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According to the data I posted the buying power of a minimum wage job is between 70-75% of what it was at the peak in 1968. It's comparable to 1985 and 1997. The data only goes to 2012 which is problematic in that gas prices have come down and housing prices are still depressed so I'd hazard a guess that the buying power of a minimum wage job is actually better today than it was in 2012. Prices for a lot of things fall with gas prices. Perhaps even those hot dogs. You can buy my house for less than I bought it for in 1995. I just had it appraised for a second mortgage. I don't think minimum wage workers are doing that bad. Just a few years ago you could have bought a house like mine for half of what I bought mine for back in 1995. I was upside down on my mortgage for a while there.
My argument was nor has it ever been in this thread that they are doing "that bad". You still refuse to slow down and actually figure out what my argument is. I'm not arguing for an increase. I've argued it may need bumped as we do on occasion but that the minimum wage is not the problem.
I'm doing pretty good on 31k, house paid for, trk paid for, no bills, a little retirement fund
Good for you, one should be able to do that at $31K in much of the country. I still wouldn't call that "high pay" or a pay that should only be reserved for high skilled employees.
We've gone the rounds a time or two about this. I would ask that you go back and read my posts and think them over and think them through.
The answer to both of these is really simple. You tax the dividends and capital gains paid by corporations at 110%. The stock holders tell the companies keep your money until you pay everyone working for you world wide US minimum wage. And the stock holders tell the corporations to only buy things made by workers at US minimum wage or higher.
So the company in China is going to be asked to pay its workers US minimum wage or they wont have their product bought and resold in the US by big corporations. If everyone has to pay the same minimum wage then the playing field is level for everyone.
Why? Why should we subsidize a company with financial difficulties? That is like rewarding failure. I thought right wingers were against rewarding people just for participating, even if they fail at what they do.
No one is subsidizing, simply exempting them from min wage laws until they right themselves financially, or would you rather they go out of business and everyone loose their job.
Or people should utilize the power of a free market to get better wages, just like walmart employees did and stop looking for the government for salvation through laws that may, or may not do damage to some individuals.
Well put a little math around it. Let's say a cupcake shop owner (or pizza, coffee, etc). Net income per year totals $100k.
- Takes 4 employees at all times to be in store besides owner.
- open from 10am - 10pm every day - 12hrs per day, 360 days per year. That's 17,280 employment hours per year.
- if wages, currently at $9/hr are forced to be brought to $14/hr, the owner is now breaking even.
A couple of other options for people who consider themselves underpaid:
1. Get some training or education that increases your skill set.
2. Take some initiative and seek out another job.
3. Start your own business.
By the way, as an employer I can assure you that there are plenty of good paying jobs out there, but a lot of people are just too stupid or too lazy to go after them. Every time we have an opening it's a real struggle for us to find someone who is qualified. We get a lot of garbage resumes with people who can't spell, don't understand basic grammar, and think that their experience as a high school team mascot qualifies them to run our accounting department.
I've had this conversation with several other business owners and from our perspective, it's really frustrating just trying to find good people to hire. There are too many people who feel entitled.
Good for you, one should be able to do that at $31K in much of the country. I still wouldn't call that "high pay" or a pay that should only be reserved for high skilled employees.
Minimum wage jobs are only worth minimum wage no matter what arbitrary number you want to assign it those jobs are never going to pay enough to support a family on.
Why does tap water cost less than dom perignon? Because it's common, easy to get and there's a hell of a lot more of it.
Why do minimum wage workers cost less than engineers? Because they're common, easy to find and there's a hell of a lot more of them.
The only people calling it 'high pay' are liberals trying to distort what conservatives are saying. $31k isn't high, but it's certainly far more than where minimum wage should be. Certified Veterinary technicians barely make that now they probably should be paid more, but they aren't. If you increase minimum wage to that then a large number of people who were already making that are going to deserve an increase and the new 'minimum' isn't going to be any better off.
No one is subsidizing, simply exempting them from min wage laws until they right themselves financially, or would you rather they go out of business and everyone loose their job.
An exempt is a form of subsidy. Why should we keep a failing company from failing? I would rather that failing business go out of business and every one LOSE their job, so that they can go and find work at a successful business that doesn't need subsidies to survive. But then again, I clearly am not as for big government as you seem to be.
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