It isn't MY station in life I am unhappy with. It is the state of the world.

There are areas where it is even less than that. Several had it <$20,000

I know, I know. The truth is very difficult to deal with when it doesn't fit your preconceived notions or desires.

That is NOT a living wage. I don't understand why some of you don't get that.

lol. That is what a living wage is - by definition. I don't understand why you don't get that.

Fixed that for you.

HA!

Living Wage /'liv-eng · wâj/
An above market wage mandate set at upwards of $15 an hour. Traditional living wages apply only to government employees or employees of companies that contract with governments. Recently, efforts have been made to expand the reach of these ordinances to all local businesses.
http://www.epionline.org/lw_glossary_list.cfm?gid=1
http://www.epionline.org/index_lw.cfm

Thats the living wage for a Gov't employee. Then again at the rate we are going we'll all be Gov't employees soon enough.

That is the definition of the living wage as defined by the people who are trying to get it changed for everyone else.

:)

Whatever. You've made it pretty clear you have no sympathy for those at the bottom of the rung or even the middle class, who are struggling under the burden of greed by the uber wealthy elite in this country. Many of them work their collective asses off, some more than one job, and they deserve to paid well enough to live a life for their efforts. But all you classists think only people who put on a tie and work as executives or doctors or something are deserving enough to be paid well enough to afford having a life.

You have no fucking idea who you are talking to. You don't know me. You don't have the slightest idea what you are talking about. I don't put on a tie. I wear jeans to work. I worked 3 frigging jobs simultaneously AND put myself through college in my 30's to better myself and provide for my family. Fuck you very much. I got MAYBE 4-5 hours of sleep for months on end to get my degrees. I worked, and still work my ass off to raise my kids. I am NOT rich, by any stretch. I am now flat ass broke after paying my taxes.
I sacrifice what I want and do what I NEED to for those I love.

Who the fuck are you to call me a classist? I busted my ass to get what I have, yet you sit there telling me I should give it away? No one gave me anything. I fucking earned every fuckin thing I have and I deserve it, and more as do my kids.

If you want something in life you gotta EARN it. It cannot be given to you. That fuckin asinine attitude DOES NOT WORK! Empowerment is the way, NOT entitlement.

Don't listen to him sugarpop, he's a closet Rockefeller with a trust fund.

Merc works lots of jobs, but none of them are full time and all pay tons of money for surfing the Cellar.

Lookout reaps piles of cash hanging out with hookers.
:lol2:

OK, I'm kidding... all three are successful because they've worked hard, made sacrifices and made smart decisions.

I can see the problems with raising the minimum wage too high, in that it will force employers to not give some people a chance to learn or prove themselves. It would just eliminate some entry levels jobs or force employers to hire illegals under the table.

I feel sorry for the kid that's made a couple of bad choices in his/her teens and is stuck with a family that will repeat the cycle for lack of a roll model. Especially when the economy is down

But all that said, you can't convince me that minimum wage is a living wage. At most, I'll admit it's a surviving wage. :haha:

kudos to you. I applaud your hard work. Really. And Merc's. Merc knows I'm serious because we are friends. Anyone, though, who continues to make excuses for the uber rich, and why they shouldn't pay more taxes, or why they deserve to be paid 500x the average worker, is a classist in my eyes. I didn't mean to offend you personally though. I don't believe ANYONE deserves that much more money, especially when some of those very people are the same people who brought the world economy to a screeching halt, and others have run their companies into the ground.

CBO has interesting data on the growing income gap in a report this month.

Some figures from one chart on the average after tax income over the last 25+ years (pdf)

the lowest fifth increased from $14,900 to $16,500 from 1979 to 1986 - 11% increase
the second fifth increased from $30,100 to 35,400 from '79 to '86 - 18% increase
the top fifth increased from $98,900 to $184,400 from '79 to '86 - 87% increase
the top 1% increased from $337,100 to $1,200,300 - 256% increase

Pretty much explains why I support a progressive income tax....and I still aspire to the top tier...even if it means paying a higher percentage marginal tax rate. (not that I expect to make that top 1%)

More: http://www.cbo.gov/publications/coll...stribution.cfm