reading a story about how GE avoided paying taxes almost entirely and had over a billion dollars in profit. How would you explain that?

And I just read (WSJ I believe) that GEcwas planning on moving their ENTIRE operation, including corporate offices, to Mexico.

How do you explain that?

US employees are paid too much, and don't have enough skill, rent costs too much in the US, all costs are probably higher.

Where does the US want to be? Low paid, low quality, low skill manufacturing or high quality, highly paid, highly skilled manufacturing?

US employees are paid too much!?! How the hell do you figure that!?!


If we listen to the left in this country - only the rich get along OK. What the hell is it going to be? I want every American to make as much as his potential allows him to make - but I don't want it handed to them. EARN IT.

After 30 years of Voodoo: worst min. wage, work conditions, illegal work safeguards, vacations, work week, college costs, rich/poor gap, upward social mobility, % homeless and in prison EVAH, and in the modern world!! And you complain about the victims? Are you an idiot or an A-hole?

Jesus, the idiot rears his ugly head to offer his "insight". Do yourself a favor, go to bed and dream of Bernie. You and that commie asshole should get along quite nicely.

All stuff you don't know, and fact, dupe. In fact from 2007, before your boys/thieves wrecked the world economy and obstructed any solutions for 7 years...

 

[francoHFW]

On the minimum wage deal, the most obvious solution would be to reduce welfare benefits and increase minimal wages.

I don't think anybody can argue that they would rather have the choice of paying for somebody's meal by buying the goods that they help create or serve rather than being forced to pay for them through a tax system. A reduction in welfare benefits would also help to reduce incentive to remain in lower paying jobs, which some people do.

You know, it never ceases to amaze me. I started working at 14 - BEFORE there was even a minimum wage. I made .60 per hour washing dishes in a Holiday Inn. The funniest damn thing about that Job, though. I NEVER looked at that job as a "gateway" to raise a family on - quite the opposite. I figured out, quite quickly, that only suckers work for minimum wage. That was the first and ONLY time I EVER worked for a "minimum" wage - before there was a minimum wage.

Seriously, the ONLY people I'm aware of that are DEMANDING more money are illegals that work fast food, and that's about it. Hell, learn the language, go to trade school and tell the mi I mum wage to kiss your ass.

BS. How bout some training programs for tech jobs and cheap loans for education like we had before Reaganism, and especially the mindless racist New BS GOP of today?

 

[Maryland Patriot]

Kids can no longer get jobs like mowing lawns and doing odd jobs because nowadays they are a LIABILITY to the home owners because they have no insurance and no business licenses. That is just an example of how things have changed since the time a lot of you people grew up.

Perhaps, but that's really stretching it. Thank your neighborhood Democrat politicians for that.

Comparing the inflated cost of living today from 1950 to 2014: How declining purchasing power has hurt the middle class since 1950.

In 1950 the minimum wage was 75 cent. that is equivalent to $7.37 in 2016.
I mean, if you want to compare the minimum wage, I think we are ahead of the game already

 

[Ray From Cleveland]

On the minimum wage deal, the most obvious solution would be to reduce welfare benefits and increase minimal wages.

I don't think anybody can argue that they would rather have the choice of paying for somebody's meal by buying the goods that they help create or serve rather than being forced to pay for them through a tax system. A reduction in welfare benefits would also help to reduce incentive to remain in lower paying jobs, which some people do.

You know, it never ceases to amaze me. I started working at 14 - BEFORE there was even a minimum wage. I made .60 per hour washing dishes in a Holiday Inn. The funniest damn thing about that Job, though. I NEVER looked at that job as a "gateway" to raise a family on - quite the opposite. I figured out, quite quickly, that only suckers work for minimum wage. That was the first and ONLY time I EVER worked for a "minimum" wage - before there was a minimum wage.

Seriously, the ONLY people I'm aware of that are DEMANDING more money are illegals that work fast food, and that's about it. Hell, learn the language, go to trade school and tell the mi I mum wage to kiss your ass.

BS. How bout some training programs for tech jobs and cheap loans for education like we had before Reaganism, and especially the mindless racist New BS GOP of today?

You mean we don't have that now?

What happened when DumBama took over the student loan program? I thought that was supposed to fix everything?

 

[Ray From Cleveland]

And I just read (WSJ I believe) that GEcwas planning on moving their ENTIRE operation, including corporate offices, to Mexico.

How do you explain that?

US employees are paid too much, and don't have enough skill, rent costs too much in the US, all costs are probably higher.

Where does the US want to be? Low paid, low quality, low skill manufacturing or high quality, highly paid, highly skilled manufacturing?

US employees are paid too much!?! How the hell do you figure that!?!


If we listen to the left in this country - only the rich get along OK. What the hell is it going to be? I want every American to make as much as his potential allows him to make - but I don't want it handed to them. EARN IT.

After 30 years of Voodoo: worst min. wage, work conditions, illegal work safeguards, vacations, work week, college costs, rich/poor gap, upward social mobility, % homeless and in prison EVAH, and in the modern world!! And you complain about the victims? Are you an idiot or an A-hole?

Jesus, the idiot rears his ugly head to offer his "insight". Do yourself a favor, go to bed and dream of Bernie. You and that commie asshole should get along quite nicely.

All stuff you don't know, and fact, dupe. In fact from 2007, before your boys/thieves wrecked the world economy and obstructed any solutions for 7 years...

I swear, only a liberal would be able to look into the eyes of Jesus and lie to him.

 

[Ray From Cleveland]

Oh, I see, relevance isn't relevance for you. Gotcha. How's this? On my last job, that I retired from (with a nice pension to go along with my military pension) I was making 98,970 per year with a full benefits package.

So, I went from .60 an hour in the early 60s to nearly $100,000 (well far above it with benefits) so see, relevance matters, if you don't want to stay at the bottom of the heap for your entire life.

Get it now?

Maybe you didn't read my post, but let me reiterate:

"You actually have to make a point and generally back that up with logic, knowledge, etc."

Now, personally, I'm happy to hear that you worked your way up out of the trenches (maybe even literally). Also, being a Marine veteran myself I'm happy to hear that you joined the select few who really put their ass on the line and serve the country.

However, the point still stands that an anecdotal story for you doesn't mean much when talking about the diverse population of America in general. If your point is that we shouldn't raise minimal wages, exactly WHY are you saying that? Because you once made a minimum wage? Okay...that means nothing. Maybe you are saying that everybody making a minimum wage can work their way out of it. That would mean you would have to change the entire job structure of America however (you can't honestly say that you think that there are enough higher paying jobs out there to support all the individuals making minimum wage now to move into them).
I'm not even certain why you are fighting this so much. Generally speaking the people who most commonly shop at the places that have minimum wage jobs (like McDonald's, Wal-Mart, etc.) are the individuals who also work at a place like that. People who make higher wages tend to shop and higher end stores. So, if you actually made close to $100,000 you should be actively fighting FOR an increase in minimum wages (coupled with a decrease in welfare benefits). The reason is that you generally won't use the services provided by the lowest common denominator, but, being a tax payer, you are literally paying for their meal ticket. I'm really not sure why you would argue against such an obvious point.

I'll make the argument:

For one, a huge minimum wage increase would have a domino effect across the country. All wages would increase which means labor in the US would be much more expensive and cause more businesses to move overseas or make investments in automation to replace human beings. Because of the huge price increases, it would make online shopping more inviting which has an impact on mom and pop shops.

Next of course is it wouldn't solve anything. Only about 4% of our working population makes minimum wage. Therefore the only people we would most help are teenagers, college kids, and senior citizens who are just looking to keep busy during their retirement years.

Then there is the question if it would even help them. That's because even though they get a wage increase, everything they buy would be much more expensive as well. If I get a wage increase and now bring home $200.00 a month more than I did before, but my shopping bill for the month went up $200.00 a month more, how am I ahead?

 

[Claudette]

I'm in fine shape because I planned for my future years ago. I have 2 retirement checks, my home and land is paid for and I have money in the bank. The "American Dream" was realized by me.

I am sorry for you young people of today. I truly am. This is what logically comes from supporting liberals and their ideology.

The middle class in America is all but gone. Part time work is becoming the "norm" and it is not unusual to see a young man or woman working 2-3 part time jobs in an attempt to get ahead.

It's a damn shame. It really is.

I'm no worse off either but everything I own is paid for. Like you Randall I don't owe anyone a dime and that's what happens when you plan ahead.

I feel sorry for those that didn't and depend on the Govt. tit to survive. Of course I hate bankrolling their live for them but that's just what this country has turned into. Those that have take care of those that don't.

 

[frigidweirdo]

US employees are paid too much, and don't have enough skill, rent costs too much in the US, all costs are probably higher.

Where does the US want to be? Low paid, low quality, low skill manufacturing or high quality, highly paid, highly skilled manufacturing?

US employees are paid too much!?! How the hell do you figure that!?!


If we listen to the left in this country - only the rich get along OK. What the hell is it going to be? I want every American to make as much as his potential allows him to make - but I don't want it handed to them. EARN IT.

After 30 years of Voodoo: worst min. wage, work conditions, illegal work safeguards, vacations, work week, college costs, rich/poor gap, upward social mobility, % homeless and in prison EVAH, and in the modern world!! And you complain about the victims? Are you an idiot or an A-hole?

Jesus, the idiot rears his ugly head to offer his "insight". Do yourself a favor, go to bed and dream of Bernie. You and that commie asshole should get along quite nicely.

All stuff you don't know, and fact, dupe. In fact from 2007, before your boys/thieves wrecked the world economy and obstructed any solutions for 7 years...

I swear, only a liberal would be able to look into the eyes of Jesus and lie to him.

I'm sure plenty of people look into the eyes of any hispanic called Jesus and lie to him.

 

[ChrisL]

And what is their profit margin? POst that.

Profit margins are irrelevant.

Large and small businesses rely on growth more than how much money they are worth. Why? Because those businesses heavily rely on investors to run their operations.

An investor could care less if the company was worth 10 billion or 10 million dollars. All they care about is company growth.

So Walmart is at let's say 3% growth on average. They fall under pressure from the public to pay their employees more money, so they do exactly that. Now their growth drops to 2.1%. Would you invest your hard earned money in a company that will only return 2.1%? Well nobody else would either. They would sell their stocks in that company and invest elsewhere.

Well then, get ready to spend a whole lot of your tax money helping to pay the bills of low income people, as these employers are flying around on their private jets, wearing thousand dollar suits.

Or, what we could do is drastically cut these social programs forcing people to work to survive. That would solve the problem right there. Keep voting Republican, and eventually it will happen.

Some people don't have the education to get good paying jobs because they cannot afford college. Not to mention, there are not nearly enough job opportunities for all the people in the US. AND there are always going to be poor people. You are living in a la-la fantasy land. Face reality please.

I don't just talk the talk, I walk the walk.

When I was younger, I had plenty of minimum wage jobs. Of course back then, social programs didn't pay squat and you had to be just about living in the street before you could get on one.

So what did we do back then? We worked more hours. If your company didn't offer more hours, you found an additional job. I remember at one point in my life, I had a full-time job and two part-time jobs.

Of course that was when people had more pride. Handouts by government (or anyone for that matter) was an insult. It was somebody telling you that you were a failure. You did anything to not be taking handouts because you had integrity.

Hard to have "pride" when you are living dirty on the streets with no food and no place to rest your head at night. Is that what you want so that you can save a few bucks? WTF?

 

[ChrisL]

Face reality, these companies do not care about their employees. They might as well be animals. It is all about making a profit and greed. People don't take pride in the product they produce, nor do they care about their employees or treating them fairly, and that is why government needs to be involved. There are huge corporate monstrosities.

Companies are not created to care for anybody. Companies open up to create profit--that's it.

Workers don't care about their company either. They are there for one reason--to make a living--that's it.

If you want somebody to care for you, talk to a family relative or join a church. Businesses aren't there to care for you. You should be caring for yourself.

Too bad. Fortunately, they have to follow the laws, and there are laws for good reason.

 

[ChrisL]

You cannot argue with the facts!

For most workers, real wages have barely budged for decades

Who's arguing that? I sure wasn't.

When unions were at full force, many workers were well overpaid for the work they did. People had jobs turning nuts onto bolts and were able to get wages and benefits enough to live very good.

When jobs started to leave the country and businesses invested in automation to replace monkey jobs, wages declined. Nobody can argue that.

Construction workers work 100 times harder than you do. The job takes it's toll on the body. You have NO IDEA.

 

[Freewill]

I would say that I am the same, if not down a bit due to healthcare insurance (I am not sick). But you need to qualify the question.

 

[ChrisL]

Some people don't have the education to get good paying jobs because they cannot afford college. Not to mention, there are not nearly enough job opportunities for all the people in the US. AND there are always going to be poor people. You are living in a la-la fantasy land. Face reality please.

I don't just talk the talk, I walk the walk.

When I was younger, I had plenty of minimum wage jobs. Of course back then, social programs didn't pay squat and you had to be just about living in the street before you could get on one.

So what did we do back then? We worked more hours. If your company didn't offer more hours, you found an additional job. I remember at one point in my life, I had a full-time job and two part-time jobs.

Of course that was when people had more pride. Handouts by government (or anyone for that matter) was an insult. It was somebody telling you that you were a failure. You did anything to not be taking handouts because you had integrity.

Consider yourself lucky that you had the opportunity. Other people do not have the advantages that you had. This is not the 1950s or the 1960s.

WHAT????

People today can't work more hours or have more than one job? When did that law pass?

And when would they go to school so that they can "better" themselves,, and nowadays even working TWO part time crappy jobs would not pay your bills and your school. Duh!!!

Then work a full-time job, a part-time job, save your money, and then keep the part-time job while you use that extra money you earned and go to school..

Stop being ridiculous! What if it is a mom with kids? You seem like a rotten person.

 

[ChrisL]

So not only do these employers (like Walmart, etc.) make a HUGE profit margin, they are screwing us taxpayers, you dummies! Lol!

DAMN THOSE COMPANIES!!

Tell me this: how the hell is Walmart screwing the taxpayer? Because they don't pay the illegals, the morons and the clinically dead that work for the minimum wage? Jesus, have you been in a Walmart lately?

Oh and by the way - a truck driver for Walmart. (A skilled trade) makes (on average) $90,000 per year with outstanding benefits.

Moral of the story? Get a marketable skill or live like a homeless person.

Remember this: the MINIMUM wage was designed to get KIDS into the job market. It was never intended as a living wage.

Excellent reply. I talk to Walmart drivers all the time. They are more than happy with their pay and benefits; so are their warehouse workers, so are their store managers, so are their office staff, so are all their workers except the floor sweepers, cashiers, and shelf stockers.

Oh, I'm sure. Lol. Good grief. We are not ALL stupid, you know!

 

[Freewill]

I'm in fine shape because I planned for my future years ago. I have 2 retirement checks, my home and land is paid for and I have money in the bank. The "American Dream" was realized by me.

I am sorry for you young people of today. I truly am. This is what logically comes from supporting liberals and their ideology.

The middle class in America is all but gone. Part time work is becoming the "norm" and it is not unusual to see a young man or woman working 2-3 part time jobs in an attempt to get ahead.

It's a damn shame. It really is.

Im the same basically, I have one retirement check coming in from a plan I saved for. The house, cars and travel trailer are all paid for.
I do work a part time job at a facility for the mentally ill, ( yes Im constantly in fear that they wont let me go home at the end of my shift so ease up on the jokes sure to come)
I spent 30 years in the field I left, took college classes in psychology here and there, Now Im loading a full schedule at the college to complete the degree. I may or may not use it, haven't decided yet. I might just say the hell with it and hook up the camper to the truck and disappear for a while. If I can figure out how to get my wife to stay home while Im gone. She takes the fun out of trips, she argues with the lady on the GPS,, come to think of it, maybe I will use that degree....

You must be retarded to think someone would joke about that..........................................

 

[ChrisL]

So not only do these employers (like Walmart, etc.) make a HUGE profit margin, they are screwing us taxpayers, you dummies! Lol!

DAMN THOSE COMPANIES!!

Tell me this: how the hell is Walmart screwing the taxpayer? Because they don't pay the illegals, the morons and the clinically dead that work for the minimum wage? Jesus, have you been in a Walmart lately?

Oh and by the way - a truck driver for Walmart. (A skilled trade) makes (on average) $90,000 per year with outstanding benefits.

Moral of the story? Get a marketable skill or live like a homeless person.

Remember this: the MINIMUM wage was designed to get KIDS into the job market. It was never intended as a living wage.

YOU are paying for those people's welfare that work for Wal Mart since you are allowing Wal Mart to get away with slave wages. Enjoy!

Exactly. Someone finally gets it. Thank you! These people seem to be under the ridiculous impression that we, as a country, are going to ignore the poor and struggling. That is NOT going to happen. It's like arguing with a bunch of chimpanzees!

 

[ChrisL]

Open your ears, listen to your White House. They bragged about 14 million people getting on Commie Care. That's 14 million new government dependents. While it may not be a majority, it adds to the dozens of other government dependent programs we have. Hell, 45 million alone on food stamps plus Commie Care is close to 60 million government dependents on those two programs alone, and again, there are many more.

Indeed. That has been Barry's plan from the beginning. Destroy the corporate structure, kill the middle class and make them dependent on "Uncle Sugar". Hell, he has made no bones about it.

And the liberal left eat this shit up with a knife and a fork.

America's living in a dream world, pretending the rest of the world isn't happening.

China is growing. Not only is it growing but its students are studying 18 hours a day, 365 days a year. Yes, they're producing robots, but they're robots that will take the robot jobs.
Germany decided how it wanted its economy to be, and its education is meeting the needs of that. They product luxury goods when it comes to manufacturing, and they have kids in technical schools from the age of 13 who will be making such things when they leave school.

The US is not directing education towards the needs of an economy which they haven't decided which direction it should go in. So, students are not going to be ready for the needs of the future world.

Who's responsible for this? Both the Democrats AND the Republicans. The fighting between the two, their politics more important than the people who they're supposed to represent, is the major problem and the reason why the US is going downhill every year.

You can blame Obama, but he's just the President. He doesn't have the power to change much.

Why do you suppose that over the last 10-20 years China has went from a dictatorship third-world country to a major player?

Free trade agreements that were tilted to give China a distinct advantage.

Our companies have left the US to head to China. They AREN'T coming back. Get used to it. WE did this to ourselves.

I'm sorry, but you're going to have to accept that the US was the country pushing for free trade because free trade actually made the US stronger economically.

Go look at Bolivia and see what the (US controlled) World Bank has been up to. They got the Bolivians to nationalize their water, and saw 1/4 of La Paz lose access to clean water. Businesses were being bought up by western countries, taking the profits out of these countries and making themselves rich.

All that is happening is that free trade is now coming around and being less of an advantage for the US.

30 years ago all plastic crap was made in Taiwan, now it's made in China. It's the way it goes. The US can't profit from making plastic crap that costs 30 cents a pop. You need low wage workers. An average job in China for a uni graduate will be about 2500 RMB a month, about 400 bucks or less. The US can't compete at this level. The Germans never bothered to compete with that, they made their own market.

You are finding excuses for why this is happening, blaming people for why things left. You shouldn't be blaming them for things leaving, things left because the US is THE major player in the global economy, it needs the global economy.
You should be blaming the politicians for doing nothing to change things towards a REALISTIC view of how the future of the US is going to be.

Who you actually blame is the US consumer. A company will only produce what their customers demand. In the US, we demand cheap poorly made products and we don't care who makes it.

You can't have good paying American jobs and cheap products at the same time. Something has to give...... McDonald's restaurants are going to automation where a machine will make your food. For lower prices, stores all across the country are pressuring customers into checking out their good themselves. Mom and Pop stores are going out of business because we order our products online and are delivered right to our doorstep at a much lower cost.

Holy smokes! Your posts just get more and more ridiculous.

 

[ChrisL]

This is why I am PRO union.

i knew there was something wrong with you, now i know..., you are a fucking liberturd!!

No, I am on the side of WE the people, the underdogs in America. You have to give them SOME reasonable and workable way out of poverty, and republicans are just destroying the middle class.

 

[ChrisL]

This is why I am PRO union.

i knew there was something wrong with you, now i know..., you are a fucking liberturd!!

And what on earth is wrong with you? Just retarded?

 

[ChrisL]

On the minimum wage deal, the most obvious solution would be to reduce welfare benefits and increase minimal wages.

I don't think anybody can argue that they would rather have the choice of paying for somebody's meal by buying the goods that they help create or serve rather than being forced to pay for them through a tax system. A reduction in welfare benefits would also help to reduce incentive to remain in lower paying jobs, which some people do.

You know, it never ceases to amaze me. I started working at 14 - BEFORE there was even a minimum wage. I made .60 per hour washing dishes in a Holiday Inn. The funniest damn thing about that Job, though. I NEVER looked at that job as a "gateway" to raise a family on - quite the opposite. I figured out, quite quickly, that only suckers work for minimum wage. That was the first and ONLY time I EVER worked for a "minimum" wage - before there was a minimum wage.

Seriously, the ONLY people I'm aware of that are DEMANDING more money are illegals that work fast food, and that's about it. Hell, learn the language, go to trade school and tell the mi I mum wage to kiss your ass.

BS. How bout some training programs for tech jobs and cheap loans for education like we had before Reaganism, and especially the mindless racist New BS GOP of today?

Repuglicans suck pud.