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In that case you are accepting what most of us do, someone else's estimate of what your labor is worth.
"You as a person are worth more than just the sum of your work"
In an intangible way, people are worth more than the sum of their work.
In a tangible Free Market system, they aren't.
FMV is what someone will pay you to work for their corporation.
I make just under $20/hr and I find that reasonable given age, skills and qualifications, but I cannot afford to live on my own unless I wanted to live paycheck by paycheck with no savings in the city I am. So in a way I feel that I should be making more.
What makes you think you should reasonably have savings, live on your own given your age/skills/qualifications?
If the pay is reasonable, but you want more, are you not being unreasonable for what you can offer?
I'm curious.
If minimum wage was raised by $5 (which is about 50% what it is now), what about all those who are making $15 an hour now with college degrees in entry level specialized positions? They won't get a $7.50/hour raise. They will be making the same as those in positions that do not require special skills or education. Is this fair?
I'm very open to hearing differing opinions without getting into an argument.
What do you think YOU'RE worth?
I'd like this to be an open discussion with no attacks or party-blaming (dems/reps)
In the current economy at about $9-10 an hour as minimum wage, I'd say I'm probably worth $21 an hour.. With a specialized masters and a license to practice therapy. Second year out of school.
Actually, I am worth way more.
One could not detain me in a room, doing nothing for $15 an hour.
People deserve a living wage and $15 would be the least amount of money one would need to be self supporting in most regions. In some, it would be barely enough.
What makes you think you should reasonably have savings, live on your own given your age/skills/qualifications?
If the pay is reasonable, but you want more, are you not being unreasonable for what you can offer?
I feel that as a 22 year old, with no kids, no debt, a college degree, numerous certifications, no jail record, and a near perfect credit score, I should be able to afford and save some cash at the end of the day. Really I don't think striving to be able to pay for shelter and save money isn't asking for a whole lot. Some people can see their money grow for miles, why can't I see mine grow an inch?
At some point we have to stop looking at people like they are robots, and start looking at them like they are humans again. If you have to spend the majority of your life performing a series of tasks, those tasks should be able to sustain the life you use to do those tasks. They should be able to get you into at least a somewhat financially stable place.
In theory, people should be able to live on the current minimum wages in their area. But they can't, because of rising rents, groceries, utilities, gas, and other basic expenses. Everyone has to market towards the wealthy techie from Silicon Valley, right? No one wants to market to all these poor folk. We gotta make everything "luxury".
To me the raise to $15 argument is less about just more $$$ but a better wages to expenses ratio. People working minimum wage wouldn't care if rents and gas went down. Especially rent as that is most people's biggest expense.
If the market wants to pay people X per hour, then the market should also give options for those making X per hour to live somewhere. Humans are living beings that consume things and have a certain standard of living, like a roof over their head and maybe some basic heating. But that's the thing, they won't. So if we won't raise the wage, what can we do to bring expenses down?
Every person is worth a living wage when it comes to a paycheck at the very minimum. Period. So when we tell low wage workers that their job doesn't entitle them to a living wage or whatever dollar amount we put on what constitutes a living wage, we're not telling those people that the job isn't that important. We're telling them that they, as people, as American citizens, aren't important.
Somebody is always going to have to make pizzas, stock shelves, and check us out when we buy something. Quit assuming they deserve to live in poverty simply because we - not they - don't value their jobs.
I feel that as a 22 year old, with no kids, no debt, a college degree, numerous certifications, no jail record, and a near perfect credit score, I should be able to afford and save some cash at the end of the day.
those are not "qualifications" for higher pay
they might help you join the working world, but they do not determine your salary
what skills did you gain from those certifications and why should you be paid more for having them compared to someone else? did you get them for a reason other than to add to your "credentials"? they do not add credit to you if you dont have anything to offer from having them.
what can you do with that degree that someone else with a different or same degree cant?
what was your work experience between 18 and 22? you spending four years in college does not mean the competition did not spend four years gaining experience.
and... most people do not have jail records, you arent standing out because you kept clean
Prickly Pear: When I was coming of age in the mid- to late 1990s, most people a couple of years out of college lived with roommates. I would not expect a typical 22-year-old, even with a degree, to be able to afford to rent a home on his or her own and save money, to be honest. Or do you mean that you can't afford to rent even with a couple of roommates?
I do agree that the minimum wage (and minimally higher wages) should be raised to keep up with inflation. I do not know that it needs to be $15/hour. If someone thinks that a higher minimum wage is "unfair" because then it wouldn't be "fair" to those currently making $15/hour, I don't really know what to tell you. LOL I guess it will be "unfair" to someone. I'd rather err on the side of helping those making $8/hour raise their standard of living.
Right now in my area, it's much less expensive to buy a house than to rent one. People owning two properties and those renting out their homes on AirBnB are not the issue; there's not a shortage of homes for sale. There's nothing wrong with renting; not everyone is in the position to buy. The prices are very high, though. Right now we could rent out our home out for 150% of what we pay each month for the mortgage/taxes/insurance, which seems crazy to me. That's a problem that's separate from the minimum wage issue, though, I believe.
I often wondered if given the perfect storm of raising income,while lowering all other expensed industries (oil,mortgage,rent,utilities,health care) what would happen. ? More then likely more folks would revive the economy...And a reset to living vs surviving would occur. But that's silly to ask a private business to pay out ...even though they would also reap the rewards of lower utility,,lower health care cost. The 1% don't like to share...but prefer folks to live in disrepair.
You bet most folks are worth more then is being offered.
Instead we instill in folks to 'accept' ,that this is the way it is (defeatist attitude)
What is frightening is if we do not get it right..we will soon start seeing our beautiful country crumbling like Brazil, Guatemala, and so on....people unable to live in a simple one room apartments. If rent, power, food go up by these alarming amounts, than YES, it is up to these employers to pay a livable wage...it's very scary where we are heading.
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