Minimum Wage

**Divinus Arma** · 04-22-2006, 03:00

Originally Posted by Marcellus

How easy would this be though? I haven't entered the job market yet so I can't really answer, but I suspect it's not that easy.

Easy enough. Rent a room instead of an apartment. Work close enough to walk to work. I walked many a mile before I joined the military and at very early hours. I was also walking distance to a college, but chose not to attend at the time. I shared an apartment, which wasn't really a wise choice. I did much better when I was merely renting a room.

It takes hard work to move up in life. Some people don't want to work on bettering their situation, or decide they "can't", claiming it is too difficult. There are plenty of opportunities. If anything, we need a more structured global job/education/training network. Imagine if every opportunity was available in one easy to browse location? Oh wait. they have it already. It's called the internet. And it's free at the local library.

**Reverend Joe** · 04-22-2006, 03:20

Originally Posted by Divinus Arma

It takes hard work to move up in life. Some people don't want to work on bettering their situation, or decide they "can't", claiming it is too difficult.

I thought it went "love thy neighbor", not "**** thy neighbor because he is a lazy ass."

Did it ever occur to you that maybe, just maybe, there are some people who can pretty much only work minimum-wage jobs? As in, those who are born... well... stupid? I have worked with many of these people; they can be perfectly nice, perfectly normal people, only they are simply unfit for any other job than those at the bottom of the rung. Or maybe they have minimal schooling, and no means for any further schooling, so they have to stick with what they can get? My father was one of those people (the latter, not the former.) I am sure he would be overjoyed at your social darwinistic ideas here. Yeah, screw those at the bottom- they can make it if they try, and if they don't, well, too bad! It's their problem. They're just obviously unfit to be in our society.

**Divinus Arma** · 04-22-2006, 03:54

Originally Posted by Zorba

I thought it went "love thy neighbor", not "**** thy neighbor because he is a lazy ass."

Did it ever occur to you that maybe, just maybe, there are some people who can pretty much only work minimum-wage jobs? As in, those who are born... well... stupid? I have worked with many of these people; they can be perfectly nice, perfectly normal people, only they are simply unfit for any other job than those at the bottom of the rung. Or maybe they have minimal schooling, and no means for any further schooling, so they have to stick with what they can get? My father was one of those people (the latter, not the former.) I am sure he would be overjoyed at your social darwinistic ideas here. Yeah, screw those at the bottom- they can make it if they try, and if they don't, well, too bad! It's their problem. They're just obviously unfit to be in our society.

In these instances, it is important for the individual to find a job that pays based on performance. Some low-skilled assembly and maufacturing jobs are like this. The harder the individual works, the more they get paid.

I simply do not agree with paying somebody for breathing. Capitalist society rewards those who contribute the most, and rightly so since it inspires most to achieve greater means for themselves. I agree that there are abuses. I also agree with Redleg that the minimum wage is a necessary evil. But should some WalMart employee get paid $14 an hour for stocking the shelves, cleaning barf from the kiddy section, or giving you that discontented groan when they hand you your bag full of chinese made crap?

To put it another way, there are two places I can choose to shop: The local grocery store which has intelligent and very helpful people working there, or WalMart, which is cheaper but has bottom dwellers giving you the finger on your way out. I pay a little more for the quality of service and the people who work there get paid more. Do they have the same skills? Essentially, but one knows the meaning of service and one does not.

And since when is schooling impossible? Community college is almost open enrollment and cheap as can be. There are plenty of trades to be learned that most average folks could pick up.

**Reverend Joe** · 04-22-2006, 05:03

Originally Posted by Divinus Arma

In these instances, it is important for the individual to find a job that pays based on performance. Some low-skilled assembly and maufacturing jobs are like this. The harder the individual works, the more they get paid.

I simply do not agree with paying somebody for breathing. Capitalist society rewards those who contribute the most, and rightly so since it inspires most to achieve greater means for themselves. I agree that there are abuses. I also agree with Redleg that the minimum wage is a necessary evil. But should some WalMart employee get paid $14 an hour for stocking the shelves, cleaning barf from the kiddy section, or giving you that discontented groan when they hand you your bag full of chinese made crap?

To put it another way, there are two places I can choose to shop: The local grocery store which has intelligent and very helpful people working there, or WalMart, which is cheaper but has bottom dwellers giving you the finger on your way out. I pay a little more for the quality of service and the people who work there get paid more. Do they have the same skills? Essentially, but one knows the meaning of service and one does not.

And since when is schooling impossible? Community college is almost open enrollment and cheap as can be. There are plenty of trades to be learned that most average folks could pick up.

Hard work is not guaranteed to pay off. The vast majority of low-level jobs pay the exact same, no matter how hard you work. I have seen this for myself.

I think the Wal-mart guy should be paid well, at least $8.00 an hour- he has a shitty job, but he was willing to take it, and put up with it, and so he is servicing society.

Not sure where you are going with the small store/ Walmart thing... are you saying certain people should get paid less because you don't like them?

And as for the community college- bull****. Yes, they can teach you some useful trades, and yes they are cheap, but when you are working on a minimum-wage job, eight hours a day, that means that the only time you get to go to school is at night, and that just does not work. You are physically and mentally exhausted by the time you get to your first class, and it gets to be too much, very quickly. You also usually need at least some outside help to go to a community college (or one that is worth a damn, anyway) and some people just don't have that.