Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
The point is, that except for the well-trained few whose skills are actually in demand, wages stagnate during economic slowdowns. Enterprises, large and small alike, respond to the demands of the market, and there is no huge vault full of "stolen" wealth to be redistributed. Eventually, however, the economy recovers, and the little guys and gals down in the trenches catch up enough to keep up with inflation. But if you want a serious raise, you'ld better have something to sell. (and be prepared to "jump through a few hoops" every now and then).
It is true to say that there's no obvious huge vault of "stolen wealth" just sitting around waiting to make everyone upper middle class. But that's not to say there certainly isn't some level of stolen wealth. People don't demand higher wages across the board just because they want something to get angry about - they do it because they are ticked off at a system that rewards stupidity and criminal behavior.
Real wages have remained effectively flat for years:
Ok, fair enough, though that's not really the type of thing to get people ticked off and demanding change since things are, on average "the same as they've always been." But, then there's this - how much executive compensation has grown:
Now, sure: if you do the math, taking away all that extra money from the fat-cat idiots at the top is not going to make much difference in the lives of average Americans. But that's not the point - people chaff at obvious injustice, including handing out ever-increasing piles of loot to worthless executives, no strings attached. THAT is what is driving the "fair wage" anger; if they are going to be paid a heck of a lot more for being crooked idiots, I should be paid somewhat more for doing my job. The numbers may not always add up, but the motivation is straightforward to understand and not unreasonable.
Gotta lol. What exactly is a "Living Wage"? While you fill me in also please include the average size of the family this "Living wage" will support with no outside help. Also maybe how many times they can dine out, see movies, take trips, buy a car....
Stop driving up the cost of goods, than most will stop asking for increase. No need to jack up something 200 percent because its a "free market" for something like apples.. My current boss is wanting to jack up his produce 40-50 percent at one of his stores, simple because he can. Not realizing we throw about about 20 percent of it because it doesnt sale. Everything we buy such as food, and things we need such as water is so over inflated its beyond anybody control.
Gotta lol. What exactly is a "Living Wage"? While you fill me in also please include the average size of the family this "Living wage" will support with no outside help. Also maybe how many times they can dine out, see movies, take trips, buy a car....
How's this? Want more? Make more.
Lot's of people in expensive cities like L.A,San Francisco and NYC think they should be paid a living wage.
L.A residents need to make $33hr to rent the average 1 bedroom apartment. In NYC or SF I'm guessing it's higher than that since 1bedrooms cost more on average to rent..
The best solution of course is to much to a less expensive place...but then when you say that people come out and say "How Dare you?? Poor people can't AFFORD to move"
Always makes me wonder how much stuff these poor people have...
If you can move and change your financial life and the life of your family, it seems worth it.
Minimum wage is a living wage. It will keep some food in your stomach and maybe you can rent an apartment with a few other people. You want more? Either move up at the current workplace, or learn skills so you can make more.
Well the truth is that the Minimum Wage is not a "Living Wage" otherwise it should have been indexed to the Cost of Living Wage decades ago.
How would you like to survive on $7.25 a hour? No wonder there are 45 Million Americans on Food stamps including our Military families.
Many products are even sold at no profit to get people in the door, 'loss leaders'.
A place like Costco marks up prices even less and barely makes anything on the sale of products but makes a lot of their money from membership.
Water (bottled) is over inflated for $1 a gallon or about $4 or so for a 24 pack?..
I work for one of those big business.. Margins are between 15-40 percent. HBA items are 50.. I know what costcos get for their items.. they are making margins.. And yes bottle water is so over price it should be illegal.
Problem is i know companies need to make money to invest, but need to invest in their workers too. COL such as rent needs to be regulated as well. Nobody should have to fork over half there check just to make rent..
Sadly many of us never learned how to let our " money work for us". This is not taught in our education system and you are either taught how to do it by your parents or you figure it out on your own or you NEVER learn it. One of the best books I have ever read on this topic is "THE RICHEST MAN IN BABYLON". I think it has been out of print for a while but most decent libraries will have it. IMHO it should be required reading for all school children from Grade 5 on.
Sadly many of us never learned how to let our " money work for us". This is not taught in our education system and you are either taught how to do it by your parents or you figure it out on your own or you NEVER learn it. One of the best books I have ever read on this topic is "THE RICHEST MAN IN BABYLON". I think it has been out of print for a while but most decent libraries will have it. IMHO it should be required reading for all school children from Grade 5 on.
Well in my school we took business courses as part of FBLA requirements. We was taught how to balance check books and other needs, but it is hard to teach somebody about market downturns. Supply and Demand was always a excuse for everything in life, when in fact its not. Greedy goes between these two as well.
Not sure which city you live in. I know that many of the large chains in Los Angeles are union and it sounds like they make decent wages considerably higher than minimum wage.
Trader Joes is non union, but they seem to be ranked pretty high as a company to work for and I know they pay considerably more than minimum wage too.
One issue especially in cities like L.A,NYC and SF is that there already is strong rent control (regulation of rent) but the prices are still high. These cities also limit supply of new units. Supply and Demand says that if there are more units built prices will be less.
I think regulating wages or rents for private businesses or private landlords is a bad idea, and I don't think the government should have their hands in that.
If people are willingly lining up to work for $10 an hour, why should businesses be forced to pay $15?
Businesses have also said that they are going to need to hire less workers and also give them more responsibilities (more work!) if they have to pay $15 hr. Otherwise it just won't be worth being in business for them.
This isn't really good for employees. Plus of course when wages are $15hr , price of everything will go up too.
Many products are even sold at no profit to get people in the door, 'loss leaders'.
A place like Costco marks up prices even less and barely makes anything on the sale of products but makes a lot of their money from membership.
Water (bottled) is over inflated for $1 a gallon or about $4 or so for a 24 pack?..
I am an organic farmer. I sell at Farmer's Markets. We have gone through the math many times, it costs me $3/dzn to produce eggs. While I can buy eggs in the grocery store for $1.75/dzn. None of my crops get farm subsidies. None of my feed has lower prices artificially lowered by farm subsidies. I pay more for feed as compared to conventional farmers, because the Farm Bill subsidizes their feed. Taxes are being spent to lower the customer price for GMO 'food's. While healthy foods do not get that support, and are a bit higher priced. Every vendor at a FM is expected to offer eggs alongside the rest of their produce. So all of us do it. It is a loss-leader.
My Dw is the produce manager in a grocery store. On average local organic food is priced 15% higher than conventional / GMO foods.
Profit Margins are very thin.
Right now the USDA is generating more rules. They are currently in the open for public comment stage. The draft of these rules, so far, will cause all livestock and poultry farmers to rebuild a lot of fencing and enclosures. Which will drive up local organic food prices.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
