Min. Wage

Der Übermensch · 06-22-2006, 06:51 PM

Currently, the min. wage in the US is $5.15. This means that a worker at min. wage, who is employed the whole year with reasonable hours makes something like $6,000 below the poverty line. A bill to increase min. wage was recently defeated by the Republicans (only 8 of who voted in favor)... again... The last increase was 10 years ago or so. How is it that a country can allow its people to be left in such a position? I'm happy to say that some states have taken steps to increase their own, such as Maine which has $6.50, but this doesn't help the millions of people who have no means to lift themselves out of poverty due to the economic policies of their elected government.

~~BassRevelation1029~~ · 06-22-2006, 06:54 PM

what can we do, so long we have crooked people at the head of our government?

free_thinkers_are_dangerous · 06-22-2006, 06:56 PM

I think they should find something reasonable to set it to and then adjust it every year for inflation. If it was good enough 10 years ago, then the corresponding figure should be ok now.

I'm not too much of an expert on the cost of living in the US, or how many people actually work full time 52 weeks a year at minimum wage, so I can't really say how low 5.15 is, but here it's 7.50$ CDN (or 5.75 if you earn tips, I believe? It's almost unheard of for places to actually only pay 5.75 though), which is pretty reasonable. I think most other provinces have it at 8$/hour. What I do know is that most companies that pay minimum wage have a pretty good system for increasing wages every X hours of work, so if you spend say 10 years of your life working full time at McDonalds, by the end of it you're earning a lot more than minimum wage. That makes a lot more sense to me than paying every 15 year old kid who washes dishes a salary he could live off of.

~~Sun Ra~~ · 06-22-2006, 06:59 PM

lol if we raised minimum wage then even more companies would outsource

Jharaski · 06-22-2006, 07:05 PM

If you raise mininum wage, everyone will want a rase. $7.00 an hour isn't too bad now, for high school students at least, but who will be happy with it if 7.00 becomes the mininum wage? 5.15 per hour with 2 parents working is fine. My family makes $18,000 / year and we're fine.

free_thinkers_are_dangerous · 06-22-2006, 07:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sun Ra

lol if we raised minimum wage then even more companies would outsource

What kind of job would get outsourced? I don't know about the US, but most low-skill manufacturing jobs (which tend to be outsourced) aren't paid minimum wage here anyway.

~~Sun Ra~~ · 06-22-2006, 07:18 PM

you gotta suck it up, theres like a tug a rope going on in that immigrants are coming here and suckin up jobs and lowerin wage while white people go 'wtf' when they dont understand that their jobs arent immediately going to india because immigrants are taking it up the *** for everyone, either way and eventually the white middle class is slowly getting pumped

Quote:

Originally Posted by free_thinkers_are_dangerous

What kind of job would get outsourced? I don't know about the US, but most low-skill manufacturing jobs (which tend to be outsourced) aren't paid minimum wage here anyway.

lets just put it this way, when u break a leg and take an x-ray, ur x-ray isnt examined in america

Chrizzle fo' Shizzle · 06-22-2006, 07:19 PM

Most people making minimum wage are teenagers who still live with their parents

Jharaski · 06-22-2006, 07:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sun Ra

you gotta suck it up, theres like a tug a rope going on in that immigrants are coming here and suckin up jobs and lowerin wage while white people go 'wtf' when they dont understand that their jobs arent immediately going to india because immigrants are taking it up the *** for everyone, either way and eventually the white middle class is slowly getting pumped

lets just put it this way, when u break a leg and take an x-ray, ur x-ray isnt examined in america

Try again, but be more coherent.

~~Sun Ra~~ · 06-22-2006, 07:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jharaski

Try again, but be more coherent.

**** you

Othersides · 06-22-2006, 07:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sun Ra

lets just put it this way, when u break a leg and take an x-ray, ur x-ray isnt examined in america

No not really.

free_thinkers_are_dangerous · 06-22-2006, 07:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sun Ra

lets just put it this way, when u break a leg and take an x-ray, ur x-ray isnt examined in america

Do American x-ray examinors get paid minimum wage?

If you're already earning 6 bucks an hour and they increase minimum wage to 5.50, the increase will have no impact on your job being outsourced.

Jharaski · 06-22-2006, 07:38 PM

The x ray technician gets paid pretty poorly but it's a doctor that looks at it =/

Der Übermensch · 06-22-2006, 07:45 PM

Quote:

lol if we raised minimum wage then even more companies would outsource

How do you outsource Janitors or McDonalds workers? Min. Wage is mostly service industry and other jobs that can't be outsourced.

Freethinkers brought up inflation. I'm pretty sure Min. wage is worth 20% less then it was when passed initialy due to inflation costs.

Quote:

My family makes $18,000 / year and we're fine.

Min wage earns about 10,800 a year if I remember right. Nowhere near enough to live on, barely enough for one, let along a family. However, the area you live in makes things different I guess...

Chrizzle fo' Shizzle · 06-22-2006, 07:50 PM

Very few, if any, people are supporting a family on minimum wage. I don't even know of any place that actually pays minimum wage, even to teenagers

Jharaski · 06-22-2006, 07:51 PM

18K a year is paying off our $8,000 a year taxes, and our $120,000 loan which we used to add the second floor for my sister and her husband. My sister who makes about the same contributes very little because she has her own bills. Her husband makes more but has his truck and college to still pay off so he can't help. And we're fine.

StrikerSC · 06-22-2006, 07:56 PM

It's very simple my dear ... while minimum wage is good for the average, hard working American, it's bad for big business ... why pay citizens and legal immigrants a fair wage when you can exploit the illegal immigrants within our nations borders? Illegal immigrants don't need workers comp, a pension, severance pay, or medical benefits ... psh!

~~Sun Ra~~ · 06-22-2006, 08:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by StrikerSC

It's very simple my dear ... while minimum wage is good for the average, hard working American, it's bad for big business ... why pay citizens and legal immigrants a fair wage when you can exploit the illegal immigrants within our nations borders? Illegal immigrants don't need workers comp, a pension, severance pay, or medical benefits ... psh!

yes, and guess who works with big businesses everyone? lawmakers you got it!

Jharaski · 06-22-2006, 08:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sun Ra

yes, and guess who works with big businesses everyone? lawmakers you got it!

What the hell does that have to do with anything? You raise mininum wage, and the only people who will get more money are people making anything withi na dollar of the mininum wage, mostly high school students.

Rats! · 06-22-2006, 08:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jharaski

If you raise mininum wage, everyone will want a rase. $7.00 an hour isn't too bad now, for high school students at least, but who will be happy with it if 7.00 becomes the mininum wage? 5.15 per hour with 2 parents working is fine. My family makes $18,000 / year and we're fine.

18k a year? does your whole family work at mcdonalds?

06-22-2006, 06:51 PM	#1
Der Übermensch Best taken in moderation Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: DC, via Maine Posts: 11,069	Min. Wage Currently, the min. wage in the US is $5.15. This means that a worker at min. wage, who is employed the whole year with reasonable hours makes something like $6,000 below the poverty line. A bill to increase min. wage was recently defeated by the Republicans (only 8 of who voted in favor)... again... The last increase was 10 years ago or so. How is it that a country can allow its people to be left in such a position? I'm happy to say that some states have taken steps to increase their own, such as Maine which has $6.50, but this doesn't help the millions of people who have no means to lift themselves out of poverty due to the economic policies of their elected government.

06-22-2006, 06:56 PM	#3
free_thinkers_are_dangerous /screen deformation ++ Join Date: Jul 2003 Posts: 7,902	I think they should find something reasonable to set it to and then adjust it every year for inflation. If it was good enough 10 years ago, then the corresponding figure should be ok now. I'm not too much of an expert on the cost of living in the US, or how many people actually work full time 52 weeks a year at minimum wage, so I can't really say how low 5.15 is, but here it's 7.50$ CDN (or 5.75 if you earn tips, I believe? It's almost unheard of for places to actually only pay 5.75 though), which is pretty reasonable. I think most other provinces have it at 8$/hour. What I do know is that most companies that pay minimum wage have a pretty good system for increasing wages every X hours of work, so if you spend say 10 years of your life working full time at McDonalds, by the end of it you're earning a lot more than minimum wage. That makes a lot more sense to me than paying every 15 year old kid who washes dishes a salary he could live off of. __________________ nobody's a virgin. life f*cks us all.

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06-22-2006, 06:54 PM	#2
~~BassRevelation1029~~ Banned Join Date: Apr 2004 Posts: 4,632	what can we do, so long we have crooked people at the head of our government?

06-22-2006, 06:59 PM	#4
~~Sun Ra~~ Banned Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Radiate Style. Generate Soul. Posts: 318	lol if we raised minimum wage then even more companies would outsource

06-22-2006, 07:05 PM	#5
Jharaski No more lobster Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Hillsborough NJ Posts: 3,447	If you raise mininum wage, everyone will want a rase. $7.00 an hour isn't too bad now, for high school students at least, but who will be happy with it if 7.00 becomes the mininum wage? 5.15 per hour with 2 parents working is fine. My family makes $18,000 / year and we're fine.

06-22-2006, 07:19 PM	#8
Chrizzle fo' Shizzle Its the groovicide bomber Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: she a stunna Posts: 4,796	Most people making minimum wage are teenagers who still live with their parents

06-22-2006, 07:38 PM	#13
Jharaski No more lobster Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Hillsborough NJ Posts: 3,447	The x ray technician gets paid pretty poorly but it's a doctor that looks at it =/

06-22-2006, 07:50 PM	#15
Chrizzle fo' Shizzle Its the groovicide bomber Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: she a stunna Posts: 4,796	Very few, if any, people are supporting a family on minimum wage. I don't even know of any place that actually pays minimum wage, even to teenagers

06-22-2006, 07:51 PM	#16
Jharaski No more lobster Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Hillsborough NJ Posts: 3,447	18K a year is paying off our $8,000 a year taxes, and our $120,000 loan which we used to add the second floor for my sister and her husband. My sister who makes about the same contributes very little because she has her own bills. Her husband makes more but has his truck and college to still pay off so he can't help. And we're fine.

06-22-2006, 07:56 PM	#17
StrikerSC World hold on! Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: The Clubs Posts: 2,293	It's very simple my dear ... while minimum wage is good for the average, hard working American, it's bad for big business ... why pay citizens and legal immigrants a fair wage when you can exploit the illegal immigrants within our nations borders? Illegal immigrants don't need workers comp, a pension, severance pay, or medical benefits ... psh!