General Discussion

LuvNewcastle

(17,851 posts)

10. $15 an hour is just about the bare minimum

Sat Aug 8, 2015, 06:26 AM

Aug 2015

it takes to live a decent life if you're totally on your own.

A friend of mine (David) makes about $10.50 an hour and lives here in the Deep South. Even though the COL is cheaper here than in a lot of places, he has to live with his grandmother. I think his pay after taxes comes to about 1300 or 1400 a month. Average rent around here is about 800 or 900, so David doesn't make nearly enough to live alone, pay a car payment, pay insurance, and eat -- plus pay for whatever unexpected event that comes up.

So, if David, who is in his 30's and has a child, is ever going to move out of grandma's house, he needs a substantial raise. An extra $5 an hour would give him about what he needs to get by and live an independent life. $15 an hour should be the bare minimum, because that's what it takes to live even in the cheapest places. Thanks to these shitty states we live in, the only time we ever get a raise down here is when the federal govt. raises the minimum wage.

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A $15 national minimum wage doesn't look economically sound to me [View all] gobears10 Aug 2015 OP

Shouldn't the federal tax rate take the same in to account then? Live and Learn Aug 2015 #1

President Obama supports a $12 national minimum wage... gobears10 Aug 2015 #2

also, federal tax rate is different from minimum wage gobears10 Aug 2015 #4

But the deduction differences really only apply to home interest. Live and Learn Aug 2015 #7

Three reasons 1939 Aug 2015 #9

you left out a big one: broadcast rights fishwax Aug 2015 #35

Without the three reasons I noted 1939 Aug 2015 #44

well, yeah, but without broadcast rights there wouldn't be nearly as much income to go around fishwax Aug 2015 #71

Because poor people own houses in NYC instead of renting. jeff47 Aug 2015 #47

Interesting post but would you care to elaborate Juicy_Bellows Aug 2015 #3

this is what RR said... gobears10 Aug 2015 #5

Thanks for the reply. Juicy_Bellows Aug 2015 #6

Right... gobears10 Aug 2015 #11

I hardly think Puerto Ricos economic downturn can be blamed on their minimum wage. Live and Learn Aug 2015 #8

Because social security payments just sit in people's wallets? jeff47 Aug 2015 #51

$15 an hour is just about the bare minimum LuvNewcastle Aug 2015 #10

I agree with your premise that a "modest increase in the minimum wage" is the way to go. Scuba Aug 2015 #12

there's a huge problem with this... gobears10 Aug 2015 #13

Are there companies that can only afford to exist at slave wages? Sure, but they should go out ... Scuba Aug 2015 #16

+1gazillion or so Glassunion Aug 2015 #73

+1000 smirkymonkey Aug 2015 #27

Fordism worked very well for a long time. CanadaexPat Aug 2015 #39

That implies that productivity increases are uniform 1939 Aug 2015 #28

Relavent only if you think its OK for some workers to be paid less than a "living wage" despite ... Scuba Aug 2015 #32

Of course not Lee-Lee Aug 2015 #43

Yes, and retail as well 1939 Aug 2015 #45

They still benefit from productivity gains. jeff47 Aug 2015 #50

But let's not do double accounting. Igel Aug 2015 #68

I disagree My Good Babushka Aug 2015 #14

$15/hr in Austin would be barely minimum living wage. hobbit709 Aug 2015 #15

We've seen the costs of living argument against national minimum wages many times before. Erich Bloodaxe BSN Aug 2015 #17

This ignores the problem... gobears10 Aug 2015 #18

I'm in one of the cheaper parts of the country. Erich Bloodaxe BSN Aug 2015 #25

Workers are not anchored to the ground. jeff47 Aug 2015 #56

And if you don't have the money to move? hobbit709 Aug 2015 #79

Better paid workers do. So they move, and worse-paid workers jeff47 Aug 2015 #82

you're funny. hobbit709 Aug 2015 #83

Boy, what a thorough analysis. jeff47 Aug 2015 #84

And you really believe the wages go up? hobbit709 Aug 2015 #85

No. If you bother reading what I wrote, I never said wages would go up. jeff47 Aug 2015 #86

How much do you live on? Marrah_G Aug 2015 #19

Does it matter? Positrons Aug 2015 #21

Yes it does Marrah_G Aug 2015 #23

i don't see how it's relevant... gobears10 Aug 2015 #26

LOL, okay Marrah_G Aug 2015 #29

You have done neither. nt Logical Aug 2015 #80

Are you suggesting that wealthier - or poorer - people can't support positions outside their own? Scuba Aug 2015 #33

I am suggesting that it is much more difficult Marrah_G Aug 2015 #40

Except you've completely misunderstood the arguments placing an upper bound on the minimum wage. Donald Ian Rankin Aug 2015 #81

And the "kiosks" have already started to appear: 7962 Aug 2015 #20

Love those kiosks and ordering through my phone... Positrons Aug 2015 #22

So tell me... do you get cell service under that bridge? Marrah_G Aug 2015 #24

Aren't you just a little ray of sunshine....? Positrons Aug 2015 #31

Lol! BeanMusical Aug 2015 #65

Effect, meet cause. Igel Aug 2015 #69

LOL! A $10 burger from McDonalds! Rex Aug 2015 #87

? Positrons Aug 2015 #89

Puerto Rico is an island economy--things are more expensive there, not less. MADem Aug 2015 #30

Not just of late. They've had a net outflow for 20 years. (nt) jeff47 Aug 2015 #48

It's gotten worse down the years. nt MADem Aug 2015 #76

Nope, gotta go with the Nobel laureate in economics on this one stevenleser Aug 2015 #34

For this topic, IMO, a Democrat needs to discuss capping MAXIMUM wages. WinkyDink Aug 2015 #36

This is my view as well. PowerToThePeople Aug 2015 #63

No, the highest income folks don't get their income through wages. stevenleser Aug 2015 #66

You can cap those other methods too. PowerToThePeople Aug 2015 #67

How exactly? If a billionaire invests via mutual funds, how do you cap the earnings? stevenleser Aug 2015 #74

Uh, taxing it. PowerToThePeople Aug 2015 #78

Explain that tax rule then. nt stevenleser Aug 2015 #88

I'm confused about your support for a local based approach Bradical79 Aug 2015 #37

Try getting by on $9/hr and then tell me about economically sound. hobbit709 Aug 2015 #38

We need national minimum wage laws A Little Weird Aug 2015 #41

guestion olddots Aug 2015 #42

Imo, all it will do is put many more people on the lowest rung of the income ladder. PowerToThePeople Aug 2015 #46

Why would the company disperse the money? jeff47 Aug 2015 #49

They may choose not to PowerToThePeople Aug 2015 #52

Because we don't have the last 40 years to measure how well that works. (nt) jeff47 Aug 2015 #53

Not saying that changes do not need to be made. PowerToThePeople Aug 2015 #54

Good thing we have real-world experiments to see what would happen. jeff47 Aug 2015 #55

I would not hold E Wa as a successful area for workers PowerToThePeople Aug 2015 #59

ID isn't doing better. That's the point. jeff47 Aug 2015 #60

The reason that E Wa is better than N Idaho imo PowerToThePeople Aug 2015 #62

That's a very Republican idea, to leave people in poverty so the wealthy can do better.You make jtuck004 Aug 2015 #57

Are you still living in the 80's or what 4dsc Aug 2015 #58

your post actually has nothing to do with the minimum wage per se unblock Aug 2015 #61

Your concern for the top 1% has been duly noted. tenderfoot Aug 2015 #64

Its called Federal Minimum Wage? States have to match it, except 2 or 3? states today do not Sunlei Aug 2015 #70

The federal minimum wage definitely needs to be raised. DemocratSinceBirth Aug 2015 #72

Well, in some places you need way more than $15 to afford an apartment. Starry Messenger Aug 2015 #75

I agree, it doesn't look economically sound to me either. panader0 Aug 2015 #77