202 replies to this topic

[Sweeney]

I mean its kind of a trade off. Sure it would be great for the people that would be positively affected by the raised minimum wage, but it is inevitable that some people would have to lose their jobs. And no doubt these people will run to the government and who will end up paying for them? I'll let you answer that. I also don't understand why more people don't get into a specific trade. My uncle owns a construction company and with a few weeks on the job i learned how to do nearly every aspect of flatwork concrete. Most places this is a decent paying job... around $15-25 depending on the size of the company. It might be more work.. but you need to do what you need to. Physically incapable people would be a whole different story.

And you got a few weeks on that job because he was your uncle. Most people don't have that opportunity.

[Eagles]

 

 

And you got a few weeks on that job because he was your uncle. Most people don't have that opportunity. 

You are 100% correct. But don't people have ANY connections in their lives? surely they have made friends/acquaintances throughout their years..

We need to get more people involved in this debate! I see many lurkers here... post your opinions!

[Sweeney]

You are 100% correct. But don't people have ANY connections in their lives? surely they have made friends/acquaintances throughout their years..

Some people don't have any "connections", no. And some do, but can't use them.

[Eagles]

I guess not everyone has them... but still, do you have any opinions on a solution to the issue other than rioting to force higher wages? Or is that perfectly acceptable?

[luvsmyncis]

You weren't poor.

 
Because he chose NOT to be poor.

I guess not everyone has them... but still, do you have any opinions on a solution to the issue other than rioting to force higher wages? Or is that perfectly acceptable?

Could just let their families all go hungry or wallow away in poverty and then shake our finger at them for not jumping at opportunities which were never realistically within their reach.

[Mizk]

I guess not everyone has them... but still, do you have any opinions on a solution to the issue other than rioting to force higher wages? Or is that perfectly acceptable?

In the future, all menial tasks will be done by robots. With no real need for work, 50%+ of the population will live on "multi purpose food stamps", divvied out according either to people's contribution/"worth" to society or their social status, with creative fields being the only manned jobs.

Until then, lower the cost of living? But really, raising minimum wage is not a very farfetched or unreasonable task, and it would take care of itself entirely, with 0 repurcussions, if the 1% were merely taxes the same as the 99%. As someone else mentioned, other countries already have a minimum wage well above our minimum wage, and as "the greatest country in the world", I don't see what's preventing us from doing the same

[Sweeney]

I guess not everyone has them... but still, do you have any opinions on a solution to the issue other than rioting to force higher wages? Or is that perfectly acceptable?

Just... give them (us) a higher minimum wage so no one bothers to riot.

[Eagles]

 

 

opportunities which were never realistically within their reach.

Everyone has opportunities. Its America. I don't know how people can call it poverty when you have a roof over your head, food to eat, and clothes to wear, while there are people in Africa who could never dream of having such "luxuries". They barely can afford to eat, let alone wear clothes and have a home. Yet we have people complaining about making minimum wage who have iphones and laptops. 

Just because we have a lower minimum wage than other countries makes our country less well-off than theirs?

Do you have any specific countries that you would like to mention who have higher minimum wages?

[Nymh]

Do you know what it's like to go to work and effectively earn $1 an hour, because out of your actual $9.50 an hour, $8.50 goes on childcare?

 
Ooh ooh, I do I do!
 

You are 100% correct. But don't people have ANY connections in their lives? surely they have made friends/acquaintances throughout their years..

Not everyone has the privilege of networking with friends/family/acquaintances to get them into a better position, no.

 

Having been among the poorest of the poor for a while and supporting a family of four on one income through poverty, I personally don't think we should raise the minimum wage - or, at least not by several dollars an hour.  There are cheap places to live.  No they're not great places to live but they do the job.  There are budget cellphones or land lines.  Television and internet are not necessities.  You don't need $8 razorblades or $35 haircuts or even shaving cream for that matter.  When you're poor you cut back on things that most people take for granted if you want to dig yourself out of the hole.  If you don't, you stay in the hole, and that's your decision.  I don't think the government should step in.  I don't think that we need to be paying poor people more money, I think we need to be empowering them to make better decisions about their finances if they -want- to.  Some people are perfectly content being destitute and living beyond their means.  And some select few will realize that making $1000 a month is a challenge that they can overcome even if they have x number of kids and a significant other to support.

[Eagles]

 

 

 I think we need to be empowering them to make better decisions about their finances if they -want- to

exactly

[Mizk]

Just because we have a lower minimum wage than other countries makes our country less well-off than theirs?

Absolutely not

 

Do you have any specific countries that you would like to mention who have higher minimum wages?

Australia, Luxembourg, Monaco, France, Belgium, New Zealand, San Marino, Ireland, Netherlands, UK, and Japan. There are even more if you sort by "International dollars", which is a sort of attempt to uniform the currency of all countries.

http://en.wikipedia....ages_by_country
 

[Eagles]

I am convinced that a great percentage of people living off minimum wage have an iphone. Hell, every welfare recipient owns an iPhone it seems. 

[luvsmyncis]

I am convinced that a great percentage of people living off minimum wage have an iphone. Hell, every welfare recipient owns an iPhone it seems. 

Source?

I think we need to be empowering them to make better decisions about their finances if they -want- to.

How do we empower such lazy motherfuckers?

[Strategist]

The thing is, Australia may have a higher minimum wage, but the cost of living/everyday essentials is a lot higher as well. A few workmates that have just returned from the USA through work couldn't believe how 'cheap' everything was compared to the same thing here in Australia.

[Nymh]

I highly doubt anyone living off of minimum wage can afford an iPhone

 

You'd be surprised what people on minimum wage can afford.  It's all about priorities.

[Eagles]

I am sure there is a study out there somewhere. http://www.nationalr...r-robert-rector

 

how do you interpret this?

[luvsmyncis]

You'd be surprised what people on minimum wage can afford.  It's all about priorities.

This says to me that you might've skipped a few meals so you could buy a board game.

[Eagles]

As far as the iPhone goes... i personally know a few (maybe 50) people that are in their late twenties and have worked minimum wage jobs their whole lives. I would estimate that 20 of them have iPhones... and about 40 of them have another version of a smartphone

[Nymh]

This says to me that you might've skipped a few meals so you could buy a board game.

 

I've been known to sacrifice certain things for other certain things.

How do we empower such lazy motherfuckers?

 

Lead a horse to water and whatnot.

[luvsmyncis]

I've been known to sacrifice certain things for other certain things.

Unacceptable. If you are a poor person, you should only spend your minimum wage earnings on things the general public gets to decide you should have.

I'm now convinced that poor people just aren't poor enough for me to feel sorry for them. Some have homes, food, and clothing. What more could they possibly want? 92% of poor people own microwaves?! This is an appliance of extreme exuberance. They have iphones too? That's horrible that they could possibly be on a reasonable monthly payment plan for that. This report tells me that even though people aren't getting paid very well, they somehow seem to be saving up their money for... fun things. Only people above poverty are worthy of having fun things.

[DonValentino]

I think a lot of people who complain about poor people receiving government aid just don't really know any poor people. Want to know someone who's on medicaid, receives food stamps, and reduced cost heating? My girlfriend. White, college graduate. We live together in an apartment and need all the help we can get. Her parents are struggling and can't afford to help much, and neither can mine. My mom recently got a job teaching at a university, and now my family makes double what it used to, so as a result I did not receive federal work study, state aid, and had to take out more loans, because fafsa saw my family's income and assumed it would all be used to help me. My parents have bills, debt, car repairs, all of which come before my tuition. My girlfriend commutes three hours to NYC to work at her unpaid internship twice a week so she can hopefully get a good job. Government programs aren't making us lazy or making us not want to work towards a better career, they're helping us survive. I'm between jobs right now and it's very stressful. I've got about enough left for my bills/rent this month then..we'll see. If I had been making $10/hr for the last year and a half instead of $8, I'd be in a better situation, so I am in favor of raising minimum wage. If people tell you unemployment will rise drastically, that's bullshit. $10/hr ($15 is a little overboard) would not bankrupt any business, and the amount of people it would help would greatly outweigh the number of people who might lose their job. 

[Kaddict]

Raising minimum wage is going to increase unemployment. Would you rather have people working for $8 an hour? Or none at all?

[luvsmyncis]

Times is tough.

You shouldn't have a computer, nor should you be seeking comradery on an internet forum as an escape from the stress and frustration of a difficult daily life. You need to learn how to sacrifice. Stop spending what little you have on things that make life enjoyable and just save that money up. After a few miserable decades, you'll be able to finally buy that castle in the sky. Good luck, I wish you well. Maybe next time you should find a girlfriend who has an uncle who owns a business where you can get a job at.

Would you rather have people working for $8 an hour? Or none at all?

Are you sure those are my only two choices?

[DonValentino]

Raising minimum wage is going to increase unemployment. Would you rather have people working for $8 an hour? Or none at all?

 

Do you think people did not say the exact same thing the last time minimum wage was increased? 

[Kaddict]

Having been among the poorest of the poor for a while and supporting a family of four on one income through poverty, I personally don't think we should raise the minimum wage - or, at least not by several dollars an hour.  There are cheap places to live.  No they're not great places to live but they do the job.  There are budget cellphones or land lines.  Television and internet are not necessities.  You don't need $8 razorblades or $35 haircuts or even shaving cream for that matter.  When you're poor you cut back on things that most people take for granted if you want to dig yourself out of the hole.  If you don't, you stay in the hole, and that's your decision.  I don't think the government should step in.  I don't think that we need to be paying poor people more money, I think we need to be empowering them to make better decisions about their finances if they -want- to.  Some people are perfectly content being destitute and living beyond their means.  And some select few will realize that making $1000 a month is a challenge that they can overcome even if they have x number of kids and a significant other to support.

Totally this^ I bought a house 2 years ago. I am still in school. I was lucky enough to have a super good scholarship, but lets not think about that. I worked summer jobs through high school and part time through college. But I was able to buy a house because I never had a smart phone. I didn't spend my money on things that I consider frivolous. I didn't eat out a ton. Just small things everyday can make a giant monetary difference. If poor people actually lived like they were poor, they would pick themselves up out of poverty more often than not. Don't buy namebrand clothes. Save yo money.

 

EDIT: Minimum wage has never been increased by that huge of an amount. I am a believer of the invisible hand, but I know as a society we would never go for that. A federal minimum wage would be terrible, because you can't live on $8/hr in san fran, but you could be putting plenty of money in the bank with that much in the midwest.

Edited by Kaddict, 17 September 2014 - 09:06 PM.