Income inequality (Page 3): You're implying that opportunity is equal - it's not. Your argument holds no ground. All jobs in our society need to pay a living wage. If you disagree with...

Art Grandpa Loc: Washougal, WA

dakotacheryl wrote:

OK...here's my first post to UHH. br br I get tir... (show quote)

You're implying that opportunity is equal - it's not. Your argument holds no ground.

All jobs in our society need to pay a living wage. If you disagree with this you are literally advocating that people live in poverty to support your lifestyle. What a selfish, disgusting act. Christ would be disappointed.

PrairieSeasons Loc: Red River of the North

Art Grandpa wrote:

You're implying that opportunity is equal - it's not. Your argument holds no ground.

All jobs in our society need to pay a living wage. If you disagree with this you are literally advocating that people live in poverty to support your lifestyle. What a selfish, disgusting act. Christ would be disappointed.

Whether or not I agree with your premise (all jobs in our society need to pay a living wage), two dilemmas arise.

The first regards "what am I to do?" If I want to partake in a good or service that is made available because of a job that doesn't pay a living wage, am I to abstain because of that fact? If I do abstain, am I helping the person who isn't making a living wage or hurting him by making that job less in demand?

The second regards "what is the employer to do?" If an employer determines that $X is required for a living wage, and he loses business because his competitor finds that employees are willing to work for $(X-1) and is able to offer consumers a lower price for the same product, the first employer will also offer only $(X-1) for that job.

A job is worth whatever a willing employer and willing employee are able to agree upon, whether or not that wage meets the requirement of a living wage.

Art Grandpa Loc: Washougal, WA

If an employer cannot afford to pay their employees a living wage they should not be operating. Period.

PrairieSeasons Loc: Red River of the North

Art Grandpa wrote:

If an employer cannot afford to pay their employees a living wage they should not be operating. Period.

So both the employer and employee become unemployed?

Art Grandpa Loc: Washougal, WA

PrairieSeasons wrote:

So both the employer and employee become unemployed?

The employee can find another job, and the employer can consider how they will create a functioning business without exploitation.

Anse Loc: S TX

Art Grandpa wrote:

If an employer cannot afford to pay their employees a living wage they should not be operating. Period.

Who determines the living wage? I want a new airplane, boat and Jeep, and I spend all I have recklessly. So, where is MY living wage.

Art Grandpa Loc: Washougal, WA

Anse wrote:

Who determines the living wage? I want a new airplane, boat and Jeep, and I spend all I have recklessly. So, where is MY living wage.

A living wage is one where a person can afford shelter, heat, water and food. No one should have to struggle to eat when working full time, regardless of what job they have.

PrairieSeasons Loc: Red River of the North

Art Grandpa wrote:

The employee can find another job, and the employer can consider how they will create a functioning business without exploitation.

I believe that the current statistic in the United States is that there are three times as many people looking for work as there are jobs available. "The employee can find another job" looks like a cold condemnation.

"The employer can consider how they will create a functioning business without exploitation" is a fantasy as long as his competitors are paying minimum wage. Some employers may find a way to create value with their businesses and be able to pass some of that value on to employees. Other employers may find that they are only able to compete on price, and that will drive them down to the pay levels of their competitors.

Art Grandpa Loc: Washougal, WA

PrairieSeasons wrote:

I believe that the current statistic in the United... (show quote)

You're implying that we shouldn't be setting the minimum wage to a living wage. Your entire argument is based around companies being able to pay less than a living wage when they shouldn't. A fantasy is that company profits are more important than human beings.

Samuraiz Loc: Central Florida

dakotacheryl wrote:

OK...here's my first post to UHH. br br I get tir... (show quote)

:thumbup: :thumbup: :thumbup: :thumbup: :thumbup:

Art Grandpa Loc: Washougal, WA

Samuraiz wrote:

:thumbup: :thumbup: :thumbup: :thumbup: :thumbup:

Not everyone is given the opportunity to make the choices that we have.

Samuraiz Loc: Central Florida

Sorry to burst anyone's bubble but life IS a competition. We Compete for mates, jobs social status and for those that participate in sports or any other activity where there is a winner or loser........

Want the big bucks choose a path that has a proven track record for the big bucks. Then be prepared to compete with others for these positions.

PrairieSeasons Loc: Red River of the North

Art Grandpa wrote:

You're implying that we shouldn't be setting the minimum wage to a living wage. Your entire argument is based around companies being able to pay less than a living wage when they shouldn't. A fantasy is that company profits are more important than human beings.

Ignoring for a moment the difficulty in determining what a living wage should be, my argument is based around a company's ability to pay based on the market for its products and services, not on minimum OR living wage levels.

Art Grandpa Loc: Washougal, WA

PrairieSeasons wrote:

Ignoring for a moment the difficulty in determining what a living wage should be, my argument is based around a company's ability to pay based on the market for its products and services.

Living wages are not difficult to compute. Cost of living is definable and the data is readily available for every county in the United States.

If the company can't pay their employees, they aren't an efficient company. McDonalds, Wal Mart, et al can all afford to pay their workers a living wage. Instead, they choose to underpay and allow our mediocre social safety net to pick up the slack. Whatever way you look at it, that money is coming out of your pocket. Do you want that money to come out of your pocket when you pay for goods and services, or do you want it taken out of your pocket when your tax bill is due?

Since I don't shop at Wal Mart or eat at McDonalds I know I'd rather they foot the bill for their own business.

Samuraiz Loc: Central Florida

Art Grandpa wrote:

Not everyone is given the opportunity to make the choices that we have.

Explain.

For every time a person has said something was impossible, another showed that it was possible. The level of difficulty is not handed out equally, however it's never impossible.

Sociologists have coined the phrase "the crab basket" for a group of people trying to stop the individual from rising above.