The government should FORCE all employers to pay a living wage

darthvedder81darthvedder81 Posts: 688
edited March 2008 in A Moving Train
Every single person in this country who works 40hr's a week should receive a living wage (at least $20 an hour) no matter what job they do. They also should receive full healthcare no co-pay and pensions. Any employer who doesn't provide this should be shut down.
So this life is sacrifice...
6/30/98 Minneapolis, 10/8/00 East Troy (Brrrr!), 6/16/03 St. Paul, 6/27/06 St. Paul
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  • josevolutionjosevolution Posts: 30,250
    Every single person in this country who works 40hr's a week should receive a living wage (at least $20 an hour) no matter what job they do. They also should receive full healthcare no co-pay and pensions. Any employer who doesn't provide this should be shut down.

    you forgot tickets to every PJ show in the us ......for every household...
    jesus greets me looks just like me ....
  • jeffbrjeffbr Seattle Posts: 7,177
    Every single person in this country who works 40hr's a week should receive a living wage (at least $20 an hour) no matter what job they do. They also should receive full healthcare and pensions. Any employer who doesn't provide this should be shut down.

    Why stop at $20 an hour? Everyone should get paid $100 and hour. They'd be much more comfortable wouldnt' they? Aren't you short changing them at $20 an hour?

    And why stop at healthcare and pensions. I think they should have housing and food provided for them as well. And throw in some movie bucks, so they can take the family out once in a while.

    And let's not just shut down the employers who can't provide that. I say the government should execute them.
    "I'll use the magic word - let's just shut the fuck up, please." EV, 04/13/08
  • fanch75fanch75 Posts: 3,734
    For added fun with photos, click the original article here:
    http://stuffwhitepeoplelike.wordpress.com/2008/02/10/62-knowing-whats-best-for-poor-people/


    "Stuff White People Like"

    #62 - Knowing what’s best for poor people
    February 10, 2008 by clander

    White people spend a lot of time of worrying about poor people. It takes up a pretty significant portion of their day.

    They feel guilty and sad that poor people shop at Wal*Mart instead of Whole Foods, that they vote Republican instead of Democratic, that they go to Community College/get a job instead of studying art at a University.

    It is a poorly guarded secret that, deep down, white people believe if given money and education that all poor people would be EXACTLY like them. In fact, the only reason that poor people make the choices they do is because they have not been given the means to make the right choices and care about the right things.

    A great way to make white people feel good is to tell them about situations where poor people changed how they were doing things because they were given the ‘whiter’ option. “Back in my old town, people used to shop at Wal*Mart and then this non-profit organization came in and set up a special farmers co-op so that we could buy more local produce, and within two weeks the Wal*Mart shut down and we elected our first Democratic representative in 40 years.” White people will first ask which non-profit and are they hiring? After that, they will be filled with euphoria and will invite you to more parties to tell this story to their friends, so that they can feel great.

    But it is ESSENTIAL that you reassert that poor people do not make decisions based on free will. That news could crush white people and their hope for the future.
    Do you remember Rock & Roll Radio?
  • Great idea DarthVedder.

    How many workers do you think these employers would have to then FIRE to provide "fair" or "living" wages to the remaining employees?

    Do you think they would really take the hit from their own pockets?

    And once they fire your coworkers to help pay you more, how much extra work do you think you will end up having to do to make the difference?

    Will that make you more happy?

    And what about all the people who get fired?

    Should the government be forced to provide them all "living wage" unemployment income, insurance, & benefits?

    For how long?

    Who will pay for that?

    Will you also take a tax increase to help offset the further deficit required to fund the FICA accounts?

    If the layoffs affect business outputs and the economy suffers accordingly, should we then spend more tax dollars on bailouts?

    :cool:
    great idea.
    bad reality.
    If I was to smile and I held out my hand
    If I opened it now would you not understand?
  • Kel VarnsenKel Varnsen Posts: 1,952
    What about all the people who are making $20 bucks an hour right now? Would they automatically get a raise as well? I mean if someone is making 8 bucks an hour now and automatically gets a 250% raise does everyone else get the same thing? And what about the cost of things how do you control that. Do you think groceries or cars or housese are going to stay the same price when everyone selling something knows that if the person buying is working he is making that much money.

    Plus it totally shafts young people with no experience. I mean pretty much everywhere you go there is some level of unemployment so there is demand for jobs. So if I am an employer what incentive is there for me to hire the young person with 0 experience if I have to pay him $20 an hour when for the same price I can hire someone with much more experience. It would be like saying every car sold had to be priced at $20,000. Why would anyone buy a ford focus when for the same price they could get a Benz.
  • OutOfBreathOutOfBreath Posts: 1,804
    Sounds like a bad idea to just force it. However, there definitely are enough money running through the american economy to realize it, but it requires a bigger societal restructuring and probably a bit more taxes. If enough people want it in the end, it can happen.

    Peace
    Dan
    "YOU [humans] NEED TO BELIEVE IN THINGS THAT AREN'T TRUE. HOW ELSE CAN THEY BECOME?" - Death

    "Every judgment teeters on the brink of error. To claim absolute knowledge is to become monstrous. Knowledge is an unending adventure at the edge of uncertainty." - Frank Herbert, Dune, 1965
  • JOEJOEJOEJOEJOEJOE Posts: 10,619
    What about all the people who are making $20 bucks an hour right now? Would they automatically get a raise as well? I mean if someone is making 8 bucks an hour now and automatically gets a 250% raise does everyone else get the same thing? And what about the cost of things how do you control that. Do you think groceries or cars or housese are going to stay the same price when everyone selling something knows that if the person buying is working he is making that much money.

    Plus it totally shafts young people with no experience. I mean pretty much everywhere you go there is some level of unemployment so there is demand for jobs. So if I am an employer what incentive is there for me to hire the young person with 0 experience if I have to pay him $20 an hour when for the same price I can hire someone with much more experience. It would be like saying every car sold had to be priced at $20,000. Why would anyone buy a ford focus when for the same price they could get a Benz.

    Very good points you raise, my friend. The quality of life for those going from $7/hr to $20/hr won't really improve, since the cost of living will increase, and a large percentage of these workers won't have jobs anymore.

    Sure, wages are tripling, but, at the end of the day, the unskilled worker will suffer the most.

    Anytime you try to redistribute the wealth, there is always an economic hangover.
  • JOEJOEJOEJOEJOEJOE Posts: 10,619
    Every single person in this country who works 40hr's a week should receive a living wage (at least $20 an hour) no matter what job they do. They also should receive full healthcare no co-pay and pensions. Any employer who doesn't provide this should be shut down.

    Are you mentioning this as a feasible idea, or, are you just expressing hope?
  • flywallyflyflywallyfly Posts: 1,453
    Every single person in this country who works 40hr's a week should receive a living wage (at least $20 an hour) no matter what job they do. They also should receive full healthcare no co-pay and pensions. Any employer who doesn't provide this should be shut down.

    If you truly want this to happen then join me in voting McKinney/Ferrraro '08. They will take us to Utopia.
  • Every single person in this country who works 40hr's a week should receive a living wage (at least $20 an hour) no matter what job they do. They also should receive full healthcare no co-pay and pensions. Any employer who doesn't provide this should be shut down.
    Good luck getting rich investors to agree to that.
  • macgyver06macgyver06 Posts: 2,500
    Every single person in this country who works 40hr's a week should receive a living wage (at least $20 an hour) no matter what job they do. They also should receive full healthcare no co-pay and pensions. Any employer who doesn't provide this should be shut down.


    the gov't has convinced the citizens to turn their back on each other rather than their masters.. so the responses you are going to get are the result of generations of slave minded rhetoric... as if they think they are working together when in actuality... every day they are selling themselves out

    so the negativity you receive shouldnt be taken seriously... its the result of liberties being taken away from the massses... they no longer can think for themselves
  • i think everybody in the world should get $20 an hour. All 6 billion or so.

    how much money is that? If we need more money we can always just print more. Whats the big deal? its just paper.

    inflation you say? Whats that? nevermind that.

    tips at restaurants should also be raised to 100% of the check.
  • know1know1 Posts: 6,794
    Every single person in this country who works 40hr's a week should receive a living wage (at least $20 an hour) no matter what job they do. They also should receive full healthcare no co-pay and pensions. Any employer who doesn't provide this should be shut down.

    No - the government should force people to lower their standard of living.
    The only people we should try to get even with...
    ...are those who've helped us.

    Right 'round the corner could be bigger than ourselves.
  • the government should force everyone to do whatever they think is best. They are the experts after all.
  • macgyver06macgyver06 Posts: 2,500
    JOEJOEJOE wrote:
    Very good points you raise, my friend. The quality of life for those going from $7/hr to $20/hr won't really improve, since the cost of living will increase, and a large percentage of these workers won't have jobs anymore.

    Sure, wages are tripling, but, at the end of the day, the unskilled worker will suffer the most.

    Anytime you try to redistribute the wealth, there is always an economic hangover.


    just a question, but.. what is your definition of an unskilled worker?
  • Pacomc79Pacomc79 Posts: 9,404
    wouldn't that cause MASSIVE inflation and a hell of a lot of layoffs?
    My Girlfriend said to me..."How many guitars do you need?" and I replied...."How many pairs of shoes do you need?" She got really quiet.
  • macgyver06macgyver06 Posts: 2,500
    Pacomc79 wrote:
    wouldn't that cause MASSIVE inflation and a hell of a lot of layoffs?

    eventually everyone will be forced to grow up and realize their parents put them in a system that buys time for them only to be irresponsible.


    while the rest of us pay.


    its either now or later...
  • chromiamchromiam Posts: 4,114
    fanch75 wrote:
    For added fun with photos, click the original article here:
    http://stuffwhitepeoplelike.wordpress.com/2008/02/10/62-knowing-whats-best-for-poor-people/


    "Stuff White People Like"

    #62 - Knowing what’s best for poor people
    February 10, 2008 by clander

    White people spend a lot of time of worrying about poor people. It takes up a pretty significant portion of their day.

    They feel guilty and sad that poor people shop at Wal*Mart instead of Whole Foods, that they vote Republican instead of Democratic, that they go to Community College/get a job instead of studying art at a University.

    It is a poorly guarded secret that, deep down, white people believe if given money and education that all poor people would be EXACTLY like them. In fact, the only reason that poor people make the choices they do is because they have not been given the means to make the right choices and care about the right things.

    A great way to make white people feel good is to tell them about situations where poor people changed how they were doing things because they were given the ‘whiter’ option. “Back in my old town, people used to shop at Wal*Mart and then this non-profit organization came in and set up a special farmers co-op so that we could buy more local produce, and within two weeks the Wal*Mart shut down and we elected our first Democratic representative in 40 years.” White people will first ask which non-profit and are they hiring? After that, they will be filled with euphoria and will invite you to more parties to tell this story to their friends, so that they can feel great.

    But it is ESSENTIAL that you reassert that poor people do not make decisions based on free will. That news could crush white people and their hope for the future.

    I'm liking this website more and more everyday :)
    This is your notice that there is a problem with your signature. Please remove it.

    Admin

    Social awareness does not equal political activism!

    5/23/2011- An utter embarrassment... ticketing failures too many to list.
  • fanch75fanch75 Posts: 3,734
    chromiam wrote:
    I'm liking this website more and more everyday :)

    I like the photo on the article's site!
    Do you remember Rock & Roll Radio?
  • JOEJOEJOEJOEJOEJOE Posts: 10,619
    macgyver06 wrote:
    just a question, but.. what is your definition of an unskilled worker?

    someone with very little training or experience, whose job does requires very few qualifications.
  • BTW, my premise is utter and complete sarcasm in the vein of Swift's "A Modest Proposal". Everything I wrote is pure unadulterated stupidity (although half of congress wouldn't think so). I just wanted to see if I could find any takers. Thank God none of you went for it!

    P.S. I like the idea about free movie passes! And forget the government paying for your food, that's not good enough! What about people who can't cook? We need a Department of Catering dammit! Of course the only people who should be taxed would be the filthy rich (i.e. anyone making more than $20 an hour). Those bastards should pay for our misery and lack of HDTV's!!
    So this life is sacrifice...
    6/30/98 Minneapolis, 10/8/00 East Troy (Brrrr!), 6/16/03 St. Paul, 6/27/06 St. Paul
  • MrSmith wrote:
    the government should force everyone to do whatever they think is best. They are the experts after all.

    Indeed. They have earned it. I mean they do so many things well and are so frugal and efficient with our tax dollars. It's hard not to speak of our government with out weeping for joy.
    So this life is sacrifice...
    6/30/98 Minneapolis, 10/8/00 East Troy (Brrrr!), 6/16/03 St. Paul, 6/27/06 St. Paul
  • jeffbrjeffbr Seattle Posts: 7,177
    BTW, my premise is utter and complete sarcasm in the vein of Swift's "A Modest Proposal". Everything I wrote is pure unadulterated stupidity (although half of congress wouldn't think so). I just wanted to see if I could find any takers. Thank God none of you went for it!

    P.S. I like the idea about free movie passes! And forget the government paying for your food, that's not good enough! What about people who can't cook? We need a Department of Catering dammit! Of course the only people who should be taxed would be the filthy rich (i.e. anyone making more than $20 an hour). Those bastards should pay for our misery and lack of HDTV's!!

    LOL, I took the bait. But the problem is, you did find at least one disciple who was ready to follow you and encourage you. I'm sure there are many more here who would support your first post. Anywhere else I would have immediately taken it for sarcasm, but here in this forum there's always someone.
    "I'll use the magic word - let's just shut the fuck up, please." EV, 04/13/08
  • Kel VarnsenKel Varnsen Posts: 1,952
    Every single person in this country who works 40hr's a week should receive a living wage (at least $20 an hour) no matter what job they do. They also should receive full healthcare no co-pay and pensions. Any employer who doesn't provide this should be shut down.


    The other problem is a typical person working a full time 40 hour a week job is probably already making decent money, or is at least happy with where they are. The people struggling are those who have to work 2 or more part time jobs like retail positions where they get like 12-20 hours a week each. How would this help those people?
  • cornnifercornnifer Posts: 2,130
    No one who works in this country should be poor. Period. Expecting corporations and employers do see to that out of the goodness of their heart is naive. So how do we achieve it. Legislation is all i can think of.
    "When all your friends and sedatives mean well but make it worse... better find yourself a place to level out."
  • cornnifercornnifer Posts: 2,130
    know1 wrote:
    No - the government should force people to lower their standard of living.

    Exactly. If people would just lower their standard of living and not worry about feeding and clothing their fucking kids and shit, they'd be just fine.




    Seriously, no one is suggesting the government, provide 50 inch plasmas and shit like that. I'll say it again. No one who works, in the United States of America, should be poor. Its embarassing.
    "When all your friends and sedatives mean well but make it worse... better find yourself a place to level out."
  • JOEJOEJOEJOEJOEJOE Posts: 10,619
    cornnifer wrote:
    No one who works in this country should be poor. Period. Expecting corporations and employers do see to that out of the goodness of their heart is naive. So how do we achieve it. Legislation is all i can think of.

    Maybe if the middle class would agree to a huge pay-cut, then there would be less poor people. However, when people realize they won't be poor, even if they don't go to college or learn a skill, there is less motivation to excel.

    If corporations and employers were forced to pay a higher wage, do you think they would stay in business? Once their profits shrank, they'd close up shop, and thus, there'd be less jobs available.
  • oldermanolderman Posts: 1,765
    The U.S. Government should force Pearl Jam to play 9 shows this summer at the new Sprint Center here in Kansas City.
    Down the street you can hear her scream youre a disgrace
    As she slams the door in his drunken face
    And now he stands outside
    And all the neighbours start to gossip and drool
    He cries oh, girl you must be mad,
    What happened to the sweet love you and me had?
    Against the door he leans and starts a scene,
    And his tears fall and burn the garden green
  • People can make jokes and extreme examples but the same could go the other way, too. Like I could say well just screw the less fortunate. They don't need any of our assistance, they're just all lazy bums and welfare queens looking for a handout. And the ones who work these jobs, do so because they were too lazy to go to college and better themselves. They deserve all the struggle and poverty they live in because they brought it on themselves.

    Things are not that black and white. There is middle ground which has enough room for companies to make a good profit and employees to earn enough income without having to look for assistance elsewhere to simply survive. This is all very possible. Whether or not you agree it should be done is one thing but to act like the idea is absurd is also absurd. Giving $20/hr isn't the same as giving $100/hr.

    The cost of a thing is the amount of what I call life which is required to be exchanged for it, immediately or in the long run.
    ~Henry David Thoreau

    So in this quote we can use... the cost of 'labor' = 'the amount of life required to perform the labor in exchange for wages'


    I'm not comfortable with saying the cost companies incur from a person's wages (which comes at the exchange of a substantial portion of one's own LIFE) should be the least amount possible while maintaining such large profit margins for themselves (which are always rationalized as the biggest focus a company shoud have) because then the market decides the value of human life. The market has no humanity because compassion is not sold and makes no profit. Profit drives the market and humanity is of little concern. We see this more and more here at home and it's rampant in 3rd world countries. There IS room to offer a living wage without being ridiculous about it and still making a profit.
    If you want to tell people the truth, make them laugh, otherwise they'll kill you.

    Man is least himself when he talks in his own person. Give him a mask, and he will tell you the truth.
    -Oscar Wilde
  • JOEJOEJOEJOEJOEJOE Posts: 10,619
    People can make jokes and extreme examples but the same could go the other way, too. Like I could say well just screw the less fortunate. They don't need any of our assistance, they're just all lazy bums and welfare queens looking for a handout. And the ones who work these jobs, do so because they were too lazy to go to college and better themselves. They deserve all the struggle and poverty they live in because they brought it on themselves.

    Things are not that black and white. There is middle ground which has enough room for companies to make a good profit and employees to earn enough income without having to look for assistance elsewhere to simply survive. This is all very possible. Whether or not you agree it should be done is one thing but to act like the idea is absurd is also absurd. Giving $20/hr isn't the same as giving $100/hr.

    The cost of a thing is the amount of what I call life which is required to be exchanged for it, immediately or in the long run.
    ~Henry David Thoreau

    So in this quote we can use... the cost of 'labor' = 'the amount of life required to perform the labor in exchange for wages'


    I'm not comfortable with saying the cost companies incur from a person's wages (which comes at the exchange of a substantial portion of one's own LIFE) should be the least amount possible while maintaining such large profit margins for themselves (which are always rationalized as the biggest focus a company shoud have) because then the market decides the value of human life. The market has no humanity because compassion is not sold and makes no profit. Profit drives the market and humanity is of little concern. We see this more and more here at home and it's rampant in 3rd world countries. There IS room to offer a living wage without being ridiculous about it and still making a profit.

    If the minimum wage was $20/hour, and you made $30/hour, would you be willing to take a pay-cut to $25/hr, so that the corp AND the higher-paid employees both made sacrifices so that the lower earner could benefit?
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