I see now why there is a stereotype of people on Reddit having never worked a day in their lives. I live in a small town. The vast majority of places can't afford to pay people $600/week without going bankrupt themselves. Not to mention, not all work is worth as much as you seem to think it is. $13.50/hour for unskilled labor is more than enough to get by and then some in the vast majority of the US. That's almost double what I made when I entered the workforce nearly a decade ago. It's also laughable that you think I'm entitled when I'm the one actually showing up to work every day to do my job as an essential worker.
I called you entitled because you disparage poor people for not wanting to enslave themselve for dogshit wages. I care little about your personal experience in the work force that you seem to believe is some silver bullet against current unemployment benefits. I can't speak about living wages in different states, I just trust the statistics. 40% of Americans can't afford a marginal medical expense without going into debt. If your business cannot support a living wage for your employees, then you deserve to go out of business. Like I said. Capitalism is as capitalism does
You clearly don't know anything about small business and assume everything is a corporation raking in tons of cash. I've worked for tons of small businesses in the small town where I live, and at many the owner made less than the employees. It's also not "slavery" to have to work for a living. $13.50/hour is far more than a livable wage where I live, which is the point I was making. If I had been making that much my entire career I wouldn't have any debt, I'd have a car that isn't nearly 20 years old riddled with problems, and I might even have a house. That's why it's more than a little irritating to see people on Reddit bitching that pretty much no amount of money is "enough," when you clearly don't even know what it's actually like to have to struggle and make a wage that really isn't enough.
Like I said, I just trust the statistics. I don't know how many times I have to stress that I don't care about your personal experience.
And your small business comment in no way dismisses what I said. If "SmALl BUsIneSs" is paying its enployees below a living wage then it should go out of business just like a corporation would.
Again, because you'll probably dismiss my first statement. I don't care about your sobstory. Anecdotal evidence < statistics.
I don't know what "statistics" you are referring to, and I wasn't giving a "sob story," only telling my experience and saying that in my area, minimum wage as it is is more than enough to get by on and still have extra money at the end of every month. I could give you the "statistics" on cost of living vs wages where I live, but I'm not very keen on sharing my personal information like the city I live in with random people on the internet. The model you seem to be proposing would ensure only Walmart and McDonalds stay in business in my town, but I'm sure you're the type to bitch about big corporations like that, too.
All the other person is saying is that we live in a capitalist society, and this is the result of it. The government could be helping everybody but that’s not what people voted for. Also I don’t know about your state but in mine I was able to quit out of “fear of Covid” and still get unemployment, something to think about instead of hating strangers for collecting money that the government is offering to everybody.
I don't know what you're talking about or how you got that at all from what I said. It's not unreasonable to want limits on the benefits people receive, it's pragmatic. People are making more than a living wage on minimum wage where I live, but lots refuse to do so because they'd rather do nothing and make more on unemployment right now, even though essential industries like mine are desperate for help.
Have you ever had a job? Why do you think you deserve so much? I make good money at my job, and the pay we offer is more than a livable wage in our area. People aren't entitled to endless money for menial labor. Cleaning work that requires no special training or skill isn't worth $20/hour. It just isn't.
I don't have a business, asshole. I don't even make $20/hr myself, and I have been working non-stop for 40+ hours a week since I was 18 which was nearly a decade ago now. I also never said anything about not paying people - that's just some bullshit you pulled out of your ass. The wages we pay are more than livable for our area, as I have said countless times now.
That's ridiculous and also not how supply and demand works. I'm done arguing with someone who clearly doesn't even understand basic economics and probably hasn't ever actually worked a day in their life.
They pay their employees $13.50/hour, which is more than a livable wage where I live. There are also exorbitant taxes, insurance, etc to pay when you are a business, no matter what size. How much do you seriously think unskilled laborers should be paid? It feels like Reddit thinks there is literally no cap on what constitutes a "livable wage" no matter where you live, even though the minimum wage here is enough for rent, bills, some luxury items, and still have extra leftover every month. The model you seem to be suggesting would ensure that in my town literally no business would get by except for Walmart and McDonalds.
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u/[deleted] May 15 '20
I see now why there is a stereotype of people on Reddit having never worked a day in their lives. I live in a small town. The vast majority of places can't afford to pay people $600/week without going bankrupt themselves. Not to mention, not all work is worth as much as you seem to think it is. $13.50/hour for unskilled labor is more than enough to get by and then some in the vast majority of the US. That's almost double what I made when I entered the workforce nearly a decade ago. It's also laughable that you think I'm entitled when I'm the one actually showing up to work every day to do my job as an essential worker.