A minimum-wage worker needs 2.5 full-time jobs to afford a one-bedroom apartment in most of the US

a reply to: Phage

minimum wage should be a "living wage." Whatever that means.

It's not really living wage, it's purchasing power. My grandfather worked at a gas station in the 40's, yet was able to raise a family and buy a house, THAT is what we need back

Government and Union jobs are a net loss to GDP.

No they aren't but it's irrelevant because they are good for workers and the businesses that they support and patronize.

Infrastructure repair should be the burden of the state.

It hasn't been for decades, and this is a point that has no relevance to the topic of paying workers.

Raising taxes on businesses and the wealthy results in less revenue to the government.

The government had less debt and people were better off when they had to pay their fair share, so you are wrong again. Wage growth has been flat since the 70's while taxes have plummeted and cost of living has skyrocketed.

a reply to: mymymy

My grandfather had a lot of skills I don't hope to.

a reply to: CB328

Since the mid-70s, no one I know could afford a good apartment with a decent full-time job....so why does this story surprise you?
That's why people get roommates, or less nice apartments.

originally posted by: Phage
a reply to: mymymy

My grandfather had a lot of skills I don't hope to.

I can piss and moan better than my grandfather, so I guess I'm one up on him there

a reply to: Metallicus

Easy for you to say. Not everyone is as lucky or had the same opportunities as you.

"Yea just work hard and you'll get there!" Says only the people who got lucky in the upper / middle class people.
I work hard everyday in a skilled trade, I make decent money, but I had to bust my ass to get there and swallow my pride a few times and ask for favors. But when I hear stories of old timers in my industry saying they bought a house and got married at 22 and were making almost the same as I am making now 25 years ago, what does that tell you?

a reply to: mymymy

Not always about having to work for insurance, but sometimes, the insurance is the reason you do it because what is offered is the better deal.

My mother kept her job for years because the insurance through her job was better than what was offered through my dad's job. It was the only reason she kept it.

a reply to: Metallicus

You should be able to work full time in the usa and at least afford a one bedroom or at least an efficiency apartment.

I believe in capitalism but that doesn't mean we can't do better.

originally posted by: DontTreadOnMe
a reply to: CB328

Since the mid-70s, no one I know could afford a good apartment with a decent full-time job....so why does this story surprise you?
That's why people get roommates, or less nice apartments.

that's not true at 17-18 years old I was able to fully support myself as a bus boy with extra income that was 15 years ago

a reply to: ketsuko

But your dad worked for someone else. He claims to own multiple businesses yet can't get a decent deal for his family so his wife has to work outside the family business to get a better deal?

a reply to: JDmOKI

Full-time at what though?

Some jobs just aren't worth it. Anything a high school kid generally thinks of as a job to do to help pay for the fun things and to help build a resume for when they go into the serious workforce isn't generally something I think of as a job that you should be able to live on for the rest of your life.

a reply to: Lumenari

This may be hard to understand for some but houses in the Seattle area are far more expensive than in Texas. On that same note jobs also pay more there. And when did Trump or Obama come into this? There has been an inequality issue for a very long time. And the problem will persist for generations to come. That is just the way it is and will be.

originally posted by: ketsuko
a reply to: JDmOKI

Full-time at what though?

Some jobs just aren't worth it. Anything a high school kid generally thinks of as a job to do to help pay for the fun things and to help build a resume for when they go into the serious workforce isn't generally something I think of as a job that you should be able to live on for the rest of your life.

That's ANY job to a teen, Ket. All they see is the paycheck to blow through, not the job itself.

originally posted by: mymymy
a reply to: ketsuko

But your dad worked for someone else. He claims to own multiple businesses yet can't get a decent deal for his family so his wife has to work outside the family business to get a better deal?

Group purchasing power.

If you own your own business, especially if it's small, the health care rules are such particularly with Obamacare that you sometimes have to pay for individual policies. If his wife works for a large employer, even part-time, she may be lucky enough to be pulling an insurance benefit through a group rate that is far more economical than paying through the nose for an individual plan.

originally posted by: CB328

So tell me... what is your answer to the problem?

There are a lot of things that need to be done. First of all, raise the minimum wage to at least $10 an hour. Secondly we need to raise taxes on businesses and the wealthy and use them to bring back more government and union jobs. That would help the American people tremendously. Also we could do infrastructure repair that Trump promised, but put it almost entirely on the states to pay for, so nothing is being done.

You want the government to fix the problems that the government made?


This is why no one takes you folks seriously.

a reply to: Nyiah

And?

It's not like teens are very often getting career level jobs. They're working the sorts of jobs you can learn to do in an afternoon and that don't require a high school degree.

You know ... the jobs literally anyone can do which is why they aren't worth much in the way of wage.

Well talk about a bubble gum topic, chewed over and over.

I had one minimum wage job in High School, then got another for $4 and hour with my work history and a reference, then parlayed that into $5 an hour job at a truck stop and the truckers tipped really well. Working graveyard shift full time put me through college. Not much sleep but it went fine.

Then turned down a low paying government job and used my references to get a job in another state that paid over $35K in 1975-76. Learned a new skill and turned that into something even better.

Why in the heck is anyone other than a kid working at those jobs anyway. Those are jobs for kids, people between real jobs and for extra income after retirement.

originally posted by: JinMI

originally posted by: CB328

So tell me... what is your answer to the problem?

There are a lot of things that need to be done. First of all, raise the minimum wage to at least $10 an hour. Secondly we need to raise taxes on businesses and the wealthy and use them to bring back more government and union jobs. That would help the American people tremendously. Also we could do infrastructure repair that Trump promised, but put it almost entirely on the states to pay for, so nothing is being done.

You want the government to fix the problems that the government made?


This is why no one takes you folks seriously.

Oh, c'mon! Don't you see? All our problems would be solved if we just forced everyone to pay $100/hour.

a reply to: ketsuko

I'd hope not the rest of your life but where I live it's really tough to rent and is raising every year. I struggled for a while til I got a better job.

I just think someone trying to make a living shouldn't struggle so badly in US. The key word is "trying"

a reply to: ketsuko

With free housing, transportation and communication!