Gee that's a suprise

[Rodnok1]

So when they raised wages to 15/20 an hr for brain dead people doing menial jobs who here didn't know prices would go up according resulting in a net gain of zero for those who got the raises let alone the rest of us.
Most major employers have and will again raise consumer prices to cover the raises as it's not coming out of their end.
School systems are short since they raised everyone's wages as not to offend people who already made more. They used "recovery" funds to cover them initially now they're short on cash for even the rest of this year and are asking for tax levees.
I feel for people who are on fixed incomes such as retired and disabled... No way they can cover high inflation and fuel costs.

[slewfoot]

I have a problem with this.

I don't have an issue with people needing to make a decent wage but if hamburger flippers are making $15 an hour, the scale needs to change when 911 operators and many other jobs of similar importance are in the same pay range

[JRD77VET]

Those "menial" jobs are a stepping stone. When I was 16 & 17, my after school job was changing tires for a whopping $2.65 a hour ( minimum wage at the time).

Having a job taught me responsibility and having a "bottom rung" job let me know that if I wanted more, I'd either have to learn a trade or go for a management job at the tire store.

That was a very good incentive to learn to be a machinist.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Plus as slewfoot noted, all artificially inflating wages does nothing more than raise the bottom pay up one rung. ALL other costs increase and you're still ankle deep in a shit job.

[Rodnok1]

Those "menial" jobs are a stepping stone. When I was 16 & 17, my after school job was changing tires for a whopping $2.65 a hour ( minimum wage at the time).

Having a job taught me responsibility and having a "bottom rung" job let me know that if I wanted more, I'd either have to learn a trade or go for a management job at the tire store.

That was a very good incentive to learn to be a machinist.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Plus as slewfoot noted, all artificially inflating wages does nothing more than raise the bottom pay up one rung. ALL other costs increase and you're still ankle deep in a shit job.

Yep why can only normal people see this...
I tried to explain to someone(young guy) last year and it was like teaching latin to my dog.
He could not grasp that artificial pay raises just meant higher prices so his shit sammich was just on toasted bread instead. I believe he was a Biden voter also so he's fully indoctrinated already.

[JRD77VET]

Yep why can only normal people see this...
I tried to explain to someone(young guy) last year and it was like teaching latin to my dog.
He could not grasp that artificial pay raises just meant higher prices so his shit sammich was just on toasted bread instead. I believe he was a Biden voter also so he's fully indoctrinated already.

Did "young guy" grow up on easy street? I've found some of the folks who think all you need to do to make things equal is to raise pay never had to watch the funds growing up. Never had to work for their stuff themselves.

[VITE1]

The real minimum wage is 0.00

Unfortunately, the real minimum wage is always zero, regardless of the laws, and that is the wage that "many workers receive in the wake of the creation or escalation of a government-mandated minimum wage, because they lose their jobs or fail to find jobs when they enter the labor force. Making it illegal to pay less than a given amount does not make a worker’s productivity worth that amount—and, if it is not, that worker is unlikely to be employed.”
― Thomas Sowell, Basic Economics: A Citizen's Guide to the Economy


Until we accept that reality we will make things worse.

[Rodnok1]

Did "young guy" grow up on easy street? I've found some of the folks who think all you need to do to make things equal is to raise pay never had to watch the funds growing up. Never had to work for their stuff themselves.

No actually his family not well off at all.
Think all he sees if amount he gets paid not the big picture.
I couldn't get through to him what inflation meant either.

[Aerovette]

The success of the company pays the CEO's salary.
The CONSUMER pays the worker's salary.

In essence, worker bees are simply trading money. The more they do that, the more the CEO gets to keep.

[Torqaholic]

I feel for people who are on fixed incomes such as retired and disabled... No way they can cover high inflation and fuel costs.

Don't lose any sleep on my account. I planned ahead. So far so good.

As for fixed income. SS handed out an increase to compensate for inflation. Got a letter announcing this about a month ago. Looked like a significant amount? Hard for me to say since I'm new to the program and it just sits in the bank waiting to be used on taxes, registrations, and permits.

[Rodnok1]

Don't lose any sleep on my account. I planned ahead. So far so good.

As for fixed income. SS handed out an increase to compensate for inflation. Got a letter announcing this about a month ago. Looked like a significant amount? Hard for me to say since I'm new to the program and it just sits in the bank waiting to be used on taxes, registrations, and permits.

Retired people i have known struggle years after retirement, things go well but as prices go up, taxes, insurance, prescriptions let alone staggering inflation.
You may be doing well now but what if you had been retired 15/20 plus years.
Have a close friend on disability and this year I'll end up helping with his taxes again and always send food/fix stuff I can. He does without 80% of what he should mainly due to medical bills and well just cost of living. If he had any kind of rent or house payment (has small loan on house to pay past medical bills) he'd never survive. Frankly i don't know how he does now and am worried the coming years will be too much.
He worked 3 jobs until blew veins in brain, unfortunately he was too young and not much retirement had been saved and his pension was drawing was cut in half 5 years ago.

[ZipZap]

Retired people i have known struggle years after retirement, things go well but as prices go up, taxes, insurance, prescriptions let alone staggering inflation.
You may be doing well now but what if you had been retired 15/20 plus years.
Have a close friend on disability and this year I'll end up helping with his taxes again and always send food/fix stuff I can. He does without 80% of what he should mainly due to medical bills and well just cost of living. If he had any kind of rent or house payment (has small loan on house to pay past medical bills) he'd never survive. Frankly i don't know how he does now and am worried the coming years will be too much.
He worked 3 jobs until blew veins in brain, unfortunately he was too young and not much retirement had been saved and his pension was drawing was cut in half 5 years ago.

If your friend is paying significant medical bills with minimal income, he should look at the Medicaid program. If he has assets, such as a house, he will need to start thinking about turning equity into cash. Not as a loan. Sell it and find somewhere he can pay rent and medical bills with the proceeds. Can he get a reverse mortgage? Not optimal, but depending on his age, it might be a reasonable extra income.

I applaud you for helping him out:seasix:

[Anjdog2003]

Wages go up prices go up. Try to get a fast food lunch for less than $10.

[ZipZap]

Wages go up prices go up. Try to get a fast food lunch for less than $10.

30 seconds from here to my fridge and back:rofl: Way less than 10 bucks:D We did get a new Whataburger here. Not a big In n Out fan as they char the crap out of their patties, so I may have to try Whataburger out. But just like In n Out, the line goes around the block.

I hear ya though. A lot of restaurants (not fast food) are not even printing out menus that include prices because the prices are changing so fast. They want you to QR code and get them on your phone, where they are updated at least weekly, and they sometimes just change them daily as they buy supplies.

I may have to start a new thread for fast food favorites...

[DJ_Critterus]

I have a problem with this.

I don't have an issue with people needing to make a decent wage but if hamburger flippers are making $15 an hour, the scale needs to change when 911 operators and many other jobs of similar importance are in the same pay range

And just where is all this new money coming from? Fire up the printing presses? :rolleyes:

The best solution is to get government out of business and let themarket dictate wages and prices.

[Rodnok1]

If your friend is paying significant medical bills with minimal income, he should look at the Medicaid program. If he has assets, such as a house, he will need to start thinking about turning equity into cash. Not as a loan. Sell it and find somewhere he can pay rent and medical bills with the proceeds. Can he get a reverse mortgage? Not optimal, but depending on his age, it might be a reasonable extra income.

I applaud you for helping him out:seasix:

We have looked into selling and renting or even having him move in with us.
The income from house sale would cut his disability off completely and he'd have to go through the process again when they determined he would qualify.
Years ago he was hit head on by a txting woman, medical bills excess of 100k. Settlement from insurance covered the bills and 20k extra(that was split between his 2 kids and him all in car). Three months in hospital is worth 10k it seems and no he didn't sue, not sure why actually beside he's a nice guy.
Anyway fast forward to 2 years ago, govt said you have 125k in cash so no disability. Paperwork had long been stored away and they cut him off and had to prove the money went for medical bills. Took months.
He cannot have more than 1k in bank or they cut him off, bank records have to be given up.
They cut him off a few years ago as he'd saved money for some repairs and pay taxes for a year (usually pays twice a year). We had to gather all bills and get appts and they turned back on but he lost a month of money.
He knows most likely the govt will seize his house when he gets hospitalized and put in a home from brain issues. Short of me moving to his state and becoming his guardian can't see a way out(yes we talked to lawyer even) financially. His family won't be allowed tomdo it as he knows they will piss everything away in short order(short story is they all suck and swould rob a blind/deaf nun if her shoes in a heartbeat).
Reverse mortgage counts against disability income so basically whatever he'd get from that they subtract from disability.
Usually after bills he has 200 to buy food for a month and that's not paying medical bills.
Cancer treatments from last year has resulted in 100k in out of pocket bills stacking up so far.
So yes high food and gas is totally ****ed him over and giving me an ulcer.

[Torqaholic]

... but what if you had been retired 15/20 plus years...

Without expectations there can be no disappointment.

[GTOguy]

On Biden's last speech, he stated that his plan to cure inflation was to "raise the wages of the workers and lower the cost of the product". I was flabbergasted. My liberal family members wondered why I was upset. Un-****ing-Real. And these people VOTE.
How in the hell can ANY business make money and stay in business using the Biden Plan??

[Dan47]

Economics should be required starting from elementary on up. That it isn't, is telling. Shit isn't all that hard but if kids don't get exposure, they can't know.

It's criminal.

[Rodnok1]

Economics should be required starting from elementary on up. That it isn't, is telling. Shit isn't all that hard but if kids don't get exposure, they can't know.

It's criminal.

Absolutely... Can't rely on parents doing it either.
My son had a "check book" and was taught basic economics before was a teenager by us.
A few colleges/universities have added a economic 101 at least i saw it was for their athletes a few years back.
I can't tell you how many young guys(soldiers) i saw struggling with no concept of economics. I'd take them aside and using a board we'd map out their money. Didn't get better when they got out as we hired almost strictly ex military. It should have been included in basic training and their Sargents should have had regular financial accounting with them as over half needed guidance as they just didn't understand and we broke.
It was horrible to see guys serving and getting out bankrupt or with heaps of debt they couldn't get out from under.

[Dan47]

Absolutely... Can't rely on parents doing it either.
My son had a "check book" and was taught basic economics before was a teenager by us.
A few colleges/universities have added a economic 101 at least i saw it was for their athletes a few years back.
I can't tell you how many young guys(soldiers) i saw struggling with no concept of economics. I'd take them aside and using a board we'd map out their money. Didn't get better when they got out as we hired almost strictly ex military. It should have been included in basic training and their Sargents should have had regular financial accounting with them as over half needed guidance as they just didn't understand and we broke.
It was horrible to see guys serving and getting out bankrupt or with heaps of debt they couldn't get out from under.

It's hard not to hate people that think nonsense like "CRT" (critical race theory) or gender horseshit is important, especially when so many are economically illiterate.

No way do I believe this is on accident, the population is being intentionally dumbed down, IMO. Maybe to keep them passive and accepting of their servitude? IDK but it's frustrating watching people participate in their own demise.