You won’t believe how little $8.25 an hour buys

[RKMBrown]

either you are a troll or you are greatly deceived into thinking that 45 grand is a good salary. Truth is its not much of a salary at all. Those who are uneducated will agree its a good wage. In reality, its not much whatsoever. But those at the top will have these people believe they have hit it big time.

It's all relative. 45grand is ok for hanging drywall. It's low for framers, stone masons, plumbers.. It's high for bank tellers and package clerks. And it's low for STEM and professional jobs. That said you can live damn good in TX on 45k, in NYC not hardly.

 

[Toddsterpatriot]

Yes, because I have disposable income.. I wish.

So, you want everyone else to willfully live in poverty, just because someone else is in poverty....but you aren't willing to do the same thing yourself. Four legs good, two legs better, I see....

Socialist sees nobility in poverty.

Yeah, which is why the evil socialists in venezuela/cuba/etc have reduced extreme poverty.

Are you fucking out of what's left of your mind?...70% of Venezuelan people live in abject poverty.
Cubans drive 50 year old cars held together with bubble gum and duct tape.. Get the fuck out of here.

Oh god.. Venezuela reduced extreme poverty by massive amounts, same with cuba, of course, you cite the "bubble gum" and duct tape horse shit.

Venezuela reduced extreme poverty by massive amounts

Venezuela supermarket looting leaves one dead dozens detained Reuters

Yeah, they're doing a great job. LOL!

 

[Blackrook]

You won t believe how little 8.25 an hour buys Oxfam America First Person Blog
Disgusting that this is possible in the "richest country in the world"

Cleaning the movie theater is part of my daughter's duties. But does her job actually pay enough to live on? Photo: Mary Babic/Oxfam America
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For my hard-working family and friends who earn just above the US minimum wage, a paycheck doesn’t go very far.

My daughter struck it lucky when she landed a job for $8.25 an hour at the local movie theater. They pay 25 cents more than the Massachusetts minimum wage (which is already 75 cents more than the federal wage); they don’t charge her for the monogrammed black polo shirt that constitutes her uniform (unlike some businesses); they let her know her hours a few days ahead; and they are, simply put, nice people: film nerds who enjoy keeping an independent theater alive, who don’t mind if she reads a book while sitting in the box office and waiting for the next rush.

Still, it’s a business. Her hours each week never mount up to the point where they’d be responsible for her healthcare (30 hours a week or more); her schedule varies widely; when it’s slow, they let her go (and it’s been a slow year for movies). And, to reiterate: they pay $8.25 an hour.

You can’t blame them; they’re generous at paying more than the legally required wage. But it is, even for my daughter, a measly wage. She lives at home, but she’s scraping together savings for college, living very simply, contributing to the household.

So what her earnings really translate to? I wondered, after seeing this helpful and harrowing piece on What Life Really Costs at $7.25 an Hour.

First, there’s transportation. After taxes, she brings home $7.62 an hour. Last week, after working for 27 hours (and commuting for about 8 hours), she got a check for $205.71. Just to get there and back: Slice the bus fare off the top (2.10 each way; 4.20 round trip; times four): 205.71 – 16.80 = 188.91.

A sandwich = one hour’s work. Some days, when her shift stretches longer than eight hours, she gets a plain chicken sandwich at the place next door: 7.43 (with tax). So she works a full hour to buy a sandwich. Without a drink.

A book = three hours. She loves books and music, and we visit the library every week. But sometimes she likes to buy the ones she loves the very most. Her favorite graphic novelist, Emily Carroll, just published a beautiful new book, Through the Woods. On Amazon, discounted, it’s $18.10. So she worked almost three hours to buy it.

Work shoes cost a day’s pay. We do most of our shopping at Goodwill, but every once in a while, she indulges. She really needed a good pair of shoes as she stands most of the time at work. She got a cheap pair of Nikes at around $50: Basically, a day’s pay.

And what about college tuition? Again, she got lucky: Smith College offered her a whopping scholarship, covering about half the cost. Which left her with a bill of (only) $24,000 for a year, not counting books, art supplies, etc.

So if she wants to cover one year of college – at this deeply discounted price – she’s going to work 3150 hours. Or 61 hours a week for a year. If she wants to go for the full four years… it would take 12,598 hours. Of course, she couldn’t eat. Or pay rent, take the bus, buy shoes, or get her hair cut. At least she can go to the movies…

So she’s lucky in some ways. But so many workers do not enjoy her luck. In fact, the vast majority of low-wage workers do not match this “Poster Child” profile of the minimum wage worker.

Source: the Economic Policy Institute.
Indeed, the average age of low-wage workers is 35. A third have dependent children at home. In our (extremely fortunate)Congressional district, 34,000 working families are using food stamps, and 71,000 are living below the poverty line .

 

[Blackrook]

My 19-year-old son works at Taco Bell for minimum wage. He is saving up for college, and keeps a little on the side for fun money. Yesterday he bought a laptop with money he has saved.

There was never a day or age when it was expected that an entry-level job was supposed to be enough to support yourself and family. These jobs are for teenagers and young adults, who will move on to better jobs as they gain experience and education.

If you've been working for minimum wage for ten years or so, there is something wrong with you.

 

[thereisnospoon]

Yes, because I have disposable income.. I wish.

So, you want everyone else to willfully live in poverty, just because someone else is in poverty....but you aren't willing to do the same thing yourself. Four legs good, two legs better, I see....

Socialist sees nobility in poverty.

Yeah, which is why the evil socialists in venezuela/cuba/etc have reduced extreme poverty.

ROFL! Yeah, they reduced it so much that there's no food to buy in the stores.

Great solution!

Oh yes, nothing better then anecdotal bullshit.

Factual. Ignoring the facts makes you a fool.

Yes, because I have disposable income.. I wish.

So, you want everyone else to willfully live in poverty, just because someone else is in poverty....but you aren't willing to do the same thing yourself. Four legs good, two legs better, I see....

Socialist sees nobility in poverty.

Yeah, which is why the evil socialists in venezuela/cuba/etc have reduced extreme poverty.

ROFL! Yeah, they reduced it so much that there's no food to buy in the stores.

Great solution!

Oh yes, nothing better then anecdotal bullshit.

Oh no....These are the facts. There is no possible response that controverts them.....

 

[thereisnospoon]

Here's an idea: get some education and training so you're not stuck at the bottom!
Gee, that wasnt hard.

You are so fucking dumb. Many people can't afford education and training and these higher wage jobs are extremely competitive since theater jobs of this wage largely outnumber higher wage jobs. This is an issue of population.

And?......
They cabn't afford.....And?.....
That's a choice.
I have some community college. Other than that, I worked, learned and applied what I learned.
Without spending tens of thousands on a college or tech degree, I have dramatically increased my income. No silver spoon. No winning the lottery of life. No luck. Just improvise overcome adapt. And I'm still not done.

 

[thereisnospoon]

Pay a Worker the shittiest wage possible, Outsource their job whenever possible, and replace em with Illegal Slave Labor.

Gee, helluva platform there Republicans. I wonder why American Workers are rushing to vote for the other Party. The GOP needs to get a clue. The greedy angry white dude thing is a real turnoff to most voters. Time for the Party to evolve.

Blah blah blah...How many times in how many different ways are you going to keep posting the same stupid talking points?

 

[thereisnospoon]

Let's be real, it's becoming more & more clear to most, that angry greedy white Republican dude doesn't have a soul. He enjoys treating Workers like shit. And he enjoys doin heinous shit like this...

Kinda people you're dealing with.

Hey fucko...What does THIS^ have to do with anything?.....BTW, the guy is from Minnesota. He probably votes democrat.

 

[thereisnospoon]

I posted two job openings at the place I work. One is an unskilled position paying $10 per hour. The second is a skilled position paying twice that.

I have yet to receive any qualified candidate's application for the skill position. I received over 20 for the $10 per hour position.

I am actually surprised there have not been several applicants for the skilled position. Simply because it pays more. We placed ads on several career websites to fill an assistant's position. The job description was specific. Oh we received resumes all right. I'd say less than 20% were qualified. Of those, most of them lived a a great distance from our office. They were disqualified. Again, this was spelled out in the ad. Must live within a 30 minute drive. There were resumes from people who lived some 60-70 miles away.
We have not yet filled the position.

 

[thereisnospoon]

You won t believe how little 8.25 an hour buys Oxfam America First Person Blog
Disgusting that this is possible in the "richest country in the world"

The Causes of Poverty

The experts: "it is a complex sociological and economical issue with many contributing factors."

Republicans: "They are lazy!"

Republicans are right, the experts just tow the pc police crap.

Why would the experts care about being PC but the republicans do not? Poverty is a complex issue. Whether or not you are smart enough to understand that doesn't change anything. Of course the experts will tell you laziness plays a role in poverty, they are just smart enough to point out it is far from the only cause. Republicans aren't. They are fucking stupid.

Tell me would republicans EVER criticize corporations? No. Obviously they should considering corporations are wealthier than they have ever been before while child poverty in this country is the worst out of any other developed nation on Earth. How about corporate crime? Most of it goes unprosecuted. Where is the republican outrage? It doesn't exist because they would lose their precious mega donors.

you're simply an angry loser. show me one Republican, here on this board, or on any other board; where a Repblican said laziness is the ONLY cause of poverty. What doesnt change anything is the phony sanctimonious rants of angry, smarmy, smug and butthurt left-wing nutjobs. Poverty has gotten worse on the Progressive watch, and not only that but the VERY RICHEST GOT RICHER. And with every PROGRESSIVE FAILURE despite your best intentions your frustration level grows, the projection of your own left-wing ineptitude manifests itself with cries that others are "fucking stupid". Your pathetic excuses on the Left are along the lines of how a bunch of "fucking stupid" right-wingers, in smaller numbers no less, managed to foil the best and brightest Progressive minds, and your caring and empathetic mindsets, your good intentions, your vision of Utopia, your "progress", your "change", your alleged enlightement, your high education, and all your best efforts.

you are simply a clown

On the progressive watch? Obama tried to raise the minimum wage but republicans blocked the attempt despite the fact that 600 economists signed a letter to congress in support of the measure. Tell me how else is a president going to convince these corporate goons to pay more? You people are against any government intervention on the market. These goons could pay more but they WONT. Obama has nothing to do with it.

Talking points.

 

[Toddsterpatriot]

Here's an idea: get some education and training so you're not stuck at the bottom!
Gee, that wasnt hard.

You are so fucking dumb. Many people can't afford education and training and these higher wage jobs are extremely competitive since theater jobs of this wage largely outnumber higher wage jobs. This is an issue of population.

This is an issue of population.

Low skilled population. So we should stop importing millions of illegals who compete
with our own low skilled citizens.

 

[thereisnospoon]

Here's an idea: get some education and training so you're not stuck at the bottom!
Gee, that wasnt hard.

You are so fucking dumb. Many people can't afford education and training and these higher wage jobs are extremely competitive since theater jobs of this wage largely outnumber higher wage jobs. This is an issue of population.

So what? the constitution does not guarantee every citizen financial security. What you achieve is up to you.

Life isn't fair----------------grow up and accept that reality.

You are such a tool. If you ever get laid off from your job and are forced into something of a lower wage, you would sing a very different tune. It's sad you cons lack such empathy otherwise.

Forced? How so?.....Sure, many people who found themselves out of work who took jobs paying less. They did this to avoid having to live off the dole.
To make up for the shortfall, they cut back on spending. Sold off assets, took part time jobs. One does what they must to take care of their needs.
People who...
1.Sit around and bitch,
2.Hold themselves out of work unwilling to take something that pays less/isn't what they want to do(It's work. We're supposed to not like it)
3. Blame others.
Are the problem.....
Not those who do what they must to maintain a level they believe worthy of their work and accomplishments.

 

[thereisnospoon]

Here's an idea: get some education and training so you're not stuck at the bottom!
Gee, that wasnt hard.

without using money, that these people don't have, how do they get that education?

I have a 2 year degree and nobody cares who is hiring. So fuck education.

"nobody cares who's hiring"......What's that supposed to mean?
Having "a degree" means nothing unless that degree carries with it some marketability.
The expectation that an employer is supposed to "give over more money" based on nothing is absurd

 

[thereisnospoon]

The ONLY way to make it nowadays is a college degree. There are no exceptions. Tech school, college degrees. Anything less, tough road. Can be done but the odds are greatly stacked against you no matter how hard you are willing to work. That is the big lie in america. "If you are willing to work hard you can get ahead." That is not true whatsoever. Its not who is willing to work harder(dumber) but who is SMARTER. This willing to work hard stuff is nothing but fluff.

I disagree. I do not have a 4 year degree. That makes it more difficult, but not impossible.
One has to find a niche....
For example. I have a friend who for the last 30 years has owned his own landscaping business. When i worked for him in the late 80's he was grossing over $100k per year. No college degree.
I have another friend who is a sole proprietor carpet cleaning business. He has more money than he knows what to do with. He does all of the work himself. He has no desire to expand to multiple vehicles. he does not care about getting rich. He and his wife with two kids live very comfortably. Yes she works and is very successful.
He has no college degree...
I am about to start my own business. No college degree. I will make money because the type of business in which I will work is necessary and virtually recession proof.
I have no desire be a large business. I have no desire to hire anyone. Too much work. Too many expenses. Too much government nagging.

 

[Redfish]

MW jobs are for teens making pocket money and learning how to work. They are not a lifetime career path unless you have absolutely no skills or education or are too lazy to get any.

The "war on poverty" has been going on for 50 years, trillions have been wasted on it, and the poverty rate is higher now than when LBJ started it.

A government cannot spend a nation into prosperity or increase the value of unskilled labor.

Sorry, but if your only skill is using your back to carry things, then you probably will never own a mercedes.

LIfe ain't fair, the govt cannot make it fair. Some wild pigs get eaten by lions and some survive to reproduce. Should the govt make lions stop eating?

The MW rate impacts a lot of people, not just those making min wage. It basically impacts all of the retail jobs that are out there.

Governments can do plenty to impact labor markets. Our own labor market is impacted significantly by China's government.

MW affects people making MW. It also affects people who buy products produced or delivered by MW earners. Raising the MW will put many MW earners out of work and will impact those who buy products because prices will go up. Its already happening in the blue city of Seattle. Fast food joints have reduced staff and raised prices----------------so tell us, who is benefitting from this increase?

As to China, jobs have gone to china for several reasons, a couple of them are US corporate taxes, unions, and regulations.

Are you happy that GE and GM are building their products in china and mexico?

The negative impact of MW hikes mostly involve markets reacting to the price shock. Once the price shock is adjusted to the impact on employment and prices is not nearly as disruptive. Obviously the higher wages help the people who get higher wages but it also reduces the need for those workers to rely on government aid. The US subsidizes low wage employment significantly.

The trade deficit with China is way worse than it is with Mexico and it is largely due to purposeful manipulation by the Chinese government.

If you make more but everything you buy costs more, you have accomplished nothing.

We need to play hardball with the chinese, Trump is the only candidate who knows how to do that

The people getting paid more benefit way more even if they are paying slightly higher prices on some things. These people are likely to spend all of their money so it isn't like the money just disappears.

The issue with China is not so simple as that and in the mean time something has to be done.

Where does the money come from to pay them more? When faced with higher labor costs a business has 3 choices: 1. raise prices, 2. lay off employees, 3. go out of business.

So explain how putting more people on the unemployment rolls helps the economy.

 

[RKMBrown]

Here's an idea: get some education and training so you're not stuck at the bottom!
Gee, that wasnt hard.

You are so fucking dumb. Many people can't afford education and training and these higher wage jobs are extremely competitive since theater jobs of this wage largely outnumber higher wage jobs. This is an issue of population.

This is an issue of population.

Low skilled population. So we should stop importing millions of illegals who compete
with our own low skilled citizens.

News flash we are importing people to compete with low and highly skilled citizens.

 

[Redfish]

Here's an idea: get some education and training so you're not stuck at the bottom!
Gee, that wasnt hard.

You are so fucking dumb. Many people can't afford education and training and these higher wage jobs are extremely competitive since theater jobs of this wage largely outnumber higher wage jobs. This is an issue of population.

This is an issue of population.

Low skilled population. So we should stop importing millions of illegals who compete
with our own low skilled citizens.

News flash we are importing people to compete with low and highly skilled citizens.

correction: illegally importing

 

[RKMBrown]

Here's an idea: get some education and training so you're not stuck at the bottom!
Gee, that wasnt hard.

You are so fucking dumb. Many people can't afford education and training and these higher wage jobs are extremely competitive since theater jobs of this wage largely outnumber higher wage jobs. This is an issue of population.

This is an issue of population.

Low skilled population. So we should stop importing millions of illegals who compete
with our own low skilled citizens.

News flash we are importing people to compete with low and highly skilled citizens.

correction: illegally importing

correction: importing... Obama has made it legal. Further look at h1b visas. It's all legal.

 

[paulitician]

Wages continue to decrease or stay stagnant. Meanwhile, the cost of living continues to skyrocket. I know greedy hateful white Republican dude gets a boner over that, but others actually care. We do have a serious problem.

The Republican hate & hostility towards American Workers is appalling. American Workers know not to turn to them for any help. They're forced to turn to the other Party. That's gonna really haunt the Republicans in the future.

 

[Redfish]

Here's an idea: get some education and training so you're not stuck at the bottom!
Gee, that wasnt hard.

You are so fucking dumb. Many people can't afford education and training and these higher wage jobs are extremely competitive since theater jobs of this wage largely outnumber higher wage jobs. This is an issue of population.

This is an issue of population.

Low skilled population. So we should stop importing millions of illegals who compete
with our own low skilled citizens.

News flash we are importing people to compete with low and highly skilled citizens.

correction: illegally importing

correction: importing... Obama has made it legal. Further look at h1b visas. It's all legal.

correct, obama has directed that federal immigration laws be ignored. He does not have the constitutional power to do that, but he has and no one has challenged him on it.