Union Resurgance

[Carl_Spackler]

Yes. I don't expect them to make enough money to have a new car and a fancy apartment, but they should make enough money to feed, clothe, and shelter their family. They should have health insurance to protect the health of their family. No one who works for a living should live in poverty.

To do that you would have to raise the minimum wage by a huge amount. Doing that would increase unemployment and drive up costs. People make minimum wage because they have minimum work skills.

If an employer agrees to hire someone for $X per hour and the employee agrees to accept that job at $x per hour, why do the dems need to step in and demand that the employer pay more? A conservative would not block an agreement like this that both parties find acceptable.

 

[HalinTexas]

No one needs to be having or starting a family if all they can make is minimum wage. And don't tell me, "it just happens." BS.

I was 31 when my first (and only) was born.

 

[PCL_128]

To do that you would have to raise the minimum wage by a huge amount.

Not really. In most areas of the country, $10/hr would suffice.

Doing that would increase unemployment and drive up costs.

Companies that can't afford to pay their employees enough to survive shouldn't be in business. It's time for low prices to stop being subsidized by the poverty of workers. Let the weak companies fail and the surviving companies can be stronger and afford to pay their employees a living wage.

People make minimum wage because they have minimum work skills.

Minimum wages should never be less than the minimum it takes a worker to stay out of poverty.

 

[PCL_128]

No one needs to be having or starting a family if all they can make is minimum wage.

I agree, but welcome to reality.

 

[CopilotDoug]

It doesn't matter if every one of them is. Some of them are.

I think it matters. Who is to blame for having 5 children when you're making minimum wage?

It's fostering a needy mindset

 

[PCL_128]

I think it matters. Who is to blame for having 5 children when you're making minimum wage?

Even a single man with no kids can't stay out of poverty on minimum wage. The "5 children" myth is nothing but a red herring.

 

[CopilotDoug]

Even a single man with no kids can't stay out of poverty on minimum wage. The "5 children" myth is nothing but a red herring.

You have a point about the single guy. But there are people who have 5 children on minimum wage.

 

[PCL_128]

You have a point about the single guy. But there are people who have 5 children on minimum wage.

Yes, there are. Obama supports eliminating the incentives for extra money in the welfare program for additional children. It provides an unintended incentive for people to actually have more kids to get more money. Increasing awareness of birth control rather than sticking to this ridiculous abstinence only program will also help.

 

[El Pobre]

Yes. I don't expect them to make enough money to have a new car and a fancy apartment, but they should make enough money to feed, clothe, and shelter their family. They should have health insurance to protect the health of their family. No one who works for a living should live in poverty.

I think that what you are trying to say is "From each according to his ability, to each according to his need"

Let's see...where have I heard that before???? Oh yeah...under a communist system, every person shall produce to the best of one's ability in accordance with one's talent, and each person shall receive the fruits of this production in accordance with one's need, irrespective of what one has produced. In the Marxist view, such an arrangement will be made possible by the abundance of goods and services that a developed communist society will produce; the idea is that there will be enough to satisfy everyone's needs.

What you advocate is essentially what Marx and Lenin did. Aside from a terribly repressive political system, the economies of Communist nations have kept more people mired in poverty and dispair than we have in our nation...in fact, while people like you advocate more greater wealth distribution, Communist nations from China to Vietnam to even Cuba under Raul have realized the fallacy of Marxism and have opened up their markets to capitalism.

This is precisely why many people who aren't happy with Bush are very concerned about voting for the Barry Obama.

 

[JoeMerchant]

Even a single man with no kids can't stay out of poverty on minimum wage. The "5 children" myth is nothing but a red herring.

Minimum wage jobs aren't supposed to be careers...Most people CHOOSE to be poor and/or make poor life decisions.....

Rewarding bad behavior creates more bad behavior....A Nanny State isn't going to bring about more prosperity......