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Minimum Wage? Help us
@revellanotvanella (4033)
United States
July 18, 2008 11:15am CST
While we have all these prices rising I still cannot understand why we still have minumum wageof 7 dollars, the cost of living surpassed that wage a long time ago, long before recent incidents. How can people live like that and what is it doing to the families who do not even have time to raise their own kids because BOTH parents are having to hold two jobs. I can only see the middle class falling more and more into poverty and somebody needs to step in and make these changes quick if were to survive the falling dollar and high cost of food, high energy cost and god forbid you have to pay for childcare. Still--no mention of it which is scary considering we have an election coming up, my local candidate for governor promises statewide healthcare which can only help. I think teachers should be making alot more than they do and hope they get pay raises.
What minimum wage do you think matches the current cost of living? 10$ hour, 15$ hour, $20 hour
My boyfriend says that if things keep heading in the same direction, with US losing respect of other nations, falling dollar and if McCain is ruled into office that we are moving out of the country because he doesn't want to sit back and see what happens and neither do I. Middle class might fall out of existence at this rate.
6 people like this
10 responses
@sugarplum9084 (1771)
• United States
18 Jul 08
It's run away inflation. We just print more money hoping it can help, but while we print money we are devaluing it, making costs go up, and wages stay the same. Ron Paul talked a lot more about this than any other candidates; he was just running for president not long ago, but suspended his campaign. He's doing a lot right now to spread his words on economics and government policy, and is finally getting a lot more attention, why is he now correct in everyone's eyes after he is forced to drop out :p You should look into him and his current projects, I think you'd like him, he's not a McCain or Obama.
3 people like this
@revellanotvanella (4033)
• United States
18 Jul 08
thanks so much for that, ill definately check it out
@tamarafireheart (15384)
•
18 Jul 08
hello revellanotvanella,
Its the same thing over here in the U.K. our Prime Minister took over the last one and he can't sort all the mess out in this country. The price of goes sky high and so price living foods up and we are paying a very high taxes here and the wages don#t go up by much we are all suffering when is the goverment going to do something about as it is the rich gets richer and the poor gets poorer.
Tamarafireheart.
1 person likes this
@revellanotvanella (4033)
• United States
18 Jul 08
thanks for telling me that as now I can understand the situation a little better.
If my bf and I ever moved to the country he is from we would have to kind of live off the land for a while as cost of fuel is highest of all at 12.00 a gallon but I grew up knowing how to do that and the country are naturally farmers. His mother amazes me with her garden of zuchinni, tomatoes, peppers, pumpkins, tons of beans, its endless and beautiful in the summer.
@ESKARENA1 (18260)
•
19 Jul 08
when the minimum wage was introduced some of us argued that unscruplous employers would cut wages to it. This is exactly what happened here in the uk. Now, as far as i can understand it, the minimum wage was never intended to be linked to inflation, such elements of a managed economy were ditched years ago, under both Reagan and Thatcher. The idea is simply this, if you only have the abilities to command a minimum wage job, then it is your own fault. It is a philosophy without humanity, but conservatism seems to thrive on such thinking
blessed be
1 person likes this
@Debs_place (10520)
• United States
19 Jul 08
I am a college graduate with a master's degree. I make nearly $14 an hour. Before I lost my other job, I was making significantly more, but who wants to hire someone who is their 50s with old skills?
So I work 60 hours a week to pay my mortgage and taxes. The housing marked is in a slump and I can not afford to sell. My school and property taxes are going up every year way faster then my salary, sometimes double digits.
Who ever decided the minimum wage was someone who figured that this number was only for 16 year old kids still living with Mom and Dad. All minimum wage does is increase the number of working poor. A family of 4 in this country is below the poverty level if they have a household income of less then $21,200. This is $10.19 an hour. That number in 2006 put over 12% of the US below the poverty level. You have to wonder what are these people thinking - where can one live with 4 people in the family for that money and still be able to feed and clothe them?
Now I understand why my employer thinks he is so generous. I wonder how much he makes?
1 person likes this
@wachit14 (3595)
• United States
18 Jul 08
It's a crime that minimum wage is so low. When I was a teenager, and this was over thirty years ago, my first job paid minimum wage, which I believe was three dollars an hour. Thirty some odd years later, it has only increased to seven dollars an hour. Minimum wage has in no way kept up with inflation and all the things that go along with it including the price of gas and child care for working mothers. I don't think it's out of the realm of possibility to raise the minimum wage to ten dollars an hour. However, I don't see that happening any time soon. Our government is structured to supress the lower class and keeping minimum wage low is one way for that to continue to happen.
1 person likes this
@sudalunts (5523)
• United States
18 Jul 08
I understand what you are saying. How can young people who are just starting out become independent when they are only making $7.15, per hour. Here in NJ the minumum paid is $7.15. That only equals $286.00 pre week before taxes. The net would drop you down probably another $80.00. With rents the way they are, how can someone get a descent place to live on that , not to mention all the other things needed in your every day life.
Something needs to be done about this. Most companies are complaining that they are losing money, and can not afford to pay their employees more. My rent is $955.00 pr month, there is no way I could survive making $7.15 pr hour.
Now a days it does not even matter if you have completed college, there are many college graduates who can not find a well paying job.
What is this world coming to, this is surely a sign of the times, as these could be our last days.
1 person likes this
@revellanotvanella (4033)
• United States
18 Jul 08
You bring up a good point, even if they did get through college how in the world are they going to pay back those loans (where tuition should be fixed and not hiked up the year before graduation!) in this situation, is this just another crisis down the road.
@rogue13xmen13 (14402)
• United States
19 Jul 08
We are in the middle of a depression. Minimum wage is going up due to inflation, but that will not help anyone out very much. Middle class is going to die very soon at the rate that our economy is going.
@winewhisky (345)
•
19 Jul 08
There is a similar situation in the UK with rising prices. Every week at the supermarket things seem to be more expensive and the cost of fuel has risen greatly in recent months. I think because there is rising prices if wages go up as well then it just adds to the inflation and makes it worse. But I don't really understand why prices are rising in the first place?
@revellanotvanella (4033)
• United States
19 Jul 08
Hmm, When was Tony Blair last in office?
I dont get it either but its interesting.
@snakequeen (1299)
• India
19 Jul 08
Hi! As you rightly said, the maximum sufferers are middle class every where. I don't know and cannot say which is the minimum fixable wage, so far as your coun try is concerned. But my opinion is in every country, including mine, minimum wages fixed by Governments are always not in conformity with inflation and other related things. Where you actually need two dollars, they give you one. Ultimately, it is survival of the fittest.
@kenzie45230 (3560)
• United States
18 Jul 08
Minimum wage has never been a wage that would support a family - not even if two people worked making minimum wage. Nothing has changed in that regard. The key is that people are supposed to be striving for jobs that pay much more than minimum wage - by going to college or trade school.
If businesses had to raise employees wages to $10 or 15 as a minimum, then, of course those already making that would have to have increases as well. Then, we'd all be forced to pay more for everything so that those wages were paid.
@revellanotvanella (4033)
• United States
19 Jul 08
You'd think all these politicians were rock stars or something and I dont even know what credentials all the raises they get but Im sure its not unlike real estate industry where "you scratch my back, Ill scratch yours" works like a charm.
@amanda08 (647)
• United States
19 Jul 08
Here is the thing with this view that you have..... OBVIOUSLY not everyone can afford to go to college or trade school.. some people do not qualify for grants and scholarships... and besides even if they do try to pay for it by themselves then they still have to work FOR MINIMUM WAGE while they do and try to survive... the government only like to help people that don't have jobs... they need more help for people who are trying to do good... people who are working, people who are trying to go to school.. but no all of the healthcare and foodstamps and TANF checks go to the people who sit on their butts and do nothing whil other people trying to make it are fighting a losing battle... although there are those few (with lottery winning odds, I might add) that manage to make it.. God Bless them... you need to wake up and smell the roses and realize it is time to raise everyone's pay... businesses are making more... why not pass it on as they should to people who are helping them to succeed?... I will tell you why.. GREED... the rich are getting richer and the poor are getting poorer.. with prices rising at historical rates, it is time for a CHANGE.... Business owners could care less as long as they can afford health insurance for their families and they can pay their fancy new BMW car payments.... this country would be in a much better place right now if there were better people to govern as a whole... all these greedy politicians sitting around doing nothing while raking in hundreds of thousands a year (that we tax payers pay for!) is ridiculous and getting us now where... :)
1 person likes this
