Minimum wage? Let's discuss

hoosier · #1 01-30-2006, 09:56 PM

Some givens:

http://www.csmonitor.com/2006/0130/p14s01-cogn.html

As it is, an employee working full-time at the federal minimum wage of $5.15 an hour makes $10,712 a year, about $1,000 above the official poverty level for an individual ($9,654).

18 states and the District of Columbia have enacted higher minimum wage laws, from about $6.15 to $12 an hour ... the federal minimum wage hasn't been raised in nine years.

Since members of Congress last voted to boost the minimum wage, they have raised their own pay by 23 percent. Last October, the Senate voted 51 to 49 to hike the minimum wage, but it would have taken a supermajority of 60 votes to pass.

http://www.nationalreview.com/commen...0601300839.asp

This incessant glibness of liberal politicians and activists who imagine themselves the only champions of the poor is what blinds them to new ideas. Their worldview supposes that poverty is (1) an intractable flaw in free-market capitalism, (2) deep and persistent, and (3) made worse by globalization cum neo-imperialism. Amazingly, none of the charges holds water when tested against real-world data.

A major investigative series in the New York Times last summer reported that only half of the members of the poorest quintile in 1988 were still there a decade later.

Many of America's "poorest" people in terms of income are simply retired or in college. A 2003 publication by the Federal Reserve bank of Minnesota noted that nearly a quarter of households have no earnings whatsoever ...

... the Times own survey of American attitudes about poverty. Only 16 percent of respondents believe that their socioeconomic class is lower than when they grew up. In absolute terms, 45 percent of Americans recognize that they are really wealthier than their parents, and 38 percent say they are the same.

... EPI (a labor union think tank) recommends at the end of its new paper: a higher minimum wage, more generous unemployment benefits, easing welfare rules, and higher taxes on the rich. EPI does this with a straight face, though certainly their researchers must have noticed that states with higher minimum wages and highly progressive tax codes (see New York) tend to have the highest income gaps.... the bigger story is in the footnotes where you learn that incomes among the poor are rising in every state as well.

PiKA2001 · #2 01-30-2006, 10:05 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by hoosier
Some givens:

http://www.csmonitor.com/2006/0130/p14s01-cogn.html

As it is, an employee working full-time at the federal minimum wage of $5.15 an hour makes $10,712 a year, about $1,000 above the official poverty level for an individual ($9,654).

That would suck to work full time and only make $10,712. You would think housing costs would eat up 98% of your wages depending on where you lived. I don't know anybody that makes under 7 an hour though.

PhiMuAmberkins · #3 01-30-2006, 10:27 PM

In my area, $5.15 is what most people start out at. I made that working at the same job for 4 years. Now, I make $7 an hour, and I feel like I'm rakin' in the dough! Seriously though, minimum wage is not nearly high enough. It's so hard to make ends meet, that people in my area would rather not have a job and get welfare, because you make more that way. I know that's horrible, and my family doesn't do it, but it's true and it happens. It's horrible because that's the only option left to some people.

The only person I've ever known in my area who started at more than $5.15 was working at a bank, and she started at $5.50.

PiKA2001 · #4 01-30-2006, 10:54 PM

Yeah, but didnt you say you can buy a house for 70k where you live? In other parts of the country you just can't make a living off of $7 an hour.

PhiMuAmberkins · #5 01-30-2006, 10:59 PM

No, $7 isn't much. I'm just saying I felt like I had really accomplished something when I started making that. I still live with my parents while I'm at home, so I'm not sure how much rent and stuff is, but I do know it's a lot cheaper here than a lot of places. $7 an hour is amazing for an undergrad intern around here...I know people who have degrees and still make minimum wage...

hoosier · #6 01-30-2006, 11:30 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by PhiMuAmberkins
I know people who have degrees and still make minimum wage...

But they are doing it by choice. There is no one forcing them to take that job in that city, is there?

starang21 · #7 01-31-2006, 12:51 AM

are college educated people making this kind of money????

sageofages · #8 01-31-2006, 01:04 AM

You would be surprised...

Mr Sageofages took a part time job at Walmart to help out with the Cobra expense.

He told the store manager that he couldn't work before 6 pm. The manager asked "why" Mr Sageofages said "because at my real job I make *BIGBUCK$* an hour. Whereupon the manager answered "BIGBUCK$?? GEEZ I wish I made that"

starang21 · #9 01-31-2006, 01:06 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by sageofages
You would be surprised...

Mr Sageofages took a part time job at Walmart to help out with the Cobra expense.

He told the store manager that he couldn't work before 6 pm. The manager asked "why" Mr Sageofages said "because at my real job I make *BIGBUCK$* an hour. Whereupon the manager answered "BIGBUCK$?? GEEZ I wish I made that"

wow, but still.....if things are tight, i'd have a side hustle, but it'd be like private consulting or something like that....at least to pad the resume....

valkyrie · #10 01-31-2006, 01:44 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by starang21
wow, but still.....if things are tight, i'd have a side hustle, but it'd be like private consulting or something like that....at least to pad the resume....

You can get big bucks if you have a good webcam show.

sageofages · #11 01-31-2006, 01:54 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by starang21
wow, but still.....if things are tight, i'd have a side hustle, but it'd be like private consulting or something like that....at least to pad the resume....

Mr Sageofages took the position mostly to teach daughter Sagesofages #1 that you can get a job...

Mr Sageofages is now working with the dataencryption project in the infrastructure division of Wells Fargo. (cha-ching! We may actually be back on our feet by this time next year!)

AchtungBaby80 · #12 01-31-2006, 07:53 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by sageofages
Mr Sageofages is now working with the dataencryption project in the infrastructure division of Wells Fargo. (cha-ching! We may actually be back on our feet by this time next year!)

Awesome!

After I graduated with my bachelor's, I got a job where I was paid peanuts because most places I know of prefer to promote from within, and the best I could get was a position that was right below the managers. I did have a little 'authority,' but it was so depressing to see people with a lot less education than I making a lot better money. Even some of my managers had no degree; they had just been working there a couple years and were practiced at the art of brown nosing.

While I was making more than minimum wage, I do know some college-educated people who make that. Back home you can make it on that--it's tight, but you can. Here...well, I doubt it.

pinkiebell1001 · #13 01-31-2006, 09:24 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by PhiMuAmberkins
In my area, $5.15 is what most people start out at. I made that working at the same job for 4 years. Now, I make $7 an hour, and I feel like I'm rakin' in the dough!

LOL- I am so with you there!!! My first job was anwsering telephones at a pizza place, making 5.15 an hour! When I started working at the grocery store I'm currently at I was just shocked that they were willing to pay me 6$ an hour! I have to say though, as much as I hate working customer service, they actually treat me pretty well! I get benefits, paid holidays, heck, just getting paid breaks was enough for me to apply, lol.

AznSAE · #14 01-31-2006, 09:50 PM

my first ever job was at braums during junior year of high school. they paid me $5.50. my cousin was working at mcdonalds and she was paid $6.50.

hoosier · #15 02-01-2006, 02:21 PM

(This is so good it's worth posting twice)

In the good ole days, when Hoosier was in high school, the starting wage at McDonalds was 75¢. After six weeks, a raise to 90¢.

McDonalds hamburger: 15¢ (19¢ with cheese).

One hour's pay bought five McD burgers.

Today: McD burger: $1

One hour's (at min. wage) pay buys 5 1/2 burgers.

At typical McD. pay of $7.50/hr., you can buy 7 1/2 burgers.

There's your concrete proof that today's workers are way ahead, based on the McDonald's economic index.

If this was in your textbook, it'd cost $35.99.