"Living wage"

Off Topic » in reply to the only principle being pushed here is A MINIMUM LIVING WAGE

"Living wage"

Tom Brosz — 7/29/2006 5:11:20 PM (archived)

Minimum wage statistics here.

Note that less than three percent of all hourly workers work for the Federal minimum wage. The percentage is about 1.6 percent if you include all workers.

Note the demographics of minimum wage earners. Clue: Most aren't the mythical families or heads of households so often put up as examples.

This is another artificial issue. Hardly anybody gets paid minimum wage or less, even burger-flippers.

It's an issue dearly beloved by politicians because it's one of those wonderful "mandate" issues where they can force the private sector to cough up the cash, and walk off with all the credit for it.

It also appeals to unions, which see labor competition reduced, and often drive their own contract negotiations around minimum wage levels.

And who the hell gets to decide what a "living" wage is across the country? Ralph Nader, during his campaign, seemed to think that $10 an hour was too little to live on.

The whole thread (50 posts)

Competing economic models - Daniel - 7/28/2006 2:17:30 PM
- re: Competing economic models - ER - 7/29/2006 12:20:41 AM
  - A brief digression - ER - 7/29/2006 3:23:42 PM
    - re: A brief digression - Mark S. Nihil - 7/30/2006 5:24:01 AM
      - re: A brief digression - Daniel - 7/30/2006 5:46:44 AM
        
        Yesterday's leftist was a fool! - Mark S. Nihil - 7/30/2006 6:21:03 AM
        
        just one question - Daniel - 7/30/2006 6:57:09 AM
        
        There'll be no need. - Mark S. Nihil - 7/30/2006 7:08:45 AM
        
        I fully agree - President Charles Logan - 7/30/2006 7:24:04 AM
    - Viaje a las Estrellas: La Ira de Khan - ER - 7/29/2006 6:57:43 PM
      - "Running a business is a skill, not a virtue." - Tom Brosz - 7/29/2006 8:38:17 PM
        
        re: "Running a business is a skill, not a virtue." - ER - 7/29/2006 8:51:12 PM
        
        Yes, I do. Excellent example. - Tom Brosz - 7/29/2006 10:49:17 PM
        
        re: Yes, I do. Excellent example. - ER - 7/30/2006 12:01:33 AM
        
        re: Excellent example. - Tom Brosz - 7/30/2006 2:42:07 AM
        
        Senor Eastwood, meet Carter J. Burke - ER - 7/30/2006 3:39:23 AM
        
        I thought of two examples of a heroic businessman in films. How many can you come up with? - Tom Brosz - 7/30/2006 6:07:32 AM
        
        You're right, I can't come up with too many... - ER - 7/30/2006 1:22:40 PM
        
        re: You're right, I can't come up with too many... - Tom Brosz - 7/30/2006 8:46:51 PM
        
        white-collar heroism is difficult to portray because it is inherently boring (n/t) - alcaray - 7/31/2006 3:31:23 PM
        
        You have a point... - ER - 7/31/2006 3:47:54 PM
        
        A clarification... - Tom Brosz - 7/31/2006 7:04:58 PM
        
        Understood - ER - 7/31/2006 7:44:47 PM
        
        "No sillier", perhaps; but I would hope more convincing. (n/t) - ER - 7/30/2006 8:59:04 PM
        
        "right winger writing bad left wing agitprop" is correct - Tony - 7/30/2006 3:43:36 PM
        
        He gives himself away... - ER - 7/30/2006 7:06:39 PM
        
        I suspect no-one. - tony - 7/30/2006 7:58:26 PM
        
        I prefer not to speculate... (n/t) - ER - 7/30/2006 8:45:43 PM
        
        I resent that! - SDAI-Tech1 - 7/30/2006 8:43:52 PM
        
        All businessman are depicted as heros. - Mark S. Nihil - 7/30/2006 6:59:27 AM
        
        BTW, Kirk in Spanish was a hoot... - ER - 7/30/2006 12:09:19 AM
    - only God is free of constraints (if you believe) - Daniel - 7/29/2006 5:55:29 PM
    - Okay, I read that one through twice. - Tom Brosz - 7/29/2006 5:14:50 PM
  - I was trying to remember that one - Robert - 7/29/2006 1:07:23 AM
    - Ya think? - Tom Brosz - 7/29/2006 6:57:03 AM
    - Coercion has an exact meaning. - Tom Brosz - 7/29/2006 6:49:05 AM
      - the only principle being pushed here is A MINIMUM LIVING WAGE - Daniel - 7/29/2006 11:07:28 AM
        
        "Living wage" - Tom Brosz - 7/29/2006 5:11:20 PM
        
        ok, you tell me then - Daniel - 7/29/2006 5:49:21 PM
        
        Obviously, minimum wage is a "livable" wage. - Tom Brosz - 7/29/2006 10:46:50 PM
        
        "Quite well on $5.15/hour" - dtb - 7/30/2006 2:49:58 PM
        
        I did say "as a student." - Tom Brosz - 7/30/2006 9:14:24 PM
        
        Students and minimum wage - dtb - 7/31/2006 1:03:30 AM
        
        thanks for that - Daniel - 7/31/2006 10:29:05 AM
        
        re: thanks - Tom Brosz - 7/31/2006 11:05:34 PM
        
        re: thanks - Daniel - 8/1/2006 1:25:44 AM
        
        Odd jobs - Tom Brosz - 8/1/2006 2:23:07 AM
        
        re: Odd jobs - Daniel - 8/1/2006 3:30:35 AM
        
        SSTO...I wish. - Tom Brosz - 8/1/2006 6:20:15 AM
        
        just to make clear - Daniel - 7/29/2006 6:12:00 PM

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