[talaniman]

How McDonald's and Wal-Mart Became Welfare Queens - Bloomberg

[speechlesstx]

How McDonald's and Wal-Mart Became Welfare Queens - Bloomberg

Those aren't stats, that's a hit piece. How do you take seriously a guy that begins talking about dog whistles and quotes Alan Grayson as a source? And this little misleading statement:

Wal-Mart, the nation’s largest private sector employer, is also the biggest consumer of taxpayer supported aid. According to Florida Congressman Alan Grayson, in many states, Wal-Mart employees are the largest group of Medicaid recipients. They are also the single biggest group of food stamp recipients. Wal-mart’s "associates" are paid so little, according to Grayson, that they receive $1,000 on average in public assistance. These amount to massive taxpayer subsidies for private companies.

I didn't realize Walmart received food stamps.

[Tuttyd]

re post later

[tomder55]

In Connecticut, a mother with two children participating in seven major welfare programs (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, Medicaid, food stamps, WIC, housing assistance, utility assistance and free commodities) could receive a package of benefits worth $38,761 .In Hawaii ;$49,175 . Is it your position that companies should pay low skilled workers comparable compensation ? Seems like you got it backward . You expect companies to subsidize a safety net that has grown out of control.

[Tuttyd]

In Connecticut, a mother with two children participating in seven major welfare programs (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, Medicaid, food stamps, WIC, housing assistance, utility assistance and free commodities) could receive a package of benefits worth $38,761 .In Hawaii ;$49,175 . Is it your position that companies should pay low skilled workers comparable compensation ? Seems like you got it backward . You expect companies to subsidize a safety net that has grown out of control.

One would expect employees to be paid a decent wage so as they don't have to work two jobs or need extra assistance.

[tomder55]

Why not make low skilled min wage $20 hr ? Then even in Hawaii they would get no public assistance. My advice to someone making min wage is to go find another job, or learn a skill that will pay more.

[speechlesstx]

One would expect employees to be paid a decent wage so as they don't have to work two jobs or need extra assistance.

Raising the minimum wage will just give more workers an opportunity to escape "job lock."

[tomder55]

Raising the minimum wage will just give more workers an opportunity to escape "job lock."

or they can go on unemployment and other gvt doles and persue their hobbies.

[speechlesstx]

Exactly.

[talaniman]

Rich guys pursue their hobbies while on the dole of corporate welfare too! That's no good for the social safety net either. Creating jobs is but a byproduct SOMETIMES of the main goal of creating wealth for themselves. You have already acknowledged that that's what they do.

[Tuttyd]

Why not make low skilled min wage $20 hr ? Then even in Hawaii they would get no public assistance. My advice to someone making min wage is to go find another job, or learn a skill that will pay more.

Yes, why not.

My advice would be to get a co-ordinated wages system.

[Tuttyd]

Exactly.

One could just as easily exact an argument for the opposite. There would be a myriad of factors relevant to issue of increasing the min wage.

[talaniman]

We had a coordinated wage system and worked until they cut the middle out of it and then collapsed the economy. But as more states and localities are raising their minimums even businesses are exploring the possibility of raising wages, for the same reasons as always, the need to attract and keep better help.

Raise the minimum wage? An alternative approach. - CSMonitor.com

Gap's reasons for its voluntary action came out of its founding purpose of operating from a strong set of values that “do more than sell clothes.” But it also now embraces a strategy that has become more popular with businesses. Gap hopes to enjoy growth by retaining more employees, better motivating them to improve customer service, and avoiding costly staff turnover and training costs.
“To us, this is not a political issue,” said Gap chief executive Glenn Murphy. “Our decision to invest in frontline employees will directly support our business, and is one that we expect to deliver a return many times over.”

[paraclete]

We had a coordinated wage system and worked until they cut the middle out of it and then collapsed the economy. But as more states and localities are raising their minimums even businesses are exploring the possibility of raising wages, for the same reasons as always, the need to attract and keep better help.

business always had the option of paying more than the minimum, they don't need government help to pay fair wages and unions exist to promote that goal

[talaniman]

Now if McDonalds and Walmart can follow the same example, we can rebuild a middle class. But we still need legislation on the federal level just in case they don't get it.

[paraclete]

surely minimum wages have nothing to do with a middle class, and walmart is surely not an option of middle class employment. I think the term middle class must have a different connotation over there

[talaniman]

Turns Out Anti-Union Volkswagen Workers May Have Screwed Themselves And The South

[speechlesstx]

Turns out Dems aren't too keen on Obama's distraction from Obamacare. For some reason they may not be too keen on facing their constituents with the prospect of half a million jobs lost and businesses just being told to suck it up and reduce your profits. Reid could only get just over half of his caucus on board.

Reid stalling action on minimum wage | TheHill

[speechlesstx]

Every day it's becoming more and more clear that morons are running the show.

[talaniman]

>yawwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwnn!<