Enforce a Maximum Wage!

a reply to: Wildbob77

That is absolutely correct and the way it should be. But let's take "widget" out of the scenario - as a widget is something a person, heck any one of us, could design from our own desktop or laptop devices. Let's substitute something that requires production, shipping, processing, storefronts, a corporate staff, etc.

You know, a business. Let's avoid a lawsuit and say that Bob Job just invented the aPhone.

In that model, Bob Job does deserve to be wealthy. After all he sat in his garage and invented, from scratch, the aPhone 1. But as demand rose he had to hire people to produce the product. Then to ship. Then to warehouse. Then to open store fronts. Then to demo and sell.

Then Bob Job gets greedy and finds out that he can basically set up a prison work camp in China for next to nothing... And that is where Bob Job failed to do his duty to his consumer base and his company. He and a select handful get rich. Everyone left in his staff, stateside, works for low wages. They cannot afford to purchase their own aPhones.

The problem is that this model has become universal. Every company is doing it. This is why we have a service industry based economy now. We're a nation of waiters and car washers for Bob Job, his buddies, and his contemporaries. Each one finding ways to cut corners to maximize their own personal wealth.

One day you reach a point where the only person who can afford an aPhone is the guy who invented Portals... the universal operating system, Ted Doors - and the only guy who can afford a computer to use Portals on a computer is Bob Job.

originally posted by: JesseVentura
income inequality is an issue that I want people to discuss and propose solutions to solve. What would you suggest?

I propose it's an artificial issue created by those jealous and envious of people who make more money than them, and that no solution is required.

The free market determines the relative value of someone, in comparison to others, and their compensation for various positions of employment.

The insane wealth inequality is a symptom of a much deeper problem, a problem that has nothing to do with corporations paying chief executives huge amounts of money…. outside of Wall Street, that is.

originally posted by: Hefficide
a reply to: Hoosierdaddy71

Part of the cover-up of the 2007/2008 event is that investment firms had begun playing fast and loose with 401k money and were not investing those funds safely - they were buying derivatives and high risk investments. That is why the working class took the hosing when the day was done.
Never forget what we learned that day. Wall Street is too big to fail - and the average American citizien is too small to matter.

I hope you don't mind my bolding that Heff because you said it all so well in so few words.
Bravo!

I think people should worry about themselves and not others as in the case of some millionaire. I would not blame some guy who has little to do with your success or failure on all one's woes in life.

One thing to remember is when we look at old Russia where income was dictated by the government you still had very rich (no monetary wealth) type people still, so it doesn't matter outside of taking care of yourself...and blaming yourself as to where you happen to be at in life.

a reply to: JesseVentura

Did you know that in the last three decades, a CEOs salary has grown 875% versus that of the average worker, which rose at a measly 5.4%? I propose -- much like in pro-sports -- a salary cap on all CEOs.

Question.

Would we also put a cap on profits as well?

Idiotic economic theory like this assumes wealth is finite. It isn't.

This forum should be call Off His Rocker!

a reply to: JesseVentura

And what about a privately owned company, started by an incredibly intelligent person who spent years in school, learning their skills.

Why should they be enforced with a "max" cap on their potential earnings? If you're talking about a public company, were anyone can have a share or is a govt body that servers the people, ok - i'll go with that. But not a private company.

You're artificially limiting someone's earning potential because people think it's "not fair" on the those in lower income brackets.

About 25 years ago, the head of the California Public Employees Pension Fund (which was one of the major stock investors in the US) was trying to get CEOs to be more accountable. He left the agency shortly after this push and CALPERS really never cared again.

Anyway, I think there is already a law about this on the books - it's called a fiduciary duty. The Board of Directors has an obligation to act in the corporations best interest. They are the ones who hand out these inflated salaries that don't correlate to performance. In return, they or their family get cushy jobs or political help.

i think high school graduates should receive $5k usd.

it's harder to be an effective anything if one is constantly starving.

always looking for the next meal...is not a good way to go about furthering an education once out of high school.

ain't it time to evict the antoinettes'?
eat cake if you're hungry

upon learning that the peasants had no bread.

originally posted by: loveguy
i think high school graduates should receive $5k usd.

it's harder to be an effective anything if one is constantly starving.

always looking for the next meal...is not a good way to go about furthering an education once out of high school.

ain't it time to evict the antoinettes'?
eat cake if you're hungry

upon learning that the peasants had no bread.

Why just $5,000? Why not $50,000, or $100,000, surely that would be more "effective? Even at your modest suggestion of $5,000, that would be $17 billion dollars a year, and what would we get as the benevolent taxpayer? We all know how responsible high school consumers are.

On a side note, it is clearly evident that you didn't read the link you used...

While it is commonly attributed to Queen Marie Antoinette,[1] there is no record of this phrase ever having been uttered by her. It appears in Jean-Jacques Rousseau's Confessions, his autobiography (whose first six books were written in 1765, when Marie Antoinette was nine years of age, and published in 1782). The context of Rousseau's account was his desire to have some bread to accompany some wine he had stolen; however, in feeling he was too elegantly dressed to go into an ordinary bakery, he thus recollected the words of a "great princess".[2]

Emphasis mine.

There's more than a little irony here, but you have been tres effective sans $5,000...

originally posted by: SkepticOverlord
I propose it's an artificial issue created by those jealous and envious of people who make more money than them, and that no solution is required.

Yeah all those people living in destitute poverty are just making it up.....

a reply to: Prezbo369

That's a different and unrelated problem.

originally posted by: SkepticOverlord
a reply to: Prezbo369

That's a different and unrelated problem.

Income inequality in the US has nothing to do with the amount of people living in the US that are in destitute poverty?

Ha

ok sure...

originally posted by: Prezbo369
Income inequality in the US has nothing to do with the amount of people living in the US that are in destitute poverty?

Yes, that's what I indicated.

Poverty is not related to income disparity. It's a serious cultural/societal problem borne of opportunity, or lack thereof to be more specific. While the intricacies are certainly more complex that just lack of opportunities, that lack is the primary factor. And the reason opportunities to rise out of poverty (or never be born into it) are lacking is society's fault. Failed education system. Failed economic policies. Failed/stupid deployment of social programs. Failed politicians in poverty-stricken areas. You name it.

originally posted by: JesseVentura
Forget the minimum wage, we need to implement a MAXIMUM WAGE! This is something I feel strongly about and wanted to focus on in today's #OffTheGrid episode. Did you know that in the last three decades, a CEOs salary has grown 875% versus that of the average worker, which rose at a measly 5.4%? I propose -- much like in pro-sports -- a salary cap on all CEOs.



Here's the article from the Economic Policy Institute.

Will this help save the middle class? What do you think?

We already have a maximum wage in force, it's called minimum wage. And it only applies to us grockles.

originally posted by: SkepticOverlord

originally posted by: Prezbo369
Income inequality in the US has nothing to do with the amount of people living in the US that are in destitute poverty?

Yes, that's what I indicated.

Poverty is not related to income disparity. It's a serious cultural/societal problem borne of opportunity, or lack thereof to be more specific. While the intricacies are certainly more complex that just lack of opportunities, that lack is the primary factor. And the reason opportunities to rise out of poverty (or never be born into it) are lacking is society's fault. Failed education system. Failed economic policies. Failed/stupid deployment of social programs. Failed politicians in poverty-stricken areas. You name it.

So you don't think that ensuring a minimum wage is paid to anyone willing to work, regardless of their success or abilities, would lift a massive portion of those people out of poverty? You don't think that 85 people having more wealth than roughly half of the worlds population has anything to do with how many people live in poverty?

originally posted by: Prezbo369
So you don't think that ensuring a minimum wage is paid to anyone willing to work, regardless of their success or abilities, would lift a massive portion of those people out of poverty? You don't think that 85 people having more wealth than roughly half of the worlds population has anything to do with how many people live in poverty?

The Marx is strong in you Prezbo... Businesses are not in the business of paying people to satisfy some misguided notion of fairness or equality, they are in the business of exchanging money for labor, service, or intellect with the intent to sustain the business and turn a profit... And that exchange is agreed upon by both parties, if it isn't equitable or fair, then either party can move on. Unless, there is some forced labor in the US economy. To be clear, not being paid "enough" isn't forced labor.

Also, check your messages...

a reply to: Mirthful Me

Why just $5,000? Why not $50,000, or $100,000, surely that would be more "effective? Even at your modest suggestion of $5,000, that would be $17 billion dollars a year, and what would we get as the benevolent taxpayer? We all know how responsible high school consumers are.

if i had 5k out of the gate; incentive to complete hs would come first (class graduations would increase). i would be in class building on my future, i'd be too busy to chase girls/play house, break into neighbors houses, be champion beer-bonger...etc. might not even get arrested-ever, due to productive citizen status.

the way it is, hser's have a dim future of struggling to get by as it is...where's the incentive for anyone not sponsored by a dad with war bucks?

5k equates to $17B a year; is that all it'd cost to grow more educated amongst us?

i have no real use for money, except what is dictated to me by my peers; and i am the 'crazy-one'!

I Love you Jesse but this is ridiculous.

There is tremendous problem in Capitalism in regards to "Price gouging" "profiteering" off of labor and overall greed...

But, without the capacity to become wealthy, there goes any edge a free market economy has, I don't do what I do for any other reason but to become rich, that's the motivation, this is why Communism failed, it's based around a theory that because we are a bit smarter than a monkey that we are going to go about doing everything we do for the rest of humanity, but reality is reality and it's anti-evolution, it's more "idiocracy" in nature than our current system of un restrained capitalism is... What this means is... I am going to go out and become a Doctor, I'm good looking, have a high IQ, spend 10 years going to school, then 10 years building a clinic that over my lifetime saves 150,000 lives or at least improves them and My kids get to eat the same issued food and live in the same small confines as a 350 lb, ugly stupid person who is a Janitor... his offspring get to go on and reproduce in the same numbers as me, use the resources I create...even LIVE because I save their lives and populate and advance the human species at the same rate or even greater via stupidity than I do...

LOL why would I do ANYTHING? To watch the world populate with retards at my labor and expense while I achieve no benefit?

We might as well close the Humane society ad stop fixing Cats because they have an equal reason and right to just strip the world clean of food and resources far beyond their purpose...

I believe whole heatedly, that a raise in the minimum raise is mandatory, likewise to the above I don't need people running around with disease and no health care, becoming drug addicts due to depression or heck...even just plain looking and smelling like crap because they can't afford basic human needs like soap and clothes.

But dramatically lowering my capacity to attain a better life is the point where doctors start thinking about Euthanizing people because there is no reason to save the lives of people who restrict your ability to eat rather than enhance it by saving lives

And for gods sake, the capacity to improve your life is WHY we work, lets please stop pretending we are supposed to evolve into mother Theresa... I hate to tell people this... but GET REAL Jonas Salk saved more lives with one discovery than 1000 Mother Theresa's could in a lifetime of minimalism.

CORRUPTION, that's the actual problem, I don't care if Bill Gates makes 70 Billion dollars so long as he's not allowed to charge 1000 dollars for a copy of windows so that no one not in the "IN" can have a chance to either, smart people will.... adapt to figuring out how to profit if they are made to pay a living wage, it improves EVERYONES quality of life to do so and i'm all for it, and IF that makes a guy who owns a Mc Donalds and really does nothing while turning people into slaves go out of business... GOOD because that guy sucks at being an Entrepreneur, but if I invent something and everyone in the world needs it and I charge a fair price and pay my employees well... I deserve my god damned Island, I egt to travel the world, I did something right and won the lottery

People having lives like that that are DESERVED should be inspiration to people, if other people want to watch TV all day that's their problem, I say LET THEM, socialize it a bit, it's called HUMANITY to not let a 400 lb idiot sit there with a Tumor or to make sure a kid with Moronic parents goes to College or just plain anyone who works, well they deserve FOOD and to not end up homeless and to be able to pay to get to work and do things...

But eliminate Greatness? Why?

Michael Jordan didn't deserve his life? He should be reduced to 10% of what he has...an awesome life?

You live in a Nation where we spend a Trillion a year for WAR, there's plenty for Health Care, there can be laws passed to reduce greed and taking advantage, employers can pay a living wage and be HUMAN... but beyond that, you get the job done, you do something awesome you deserve to BE awesome.

a reply to: JesseVentura
Who do you think you are to tell the free market how much it should be allowed to pay people for their talent? If people are smart enough or talented enough to make more money than you do, then they should be able to do just that. An open ended free market pay scale gives people the freedom and incentive to excel. No one should have the right to put a cap on how successful another person can be in life.