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As I've mentioned in other threads, the issue is that there's no accounting for inflation. A sudden increase from $7.25 to a much larger number (and $15.00 may not be the right number) has the nasty side effect of sending potential shock waves through the economy, creating fast inflation in certain sectors.
What really doesn't make sense is that Social Security and SSI recipients do have their benefits payments account for inflation. The minimum wage hasn't increased in 8 years. It's even been worse, because minimum wage didn't increase at all between 1997 to 2007 (a full decade!) either. There has been lots of inflation during those time periods, so the buying power has actually decreased.
SSI and Social Security recipients have a much more consistent cost of living increase, and although modest, at least it's more than working people have gotten, which is nothing. An unscrupulous person who may not be capable of earning more than minimum wage is encouraged to misuse the system, or at best not strive to push themselves out of receiving benefits even if they (barely) qualify. That person ends up having a better financial incentive to stay home and not go to work.
- Regarding your references to s/s recipients receiving consistent COLA increases to keep up with inflation; you couldn't be more wrong. . . especially for 2009, 2010, and 2015 which resulted in ZERO Cost of Living Allowance. In 2011 there was a 3.8% increase; for 2012-2014 it amounted to 1.5-1.7%; 2016 was 0.3% increase. You can view this information on the attached link reflecting the history of COLAs for s/s: https://www.ssa.gov/oact/cola/colaseries.html
Most of the low or zero increases were during Obama's administration. . . his BLM (Bureau of Labor Management) insisted there has been NO inflation for those years. . .they based that statement on the cost of gasoline. As far as rent/food/utility/medicine and other rising costs for all of those years, the BLM could care less.
And IF there is an increase in s/s, Medicare automatically increases the premium for Part B coverage and wipes out anything those on s/s would receive.
Of course no one should work for minimum wage for an extended period of time, you right-wingers missed the point, didn't read, or both
The point is no one can survive on such low wages, anyone can clearly see this when doing some simple math as demonstrated earlier. Unless math, 2+2=4 is wrong too? We don't live in a perfect world, we can't round up all the poor and shoot them or "just get rid of them", there are large swathes of the population (many many millions) trying to survive on those low wages in 2017.
Just to re-iterate, we are not in the 1950's anymore.
But you DO understand don't you , that if wages are raised, business will charge more for goods and services, so what good would a raise accomplish, when it would cost more to live?
Now THAT is basic math,and even a democrat can, or should understand that.
Bob.
McDonald’s recently announced plans to roll out a new mobile ordering system at 14,000 locations by the end of 2017. In addition to the mobile push, McDonald’s will be adding in-restaurant ordering kiosks at 2,500 restaurants by year's end as part of its “Experience of the Future” initiative.
“Adoption of kiosk ordering should help reduce labor expenses by 200 to 300 [basis points], savings that can be reinvested into a stronger value offering to help recapture some of the concept’s lost traffic,” Saleh says in a note issued Thursday.
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I eagerly await kiosks taking my orders. Burger flipping robots to follow.
I think of this move as the Fight For 14 as in thousands of kiosks.
Of course no one should work for minimum wage for an extended period of time, you right-wingers missed the point, didn't read, or both
The point is no one can survive on such low wages, anyone can clearly see this when doing some simple math as demonstrated earlier. Unless math, 2+2=4 is wrong too? We don't live in a perfect world, we can't round up all the poor and shoot them or "just get rid of them", there are large swathes of the population (many many millions) trying to survive on those low wages in 2017.
Just to re-iterate, we are not in the 1950's anymore.
This is brought up every few months here. If you had done a search you would see this topic has been beaten to death.
If you are only making minimum wage it means paring down expenses as much as possible. Starting with having roommates. Even 40 years ago people making minimum wage or a little more would share an apartment or house with several roommates. Internet is not a necessity, free wifi is everywhere. Utilities are split between roommates. When I started out I didn't have insurance, I suspect many back 30-40 years ago didn't have insurance until they landed a job that offered it as a benefit. Many of us worked a second or third job to bring in a little extra money. What I do remember is I did not feel sorry for myself back then when I was getting established. None of my friends were into self pity, either. That is such an unattractive trait. We still had plenty of time for fun.
This is brought up every few months here. If you had done a search you would see this topic has been beaten to death.
If you are only making minimum wage it means paring down expenses as much as possible. Starting with having roommates. Even 40 years ago people making minimum wage or a little more would share an apartment or house with several roommates. Internet is not a necessity, free wifi is everywhere. Utilities are split between roommates. When I started out I didn't have insurance, I suspect many back 30-40 years ago didn't have insurance until they landed a job that offered it as a benefit. Many of us worked a second or third job to bring in a little extra money. What I do remember is I did not feel sorry for myself back then when I was getting established. None of my friends were into self pity, either. That is such an unattractive trait. We still had plenty of time for fun.
Bingo.
Only an idiot expects a McJob to sustain a family of 4. There is nothing wrong doing such work at say, age 17. But it is not a career, unless you can maintain that same low COL requirement you had at age 17, or unless you make up in hours worked for your lack of hourly rate progression.
Nobody is expected to stay with minimum wage of their entire life.
If you do have minimum wage then get off your lazy rear end, back off the video games and get a second job and work 80 hours a week. If all you are worth is $8 an hour then that is what you are worth $8 an hour.
If all you do is worth $8 an hour what makes you think you deserve more?
How do you work 80 hours a week when you have no car and numerous daytime medical appointments make it impossible to work a 9-5 daytime shift?
I'm perfectly willing to agree that Republicans are bad at math - or that they lie outright. What was it that they were double-counting recently?
On the other hand, I can't go along with your math, because I think you're starting with a false premise that minimum wage should be able to provide someone with a one-bedroom house and his own car.
- Regarding your references to s/s recipients receiving consistent COLA increases to keep up with inflation; you couldn't be more wrong. . . especially for 2009, 2010, and 2015 which resulted in ZERO Cost of Living Allowance. In 2011 there was a 3.8% increase; for 2012-2014 it amounted to 1.5-1.7%; 2016 was 0.3% increase. You can view this information on the attached link reflecting the history of COLAs for s/s: https://www.ssa.gov/oact/cola/colaseries.html
Most of the low or zero increases were during Obama's administration. . . his BLM (Bureau of Labor Management) insisted there has been NO inflation for those years. . .they based that statement on the cost of gasoline. As far as rent/food/utility/medicine and other rising costs for all of those years, the BLM could care less.
And IF there is an increase in s/s, Medicare automatically increases the premium for Part B coverage and wipes out anything those on s/s would receive.
The cost of living increases may be below the true rate of inflation. I never said they always kept up with inflation completely. However, the COL increases have been much more consistent in at least acknowledging inflation exists. The minimum wage for working people has done absolutely zilch to account for inflation in long spans of 8 and 10 years, with absolutely NO cost of living adjustment during those long stretches (much longer than SS and SSI), so the gap has been even wider for working people, which was my point.
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