Minimum Wage

- growth rate trend isn't outside what it has been for a long time, if you discount the Bush

- businesses had good information that Trump would give gigantic tax breaks to the wealthy and to corporations. That's been great for the wealthy and for those who own stock, which is the wealthy, corporate officers, etc.

The bottom line is that wage earner buying power is still flat lined.

I don't see that as a justifiable objective.

 

You seem to be unaware that there are people who abhor the idea of working, and do not want jobs- Paychecks, yes; jobs... not so much. They will always be unemployed because they are unemployable. The number that pretty well constitutes full employment is when unemployment is around 3-3.5% of the workforce. Current rate is 3.9%. The current number of job openings is 6.9 million. That is about 4% of the number of people in the total workforce category. We are, technically, at full employment right now- American businesses, large and small, can't find workers. That's not right wing opinion, that's CNN news reports.

I have personally had a very skilled person working for me, with very flexible work conditions, quit a $50 an hour job because he just didn't like to work- and admitted that. He now lives off his elderly mother. Last time his car broke down (two years ago) he left it in her drive, waiting until he got around to fixing it. It is still there. Sad, but true- and far from an isolated case.

 

Do you think America's government currently has more revenue than necessary?

If you don't know, just say so.

 

So, you think the left wing media is going to be honest in their descriptions and opinions of Trump, and the guy looking for free money will be equally honest when he tells you about his bad back....
Wow.

What a nice guy!

 

Being at full employment (even by some crazy measure that doesn't actually consider those who have given up looking for a job, etc.) does relieve some pressure on our social safety net. One may note that our social safety net cost a lot more when the Bush recession ended up increasing the numbers who needed help by a large amount.

But, full employment does NOT mean we don't need a fully functional safety net.

Your story doesn't really indicate anything - other than perhaps supporting my point that each applicant for aid must be evaluated.

 

If you want to address something I said, feel free.

If you are going to make up crap and accuse me of saying it, then just let me know.

OK?

 

No... They spend a great deal of money that nobody but their campaign donors demand.

 

- the dollar amount of the minimum wage needs to be tied to the cost of living. Minimum wage in Cody, Wyoming should probably be less than the minimum wage in one of our large cities, because there is a significant difference in cost of living.

- Seattle's economy is doing just fine. Our minimum wage is approximately $15/hour (approx, because some employers get a break for being small). Our minimum wage has been about $11/hour for quite some time now.

Check out our economy!


There are reasons that this isn't a key driver of inflation. The extra few dollars that minimum wage workers get is incredibly small compared to the total expenditure on employees in the city. Plus, those minimum wage workers can't help but spend those dollars back into our economy. People on minimum wage can't sock away savings.

The reasons housing prices in Seattle are skyrocketing is that for years now we've undergone a large influx of highly paid employees. Building just hasn't been able to keep up, even though we've had periods where Seattle has had more construction cranes than any other city in America. We're getting on top of it now, so prices have stabilized somewhat. But, an analysis earlier this year said that we need 14,000 new low income apartments - a serious challenge that isn't all that attractive to builders used to getting top dollar.

 

The right wing has dedicated itself to the principle that dollars are speech.

Believe me, I'm seriously happy when right wingers move away from that argument.

As of now, we have to play by the rules that exist. But, I hope you remember this when there is an opportunity for change.

 

What we really need is a MAXIMUM WAGE putting an upper limit on what any executive can earn would force companies to begin paying those at the low end of the income scale a LIVABLE WAGE!!!For the area the employer is located in.

 

There is always opportunity for change.

Trump and the GOP changed an anemic economy to a great economy.

 

Your attitude about trade makes no sense

Putting Americans put of work and on welfare is bad trade policy

 

I think that would be essentially impossible. There are too many ways for corporations to given compensation to those who are hugely well compensated.

In fact, the employee at those levels can sometimes even choose how they want to get their compensation. Then, when they've been showered with too much wealth to even spend and finally retire, we tax their income at capital gains rates!

We should be changing our tax structure dramatically. The wealthy have taken over government and have for years demanded cuts in taxes.

We're still running of what GHW Bush called "voodoo economics" - the supply side, Laffer Curve craziness.

 

No, not so much. Those who claim this usually want to credit Obama with the Bush recession and then comment on specific quarters of Trump.

Bush crashed us. Obama got us on the road to recovery, even with an adverse congress. Trump wants to take the credit for the whole tamale while having earned only a fraction of it.

 

The top 10% already pay about 90% of federal taxes

That is more than their fair share

 

No, bad trade policy is ignoring the fact that the world economy is a capitalist competition and pretending we can win by tariffs and restrictions.

Yesterday's economy was exactly that - yesterday's economy.

Trump's attempts to force us to go back to yesteryear is suicidal, not just futile.

 

We dont need china or mexico

America can make everything we need here

 

And, middle America and below are working their whole lives in hope of Medicare and Social Security.

Your idea of "fair" is just plain preposterous.

Let's remember that these United States are pretty much designed for the wealthy - and that wasn't at the request of the US middle class.

 

The main idea behind a minimum wage is that if somebody works full time, they should be able to meet their basic needs (however that is defined) with that work. In some parts of the country $20 might be reasonable for that, but prices vary quite a bit by area, so I don't think an across the board $20 would make sense.

Businesses will always hire the optimal number of people to generate a profit, and that can vary by the wage, but not as much as conservatives try to claim. Put the wage too high, and they simply cannot make a profit and can't operate. But the lowest they can put it and still get people to work, that doesn't mean they're going to hire more people just because they can, either.

 

That's sure as heck not what Walmart, Target, and the rest demonstrate.

Cutting ourselves off of imported goods is how you go about lowering our standard of living.

 

I am aware that employment is at the will of either party and we allege to subscribe to Capitalism.

You have no solution to simple poverty.

 

Lol

 

Fundamentals matter matter; tax cut economics are simply unsustainable.

 

Yeah... Obama was so awesome that the economy picked up after he stopped holding it back.

 

So you won't answer.

I get it.