Only in America

Originally posted by KazetNagorra
Yeah, because taxation is theft, right?

Nope

Originally posted by bill718
Only in America does no one seem to notice when CFO's and CEO's make $1,500-$15,000 and hour, yet most act like the end of the world will come if the minimum wage is raised to $15.00/hr. Can you say "brain washed sheep"?? 🙄

I am aware of no laws that require companies pay their CEOs $1500 per hour. All of them are free citizens who have either started a company that has succeeded or they have negotiated their services to an existing company at a rate both sides freely agreed to.

Also, there are no laws that require sports teams to pay their players $20,000,000 per year.

And their are no laws that require actors to be payed $5,000,000+ for a role in a film.

What is really weird is how many people don't notice that they're conflating a freely agreed upon compensation plan with a government mandate minimum.

And just think, how much does one need to make ends meet in high cost places like San Francisco? Do we really want to prevent a 16 year old in rural Arkansas from entering the job market unless someone is willing to pay him that much?

Originally posted by techsouth
What is really weird is how many people don't notice that they're conflating a freely agreed upon compensation plan with a government mandate minimum.

I believe one of the rights they were fighting for was the right to unionise and thus negotiate their wages in a freely agreed upon compensation plan. The problem with current systems is it is not nearly as free as you would like to make out.

Originally posted by KellyJay
Seems no different to me from making one pay another money they may not have.

That may be the case for some smaller businesses but most of the larger multinationals are effectively stealing the benefits of the productivity that, lets face it, was handed them by lesser ( financial) people. You know, the engineers, the scientists etc etc. The more advanced we become, the more disenfranchised those at the bottom become. Money gets sucked out of the populous and sent straight to the top.If we are not good little slaves ( in many cases) working 2 jobs we can go starve. I am in Australia and the corporations are making it clear they are not sharing the fruits of the workers labor with the worker. You know! We are easily replaceable so the don't have to. But the ask us to help them become more productive so we lose our jobs and they then pay us even less.
phranny is so right, though it is not necessarily easy to do as smaller company's have to compete with the productivity capabilities of the large ones that are forcing pays down.

Originally posted by jimmac
That may be the case for some smaller businesses but most of the larger multinationals are effectively stealing the benefits of the productivity that, lets face it, was handed them by lesser ( financial) people. You know, the engineers, the scientists etc etc. The more advanced we become, the more disenfranchised those at the bottom become. Money gets sucked ...[text shortened]... have to compete with the productivity capabilities of the large ones that are forcing pays down.

A business job is NOT to share its wealth with anyone, it is to make money.
Now where that money goes is up to those that run the business, its their business.
Large companies are no different than the smaller ones in that they have to be making
enough money to stay alive, and spending it in the right places to continue that trend.

Money gets sucked out and put back into areas all the time due to businesses, if you
employee people by offering them jobs at set wages and people take them, than the
set wages are what they agreed to work for. Demanding more is lazy, why not just go find
another higher paying job, start your own business, otherwise when push comes to
shove if you become more trouble than your worth, they will find someone or something
that will do what you were doing.

Already the fast food industry are looking into replacing people with machines just to keep
the prices down. I've worked 2 jobs while going to school, it wasn't my end goal, but it did
to get me to a place where I now only work 1 job. If I ever have to go back to that, well than
I'll go back to that.

Originally posted by bill718
Ding ding ding....We have a winner! So many companies can't see that their employees and also their potential customers, and if they starve them, they are also starving their customer base.

Sorry, but almost nobody stays in minimum wage jobs, and a middle class is not created by minimum wage increases.

One might argue that wages ought to be increased across the board, but somehow in relation to the value of the employee.

Originally posted by Shallow Blue
What makes you think they even care? Companies of this size aren't about sales any more, they're about dividends. You don't need to have a healthy throughput any more, all you need to do is convince the stock market that you're healthy. Or on that basis, at least, do the CEOs build their policies.

I don't know of a business model where profits and dividends are produced without sales.

Originally posted by KellyJay
Yea, one of these days a CEO may make as much as Hillary Clinton does
an hour when she gets paid for a speech.

Politicians get paid a lot for speeches because it is a convenient way for bribery to appear legal. People may want to hear former presidents speak, but not that much. It is the crooked way.

Originally posted by normbenign
Sorry, but almost nobody stays in minimum wage jobs, and a middle class is not created by minimum wage increases.

One might argue that wages ought to be increased across the board, but somehow in relation to the value of the employee.

Raising the minimum wage is only nominal. When adjusted to inflation minimum wage has decreased.

Outsourcing has decreased demand for unskilled labor here in the USA so wages will not increase because of supply and demand. Minimum wage should be increased nationally to $10.00 per hour at least. Anything less is economic slavery.

Originally posted by Metal Brain
Politicians get paid a lot for speeches because it is a convenient way for bribery to appear legal. People may want to hear former presidents speak, but not that much. It is the crooked way.

I agree

Originally posted by Metal Brain
Raising the minimum wage is only nominal. When adjusted to inflation minimum wage has decreased.

Outsourcing has decreased demand for unskilled labor here in the USA so wages will not increase because of supply and demand. Minimum wage should be increased nationally to $10.00 per hour at least. Anything less is economic slavery.

I think we need to do away with the Federal Minimum wage, if a state wants one, let them
set it up, or not.

Originally posted by twhitehead
I believe one of the rights they were fighting for was the right to unionise and thus negotiate their wages in a freely agreed upon compensation plan. The problem with current systems is it is not nearly as free as you would like to make out.

People are totally free to unionize. If only everyone was free to not be in a union.

Originally posted by twhitehead
I believe one of the rights they were fighting for was the right to unionise and thus negotiate their wages in a freely agreed upon compensation plan. The problem with current systems is it is not nearly as free as you would like to make out.

I don't know of any place where unionizing is prohibited. Even in "right to work" States, unions may be formed. They just can't force people to join them, or not work.

Originally posted by Metal Brain
Raising the minimum wage is only nominal. When adjusted to inflation minimum wage has decreased.

Outsourcing has decreased demand for unskilled labor here in the USA so wages will not increase because of supply and demand. Minimum wage should be increased nationally to $10.00 per hour at least. Anything less is economic slavery.

I agree with your facts, but not you conclusions. People don't work minimum wage jobs to support families. Low paying jobs are a way for beginning workers to enter the workforce and gain experience. Most know that gaining experience, and more skills will get them better wages.

Originally posted by normbenign
I don't know of a business model where profits and dividends are produced without sales.

Car rental agencies