Why can't Public Assistance increase?

[Ray From Cleveland]

The aspect that's ignored by this perspective is that all of society is to 'blame' for not valuing certain kinds of work very highly. The reason fast-food joints can't afford to pay people very much to make fast food is that we, as consumers, don't value fast food very much. If it costs much more, we'll not bother with it. That's the case for a lot of services that are optional. We'll pay for them if they're cheap, but go without if they're expensive.

What I don't understand is why some people feel justified in making these kinds of decisions for others. If someone else wants to work for peanuts, why should that be illegal?

Because liberals deemed it illegal.

Your worth as an employee is based on how many other people are willing to do the same job for the same money.

The less training, education, risk, complexity of a job, the more people can (and will) do that job.

When you have a skill not many others can do, you are worth more money because there are less people with such skills and harder to come by than a french fry maker, toilet cleaner, or shelf stocker.

 

[dblack]

The aspect that's ignored by this perspective is that all of society is to 'blame' for not valuing certain kinds of work very highly. The reason fast-food joints can't afford to pay people very much to make fast food is that we, as consumers, don't value fast food very much. If it costs much more, we'll not bother with it. That's the case for a lot of services that are optional. We'll pay for them if they're cheap, but go without if they're expensive.

What I don't understand is why some people feel justified in making these kinds of decisions for others. If someone else wants to work for peanuts, why should that be illegal?

Because liberals deemed it illegal.

Your worth as an employee is based on how many other people are willing to do the same job for the same money.

The less training, education, risk, complexity of a job, the more people can (and will) do that job.

When you have a skill not many others can do, you are worth more money because there are less people with such skills and harder to come by than a french fry maker, toilet cleaner, or shelf stocker.

Not to quibble, because I agree with what you're saying, but I think it's inaccurate to talk about a wage as though it reflects what "someone is worth". What we really mean, is how much their labor is worth. And that's a really, really simple equation: labor - anyone's labor - is worth exactly as much as another person is willing to pay for it.

 

[OnePercenter]

How much do you pay an employee that makes you all of your money?

No employee makes all the money. They are a very small part of what makes all the money. They contribute and they are paid for that contribution. But you lack any understanding of how a business plan works... strange for someone who boasts of being so wealthy from business.

Lots of things go into what generates a profit for a given business. It's too complicated to outline them all here and they vary from business to business. You have raw materials suppliers, vendors, accountants, advertising and marketing, equipment and technology, maintenance, location, logistics, taxation, regulatory costs, legal costs, certifications and licenses, payroll expenses, fuel costs and transpiration, shipping, insurance, state, local and federal compliance, competition... the list goes on and on. ALL of this factors in to bottom line profits. So it's simply NOT just the worker who makes all the profit for a corporation.

Many of the things listed above will vary and fluctuate and it takes someone pretty sharp to stay on top of all of it and keep the company making a profit... that's why CEOs command such a high salary.

When you're a brain-dead nitwit who doesn't comprehend how a business works.... it's EASY to sit there munching your Cheetos and imagining a money-grubbing CEO making a fortune off the backs of his slave laborers. But you don't have any idea of what you're talking about.

No employee makes all the money. They are a very small part of what makes all the money. They contribute and they are paid for that contribution. But you lack any understanding of how a business plan works... strange for someone who boasts of being so wealthy from business.

Lots of things go into what generates a profit for a given business. It's too complicated to outline them all here and they vary from business to business. You have raw materials suppliers, vendors, accountants, advertising and marketing, equipment and technology, maintenance, location, logistics, taxation, regulatory costs, legal costs, certifications and licenses, payroll expenses, fuel costs and transpiration, shipping, insurance, state, local and federal compliance, competition... the list goes on and on. ALL of this factors in to bottom line profits. So it's simply NOT just the worker who makes all the profit for a corporation.

Many of the things listed above will vary and fluctuate and it takes someone pretty sharp to stay on top of all of it and keep the company making a profit... that's why CEOs command such a high salary.

When you're a brain-dead nitwit who doesn't comprehend how a business works.... it's EASY to sit there munching your Cheetos and imagining a money-grubbing CEO making a fortune off the backs of his slave laborers. But you don't have any idea of what you're talking about.

If McDonalds opened and their were no employees to take the order, collect the payment, make the 'food', serve the 'food', and clean-up after you, what kind of revenue would the restaurant make?

Zero. Fortuanely though there's an

How much do you pay an employee that makes you all of your money?

No employee makes all the money. They are a very small part of what makes all the money. They contribute and they are paid for that contribution. But you lack any understanding of how a business plan works... strange for someone who boasts of being so wealthy from business.

Lots of things go into what generates a profit for a given business. It's too complicated to outline them all here and they vary from business to business. You have raw materials suppliers, vendors, accountants, advertising and marketing, equipment and technology, maintenance, location, logistics, taxation, regulatory costs, legal costs, certifications and licenses, payroll expenses, fuel costs and transpiration, shipping, insurance, state, local and federal compliance, competition... the list goes on and on. ALL of this factors in to bottom line profits. So it's simply NOT just the worker who makes all the profit for a corporation.

Many of the things listed above will vary and fluctuate and it takes someone pretty sharp to stay on top of all of it and keep the company making a profit... that's why CEOs command such a high salary.

When you're a brain-dead nitwit who doesn't comprehend how a business works.... it's EASY to sit there munching your Cheetos and imagining a money-grubbing CEO making a fortune off the backs of his slave laborers. But you don't have any idea of what you're talking about.

No employee makes all the money. They are a very small part of what makes all the money. They contribute and they are paid for that contribution. But you lack any understanding of how a business plan works... strange for someone who boasts of being so wealthy from business.

Lots of things go into what generates a profit for a given business. It's too complicated to outline them all here and they vary from business to business. You have raw materials suppliers, vendors, accountants, advertising and marketing, equipment and technology, maintenance, location, logistics, taxation, regulatory costs, legal costs, certifications and licenses, payroll expenses, fuel costs and transpiration, shipping, insurance, state, local and federal compliance, competition... the list goes on and on. ALL of this factors in to bottom line profits. So it's simply NOT just the worker who makes all the profit for a corporation.

Many of the things listed above will vary and fluctuate and it takes someone pretty sharp to stay on top of all of it and keep the company making a profit... that's why CEOs command such a high salary.

When you're a brain-dead nitwit who doesn't comprehend how a business works.... it's EASY to sit there munching your Cheetos and imagining a money-grubbing CEO making a fortune off the backs of his slave laborers. But you don't have any idea of what you're talking about.

If McDonalds opened and their were no employees to take the order, collect the payment, make the 'food', serve the 'food', and clean-up after you, what kind of revenue would the restaurant make?

Fortunately, there is an endless supply of mindless unskilled people available able to say "Welcome to McDonalds, may I take your order?

Hardly worth $31,200 per year.

Fortunately, there is an endless supply of mindless unskilled people available able to say "Welcome to McDonalds, may I take your order?

Hardly worth $31,200 per year.

A sociopath view.

 

[OnePercenter]

Why shouldn't McDonalds pay a living wage, after all, they are making BIG bucks.

An employees pay is not based on what a company is worth, it's based on what the worker is worth.

Simply put, if you have it, they're entitled to it.

Simply put, if you have it, they're entitled to it.

Simply put, an employer should pay a living wage?

An employer is under no obligation to pay you a "living" wage.

An employer is under no obligation to pay you a "living" wage.

Which is why we have regulation.

 

[OnePercenter]

Here's a thought.. aspire to do something with your life/career that pays?

Why shouldn't every job 'pay?'

 

[dblack]

Here's a thought.. aspire to do something with your life/career that pays?

Why shouldn't every job 'pay?'

Because every job isn't worth 'paying' for.

 

[OnePercenter]

How much do you pay an employee that makes you all of your money?

No employee makes all the money. They are a very small part of what makes all the money. They contribute and they are paid for that contribution. But you lack any understanding of how a business plan works... strange for someone who boasts of being so wealthy from business.

Lots of things go into what generates a profit for a given business. It's too complicated to outline them all here and they vary from business to business. You have raw materials suppliers, vendors, accountants, advertising and marketing, equipment and technology, maintenance, location, logistics, taxation, regulatory costs, legal costs, certifications and licenses, payroll expenses, fuel costs and transpiration, shipping, insurance, state, local and federal compliance, competition... the list goes on and on. ALL of this factors in to bottom line profits. So it's simply NOT just the worker who makes all the profit for a corporation.

Many of the things listed above will vary and fluctuate and it takes someone pretty sharp to stay on top of all of it and keep the company making a profit... that's why CEOs command such a high salary.

When you're a brain-dead nitwit who doesn't comprehend how a business works.... it's EASY to sit there munching your Cheetos and imagining a money-grubbing CEO making a fortune off the backs of his slave laborers. But you don't have any idea of what you're talking about.

No employee makes all the money. They are a very small part of what makes all the money. They contribute and they are paid for that contribution. But you lack any understanding of how a business plan works... strange for someone who boasts of being so wealthy from business.

Lots of things go into what generates a profit for a given business. It's too complicated to outline them all here and they vary from business to business. You have raw materials suppliers, vendors, accountants, advertising and marketing, equipment and technology, maintenance, location, logistics, taxation, regulatory costs, legal costs, certifications and licenses, payroll expenses, fuel costs and transpiration, shipping, insurance, state, local and federal compliance, competition... the list goes on and on. ALL of this factors in to bottom line profits. So it's simply NOT just the worker who makes all the profit for a corporation.

Many of the things listed above will vary and fluctuate and it takes someone pretty sharp to stay on top of all of it and keep the company making a profit... that's why CEOs command such a high salary.

When you're a brain-dead nitwit who doesn't comprehend how a business works.... it's EASY to sit there munching your Cheetos and imagining a money-grubbing CEO making a fortune off the backs of his slave laborers. But you don't have any idea of what you're talking about.

If McDonalds opened and their were no employees to take the order, collect the payment, make the 'food', serve the 'food', and clean-up after you, what kind of revenue would the restaurant make?

There will always be people looking to work at McDonalds/minimum wage jobs. You know whose fault it is that they're stuck working there? THEIRS! If you don't want to say "would you like fries with that?", you have two options:

1) Get skills to make more money in a job and/or your own business
2) Get an education to make more money in a job and/or your own business

The truth is when you have no skills to perform your job-you are expendable because anybody can do your job. If your local McDonalds owner fired all of their workers, within 2-3 weeks they would have an entire new crew, no problem.

You're as expendable as you allow yourself to be.

There will always be people looking to work at McDonalds/minimum wage jobs. You know whose fault it is that they're stuck working there? THEIRS! If you don't want to say "would you like fries with that?", you have two options:

1) Get skills to make more money in a job and/or your own business
2) Get an education to make more money in a job and/or your own business

The truth is when you have no skills to perform your job-you are expendable because anybody can do your job. If your local McDonalds owner fired all of their workers, within 2-3 weeks they would have an entire new crew, no problem.

You're as expendable as you allow yourself to be.

Does a fire dispatcher require any more education than a McDonalds employee?

 

[dblack]

Does a fire dispatcher require any more education than a McDonalds employee?

It makes no difference at all regarding what the job is worth. Even if working at McDonalds required a PhD in Chemistry, it wouldn't be worth much because most of us don't value burgers that much. You should really think about this, because I think it's key to your confusion on this issue.

 

[Slyhunter]

If businesses don't pay their employees living wages how do they think they'll be able to live without Government handouts?

 

[dblack]

If businesses don't pay their employees living wages how do they think they'll be able to live without Government handouts?

I doubt they think about that. But if you're all worked up about it, we could prohibit them from hiring people on support. Would that address your concern?

 

[OnePercenter]

How much do you pay an employee that makes you all of your money?

No employee makes all the money. They are a very small part of what makes all the money. They contribute and they are paid for that contribution. But you lack any understanding of how a business plan works... strange for someone who boasts of being so wealthy from business.

Lots of things go into what generates a profit for a given business. It's too complicated to outline them all here and they vary from business to business. You have raw materials suppliers, vendors, accountants, advertising and marketing, equipment and technology, maintenance, location, logistics, taxation, regulatory costs, legal costs, certifications and licenses, payroll expenses, fuel costs and transpiration, shipping, insurance, state, local and federal compliance, competition... the list goes on and on. ALL of this factors in to bottom line profits. So it's simply NOT just the worker who makes all the profit for a corporation.

Many of the things listed above will vary and fluctuate and it takes someone pretty sharp to stay on top of all of it and keep the company making a profit... that's why CEOs command such a high salary.

When you're a brain-dead nitwit who doesn't comprehend how a business works.... it's EASY to sit there munching your Cheetos and imagining a money-grubbing CEO making a fortune off the backs of his slave laborers. But you don't have any idea of what you're talking about.

No employee makes all the money. They are a very small part of what makes all the money. They contribute and they are paid for that contribution. But you lack any understanding of how a business plan works... strange for someone who boasts of being so wealthy from business.

Lots of things go into what generates a profit for a given business. It's too complicated to outline them all here and they vary from business to business. You have raw materials suppliers, vendors, accountants, advertising and marketing, equipment and technology, maintenance, location, logistics, taxation, regulatory costs, legal costs, certifications and licenses, payroll expenses, fuel costs and transpiration, shipping, insurance, state, local and federal compliance, competition... the list goes on and on. ALL of this factors in to bottom line profits. So it's simply NOT just the worker who makes all the profit for a corporation.

Many of the things listed above will vary and fluctuate and it takes someone pretty sharp to stay on top of all of it and keep the company making a profit... that's why CEOs command such a high salary.

When you're a brain-dead nitwit who doesn't comprehend how a business works.... it's EASY to sit there munching your Cheetos and imagining a money-grubbing CEO making a fortune off the backs of his slave laborers. But you don't have any idea of what you're talking about.

If McDonalds opened and their were no employees to take the order, collect the payment, make the 'food', serve the 'food', and clean-up after you, what kind of revenue would the restaurant make?

Quite a lot when you place your order at a push button kiosk, swipe your card to pay, have a machine grind the beef, cook your burger, assemble it, bag it and put it in the window for you to take and a roomba comes out after hours to sweep and mop the floor. IOW, there's little actual need for human interaction at tomorrow's McDonalds, and within 20 years you likely won't see a whole lot of employees working there. The biggest job will be for the guy who keeps the machines running and calls tech support. Of course, most machines can call tech support themselves, so not much need for that either.

Quite a lot when you place your order at a push button kiosk, swipe your card to pay, have a machine grind the beef, cook your burger, assemble it, bag it and put it in the window for you to take and a roomba comes out after hours to sweep and mop the floor. IOW, there's little actual need for human interaction at tomorrow's McDonalds, and within 20 years you likely won't see a whole lot of employees working there. The biggest job will be for the guy who keeps the machines running and calls tech support. Of course, most machines can call tech support themselves, so not much need for that either.

And when one machine breaks, you close.

 

[OnePercenter]

Fortunately, there is an endless supply of mindless unskilled people available able to say "Welcome to McDonalds, may I take your order?

Hardly worth $31,200 per year.

That's what seems nuts to me. Minimum wages laws make these jobs illegal. If both employer and employee can agree on a wage why does it need to be illegal?

That's what seems nuts to me. Minimum wages laws make these jobs illegal. If both employer and employee can agree on a wage why does it need to be illegal?

Minimum wage laws make it illegal to pay less than minimum wage.

 

[dblack]

How much do you pay an employee that makes you all of your money?

No employee makes all the money. They are a very small part of what makes all the money. They contribute and they are paid for that contribution. But you lack any understanding of how a business plan works... strange for someone who boasts of being so wealthy from business.

Lots of things go into what generates a profit for a given business. It's too complicated to outline them all here and they vary from business to business. You have raw materials suppliers, vendors, accountants, advertising and marketing, equipment and technology, maintenance, location, logistics, taxation, regulatory costs, legal costs, certifications and licenses, payroll expenses, fuel costs and transpiration, shipping, insurance, state, local and federal compliance, competition... the list goes on and on. ALL of this factors in to bottom line profits. So it's simply NOT just the worker who makes all the profit for a corporation.

Many of the things listed above will vary and fluctuate and it takes someone pretty sharp to stay on top of all of it and keep the company making a profit... that's why CEOs command such a high salary.

When you're a brain-dead nitwit who doesn't comprehend how a business works.... it's EASY to sit there munching your Cheetos and imagining a money-grubbing CEO making a fortune off the backs of his slave laborers. But you don't have any idea of what you're talking about.

No employee makes all the money. They are a very small part of what makes all the money. They contribute and they are paid for that contribution. But you lack any understanding of how a business plan works... strange for someone who boasts of being so wealthy from business.

Lots of things go into what generates a profit for a given business. It's too complicated to outline them all here and they vary from business to business. You have raw materials suppliers, vendors, accountants, advertising and marketing, equipment and technology, maintenance, location, logistics, taxation, regulatory costs, legal costs, certifications and licenses, payroll expenses, fuel costs and transpiration, shipping, insurance, state, local and federal compliance, competition... the list goes on and on. ALL of this factors in to bottom line profits. So it's simply NOT just the worker who makes all the profit for a corporation.

Many of the things listed above will vary and fluctuate and it takes someone pretty sharp to stay on top of all of it and keep the company making a profit... that's why CEOs command such a high salary.

When you're a brain-dead nitwit who doesn't comprehend how a business works.... it's EASY to sit there munching your Cheetos and imagining a money-grubbing CEO making a fortune off the backs of his slave laborers. But you don't have any idea of what you're talking about.

If McDonalds opened and their were no employees to take the order, collect the payment, make the 'food', serve the 'food', and clean-up after you, what kind of revenue would the restaurant make?

Quite a lot when you place your order at a push button kiosk, swipe your card to pay, have a machine grind the beef, cook your burger, assemble it, bag it and put it in the window for you to take and a roomba comes out after hours to sweep and mop the floor. IOW, there's little actual need for human interaction at tomorrow's McDonalds, and within 20 years you likely won't see a whole lot of employees working there. The biggest job will be for the guy who keeps the machines running and calls tech support. Of course, most machines can call tech support themselves, so not much need for that either.

Quite a lot when you place your order at a push button kiosk, swipe your card to pay, have a machine grind the beef, cook your burger, assemble it, bag it and put it in the window for you to take and a roomba comes out after hours to sweep and mop the floor. IOW, there's little actual need for human interaction at tomorrow's McDonalds, and within 20 years you likely won't see a whole lot of employees working there. The biggest job will be for the guy who keeps the machines running and calls tech support. Of course, most machines can call tech support themselves, so not much need for that either.

And when one machine breaks, you close.

You could also just scale back operations and take on 'business partners' who could help you run the place, while not being 'technically' employees. There's always ways around dumb regulation.

 

[OnePercenter]

If McDonalds opened and their were no employees to take the order, collect the payment, make the 'food', serve the 'food', and clean-up after you, what kind of revenue would the restaurant make?

None. But that's not a worry of theirs because there will always be people who will take those jobs.

None. But that's not a worry of theirs because there will always be people who will take those jobs.

By keeping workers desperate? And you condone this?

 

[OnePercenter]

How much do you pay an employee that makes you all of your money?

As little as you have to pay him.

As little as you have to pay him.

Then we need stronger laws.

 

[dblack]

You could also just scale back operations and take on 'business partners' who could help you run the place, while not being 'technically' employees. There's always ways around dumb regulation.

... which raises an interesting question. Should self-employed business owners be required to pay themselves a 'living wage', in your view?

 

[dblack]

That's what seems nuts to me. Minimum wages laws make these jobs illegal. If both employer and employee can agree on a wage why does it need to be illegal?

Minimum wage laws make it illegal to pay less than minimum wage.

Were you attempting to answer the question?

 

[Kondor3]

Why can't we just cut it to ZERO???

Because every non-third-world-nation in the World recognizes that part of the social contract of an enlightened society is that we care for our poor. I'm sorry if you cannot recognize the social, economic, and health benefits of reducing poverty in our nation. Perhaps you should move to one of those third-world countries where they don't care, and let the rich freely rape, and pillage the poor.

Before you try selling that Idea, I suggest you conjure-up reliable figures relating to the Dollar Value of such public assistance overseas...

It is quite possible that welfare recipients in some of those other countries are getting far less Dollar Value per capita, regardless of the percentage of GDP diverted for that purpose...

You may also have to factor-in Cost of Living, in each country, in order to render a modestly reliable overall picture, so that you're comparing apples to apples...

Which, in turn, borders on a holistic Quality of Life study, within that sampling domain, both in indivudla countries and overall, vs. the US....

Until you can serve-up an objective and reliable model to compare apples to apples in this context, the rest is just so much background noise... blah... blah... blah...

Somehow, I doubt you're prepared to take it to that level...

 

[initforme]

The easy solution is if an employer offers low wages NOBODY applies. Leave the job unfilled. HOPEFULLY the business struggles. Let those jobs sit there unfilled. Some low life's would then say "hey there are jobs and nobody is applying and this is what's wrong with america.". Those folk should be shunned.

 

[Kondor3]

Ya know. I keep hearing from fake conservatives about how we spend too much on welfare. Welfare would cause taxes to raise. Poor people want to steal more of my money. Blah, blah, blah.

Some interesting statistics:

Finland spends 3.2% of its federal budget on public assistance.

Great Britain spends a little over 4.6%

Israel spends 2.4%

Norway spends a whopping 6.2%.

And the US? 0.7%. That's it.

So, why can't we just increase that to 2%? We can take that 2% away from our bloated military budget. It would still make us the Western nation that spends the least amount of money on their poor, but imagine the massive effect that would have on poverty in this country. And it wouldn't even cost the tax payers one. Red. Cent. more than they are paying, now. Because I'm not suggesting increasing the budget. I'm suggesting giving public assistance a slightly larger piece of the existing budget.

Why is that such an outrageous idea?

You want an answer? I'll give you an answer - though you'll never understand or accept it.....

The US Constitution make NO PROVISIONS for the expenditure of Federal funds on ANY form of welfare. Not for social or personal welfare.

Therefore the 0.7% the United States spends on these things is 0.7% too much.

Yes and No...

The Constitution does, indeed, make provision for the Federal government to "promote the general welfare"...

Although it is silent with respect to how that might be done...

It also talks in terms of "promoting" the general welfare, not becoming the wellspring... merely promoting...