"In 1968, a full-time minimum wage worker could support a family of three at 17% above the federal poverty
threshold. Today, that same worker would have to increase earned income by 50% to reach the poverty line"
Sad but all to true. But what can you expect from a govt that doesn't do there full job?
Are you Canadian? Cuz I see this in Canada too @.@ I know by almost first hand expierence! Only I don't have to support a family just myself and a cat and I can't afford it @.@
I kinda hate to say it, but one thing that could probably turn the US around in just a matter of a few short years, would be just to cut off all the extra funding to other countries that don't like us to begin with. It may sound cruel to some of the third world countries, even more so by those that are oppressed by their ruling leaders, but how can a country that needs so much help internally, give so much more to so many others?
Invest those millions if not trillions of dollars the US gov't hands out like candy into its selft... good god the possibilities. In 2-3 years time would could there could be such an improvement... it's just crazy to think about.
It's 'only' a few billion dollars every year, not counting military aid. Not denying that it isn't doing any good abroad and could do some actual good here, but it's not as big as you say.
Unless you mean to deconstruct some of our foreign military bases and bring their staff home. Then the savings really kick in.
Deconstruct some of the military bases and bring'em home to work. But also cut almost all the foreign aid. Put enough of that money back and try to fix the countries federal aid for those who really need it, fix the medical programs in place (Medicare and the like), fund schools, and money for police where needed... man there's a lot of things that need to be fixed -__-'
In 1970 (I'm making this up, I forget the date my mother keeps using, so it could be 1980, it was back when my mom had the job) secretaries made $20 an hour: good money then.
If today's $20 has half the buying power, scaled forward, mum was making ~$40 modern. Costs: in 1970, petrol cost very little. And a car was ~$4,000. Something is wrong. Feels like we're living John Carpenter's movie "They Live"
Sure does (and I've never seen the movie, so take that with a grain of salt). Secretaries used to be skilled labor and now they're unskilled.
Everyone is getting paid less, things cost more. And then there's Wal-Mart: offering even lower paying jobs and ungodly low prices (so low it drives their suppiers out of business!)
This is why i always get furious with people who take attitude with the people begging on the street, saying things like "get a job" and whatnot. Maybe they have a job- it's not like everything you can do is gonna be enough to support even a single person, especially in some of the larger cities where even the worst housing can be ridiculously expensive.
I find it depressing how the same people who always vote down a minimum wage increase will also always vote to increase their own wages. How is that even sensible, giving them that power? Don't we have a checks and balances system, supposedly?
Unfortunatly anymore, raising the minimum wage only makes things worse. It gives companies an excuse to drive costs just that much higher, and by the time it's done inflation has spiked high enough that even more people are in the poverty line.
Yeh, it's pretty complex. I was more reflecting on the strangeness that they would keep raising their own income.
I recently watched a bit of a video which included one of the co-founders of Ben & Jerry's (damned if i know which) saying that he'd like to see there be severe (proportionate) salary restrictions on the CEOs and presidents of companies to keep things in balance with what the rest of the company makes.
The people of the senate vote every year on there 'raises' And all it ever becomes is a you scratch my back, I'll scratch yours. You vote for my raise, I'll vote for yours. The accual people have no power what so ever over things like this. Hell, one of the biggest reasons the senate is against the fair tax act that the vast majority of the american public is trying to get passed, is because the senate would have to accually pay taxes.. that's right, not only do they give themselves there own raises every year, they also don't have to pay taxes for some idiotic reason =p
and by these times.. around 70% of the rest of the world was in chaos, with no money, corruption, wars..etc...
the money is getting a bit redistributed but still, a total mess...
Simple enough... (speaking to a generic audience here, not to anyone specific) don't drop out of school, actually LOOK for jobs instead of applying at the first McDonald's you see, and don't be afraid to get filthy.
People are always wanting to go straight out of school into their dream job. That shit just doesn't happen. I graduated with A's in every class, and my first job was shoveling shit and herding dumb-as-rocks cattle. Not bad for $18/hr until you can move up in the world. Now I've graduated college and I'm an operator/mechanic for Nestle Waters, making a little more but with health benefits and RRSP.
As long as people can settle their minds on reality and keep their options open, there shouldn't be need for poverty. But as long as you're happy and are able to make ends meet, who cares if you're making a million bucks a year?
That's exactly how I am. I could care less how much money I make as long as I make enough to provide for myself and my mate and still be able to save a little on the side. Having a high paying high end job has never been important to me. It's always been finding a job that I'd enjoy for the most part =)
About the college subject. One of the biggest issues with college, despite that they are always advertising the 'prime' jobs that in all reality, are already supersaturated with more workers then jobs, is that most people don't really think when they chose a major. You don't go for a job that already has more workers then it can handle( all those Computer Science and Computer Communications majors, as well as 2d and 3d graphics majors) You go for something that is accually in demand, which ususally leads to something alot more challenging. Things like Biomechanical Engineering and Nano Engineering to name just a few. All the jobs that are accually in high demand now, are the jobs needed that will bring new steps to the future of civilisation itself. They are just, usually 6-8 year college courses>.< But those are the jobs that accually make a difference and will still be in desperate demand 50 years from now.
You got it. All the high-demand jobs (here in Canada, at least) are trades jobs. Carpentry, automechanics, electrical, engineering, etc.
I, myself, am a certified electronics technician; but I'm operating and maintaining heavy machinery in a water-bottling plant. XD Though that certificate comes in handy when something electrical screws up.
Either way, both are fields that I feel comfortable in. I was a sales-associate at Radioshack for a while, while in college, and the environment (and the people who come in there) are just too stupid for me to remain sane. For a while, I was a turfcare technician at a high-end golf course here, and that was pretty cool, but my allergies got the best of me after a year and a half there and I had to quit.
Gotta say, though. First job was farmwork and it had to be one of the best. You sure learn a lot of life-lessons when knee-deep in cow shit. XD
Right here (San Francisco area, California) the minimum wage is what, like just under 10 dollars? And so that means people are making at least 20,000 a year, right? But to have a house here you're lucky if that covers housing AND food at the same time.
Federal min wage as of July 24, 2008 will increase to $6.55 an hour. ALL other states are also increasing there min wages due to this, wether they are a crappy state the useing the low federal limit, such as Texas and Nevada to name just a few, or one of the many other states that set there own min wage. You can see a full list for all states for upcomming min wage laws here : http://hr.blr.com/news.aspx?id=75999
Yeah, thats why it went up to $7.50 here in Illinois. Not that it did anything - I was making $7.50 before, and now I just continued making minimum wage. Whee! Dont think I'll be going back there in the summer unless they raise it.
California min wage will increase from $7.50 to $8.00 per hour beginning January 1, 2008. In places like San Fran, a small studio apartment avg's $900 a month. San Fransisco, California, and New York, New York are the two most expensive places to live in the US.
On a side note, according to the latest worldwide census that takes economic balance, cost of living, nearby resources, labor laws, taxes, government control, job availability and job saturation into account, the best rated place to live is Scotland. Fancy that.
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