Is a livable wage 3 a moral issue?

1. 79

   ptosisposted 8 years ago

   Is a livable wage 3 a moral issue?
   
   Stephanie Berkowitz, who heads Northern Virginia Family Service, a nonprofit agency based in Falls Church, Virginia, said that nearly 70 percent of the people using the agency's housing-assistance program are working and that 60 percent of the people in their homeless shelters are employed.
   
   If raising wages kills jobs then should we rather not double down on the laws and regulations known to hamper job creation, liberate the economy from the shackles of an overbearing state and focus on creating the conditions known to lead to economic growth and increased employment opportunities?
   
   

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2. 77

   Wesman Todd Shawposted 8 years ago

   I read an interesting editorial today which states that our very high tax rates on corporations keep wages lower than they otherwise would be.
   
   A lot of the people who say they want folks to have a living wage are also the same persons against tax relief for corporations. They seem to think corporations should be punished with high taxes, and then wonder why wages are low.
   
   But economics is vastly complex. I don't claim to know the answers. But I sure know socialism isn't the answer.

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   1. 79

      ptosisposted 8 years agoin reply to this

      Me too. Why can't the IRS raise the level of income to tax from $6k to $23K?.  Taxing people's work income that is way below the official proverty level seems .. immoral.

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   2. 77

      Wesman Todd Shawposted 8 years agoin reply to this

      Seriously. That would be the single best way to help the working poor.

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3. 51

   bradmasterOCcalposted 8 years ago

   The root cause of the not so living wage is that all the middle class jobs that paid well for the uneducated workers are gone.
   If you want living wages, these jobs need to come back to the US?
   Today, we are mostly a service industry country, and most of the jobs have to do with the Healthcare, Insurance, Financial, education and other none productive businesses. In addition, there are skilled and semi skilled jobs like Auto Repair, and other repairs, and improvements, but the owners of those businesses make the real money.
   
   As for the restaurant service people, the customers have always subsidized the workers, and there isn't even a lowering of the cost of the meals. People are expected to tip 15 or more percent whether they get personal service or not.
   
   Now you want to give them $15 hr minimum? Who do you think is going to pay for that?

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4. 82

   tamarawilhiteposted 8 years ago

   I find it interesting that the only time the government thinks that the normal family is one man working to support a stay at home wife and two children is when it sets a living wage.
   In reality, most people earning minimum wage are teenagers, young adults without dependents, people supplementing retirement income or have another full time spouse.

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   1. 51

      bradmasterOCcalposted 8 years agoin reply to this

      You didn't mention the millions of people that lost their jobs, homes and livelihood in 2008. Those are the only jobs left for them. The rest of them that couldn't get these jobs don't appear on the unemployment list. The gov dn want high UE numbers.

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5. 59

   The Old Guardposted 8 years ago

   Read my Hub about the minimum wage and why it never works.
   Did you know that the first minimum wage was set at .25 per hour, back in 1938? And that was working 12 hours per day!
   Did you know during that time, governmental policies and those of the FED have caused the purchasing power of the good ol' U.S. $ to lose 95% of it's purchasing power?
   In other words, from 1938 to now, that $1 bill in your pocket buys .05 of what it did back in 1938. To put it simply, that coke or candy bar you buy for $1 now, cost 5 cents back in 1938!
   So, if the government and the FED's goal is to strip the dollar of it's purchasing power, why would you think a wage change is going to do workers any good?
   The fundamental change has to do with governmental policies and the FED's inflation goals, not what a worker is paid.
   A "livable" wage in 1970 was, $1.60. In 1979 it was $2.25. If those didn't remain "livable", why do you think $15 will?
   Like so much in the news, it's a con to avoid fixing the inherent problems found in government policies.
   Cheers

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   1. 79

      ptosisposted 8 years agoin reply to this

      Wow,t there are so many points and so few characters that I can use to dispute. All I can say is listen to  TTC's chapter 17 Raising Wages for the Working Poor - Minimum Wages, Wage Subsidies, and Job Training.

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   2. 59

      The Old Guardposted 8 years agoin reply to this

      Show me where, in Americas history, one period of time where the government has sought to increase the purchasing power of the dollar.

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   3. 79

      ptosisposted 8 years agoin reply to this

      Are you commenting on my comment? I can't tell since I'm talking about wages and you are talking  about the dollar.

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   4. 59

      The Old Guardposted 8 years agoin reply to this

      ptosis,
      Commenting on your comment.
      Only way a forced minimum wage works is if there's a sound dollar. If the dollar keeps losing value, then the forced "livable" wage will always be unlivable.
      Cheers

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   5. 79

      ptosisposted 8 years agoin reply to this

      Adjusted for inflation, the federal minimum wage peaked in 1968 at $8.54 (in 2014 dollars).

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