Do you believe Americans who work full time should earn a living wage?

Do you believe Americans who work full time should earn a living wage?

  • Yes, I believe employers should provide a living wage to their employees

    Votes: 27 48.2%

  • No, I believe wages should strictly be decided by the employer, at his/her own discretion

    Votes: 13 23.2%

  • Other (please explain)

    Votes: 16 28.6%
  • Total voters
    56
Rob Roy

Rob Roy

Well-Known Member
I chose "other". Wages and what they will buy are only part of the problem, the entire problem needs to viewed in totality to solve it.

The question you should be asking is why do some basic things cost so much?

Housing costs are artificially high because of regulation and exclusionary prohibitions.

Food and transportation too.

I could elaborate, but I'll wait awhile till the jackals have come in and done their thing.
 
Padawanbater2

Padawanbater2

Well-Known Member
Rob Roy said:
I chose "other". Wages and what they will buy are only part of the problem, the entire problem needs to viewed in totality to solve it.

The question you should be asking is why do some basic things cost so much?

Housing costs are artificially high because of regulation and exclusionary prohibitions.

Food and transportation too.

I could elaborate, but I'll wait awhile till the jackals have come in and done their thing.
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All of that is irrelevant to this question. Do you simply think Americans who work full time should be paid a living wage. Forget everything else to answer that question
 
C

CC Dobbs

Well-Known Member
Does a living wage include the funds to buy as much nonessential craps as a person thinks they should have. Does Pay Per View count as an essential need. How about cell phones and shiney wheels and new, fancy clothes. You will have to define what a living wage would be expected to cover before you will get a reasonable answer.
 
Padawanbater2

Padawanbater2

Well-Known Member
CC Dobbs said:
Does a living wage include the funds to buy as much nonessential craps as a person thinks they should have. Does Pay Per View count as an essential need. How about cell phones and shiney wheels and new, fancy clothes. You will have to define what a living wage would be expected to cover before you will get a reasonable answer.
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Padawanbater2 said:
"Living Wage - a wage on which it is possible for a wage earner or an individual and his or her family to live at least according to minimum customary standards"

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/living wage?s=t

Why/why not?
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C

CC Dobbs

Well-Known Member
I don't know why you would offer that link as an answer,.it doesn't offer any help. A living wage to an average Amerikan would be very different than a living wage to a person in Turkmenistan. A poorly defined phrase leaves it self open to interpretation and wishful thinking.
 
ttystikk

ttystikk

Well-Known Member
CC Dobbs said:
I don't know why you would offer that link as an answer,.it doesn't offer any help. A living wage to an average Amerikan would be very different than a living wage to a person in Turkmenistan. A poorly defined phrase leaves it self open to interpretation and wishful thinking.
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Living wage is well defined for America.
 
Padawanbater2

Padawanbater2

Well-Known Member
CC Dobbs said:
I don't know why you would offer that link as an answer,.it doesn't offer any help. A living wage to an average Amerikan would be very different than a living wage to a person in Turkmenistan. A poorly defined phrase leaves it self open to interpretation and wishful thinking.
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So the definition of 'living wage' doesn't clear things up for you about what the definition of a living wage is?

You get paid enough by your employer that allows you to live "at least according to minimum customary standards" --- Minimum. The very least.

Or do you think your boss should be able to pay you whatever he thinks you're worth, whether it allows you to live "at least according to minimum customary standards" or not?
 
ttystikk

ttystikk

Well-Known Member
We have screwed up our wage and compensation schemes in this country so much that it's no wonder people are confused.

A living wage means that you can afford the rent for your home, a car payment, food, health care, education, taxes, necessities and bills- and yes, @CC Dobbs, that includes a little money for non essentials. No one who works should be suffering through privation, period. Part time work should be better compensated for, not worse- to compensate the employee for being flexible! Wage theft is so rampant that it's clear labor laws need teeth.

If it's any other way, then the wage and employment contact between worker and employer is broken- which is why employers already find it hard to attract, hire and keep good people.
 
C

CC Dobbs

Well-Known Member
Padawanbater2 said:
So the definition of 'living wage' doesn't clear things up for you about what the definition of a living wage is?

You get paid enough by your employer that allows you to live "at least according to minimum customary standards" --- Minimum. The very least.

Or do you think your boss should be able to pay you whatever he thinks you're worth, whether it allows you to live "at least according to minimum customary standards" or not?
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What are 'minimum customary standards'. Does that include internet connection? What about going out on dates? How much can I spend on a date and still live within minimum customary standards. Do I get to build a pool in my backyard or add a room on to my house? Will I have enough money to go on a vacation or do I sit around the house for two weeks reading old High-Times.

If I'm living by the 'very least' standards can I get a tattoo or are they too expensive.What if I have a tattoo and I want to remove it, am I shit outta luck. How many pairs of pants can I own? How about shoes? I work in a variety of different situations and I need different footwear for each, can I afford that on my living wage?

The definition you offer is very inadequate.
 
Padawanbater2

Padawanbater2

Well-Known Member
CC Dobbs said:
What are 'minimum customary standards'. Does that include internet connection? What about going out on dates? How much can I spend on a date and still live within minimum customary standards. Do I get to build a pool in my backyard or add a room on to my house? Will I have enough money to go on a vacation or do I sit around the house for two weeks reading old High-Times.

If I'm living by the 'very least' standards can I get a tattoo or are they too expensive.What if I have a tattoo and I want to remove it, am I shit outta luck. How many pairs of pants can I own? How about shoes? I work in a variety of different situations and I need different footwear for each, can I afford that on my living wage?

The definition you offer is very inadequate.
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You should probably just pick 'no', because if you did believe people should be paid a living wage, you wouldn't be asking these questions

A tattoo.. are you fuckin' kidding me..?
 
Padawanbater2

Padawanbater2

Well-Known Member
CC Dobbs said:
You don't even know what a living wage is. You throw the phrase out there and see who will march with you. You use a poor example to define it and you still don't seem to know what you are asking.

The 'no' choice is clearly not the one you support so it gets assigned to me by default. Thanks asshole.
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A living wage is different depending on... ready for it... where the fuck you live

Duh, man..

For fucks sake..
 
ttystikk

ttystikk

Well-Known Member
theexpress said:
The federal minimum wage should be 12.00 but like 15 incities like Chicago and Seattle.. and like 20.00 for like new York city and San Francisco
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No, Federal minimum wage needs to be at least fifteen and closer to twenty in some markets. The only time low wages saves anything is lowering employer's costs. After that, it's a drag on the economy THE WHOLE REST OF THE WAY- even up to and including that employer's bottom line; fewer customers with less money is not an economic environment conducive to growth or profitability, is it?

Maybe instead of subsidizing low wages like we do in this country, we should simply expect employers to pay fair and competitive wages- and legislate accordingly. Companies hike prices when their costs go up and no one complains; fuel surcharge? No problem! When it's wages driving costs up, why should that be different?

Even Wal-Mart, a heavy user of low wage employees if ever there was one- acknowledges that labor cost is less than fifteen percent of their total costs, so it seems to me that there's some room there.
 
theexpress

theexpress

Well-Known Member
ttystikk said:
No, Federal minimum wage needs to be at least fifteen and closer to twenty in some markets. The only time low wages saves anything is lowering employer's costs. After that, it's a drag on the economy THE WHOLE REST OF THE WAY- even up to and including that employer's bottom line; fewer customers with less money is not an economic environment conducive to growth or profitability, is it?

Maybe instead of subsidizing low wages like we do in this country, we should simply expect employers to pay fair and competitive wages- and legislate accordingly. Companies hike prices when their costs go up and no one complains; fuel surcharge? No problem! When it's wages driving costs up, why should that be different?

Even Wal-Mart, a heavy user of low wage employees if ever there was one- acknowledges that labor cost is less than fifteen percent of their total costs, so it seems to me that there's some room there.
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I respect what your saying but I think raising minimum wage too much is not a good thing. I can understand 20$ in some cities but no one is going to pay some kid 20$ an hour to flip burgers in lets say Mobil Alabama
 
C

CC Dobbs

Well-Known Member
Padawanbater2 said:
A living wage is different depending on... ready for it... where the fuck you live

Duh, man..

For fucks sake..
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Thanks for clearing that up. You can't really define what a living wage is can you? I normally don't bother with your threads because they are usually irrelevant but this one had 'dumbshit' written all over the title so I had to stop by. Can't wait to see what you have up next.
 
sheskunk

sheskunk

Well-Known Member
CC Dobbs said:
You don't even know what a living wage is. You throw the phrase out there and see who will march with you. You use a poor example to define it and you still don't seem to know what you are asking.

The 'no' choice is clearly not the one you support so it gets assigned to me by default. Thanks asshole.
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Every question he ever asks, which is in the thousands by now, is a trap to try to get people to support his opinion. He usually throws in a "just wondering" to try to appear innocent with his baiting. It's pretty obvious what he's up to though. I'm surprised people even bother to answer him anymore.
 
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