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keyshawn · 09-08-2006, 05:35 AM

Ok, this thread is getting a bit tangential (not too much, but it can easily head that way)...

Back to the disappearing middle class story.

With regards to the minimum wage (there's other parts of the article, but I'll raise this one for now because of my time constraints), I don't dispute the fact that "Only 2.7 percent of American workers make the minimum wage, and half of them are under age 25."

The argument of minimum wage I think is a bit flawed because the cost of living across the country can vary quite a bit. Is the minimum wage that the article preports is using the $5.15/hour, or are they taking to account that about a dozen or so states have higher min. wages (highly populated states too, California, NY, florida, and most of the eastern seaboard) as well ?

Even if they are taking account each state's min. wage into that percent; a lot of people probably need to make a lot more than just the min. wage in their area to make a decent, 'middle-class' living (although the definition of middle-class I think is a bit ambiguous as well).

(working 45 hrs a week @ $8 an hour, times 4 weeks is $1440, pre-tax, keep in mind).
Some places and circumstances, two parents working that 2880 could live with that, but not every family has two parents, able to work 45 hours a week [health or other reasons].

Regards,
keyshawn

09-08-2006, 05:35 AM	#16 (permalink)
keyshawn Psycho	Ok, this thread is getting a bit tangential (not too much, but it can easily head that way)... Back to the disappearing middle class story. With regards to the minimum wage (there's other parts of the article, but I'll raise this one for now because of my time constraints), I don't dispute the fact that "Only 2.7 percent of American workers make the minimum wage, and half of them are under age 25." The argument of minimum wage I think is a bit flawed because the cost of living across the country can vary quite a bit. Is the minimum wage that the article preports is using the $5.15/hour, or are they taking to account that about a dozen or so states have higher min. wages (highly populated states too, California, NY, florida, and most of the eastern seaboard) as well ? Even if they are taking account each state's min. wage into that percent; a lot of people probably need to make a lot more than just the min. wage in their area to make a decent, 'middle-class' living (although the definition of middle-class I think is a bit ambiguous as well). (working 45 hrs a week @ $8 an hour, times 4 weeks is $1440, pre-tax, keep in mind). Some places and circumstances, two parents working that 2880 could live with that, but not every family has two parents, able to work 45 hours a week [health or other reasons]. Regards, keyshawn __________________ currently reading: currently playing :