You're putting a lot of what ifs and no facts at all out there to lob some sort of character assault. Always playing the holier than thou card. Funny. As if at his income level he doesn't qualify for a robust safety net he can access simply because he was born here. I understand dignity in that decision but I also think the resolve lies with wallstreet. A system I've seen you defend. Guy, don't you own a coffee shop? What would you do if all your employees came to you and demanded you double their pay? Out of greed would you deny them? I know what you'd do because your own survival is predicated on it.
No, what is ridiculous is to assume that all successful people think the way you posted. Many of the most successful people I know came from very humble beginnings and/or incredible hardships. My best friend had a broken family...was on food stamps...mother committed suicide...father missing from his life, and he faced down a serious illness as well. He now works in IT as a domain architect pulling down 200,000 a year. He got through college on scholarships and loans he's still paying off. Factors out of his control DIDN'T stop him. He has drive, determination AND yes...work hard. And yes....he worked at Mcdonalds.
Sigh. Strawmen are your favorite aren't they? Point to anywhere in my posts here where I'm anti teacher, police, electric grid, or any of the other irrelevant things you posted here. WHAT DOES IT HAVE TO DO WITH THE MINIMUM WAGE WHICH IS THE TOPIC HERE?
That's right! The American Dream! Everyone can overcome their obstacles and become a millionaire! Your friend did it, why can't everyone! Do you see how stupid that sounds?
I directly quoted you. Do I need to do it again? Do you actually know the definition of a straw man? I didn't say you were anti anything. You said you fixed your problem without government help. Are teachers and police not governmental? Did you live in a neighborhood without streets or did you build those all yourself? You made it relevant when you said you had no government "help". Did you not rely on any government services in the forming of who you were when you sought employment? Do you think perhaps there is some correlation between the quality of government services a community receives and the educational and work related opportunities produced in that community? Or did you just do all that by yourself? Oh it has a lot to do with the minimum wage and poverty.
I live in the US because I was born here. Trust me, I'd rather not be here. This country is swiftly descending into the 1800's and I don't want to be around for it. Later.
You missed my point. These people didn't try to make fast food a career. They lost their career jobs and instead of sitting on their butts took whatever job they good get which happens to be a minimum wage job. Attacking people for making bad choices when in reality they have been outsourced is just plain crude.
A franchisor can't tell a franchisee what to pay employees. It's illegal. It opens the franchisor up to lawsuits. Let's move on.
Oh I see. So your argument then is because each of us benefits from (some) necessary government programs, we must keep increasing government influence in our lives ad infinitum. Is that correct? Perhaps we need someone in the government to monitor when we use the restroom. I mean, after all you went to school and have police protection. Obviously that worked so if we get you a bathroom monitor you will take a better dump. I mean if we are gonna use the government for everything and its always beneficial, lets start this program up quickly! By the way, you seem to support Socialist type programs. That's your call I suppose but I'm curious... How much extra do you voluntarily send the government every month? I can't see someone like yourself so committed to government solutions being content to merely let your employers withholding taxes from your check to be enough. Or do you just like spending OTHER folks money....?
Things that people should do who are outsourced: Interview for other jobs. Take some classes/retrain themselves Save money. Cut expenses. Network. Collect unemployment. Take advantage of company outsourcing help. Most of these can/should be done before it comes down to losing a job that is outsourced. All of it is done by people who plan. Most people can see downsizing/outsourcing coming before it happens. As a matter of fact, unemployment is ONLY available if you are not drawing income so working a fast food job actually doesn't help with bills since you lose unemployment benefits (as well as the inability to look for work while working actually AT the minimum wage job.)
One wealthy man to another: "If someone is in their late 20's or later working as a teacher/policeman/firefighter most likely they are too stupid/lazy to find educational opportunities to improve themselves."
sure. but where does the money come from and who pays it? any McD that can survive from doubling the payroll, isn't making money by selling what's on the menu. For the average McD.... The crew payroll is 20% of net sales. Manager is 4%. Store-Level Operating Income 5.7%.
Do you have a link to those numbers? To expect McDonalds or any fast food restaurant chain to voluntarily increase their wages is a pipe dream.
You epitomize my point. Yeah at my first job I worked for 5 bucks an hour at Traders Village picking up trash as a grounds crew worker. Went to school and three degrees later make a comfortable living and just bought my first house. Along the way I learned that not everyone can or even should go to college. For one thing there's just not enough good paying jobs out there to support a surplus of highly educated workers. That being said it comes down to the simple fact inflation has far outpaced wages. Your grandfather likely supported a middle class family on one salary and there's a good chance it was a blue collar job. Now it takes mom and dad going to work to achieve the same purchasing power because housing, fuel, healthcare, college tuition, etc has skyrocketed. C'mon it doesn't take much to connect the dogs here. Costs for necessities keep rising while wages do not leaving little discretionary middle class income. That income is what creates demand which creates new jobs. Without the demand the rich and large businesses sit idle on their excess cash. Which is beyond evident when you read current financial studies. So here we are. Everyone bemoans the lack of new job creation especially good paying jobs but without demand for new products and services those jobs will not be created. And with all the wealth concentrated in few hands theres not enough demand. The rich may buy 50 bentleys but they wont buy 1,000 Fords. obviously the trickle down effect of the buying more Fords would impact job growth more. You need money in the hands of those who will spend it to spur on demand and in turn create new jobs. Instead it sits in the accounts of the rich doing nothing for our economy. I am not advocating a Robin Hood scenario here but this situation is extremely unhealthy and cannot be allowed to continue. But as I said we're all in the same boat in the same struggle but since one of us is a office worker versus a fast food worker we feel entitled to address the symptom instead of the disease.
You're the one that made the judgment on these people without those facts. Where have you seen me defend Wall Street? I've defended the bailout of Wall Street on the premise that not doing so would destroy the lives of everyone else, but that's about it. I have zero issue with reforming Wall Street completely because the old incentive structure that Wall Street benefited when Main Street benefited is no longer working. I'd let them go and find employees who were excited to work for the wages I offer. I already stated that I think that's the likely outcome here, and absolutely the right of the fast food companies. I've never argued that any company should comply or that it's reasonable to double these people's wages. What I wouldn't do is demonize those people for asking for better wages or trying to improve their lives. I wouldn't judge them or call them stupid or lazy or failures in life.
If any of your outlier situations are true, it makes the article and individual dishonest. If 10 hours is all he is able to work on average, complaints about pay rate are silly. Does anyone here work less than 50 hours per week?
Except no one ever claimed it was his average hours. Here's the quote: "My last paycheck was $67, and I'm the father of two babies. They're my whole world," Beijing said Last paycheck - not average paycheck. We have no idea what his average paycheck is or how many hours he works or what other jobs he might have.
And again: If that was a massive outlier, the article and the individual are dishonest. "he desperately needs the hours" setup the example paycheck, it was proof he needs more hours.
