[Merrily Gather]

Originally Posted by JonathanLB

There are in fact fewer broke people than ever, poverty rates are at historic lows, and unemployment rates are, too. As long as there are 5 million unskilled, and yes, stupid people to fill 2 million jobs, the wage pressure will always be downward. The market works exactly as it should work. If I have a piece of furniture that nobody wants, I have to keep dropping my price until someone decides it's worthwhile for them to buy it. If I have a piece of furniture everyone wants, I can increase my price until I have just one person willing to pay. Likewise, if there is a need for 5 million software engineer jobs and only 2 million skilled people to fill those jobs, companies will keep offering more and more money to secure the best and brightest.

I don't know why it surprises anyone that if they have ZERO skills and can't really do anything well, nobody is going to pay them a lot of money to just putz around. If you want money, you need skills first.

Originally Posted by luckydogg

Wrong, wrong and wrong.

I guess if you define "not broke" as having record debt and little to no savings then yes I guess you might be on to something. But that's my idea of flat a$$ broke. Credit card debt is higher now than it was at it's previous record right before the recession and according to the Federal Reserve's own stats the savings rate has been steadily declining since the 1960's and isn't much higher now than it was during the recession. As far as employment the participation rate is also near historical lows per the BLS. So even though the "unemployment rate" appears low, in fact LESS people are working than ever, not more. Wages adjusted for inflation have barely risen in decades according to Pew. Poverty rates are not at historical lows according to the census, they were at their record lows in the 1970's.

It doesn't change the fact that people often vote based on what is or isn't in their wallet - and it's not just the "unskilled and stupid" that you like to refer to them as. How many stupid people do you know that obtained higher education and are now saddled down with student loans that will take them decades to repay?

I had to recheck. Americans work the hardest. We have the longest hours among the developed world. We have the highest productivity among the developed world. We take the least amount of vacation time even when it's offered and paid for. We are also the most stressed and sickest in the developed world for it and we have the least access to affordable quality health care across the developed worlds. Yet we have the highest GNP in the world. We are the richest nation in the history of the world. Meanwhile, the income inequality gap is the largest it's ever been in the history of the world.

In the last recession more people fell from the middle and working class into poverty than ever before. While the economy is strong and more jobs were created the majority of those jobs created are low income jobs. Not replacing the middle income earners positions because in a globalized society middle class manufacturing jobs are sent overseas so the wealthy can exploit their labor. Thus more Americans are working 2-3 jobs just to make a living. It's not because they are low skilled or ignorant. They are over educated or under employed. I despise when people equate low income earners with being stupid or lazy while we're the hardest working country in the world working 2-3 jobs to put food on the table. If you want to see lazy look to the entitled wealthy who literally did nothing to earn their inheritance and privilege afforded them by the lottery of being born into it.

[08grad]

Originally Posted by Merry Lee Gather

I had to recheck. Americans work the hardest. We have the longest hours among the developed world. We have the highest productivity among the developed world. We take the least amount of vacation time even when it's offered and paid for. We are also the most stressed and sickest in the developed world for it and we have the least access to affordable quality health care across the developed worlds. Yet we have the highest GNP in the world. We are the richest nation in the history of the world. Meanwhile, the income inequality gap is the largest it's ever been in the history of the world.

In the last recession more people fell from the middle and working class into poverty than ever before. While the economy is strong and more jobs were created the majority of those jobs created are low income jobs. Not replacing the middle income earners positions because in a globalized society middle class manufacturing jobs are sent overseas so the wealthy can exploit their labor. Thus more Americans are working 2-3 jobs just to make a living. It's not because they are low skilled or ignorant. They are over educated or under employed. I despise when people equate low income earners with being stupid or lazy while we're the hardest working country in the world working 2-3 jobs to put food on the table. If you want to see lazy look to the entitled wealthy who literally did nothing to earn their inheritance and privilege afforded them by the lottery of being born into it.

Do you have a source for any of the statistics you quoted, or are you just repeating the talking points the media keeps feeding you?

[Merrily Gather]

Originally Posted by 08grad

Do you have a source for any of the statistics you quoted, or are you just repeating the talking points the media keeps feeding you?

Not that it matters but the media is a primary source. Unfortunately we live in an era where the leader of the free world gas lights his base with over 10,000 documented lies on record since being in office and calls the reputable news media fake news while his base believes it and projects as he does.

[EA]

Originally Posted by 08grad

Do you have a source for any of the statistics you quoted, or are you just repeating the talking points the media keeps feeding you?

Parroting is strong with that one.


The poverty rate is dropping every single year. More middle class people are moving up into the upper class.
Everyone wants to talk about income inequality but no one wants to talk about skill inequality.
Sorry mr burger flipper, you're not worth 50k to a company. Want to make more? Get some real skills.
I teach Tig welding. I don't know a single Tig welder making less than 40 an hour.
Learn how to program computers. I don't know any programmers making under 100k. Most are making over 200k.

All you have to do to stop being poor in America is learn how to do something people value.

[Merrily Gather]

Originally Posted by EA

Parroting is strong with that one.


The poverty rate is dropping every single year. More middle class people are moving up into the upper class.
Everyone wants to talk about income inequality but no one wants to talk about skill inequality.
Sorry mr burger flipper, you're not worth 50k to a company. Want to make more? Get some real skills.
I teach Tig welding. I don't know a single Tig welder making less than 40 an hour.
Learn how to program computers. I don't know any programmers making under 100k. Most are making over 200k.

All you have to do to stop being poor in America is learn how to do something people value.

It's just as easy to say prove me wrong.

I seem to recall we used to agree with each other on those points in 2016. Not sure what changed your mind since then, but I hope it's not because you read 4 chan too. Before it starts don't @me with that great awakening bs. It's 24/7 conspiracy propaganda.

/o

[airics]

Originally Posted by Merry Lee Gather

Not that it matters but the media is a primary source. Unfortunately we live in an era where the leader of the free world gas lights his base with over 10,000 documented lies on record since being in office and calls the reputable news media fake news while his base believes it and projects as he does.

Lol... yet the economy is the best it’s ever been

[Commander666]

Originally Posted by Merry Lee Gather

Not that it matters but the media is a primary source. Unfortunately we live in an era where the leader of the free world gas lights his base with over 10,000 documented lies on record since being in office and calls the reputable news media fake news while his base believes it and projects as he does.

Too too funny. Even your "reputable" news calls themselves fake news, the NY times won't even let its ace reporters on your "reputable" news. Get a clue, but then again you have been brainwashed. You are funny tho

[Commander666]

Originally Posted by EA

Parroting is strong with that one.


The poverty rate is dropping every single year. More middle class people are moving up into the upper class.
Everyone wants to talk about income inequality but no one wants to talk about skill inequality.
Sorry mr burger flipper, you're not worth 50k to a company. Want to make more? Get some real skills.
I teach Tig welding. I don't know a single Tig welder making less than 40 an hour.
Learn how to program computers. I don't know any programmers making under 100k. Most are making over 200k.

All you have to do to stop being poor in America is learn how to do something people value.

Help me, help me.

[RationalExpectations]

Originally Posted by luckydogg

I think that's part of the problem with game theory with regards to pricing is that customers feel like they are being "played" as suckers (which apparently they are), when they book a room and have no idea what they are really going to pay with all the additional fees and charges. They can call the fees whatever creative names they want, but all most people really care about when they decide where to stay is what am I going to pay, and what value am I going to get for my money? If the fees and charges aren't clearly disclosed up front then people feel like suckers when they get their bill, and it leaves a bad taste in their mouth for the next time they are thinking about where to go on vacation.

Everyone with an IQ above room temperature knows there are added fees & taxes every single time they book a car rental, hotel room, airline ticket, or ticket to a live show. This is true everywhere across the nation and much of the world.

This isn't a Las Vegas issue - it is an issue across the country. Here's an article about NYC:


Watch Out For These Hidden Hotel Fees On Your Next NYC Stay

Many restaurants in San Francisco no add an extra charge to the bill to cover the extra costs of a $15 minimum wage.

Some restaurants on the strip add a line item called CNF fee - about 5% or so. It stands for "Concession and Franchise Fee."

At the end of the day, you and I both would prefer a system where the full costs and full benefits are openly disclosed. I won't hold my breath.

[clutchcargo777]

Or the CDB fee (Cost of Doing Business)