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Observations from an Aussie on minimum wage

Discussion in 'News & Current Events' started by billwald, Dec 3, 2010.

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  1. targus

    targus New Member

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    So this guy starts with the assumption that the workers doing the laundry are paid less than minimum wage and then builds his whole story on that.

    How does he know that the workers at the dry cleaning plant - that he doesn't even go to -make less than minimum wages?

    Stupid and pointless article.
     
  2. Don

    Don Well-Known Member
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    Bill, did you even read this piece before posting the link?

    What a bunch of tripe.
     
  3. billwald

    billwald New Member

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    There there are no illegal aliens in the US working for less than minimum wage? Then how are the illegals taking apple thinning jobs from your kids?
     
  4. Don

    Don Well-Known Member
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    Bill - the "tripe" part is where he states that the laundry goes to a warehouse full of oriental women who don't speak English, and probably get paid less than minimum wage.

    If he has knowledge of such a place, rather than assuming that's what happens, then he should report the location to the police and the INS. In fact, that would make a better story than the one he told....
     
  5. targus

    targus New Member

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    To begin with my kids don't have jobs thinning apples - one is a middle school science teacher - one is a graduate student at Cornell - and one is a law student at the University of Michigan. :smilewinkgrin:

    As to the balance of you inane question - how do you or your author know the immigration status, sex, nationality or level of pay of these people drycleaing the clothes?

    For that matter how do you know that it is not an automated plant?
     
  6. Salty

    Salty 20,000 Posts Club
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    Big T, why do you keep insisting on wanting the facts....:smilewinkgrin:
     
  7. matt wade

    matt wade Well-Known Member

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    If they are here illegally, I don't care if they aren't paid minimum wage. Work them in sweat shops, work them all day long, work them in horrible conditions...I don't care. If you come to this country illegally, then you shouldn't get the same protections as a citizen.
     
  8. freeatlast

    freeatlast New Member

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    The first problem with this is that is stands against the attitude of the Lord. He has some serious warnings against using people and paying them low wages and keeping them in poverty. It brings a harsh judgment on those who hold this idea as being just.
    The second problem with that is that it filters down to the employers who are legit and it effects us all. The best thing is to arrest the owners who employ these people and give them 5 years in the pen. Arrest the illegal people and give them 5 years of hard labor and then deport them.
     
  9. SpiritualMadMan

    SpiritualMadMan New Member

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    I have to give Aussie comments a grain of salt if that much.

    After all they allowed and then rolled over when the gun-haters in the Aussie Government voted and then took all their firearms, even antiques and non-firing collectors items and cut them up!
     
  10. matt wade

    matt wade Well-Known Member

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    I agree. The laws need to be enforced against employers that knowingly hire illegals as well. That doesn't negate that I'm unconcerned over how illegals are treated. If they didn't break the law to be here, then they wouldn't be treated in such a fashion.
     
  11. billwald

    billwald New Member

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    >To begin with my kids don't have jobs thinning apples - one is a middle school science teacher - one is a graduate student at Cornell - and one is a law student at the University of Michigan.

    That's my point. No one on this list wants their kids to be migrant farm workers. Who in the entire United States wants their kids to be migrant farm workers? Please suggest who might want their kids to be migrant farm workers? Should we go back to renting out prison labor and chain gangs?
     
  12. targus

    targus New Member

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    How in the world did you get to farm workers?

    Your stupid OP article was about mythical Chinese women working in a laundry for less than minimum wage.

    Seriously - how do you have the skill to even turn on your computer?
     
  13. Salty

    Salty 20,000 Posts Club
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    He doesn't, he has an illegal alien do it for him:smilewinkgrin:
     
  14. rbell

    rbell Active Member

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    I'd rather me, or my kid, do an honest day's work than not.

    I've worked jobs that many would say are "beneath" them.

    We all know that this kind of silliness is to prop up the union's party line.

    This kind of article, alternated with a wealth envy article....sprinkled with a bit of misinformation, and you've got the perfect union recruiting propaganda piece.

    Now to just find folks who are chronically ticked off, enjoy coveting for fun and profit, and have an affinity for the color blue and the letter "D"...and you've got more dues rolling in! I can almost hear the "Godfather" theme playing in the background...
     
  15. targus

    targus New Member

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    You really don't get it do you Wald. Success is a result of work.

    You chose not to truly work - and instead hid in the safety of the briar patch - namely your union job.

    You admit that you took no overtime work - that you took no side jobs. And now you want to complain about the "rich".

    Let me tell you my history...

    I was one of 12 kids - born on a farm - my dad worked the farm and a full time job to support his family. I worked on the farm - planting, weeding, hoeing, harvesting.

    I took jobs for low pay - mucking out horse stalls for $25 a week working full time - washing dishes for $25 a week working full time.

    I left the farm and my family at the age of 14 to move to inner-city Detroit for school. Can you imagine that?

    I continued to wash dishes and clean toilets and do whatever else I could do to make a dollar.

    I worked through college - washing dishes and cleaning toilets - unitl I finally got a factory job.

    When I got married my wife and I spent the first nights as newly weds - not at a hotel somewhere - but in a one room apartment - resetting the mouse traps trying to rid ourselves of the hundreds of unwanted things.

    At time I worked two jobs at a time - delivering newspapers, as a janitor, factory work - whatever it took while I started my business.

    Some of my business attempts were successful - some where not.

    And my life continued to improve - until I was one of the people that you envy and resent.

    My wife has two brothers - they had the same opportunities - the same chances. One is now a Vice President of an international automotive manufacturing company - and the other lives in his parent's basement watching TV and surfing the internet for gay porn.

    One worked and one did not.

    My kids are successful - but they have had their share of low pay jobs - clearing dishes in resturants - cleaning horse stalls - painting houses.

    They are where they are now because they worked.

    I feel sorry for those who think that their wants are supposed to be handed to them by someone else - by their parents, or the union, or the government.

    The dirty little secret that they will never understand is that no one can ever give you the lifestyle or satisfaction that comes from working for it yourself.

    The minimum wage is pointless - and destroys jobs.

    Minimum wage jobs are only jobs that aren't worth the minimum wage.
     
  16. SpiritualMadMan

    SpiritualMadMan New Member

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    I do not believe that the minimum wage is pointless.

    I believe it should be set by the states, not the Fed's!

    In some states where the standard of living or cost of living is lower the Minimum Wage is too high for conditions causing fewer jobs in the lower entry level jobs.

    In other states where the cost of living is much higher, the minimum wage is too low resulting in those that can get jobs can't support a family at the subsistence level.

    This is another issue where Congress should Butt Out of States Rights!
     
  17. targus

    targus New Member

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    I agree - if the minimum wage is above the value of the job then employers hire less workers and find other ways to get the same work done for less.

    I disagree - if the minimum wage is too low then people would simply not accept the job. Obviously if someone is willing to work for those wages then the wage is not too low.

    By setting a minimum wage at a level that would support a family then you are limiting the number of minimum wage jobs - because the wage is above the value of the work - as we agree above.

    This limiting of the number of jobs closes out students and entry level workers from employment all together.

    The minimum wage is pointless and destructive of jobs.
     
  18. billwald

    billwald New Member

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    The federal minimum wage for covered nonexempt employees is $7.25 per hour ...
    http://www.dol.gov/dol/topic/wages/minimumwage.htm

    What jobs in YOUR state should, in your opinion, be paid less than $7.25/hour besides maybe babysitting? What is your state? What is your state's median wage?

    Interesting there is only $1.30 difference between the highest and the lowest minimum wage.

    ------------------------------------------------

    http://www.payscale.com/research/US/State=Washington/Salary


    State: Washington
    Median Salary by Job
    Job
    Salary Data (?)
    $0 $35K $70K $105K
    Sr. Software Engineer / Developer / Programmer $97,137
    Retail Store Manager $41,159
    Software Development Engineer (SDE) $86,293
    Project Manager, Construction $73,575
    Software Engineer $75,437
    General / Operations Manager $58,242
    Project Manager, Information Technology (IT) $83,743


    Minimum Wage
    In 2009, Washington has the highest state minimum wage ($8.55). The next highest are Oregon ($8.40), Vermont ($8.06), California, Massachusetts and Connecticut ...
    www.lni.wa.gov/WorkplaceRights/Wages/Minimum/ - Cached - Similar


    Estimated median household income in 2008: $61,786 (it was $45,736 in 2000)
    Seattle: $61,786
    Washington: $58,078

    Estimated per capita income in 2008: $43,012

    Read more: http://www.city-data.com/city/Seattle-Washington.html#ixzz17LzsmWoa
     
  19. targus

    targus New Member

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    What jobs should pay less than $7.25?

    Any job that isn't worth $7.25 to an employer.

    Why should an employer have to pay more than a job is worth?

    That's why so many union jobs have gone off shore to other countries - because unions tried to force employers to pay more than they were worth.
     
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