Tilted Forum Project Discussion Community - View Single Post

pan6467 · 06-21-2004, 06:54 PM

Minimum wage is a joke. It gives the Neo-cons fuel to a fire that unfortunately is out of control.

Cities are dying going bankrupt laying off cops and firemen. If a factory gets taxed they leave to an area that will give them tax-abatements. Leaving 100's maybe 1000's unemployed.

So who pays the factories taxes? The workers who are making less than they did at the old factory. So you pay more taxes but make less and the factories are getting subsidized.

What happens to the cities? Well the cities that lost the factories no longer have that tax plus they lose the taxes from the workers, plus the ones that do find work make less so they don't pay as much, so the cities and schools and states suffer. As do the people who drive on roads that can't be repaired, the services that cannot be rendered because the city cannot afford them.

The new cities that offer the tax abatements thinking it will booost their economy, see the factories paying poverty wages, having revolving doors of workers, and their citizens paying more in taxes because someone has to pay for the new services that city needs.

The companies get away with no benefits by using temp labor, whom can be fired just before their 90 days and new wagers come in, perhaps even cheaper than the old ones. If they do hire, they only offer part-time so they don't have to pay benefits.

The unions, well factories have taken care of those also. By closing down and moving to a "right to work" state where government gives employers the right to hire and fire at will, with no cause. That means at the new factory if someone says "union" they can be fired on the spot.

Minimum wage is a joke because companies pay just a little more than that to say, "they are paying people more than minimum." But how much more is a joke. what maybe a dollar or 2 more.

Let's see a family of 4 live on 2 people making $7 an hour, $560/wk before taxes. So let's say between them they bring home $400/week, or $1600 a month, that's a whopping $19,200

Let's say this family lives on bare minimums also.

Rent (2 bedroom townhouse) = $650/month
Insurance (2 cars as both have to work) = $125/month
Health insurance (a decent plan) = $150/month
Gas and car maintenance = $200
Groceries (2 adults 2 kids) = $400/month
Phone just local calls only nothing else = $25
No cable can't afford it
No internet can't afford it
Electricity = $50

That's pathetic. If we, the "greatest country" to ever grace the planet cannot make sure hard working people can make more and live a decent standard of living without worrying about debts, then we are a very sad, greedy nation.

I quote Henry Ford, "Pay your workers enough to live comfortably and buy your product and you will always have customers and hard workers."

We need to fix the whole wage problem in the USA. Not just minimum wage.

06-21-2004, 06:54 PM	#22 (permalink)
pan6467 Lennonite Priest Location: Mansfield, Ohio USA	Minimum wage is a joke. It gives the Neo-cons fuel to a fire that unfortunately is out of control. Cities are dying going bankrupt laying off cops and firemen. If a factory gets taxed they leave to an area that will give them tax-abatements. Leaving 100's maybe 1000's unemployed. So who pays the factories taxes? The workers who are making less than they did at the old factory. So you pay more taxes but make less and the factories are getting subsidized. What happens to the cities? Well the cities that lost the factories no longer have that tax plus they lose the taxes from the workers, plus the ones that do find work make less so they don't pay as much, so the cities and schools and states suffer. As do the people who drive on roads that can't be repaired, the services that cannot be rendered because the city cannot afford them. The new cities that offer the tax abatements thinking it will booost their economy, see the factories paying poverty wages, having revolving doors of workers, and their citizens paying more in taxes because someone has to pay for the new services that city needs. The companies get away with no benefits by using temp labor, whom can be fired just before their 90 days and new wagers come in, perhaps even cheaper than the old ones. If they do hire, they only offer part-time so they don't have to pay benefits. The unions, well factories have taken care of those also. By closing down and moving to a "right to work" state where government gives employers the right to hire and fire at will, with no cause. That means at the new factory if someone says "union" they can be fired on the spot. Minimum wage is a joke because companies pay just a little more than that to say, "they are paying people more than minimum." But how much more is a joke. what maybe a dollar or 2 more. Let's see a family of 4 live on 2 people making $7 an hour, $560/wk before taxes. So let's say between them they bring home $400/week, or $1600 a month, that's a whopping $19,200 Let's say this family lives on bare minimums also. Rent (2 bedroom townhouse) = $650/month Insurance (2 cars as both have to work) = $125/month Health insurance (a decent plan) = $150/month Gas and car maintenance = $200 Groceries (2 adults 2 kids) = $400/month Phone just local calls only nothing else = $25 No cable can't afford it No internet can't afford it Electricity = $50 That's pathetic. If we, the "greatest country" to ever grace the planet cannot make sure hard working people can make more and live a decent standard of living without worrying about debts, then we are a very sad, greedy nation. I quote Henry Ford, "Pay your workers enough to live comfortably and buy your product and you will always have customers and hard workers." We need to fix the whole wage problem in the USA. Not just minimum wage. __________________ I just love people who use the excuse "I use/do this because I LOVE the feeling/joy/happiness it brings me" and expect you to be ok with that as you watch them destroy their life blindly following. My response is, "I like to put forks in an eletrical socket, just LOVE that feeling, can't ever get enough of it, so will you let me put this copper fork in that electric socket?"