California's minimum wage should be $12.00/hr (car insurance, hotels, high school)

[joerankinn]

Everything will be like chain reaction. Hike one up and all the rest will 'have to' follow. At this state of the economy (actually it is quite same anywhere) we need to live within our means. Best if you can elevate yourself than just be content to a minimum wage hike. Don't rely on that, do something else. It would be much more fulfilling.

[TimC2462]

Originally Posted by NorCal Dude

Baby boomers have put the most into Social Security, so they will get the most out of it.

I disagree. Prediction is that the government will be paying out more than it collects when the Baby Boomers start claiming in 2017. By 2037, only 75% of its benefits will be paid out. The generations after the Baby Boomers will be screwed for anyone entering the retirement age around that period.

The Gen X/Yers were paying 12.4 percent, while the Baby Boomers were paying half of that percentage, at 6.5%, which is a bargain.

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[raiseillinois]

We are working to raise in the minimum wage illinois through legislation. Check out our website at Raise Illinois to get more information about the benefits to raising the minimum wage.

[studenTeacher88]

It's pretty funny that all of you are judging him for stating the fact: It is not enough to supply en efficient amount for the cost of living in california.

Indeed, minimum wage is not meant to be a career. But if ANY of you are aware of the budget cuts, class cuts, and tuition increases for less resources that school has right now, you would be aware of how impossible it is to educate ourselves due to the lack of pay and insufficient funds to actually PAY for schools that are giving us less.

So how DOES one get a better job by educating themselves and picking a career, when our legs are getting cut from underneath us. Careers are nearly unattainable because adequate career training is. Forcing the majority to settle for minimum wage jobs.

You must have never hurt for money, because you obviously don't know what it's like to have your hands tied and made to suffer.

[Reason42]

Originally Posted by studenTeacher88

It's pretty funny that all of you are judging him for stating the fact: It is not enough to supply en efficient amount for the cost of living in california.

Indeed, minimum wage is not meant to be a career. But if ANY of you are aware of the budget cuts, class cuts, and tuition increases for less resources that school has right now, you would be aware of how impossible it is to educate ourselves due to the lack of pay and insufficient funds to actually PAY for schools that are giving us less.

So how DOES one get a better job by educating themselves and picking a career, when our legs are getting cut from underneath us. Careers are nearly unattainable because adequate career training is. Forcing the majority to settle for minimum wage jobs.

You must have never hurt for money, because you obviously don't know what it's like to have your hands tied and made to suffer.

BS... I have worked horrible jobs to get the education I have...


College loans. Education. Career to pay off loans (for over a decade actually...) Many have done it before. You can too.


Increasing the minimum wage is only (foolishly) self-imposed inflation. It only temporarily delays pain for the lowest class, while draining the middle class of their savings.

[mysticaltyger]

Originally Posted by jc76

No, just bring the rent down to human levels, like the $600. range like the other 90% of the country.
And CA wonders why they have 12 people living in a 1 bedroom apartment

The way to do that is to increase the housing supply in California. That is something (usually well off) NIMBYs block at every turn (often under the guise of environmentalism), all the while wringing their hands about how we need to have compassion for the poor.

[mysticaltyger]

Originally Posted by Gentoo

It's good to mention the generational aspect. My generation, Gen X is the smallest in number and we're right after the boomers. We are likely hopelessly screwed.

Yep. I'm GenX, too and I see the same thing. Boomers keep thinking they'll be able to loggy the government to preserve what's been promised them. I think a lot of them are in for a rude awakening.

[mysticaltyger]

Originally Posted by Boompa

The Baby Boom won't last forever, when they die off it
will normalize. All that is needed to make Social Security solvent is to remove the cap on the wage tax so the rich get to pay in

Actually the Social Secuirty part isn't the worst of it. The worst part is Medicare/Medicaid. We've been throwing money at the black hole known as "health care" for over 40 years now. And what do we have to show for it? A system that almost completely ignores behavioral apsects of health and a majority overweight/obese popultion who are the least healthy in the developed world.

And by the way, we don't have 20 or 30 years to wait for the Boomers to die off. At the rate we're going, we'll default on our debts long before then. Cutting back on defense isn't going to fix it all by itself. Raising taxes on the rich isn't going to fix it all by itself. We will have to do those 2 things as well as cut spending on SS/Medicare in order to remain financially solvent as a country. Pretty much every economist from across the political spectrum says so. It's that feakin' obvious.

[mysticaltyger]

Originally Posted by NorCal Dude

Baby boomers have put the most into Social Security, so they will get the most out of it.

The average Social Security recipient uses up all of what he (and his employer) has put in after 7 years. Most people who draw benefits live longer than that.

I really get sick of this "I paid into Social Security" mentality. Yeah, you paid in, but you're getting more back than you ever paid in. The truth s*cks, but it's still the truth.

[Storm Eagle]

Originally Posted by Curmudgeon

Yeah! That's the ticket. I'm sure the landlord who has a $1,200 or more a month mortgage would be happy to do that for you.

Where do you people come from?

Do you know that the landlord has a mortgage? I am pretty sure no one is making them live in a house there are plenty of cheaper options. Rents have been raising for no reason for a while and have gotten out of control. If we started rent at $100-200 a month for decent housing it would help people who do not make a lot. We probably would not need to raise the min wage much if at all.