[mrgmrg]

Originally Posted by bobtn

if you really want fraud drastically reduced , penalize it severly. I'd favor a one year ban on every single penny of any government aid to anyone guilty of fraud, as well as all in their household (to close the backdoor way out), and a lifetime ban for a 2nd offense. That would include all Social Welfare assistance of any kind.

What do you think happens to people who commit welfare fraud, anyway? (Hint: Their benefits are revoked.)

[Parsec]

Originally Posted by kidyankee764

I know times are tough, but a small increase in the minimum wage will, IMO, hurt small business owners. I don't think it's a sound economic move.

That's all I'll say here, because I know exactly where this thread is headed.

Think of it this way. An minimum wage worker who works full time will get a raise from $18k to $21k . The small business owner will see his salary reduced from $100k to $97k. Poor guy! If he employs 10 people, then his salary will probably drop from around $200k/yr to $170k/yr. Again, poor guy!

[nonny]

I think that if wages go up, employers will demand more from their workers. From what I've seen, it's easy to get low wage jobs. I see them advertised all the time. My teen has had no problem getting a job, and has, in fact, turned down jobs. It's the higher paying jobs that are hard to get.

[bobtn]

Originally Posted by mrgmrg

What do you think happens to people who commit welfare fraud, anyway? (Hint: Their benefits are revoked.)

I'm talking ALL benefits, and for life, and for all in the household unit.

[bobtn]

Originally Posted by nep321

Conservatives are obsessed with the theory that welfare is being massively abused across the state of CT. Research has shown that the level of welfare abuse is negligible.

The OP's solution is to have people "continuously add new skills and move past minimum wage jobs." Give me a mother _______ break. College tuition is astronomically high, yet many of these pre-college or college aged people are stuck in jobs that only pay $8.70 per hour.

and Grants, aid, scholarships, and loans are plentiful. At the typical university, the vast majority are getting subsidized by some of the first 3,

BYOMTVT-Bring Your Own Motivation.

[bobtn]

Originally Posted by Parsec

Think of it this way. An minimum wage worker who works full time will get a raise from $18k to $21k . The small business owner will see his salary reduced from $100k to $97k. Poor guy! If he employs 10 people, then his salary will probably drop from around $200k/yr to $170k/yr. Again, poor guy!

Nope, he'll do the logical thing, cut heads, hours, and benefits.

[nep321]

Originally Posted by bobtn

and Grants, aid, scholarships, and loans are plentiful. At the typical university, the vast majority are getting subsidized by some of the first 3,

BYOMTVT-Bring Your Own Motivation.

Tell that to the millions of college students who didn't qualify for grants, aid, scholarships and other forms of assistance.

College should be free for all Americans. And all Americans should have a guaranteed minimum income.

All around the world, people are talking about a basic minimum income, and what they're saying makes a lot of economic sense. Regardless of whether you want to fight poverty, stimulate the economy, shrink the size of government, or simply ensure everyone has a sense of human dignity – you should be calling for a no-strings-attached basic income for all. Since it's inception, Social Security has been incredibly successful at fighting poverty. So rather than slashing it, or means-testing it, we should expand it to every American. In addition to helping low-income workers, a basic income would provide a huge boost to our economy. When people have money to spend, demand increases, and businesses see faster growth and higher profits.

Even those who believe that the size of government is our biggest problem should be all-in-favor of a minimum income for all Americans. Rather than administering a huge patchwork of overlapping social programs, our nation could save time and money by simply issuing every citizen a monthly check. A basic minimum income makes sense economically, and it could lead to important social benefits too. Crime rates would likely decrease because people wouldn't need to steal to survive. More Americans would have the opportunity to raise families or complete their education when they're not working three jobs just to get by. And, a minimum income would ensure that no one would be denied their basic human dignity by being forced to live in squalor in the richest nation of the face of the Earth. These are not extreme ideas. When you consider the economic, social, and moral benefits, a basic minimum income just makes sense.

[bobtn]

Originally Posted by nep321

Tell that to the millions of college students who didn't qualify for grants, aid, scholarships and other forms of assistance.

.

LOL! It is a small percentage, as often reported by universities themselves.

If someone doesn't wish to invest in themselves, hey it is a free country, but I wish them NO luck in leeching off those of us who did take the time, did spend the money, to invest in themselves.

You are consistent, nep, always looking for freebies for all.

[HeadedWest]

Originally Posted by mrgmrg

Welfare fraud is not a substantial problem and never has been

Wrong.

[HeadedWest]

Originally Posted by nep321

Conservatives are obsessed with the theory that welfare is being massively abused across the state of CT. Research has shown that the level of welfare abuse is negligible.

The OP's solution is to have people "continuously add new skills and move past minimum wage jobs." Give me a mother _______ break. College tuition is astronomically high, yet many of these pre-college or college aged people are stuck in jobs that only pay $8.70 per hour. If you so desire these unskilled workers to get an education and get into a higher skilled job, WHY on earth would you keep their wages set extra low AND expect them to cover the highest tuition costs in our nation's history? That's a dangerous path to take, and the U.S. is rapidly losing its competitive talent base compared to other nations. We NEED more talent for the jobs of tomorrow.

Please. Just pay your employees 45 cents more per year over the next three years and HELP them get the education, skills and talent they need to fill tomorrow's jobs.

Your premise was contradictory.

Christ.

Here's a career tip: don't try to get a job as an economist.