What is Digg?226 Comments
- inactive, on 09/02/2008, -7/+47You cannot live off $6.55. After taxes that's probably only $4 or $4.50 an hour. Lunch costs more than that. Rent is ridiculous too.
- EtherGnat, on 09/02/2008, -12/+38"Hell, why not just pay everyone $20 per hour?"
There's a reason it's called the *minimum* wage. The purpose isn't to make people wealthy, it's to be sure they're paid a minimum amount to cover basic necessities in life. If somebody is working and we're still having to supplement them with food stamps etc. that's basically a form of corporate welfare (places like Wal-mart will be happy to give you the forms).
I realize there are economic arguments to be made against the minimum wage. You'd do better to make them, rather than argue ridiculous slippery slope arguments. - PhoenixAvatar2, on 09/02/2008, -6/+24So what do you do when employers like McDonalds, Walmart, etc start paying four bucks an hour? Or less? People will be even more screwed than they are now. With the state of the job market many people don't have a choice of where they work.
Without minimum wage, the US could very well end up being like China, with the lowest class being forced to put their entire families to work in factories and still not making enough to eat. - blorc, on 09/02/2008, -37/+54Minimum wage is a sham.
If it's as simple as telling companies how much they have to pay people, why not make the minimum wage $10? Or how about $15? Hell, why not just pay everyone $20 per hour?
The reason is because it would put people out of work. It's not sustainable for the companies. The market needs to set the prices. When you force a company to pay someone more than what it's worth to the company, people lose jobs so that the employer can afford to pay whatever amount of people is sustainable at X dollars per hour. - inactive, on 09/02/2008, -8/+25The goal is not to "prosper" but to feed and clothe yourself.
- strangewill, on 09/02/2008, -5/+22What I really love is when companies complain about the kind of work they get for minimum wage, lots of complaints about low work ethic, poor dress, poor attitudes, etc. After I ask the wage they were paying they usually try to inch around the subject.
They're not driven by market, they're driven by increasing profits as much as possible. - bjornski, on 09/02/2008, -1/+16Their cost of living is also MUCH lower.
You can't compare the two. - Wongster41, on 09/02/2008, -9/+24Didn't that 'crazy' Ron Paul guy warn us about this hidden inflation tax that nobody ever talks about? What a loon he was I tell you!
- inactive, on 09/02/2008, -13/+28It's funny because all the government has to do to fix the economy is LEAVE IT ALONE.
- PhoenixAvatar2, on 09/02/2008, -4/+18Re-read my post. I said that in today's economy people don't always have a choice. My roommate's been stuck in a hell-hole of an Applebee's for months because there aren't any jobs to be had besides McDonalds. And what's going to happen when they all start lowering their wages? There's a greater supply of workers than available jobs. That makes it a buyer's market from the employer's perspective and if they can lower their wages while still getting hires, they will.
- inactive, on 09/02/2008, -0/+12So when are you moving to China?
- ptheroux, on 09/02/2008, -4/+15Wages in 3rd world countries are lower, not because of a lack of minimum wage, but because of those countries bad economic policies such as: lack of property rights, high taxes, price controls, nationalization of industries, and government granted monopolies to businesses friendly to the power elite in those nations.
- strangewill, on 09/02/2008, -3/+14And you're a little bit out of touch with reality if you don't think minimum wage influences ALL wages.
- inactive, on 09/02/2008, -4/+15I'll say this once for the retards that drone on about minimum wage: wake the ***** up.
Who wants to work for minimum wage? Nobody. Who will work for minimum wage? Only suckers...and one "other" group that earns even less in their native land.
If you have a crap job that is minimum wage, you can't get employees. So an employer is forced to increase wages to get people willing to do this crap job. You may not clean toilets for $6.55 an hour, but for $10 maybe you will... for $15/hr you won't be shorthanded on finding people wanting to clean toilets. That is how our economy is supposed to work.
Now, you say "I won't clean toilets for $6.55." and the employer turns to people who will... and who will? Illegal immigrants that are flooding into this country. So where are you now? ***** outta luck. You can't get a good job anymore as illegals are willing to do the work you are not and there are few jobs that pay what you want and can meet your skills. Manufacturing jobs? Not in 2008, pal.
Why are some states wanting increases to minimum wages? Taxes go up!! Yes, as wages increase so does the tax intake. Of course, small businesses budget for their staff pay and will resort to cuts before cutting elsewhere in their budget.
If you give people a tax break, that is like increasing the minimum wage as well. Try getting the government to do that. Most taxes are extremely regressive and effect the poor worse than the rich.
The only thing you can do is stem the flow of illegals and force employers to pay a just wage for the job. If you twist arms by mandating increases in minimum wage via law, bad things happen. That's why the minimum wage is rarely increased and when it is...it is raised to pretty much what people are paying already.
If you don't like minimum wage, go and get an education or a better job. Nobody is holding a gun to your head to work for min. wage. I don't even know anyone working min. wage, but if I did...I'm guessing their last name is "Hernandez" or "Morales"...and they're happy. - spyd3rweb, on 09/02/2008, -0/+10Yeah that standard of living in the rural areas of china is really great, I'd want to live there.
- rolo3sicks, on 09/02/2008, -1/+10It's going to jump to $7.15 in a year. By then, this will also be the price of gas.
- themonkman, on 09/02/2008, -1/+10If you think that is incredible, look at the value of our Dollar to what it was worth in 1913: $1 Today = 5ยข to the Dollar of 1913. If that doesn't tell you how much we've destroyed our Dollar, I don't know what will.
- PhoenixAvatar2, on 09/02/2008, -0/+8Better yet read it. One of the few readings in high school I actually enjoyed.
- manacubus, on 09/02/2008, -2/+10Sure, but we don't have to pay for music these days, so in music-download-adjusted terms, we're miles ahead.
- bpotts, on 09/02/2008, -0/+8Where do people get this mindset that minimum wage has to be set at a rate where you can raise a family of 4 on it?? If you do that companies cannot stay in business. A 15 year old high school kid does not need to make enough money to raise a family of 4 on. If you're making minimum wage then either you don't have experience (which would mean you're young and probably living at home) or you just suck...
- Triskozko, on 09/02/2008, -6/+13We tried that right after the industrial revolution and the working class basically ate dirt everyday.
- johnwoo32, on 09/02/2008, -3/+10The big question is how many workers actually work for the minimum wage. As far as i know not too many. Most low waged workers get a few bucks an hour more and have had pretty constant purchasing power over the years.
- inactive, on 09/02/2008, -4/+11Minimum wage isnt supposed to pay off the house, a car, a vacation in france, kids college tuition and so on...its ***** Minimum Wage!!!!
What is so hard to understand? - jec68, on 09/02/2008, -1/+8Want and misery cannot be legislated away.
- DestroyFascism, on 09/02/2008, -0/+7The 0.01% of China that is middle class?
- inactive, on 09/02/2008, -8/+15...and let the Enrons of the world continue to assrape everyone in sight?
- jjacksonRIAB, on 09/02/2008, -0/+6Then the current minimum wage succeeds at that. Stop buying nikes and designer clothes and eating out at a steakhouse every night and stop buying other ***** you don't need like cellphones, cable TV, premium internet access, etc.
I never had a problem living on minimum wage and the spending habits I developed there have enabled me to save more than 50K on my own in a higher paying job. How did I get that job? I found a position programming by studying on my own as a hobby and finding a place that didn't care as much about college. The job only paid $8.00/hr but I worked my way up from there and got another job. I've hit a non-graduate ceiling at my new job so they offered to pay for college. When I get done with my Associates next year at the local community college I'll be debt-free with a lot of money in savings, and then I'm outta this state to finish my Bachelors in Colorado.
I never owned a phone (really if someone wants to see me that badly they know where I live), last year I decided to go with skype, never bought cable TV and my only indulgences really are internet access and mixing my own music. Gas prices didn't really hit me too hard --I don't drive a lot and even then I just dropped $140 on an old toyota and now I get 36 MPG. I learned how to change filters, valve cover gaskets, EGR and PCV valves, oil pans, etc, on my own to save money.
Seriously the things that pass for necessities these days are just a load of ***** -tech toys that will be obsolete in 5 years. Stop competing with everyone for nice gear and just find things that help you live comfortably.
People don't know how to spend money and just continually rack up credit card debt in some huge drive to outspend the Joneses -- as a result they land themselves into stupid messes.
Our current national debt closely resembles the spending habits of Americans. No wonder we're so ***** up. - FolkTheory, on 09/02/2008, -2/+8and that is the hardest thing for a man in charge to do...they need to seem to be doing something,
- spankaccount, on 09/02/2008, -13/+19Minimum wage laws kill jobs.
In fact, when the government steps in and forces a company to increase wages one of two things happen (sometimes both). Jobs are cut or prices are increased. This is economics 101, but it still needs to be explained to most people. Either way, the poor end up taking it in the pants. You may not ever truly understand this until you start your own business.
Minimum wage laws are used by sleazy politicians to buy votes - nothing more. - BobSconce, on 09/02/2008, -1/+6Fortunately, the large majority of people making minimum wage don't have to live on it, or if they do, don't have to live on it for very long. Many minimum wage workers are teenagers or spouses working second jobs who are not relying on their wages to pay all the bills.
Plus, recognize that the minimum wage is a starting wage -- it doesn't take long for most individuals to move up and start making more.
Sure, it's not a wage that will support a family of 4 (unless they happen to own their own house and grow much of their own food). But, it's not intended to. - inactive, on 09/02/2008, -3/+8Right, because there was no inflation before the federal reserve.
- visionaryIX, on 09/02/2008, -7/+12Is this digg's latest thing? Minimum wage?
It destroys jobs (structural unemployment if I remember correctly), and creates inflation. It doesn't lift any standard of living at all. - roddack, on 09/02/2008, -0/+5Of course they don't but this is Digg so you will be dugg down because the socialist think that the government has the right to force you to do what ever it damn well pleases.
- ptheroux, on 09/02/2008, -2/+7The minimum wage increases unemployment by eliminating jobs that pay less than the minimum wage. Proponents of the minimum wage justify it on ground that it helps the poor. How exactly do we help the poor by throwing awayf the very jobs they depend on and kicking them off the bottom rung of the economic ladder?
- aussieNickuss, on 09/02/2008, -7/+12We're doing pretty well in Australia with a $12/hr minimum wage.
- vsthesquares, on 09/02/2008, -1/+6Yay for more poor people having no job at all! Yay for higher prices affecting especially the poor! Yay for less incentives for economic growth! Yay for Canada!
- anphanax, on 09/02/2008, -1/+6@Dan
How many meals a day would that be? If you want a drink and some fries with your burger you're over 3 easily (at least here). You're pretty limited on the dollar menu (on variety and nutrition).
I've found it's cheaper to buy food at grocery stores, but maybe it's just where I live. I can get an entire pre-cooked chicken for less than I could spend at a fast food joint. That's more than one meal. - rbk303, on 09/02/2008, -4/+9As the middle-class flickers.
- NSResponder, on 09/02/2008, -1/+6Their figures are way off. The dollar has been inflated far more than the federal government admits.
-jcr - PeppermintPig, on 09/02/2008, -0/+5Nobody listens to reason anymore. It's all about what makes them feel better.
Ask someone if they want to destroy the value of the dollar some more. People who do have the financial ability to hire more employees will be dissuaded from doing so, while an individual will see the rise in prices and demand a comparable wage. Employers in this position must do one of three things: Raise prices, fire less skilled workers and no longer hire them, or lower the quality of their products. - Triskozko, on 09/02/2008, -0/+5The film is worth your time too, John Ford was a great director.
- jamauss, on 09/02/2008, -7/+11As long as we have the Federal Reserve, people earning min. wage ought to get used to it being worth less and less.
But guess what - this doesn't just mean minimum wage is worth less now - it means everyone's earnings are worth that much less. Yet the price of things keeps rising.
Kinda sucks, doesn't it? "Do more with less" is what the middle class has been hearing for as long as I can remember now. - Cerebron, on 09/02/2008, -6/+10you can live with less, but you wont enjoy it.
- roddack, on 09/02/2008, -0/+4Maybe you should look at the causes of the Depression and why it was so horrible. FDR and the Federal Reserve had the largest roles in causing the depression to be so bad and so long.
- aflaks, on 09/02/2008, -6/+10minimum wage doesnt work and its only in place to protect the very bottom tier of worker from being completely financially raped. It is too low to sustain a family, and most businesses (not counting major corporations) couldn't afford to pay their employees anything greater. This is why you get an education; so as not to be the receptacle for the proverbial big bad ***** of life
- zacharytelschow, on 09/02/2008, -0/+4Want the actual truth on who earns minimum wage? Why not ask someone who would know?
http://www.bls.gov/cps/minwage2007.htm
Fewer than 2% of people over 25 years of age earn minimum wage. High school and college kids are the ones out there making minimum wage. I'm sick of hearing this "not enough to raise and feed a family" bullcrap. High school and college kids don't have families to feed. All you idiots spouting about families starving because of the minimum wage need to learn the facts before opening your mouths. - rbk303, on 09/02/2008, -0/+4I... don't even know where to begin to reply. You assume too much.
- Lewie, on 09/02/2008, -0/+4But if everyone gets an education, you'll have education inflation - and you won't have any janitors.
You really only have two choices:
1) Accept that some people will be poor, some middle, and some upper class, no matter how hard they work.
2) Level out the class system. Bring the upper class lower and the lower class higher. - PeppermintPig, on 09/02/2008, -0/+4ptheroux, it could be several things, but it's good to point out that tyrannical governments cause businesses to shy away. Governments that protect corporations allow for more hardship on people, but it's still government which is empowering them. Just don't take your eye off the source of the problem here cheeseron. It would appear that lower wages are an effect of a lower cost of living, due to less regulation, but if less regulation exists, the people ought to be prospering and earning a large wage relative to what one can find in the US.... it's not a simple subject to cover, but just attacking the free market like that and using the '3rd world' bogeyman doesn't help create context and understanding. You either believe people should be free to engage in non-violent consentual action or you don't.
- DestroyFascism, on 09/02/2008, -2/+6Yeah second hand food...share it with blow flies and stray dogs.
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