Originally Posted by Guest

No, I was not bragging about volunteer work. I was told by a poster to do something instead of just talking liberalism. I merely replied as to what things I do - as well as play golf twice a week.

No, I do not say I am a good person nor are my views anymore important than a conservatives views. Follow your conscience.

Do you believe only liberals volunteer to help others.
I know a lot of conservatives that contribute $$$, do volunteer work, and they also play golf.

But IMHO a mandated minimum wage
does more harm than good.

I'm glad the first jobs I ever had paid very little,
because they gave me the motivation to go to college.

Originally Posted by Guest

Do you believe only liberals volunteer to help others.
I know a lot of conservatives that contribute $$$, do volunteer work, and they also play golf.

But IMHO a mandated minimum wage
does more harm than good.

I'm glad the first jobs I ever had paid very little,
because they gave me the motivation to go to college.

I know plenty of Liberals AND Conservatives who volunteer at various things and donate money. Some even play golf.

The Federal minimum wage has been around since 1938. My first job was $1.25 per hour while I was attending college - before the Army.

Since minimum wage has been around since 1938, I doubt if it will ever go away.

Originally Posted by Guest

So, if I hear you correctly, you think that there should be NO minimum wage whatsoever and it would be entirely up to businesses to determine the wages to be paid?

Isn't that going back to the days of the "robber barons" who would employ workers and pay them almost nothing? That is why labor unions were established as well as the federal minimum wage.

I do see your side BUT that ship has sailed. There IS federal minimum wage and it will not be going away. The question is whether or not to raise it to $15 per hour and create a living wage or not. The Democratic platform will be having incremental increases in minimum wage to $15.

Yes, your hamburger and beer at Codys might cost 50 cents more and your WalMart toilet paper might cost 75 cents more for the 24 pack. The Cody's waitress and WalMart employees will make a decent wage while they hopefully increase their education and skill to find a job paying more money.

As others pointed out: minimum wage is a shell game. How much of an increase do you want to give and then the product price goes up to cover that increase, all wages will go up too and everyone will be right back where they were...

The labor union's ship sailed many years ago, they did a great job of running the non unions pricing up (the non union contractor only has to be a little less, obviously the non union can out perform the union slugs in the field, thus better profits for the non union). The unions are parasites on the members offering substandard returns on investment (tiered pension plans!). Absolute piece of **** people run unions (wasting money erecting inflatable rats instead of motivating their members to be the best labor force out there).

Not only will your burger go up at Cody's, everything will go up. Sadly for you (I am assuming you are retired) your income will not be increased. So; go ahead big spender lobby for $15.

STOCK UP ON AMMO!

I'm not an economist but do understand the effect of wages, having worked in a union manufacturing sector that is almost completely gone in this country. Raising minimum wage high enough to support a family will only work where consumers don't have a choice, that is how we lost our manufacturing base. That is why Walmart is king, people are talking with their wallets. There are very few private sector jobs that are left that fall in that category. Only public sector jobs where the consumer has no choice are wages healthy but at a very high cost to country long term. Problem is I believe almost all public sector jobs pay $15 an hour already.

A $15 minimum wage would cause thousands of small businesses to go out of business because consumers would care about prices increases. Have you ever owed a small business? If a business can raise prices they do it to increase profits. But, the Democrats want to raise the minimum wage because they want small businesses to close. That way, the Government will get bigger and have more control over everything.

Well, $15 is not enough, can't afford my BMW on that wage!

There are a number of independent influencing factors to this discussion unions, market value, competitiveness, inflation, right to work and federal government interferences/regulations.

The topic is minimum wage. Minimum wage suggests that people are automatically entitled to a certain amount and ignores the value of a specific job to a company. Federal law dictates to a business owner what s/he will pay a worker vis a vis the market. The market is a better indicator than government.

In the beginning unions did serve people well in promoting better working conditions, increase wages, etc. However now they exist primarily as means to an end for politicians. My focus here is on public unions. compare identical private to public jobs and you will see in most cases that public jobs pay substantially more have extraordinary benefits and you can't fire anyone.
It is an oxymoron to consider bargaining rights for public workers because the people vested to bargain with public unions are your duly elected representatives and they of course have developed a quid pro quo relationship with unions (ie you vote for me and I;ll vote for you.
You can't fire incompetent government workers teachers, etc Meanwhile the liabilities on future benefits pensions etc are so out of synch that its sinking everyone. and who do you think will pay the pied piper taxpayers of course.

As to core operations such as longshoreman, and the home/ commercial building, auto industry do unions help or hinder?

Why doesn't Silicon Valley need unions? do you believe a toll and die maker in this day and age needs a union to help boost its market value?

Personal Best Regards:

Originally Posted by Guest

Pal, you are right about one thing - I am a liberal. Thank you.

However - not serving my country - WRONG! Vietnam vet and lost a leg at the knee. I do volunteer on a regular basis at the Wildwood Food Pantry. I go to church on a regular basis. I teach boxing to high school kids. How do you match up with your service and volunteering? Want to go a few rounds in the ring with a liberal?

I make you miserable because I have liberal ideas? I apologize for that.

Apology accepted.....

Originally Posted by Guest

I cannot understand why Republiicans are against raising the minimum wage in increments to $15 per hour. Not all in one jump, but increments over a couple or three years.

Businesses could gradually increase prices and the consumer would not mind and the business would not suffer loss.

The minimum wage should represent a wage that a minimally employed family of four could live on decenty.

Democrats do not want to set a minimum wage as what to strive for but rather as a safety net if nothing higher or more skilled can be found.

So when the price of EVERYTHING increases, so that suppliers can remain in business with roughly DOUBLE the minimum wage costs, WHERE will that put the CONSUMER, whose LIMITED INCOME is solely from retirement or disability ? My wife and I are in this situation and we can BARELY pay our living expenses, NOW, including our ever-increasing MEDICAL bills.

We have to drive a 1996 Ford Ranger on Disability and Social Security, and neither of us are able to work. This is not a humorous situation for us.

If you look at the ratio of earned income to unearned income in this country it would not be hard to see the problem. For this comparison I call earned income wages the are being paid to an employee for work done or hours performed. Unearned is SS, Medicare, pensions, stock market, welfare, earned income credit, disabilities, or any income received without working during same time period. That ratio is tipping or has already tipped over. I just think it's another way to look at the economy. I also don't have that number just something to discuss but I suspect it is inverted.

Originally Posted by Guest

If you look at the ratio of earned income to unearned income in this country it would not be hard to see the problem. For this comparison I call earned income wages the are being paid to an employee for work done or hours performed. Unearned is SS, Medicare, pensions, stock market, welfare, earned income credit, disabilities, or any income received without working during same time period. That ratio is tipping or has already tipped over. I just think it's another way to look at the economy. I also don't have that number just something to discuss but I suspect it is inverted.

So, for residents of The Villages, it is almost ALL unearned income?

Originally Posted by Guest

We have to drive a 1996 Ford Ranger on Disability and Social Security, and neither of us are able to work. This is not a humorous situation for us.

In that case, The Villages definitely IS NOT the place for you to live. You could live a lot cheaper in another area. Any trailer park in the South would welcome you.

If it were not for the liberals, you would not even be receiving Disability and Social Security. You would be living in a refrigerator box under a bridge.

Originally Posted by Guest

In that case, The Villages definitely IS NOT the place for you to live. You could live a lot cheaper in another area. Any trailer park in the South would welcome you.

If it were not for the liberals, you would not even be receiving Disability and Social Security. You would be living in a refrigerator box under a bridge.

Sounds like you are looking for a new neighbor.