Editorials & Other Articles

CrispyQ

(40,806 posts)

37. Wish I could multiple rec this.

Sat Mar 9, 2013, 03:46 PM

Mar 2013

~kick.

This is so damned sad:

I did work in retail for minimum wage, both at age 16 and again at age 53. While I lived a life from teenager stocking shelves to older adult stocking shelves, the minimum wage only rose by a few bucks. The minimum wage today is $7.25—is a big latte really what an hour of my labor is worth? While the money has not changed, what has changed is who is now working these minimum wage jobs. Once upon a time they were filled with high school kids earning pocket money. In 2013, the jobs are encumbered by adults struggling to get by. Something is wrong.

So to the president I say, yes, please, do raise the minimum wage. But how far is the proposed nine bucks an hour going to go? Are we going to do eight hours of labor for the cell phone bill? Another twelve for the groceries each week? Another twenty or thirty for a car payment? How many hours are we going to work? How many can we work? Nobody can make a real living doing these jobs. You can’t raise a family on minimum wage. And you can’t build a nation on the working poor. Maybe what we need is to spend more on education and less on war, even out the tax laws and rules just a bit, require a standard living wage instead of a minimum one. That’s not all the answer, but it is a start. The president is right that it is time for a change, but what is needed is much more than a nudge up on the minimum wage.

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Heartbreaking.....I am Patient Zero in our New Economy [View all] dixiegrrrrl Mar 2013 OP

Sounds like RW paradice. UnrepentantLiberal Mar 2013 #1

and corporate Dem paradise. nt antigop Mar 2013 #5

That's just wrong. I know a lot of dem corporations that treat their juajen Mar 2013 #27

the corporate Dems in Congress --DLC/Third Wayers. nt antigop Mar 2013 #33

Some serious irony considering your avatar go west young man Mar 2013 #36

I wish I could rec your post, too. CrispyQ Mar 2013 #40

Totally with ya. go west young man Mar 2013 #43

they are pro-corporate, anti-labor. nt antigop Mar 2013 #51

Indeed. I hear the new "liberals" saying they are socially liberal but economically conservative. raouldukelives Mar 2013 #71

yep...nt antigop Mar 2013 #50

heartbreaking grammiepammie Mar 2013 #2

Welcome to Kochtopia lastlib Mar 2013 #3

"Kochtopia".... dixiegrrrrl Mar 2013 #4

(If you're familiar with Kansas) it shares a border with "Brownbackistan" lastlib Mar 2013 #6

And the next problem becomes that when you try to cobble together a couple of jobs kcass1954 Mar 2013 #7

When I was young, this country was going in the opposite direction. Jim__ Mar 2013 #8

This also: dixiegrrrrl Mar 2013 #13

You must be around 60 like me. airplaneman Mar 2013 #35

I worked for a company that moved assembly of cell phones to Mexico. CrispyQ Mar 2013 #41

K&R Smilo Mar 2013 #9

We're expected to have bladders of steel LiberalEsto Mar 2013 #18

But if Rand Paul can do Smilo Mar 2013 #24

Does this mean... mwooldri Mar 2013 #57

This: CrispyQ Mar 2013 #46

This is precisely the economy the Republicans want.... Swede Atlanta Mar 2013 #10

"simple state law changes" dixiegrrrrl Mar 2013 #11

not just the Republicans...corporate Dems as well. nt antigop Mar 2013 #17

it's also the economy corporate Dems want...don't kid yourself. nt antigop Mar 2013 #15

Please give some examples of dem corporations that act like republicans. juajen Mar 2013 #30

Congressional corporate dems...not "dem corporations" nt antigop Mar 2013 #34

Absolutely. duffyduff Mar 2013 #72

What state do you live in? Are you for real? xtraxritical Mar 2013 #16

Yeah. The ones who take risks are the ones who deserve to go the bathroom when they need to. Iris Mar 2013 #25

That's really the thing of it jollyreaper2112 Mar 2013 #78

I'm recommending this, even though... MrMickeysMom Mar 2013 #12

I can't stop reading his posts. dixiegrrrrl Mar 2013 #21

The "New Poor" is the old Middle-class. baldguy Mar 2013 #14

It is a J.O.B. kairos12 Mar 2013 #19

Let's appoint a Wal-Mart exec as budget chief of the U.S. government, that'll help just1voice Mar 2013 #20

That's Walmart Foundation- No Vested Interest Mar 2013 #28

Duh just1voice Mar 2013 #69

HUGE K & R !!! WillyT Mar 2013 #22

And media hero Rand Paul said RVN VET Mar 2013 #23

Add to this chervilant Mar 2013 #26

Not to mention that the homeless have no place to shower or lay their juajen Mar 2013 #32

Yes, heartbreaking beveeheart Mar 2013 #29

K&R me b zola Mar 2013 #31

Wish I could multiple rec this. CrispyQ Mar 2013 #37

A big K & R Lifelong Protester Mar 2013 #38

The guy's writing is so compelling. dixiegrrrrl Mar 2013 #45

k&r rhett o rick Mar 2013 #39

. snagglepuss Mar 2013 #42

Ingrate! She should be thankful she found work, over 50 and all... Octafish Mar 2013 #44

We're very quickly moving back to the days before labor unions: The Robber Baron loudsue Mar 2013 #47

so true, loudsue. We are quickly moving back to the days before unions. nt antigop Mar 2013 #52

It feels llike the war has started but only one side doing all the shooting. dixiegrrrrl Mar 2013 #75

Stealing Time... Ron Obvious Mar 2013 #48

That book should be required reading in every school. loudsue Mar 2013 #76

I'd swap "smoke" breaks, only, for flex time that I manage for longer & shorter days of my choice patrice Mar 2013 #49

All the while meaning to "depress and suppress" the population. glinda Mar 2013 #53

K&W Many decades of hard-fought workers' rights down the toilet. nt Doremus Mar 2013 #54

That's capitalism for ya. End this crap now. limpyhobbler Mar 2013 #55

As the middle class grows in Third World nations, Sekhmets Daughter Mar 2013 #56

Not having a bathroom break seems inhumane... Phentex Mar 2013 #58

I Remember Bigredhunk Mar 2013 #59

Big Boxes Bring 3rd World to America. What's new? n/t 99th_Monkey Mar 2013 #60

Du rec. Nt xchrom Mar 2013 #61

Marking this for a later read. progressoid Mar 2013 #62

Great article... I posted this poem this week... Not much response to it, but it sure does midnight Mar 2013 #63

K & R Wednesdays Mar 2013 #64

I suspect that the aim is to purposely create psychological depression Lydia Leftcoast Mar 2013 #65

jezusfucking christ, this makes me cry. It's so wrong, BlancheSplanchnik Mar 2013 #66

It does seem that every generation needs to pay attention. dixiegrrrrl Mar 2013 #68

k/r Solly Mack Mar 2013 #67

Message auto-removed Henry666 Mar 2013 #70

This is tolerated as normal ramapo Mar 2013 #73

Medicare For All would do a lot to ease the burden Doctor_J Mar 2013 #74

KICK patrice Mar 2013 #77