OT - United Healthcare Dropping Doctors

ChicagoGranny wrote:

Why do the CEOs of many major corporations, like Walmart, Costco and Starbucks, support increasing the minimum wage?

Because it will give them another advantage against small, local businesses and help drive the small guy out of business.


ChicagoGramps

Oh please... it would be wonderful to see the thousands who work at Walmart, Costco and Starbucks make a decent enough income to feed their families and pay rent! The only ones complaining would be the owners (or former owners) of small businesses! Remember free enterprise/free market system? It's alive and well in America.

Boyce wrote:That is antithetical to free markets. It's using government to escape market forces. It's government making unnecessary regulations (minimum wages) to favor some companies at the expense of other companies.

So how does minimum wage favor one company over another? It puts one aspect of business operation costs on an even playing field. The profitability of the company depends on other factors then, doesn't it? How does Walmart paying a non-livable wage give it an advantage over the local small store owner who also pays the same non-livable wage?

non-livable wage

WT? What is a "non-livable wage"?

Tell me it is "not a livable wage".

So what is a "livable wage"?

A "livable wage" is a term that liberals made up to evoke an emotional response from people who don't know any facts about current economic conditions or understand any widely accepted economic theories.

Costco already pays over the proposed minimum wage of around $9/hour. Starbucks's is said to pay about that much. Walmart is a different story, Walmart came out in favor of the last minimum wage raise (2005), from about $5.15 to $7.25 per hour. At this point, Walmart has not come out in favor of the current proposed minimum wage raise.

If you're already paying your employees at or above the minimum wage, then of course you're in favor of raising the minimum wage. That would force your competitors to pay their workers more, and you'd look better relative to them if their bottom-line expenses went up. Might give your stock a little boost. Or maybe just an attack of conscience or altruism, who knows. For Walmart, I don't think that you're going to hear them come out on the side of raising the minimum wage this time, I'd be surprised. Pleasantly surprised, but surprised. Surprise me, Walmart!

Or maybe just an attack of conscience or altruism

Nope! If you want to help low-skill workers, raising the minimum wage is an attack of stupidity or ignorance. Raising the minimum wage puts low-skill workers out of jobs.

Well, the unskilled labor market may not be a problem; no doubt the offshore diploma mills
will be passing out shingles like playing cards, to those willing to work in an HMO.

hahahahhahaha

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LLr5oWfoWRY


Everyone of these people is an Obama supporter and supports higher minimum wages.

All exposed as hypocrites!!

hahahahahaha

Have a good week all you forumites!

The Choker wrote:hahahahhahaha

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LLr5oWfoWRY


Everyone of these people is an Obama supporter and supports higher minimum wages.

All exposed as hypocrites!!

hahahahahaha

Have a good week all you forumites!

The smart aleck in that video clip is either a liar, an ignoramus or both.

Walmart's prices are primarily influenced by the wage rates in the countries of production of the goods sold, not the wages of the employees in the retail stores.

Nate

Please! Don't confuse the man with FACTS!

It is Economics 101 that whenever there is not a floor on minimum wages reasonably consistent with the minimum cost of food, shelter and clothing, businesses are enabled to engage in cut-throat bidding for the consumers' dollar by passing on the loss to the workers with no diminishment in profits to the businesses. Prices can be driven ever lower without any loss of profits to the business owners, putting it all on the backs of the workers, without any say or participation upon their part.

Without a reasonable minimum wage, businesses win the contract or win the consumer by cutting the workers' throats rather than their own.

Is that the kind of free enterprise and capitalist system you support?

Nate

Boyce wrote:There is also a study from the feds saying of those hired at minimum wage, 74% are promoted to higher paying jobs within 12 months.

It's probably more like 74% are paid more for the same job, not promoted to a higher paying job. Even a 50% raise over minimum wage doesn't provide a decent income for living. I know. I've been there. My son is there now. Earns about $12/hr to build steel office furniture for high paid CEOs. Lives in a mobile home with rotted floors and drives a vehicle too old and beat up to even be used for salvage parts. My daughter works for a home health service for about 10% above minimum wage. Can barely pay for rent, gas, and car insurance. No cable TV, has prepay cell phone only, no meals at Mickey Ds, and so on. And that's a job no high school kid will be hired for as it's not an entry level job.

There is a huge income disparity in the nation today. The worst since WWII. It can't last forever.

The minimum wage provides a floor toward which even skilled labor wages migrate.

NateS wrote:It is Economics 101 that whenever there is not a floor on minimum wages reasonably consistent with the minimum cost of food, shelter and clothing, businesses are enabled to engage in cut-throat bidding for the consumers' dollar by passing on the loss to the workers with no diminishment in profits to the businesses.
Nate

Ooooh, ooooh. You just made up some bullcrap.

ECON 101? You won't find that crap about "cutthroat bidding passing loses to workers" in any college textbook in use today.

a floor on minimum wages

If you think that nonsense is true, how do you account for the fact that fully 95% of workers are voluntarily paid above the legal minimum wage by their employers?

My son is there now. Earns about $12/hr to build steel office furniture for high paid CEOs. Lives in a mobile home with rotted floors and drives a vehicle too old and beat up to even be used for salvage parts. My daughter works for a home health service for about 10% above minimum wage. Can barely pay for rent, gas, and car insurance. No cable TV, has prepay cell phone only, no meals at Mickey Ds, and so on. And that's a job no high school kid will be hired for as it's not an entry level job.

They stay in Idaho? I hope they love Idaho because they are paying the price for it.

What about their upbringing and parental guidance for education and career planning? Lacking?

It's not too late. They need to redraw career plans and get moving. There are a hell of a lot of people in this country who aren't corporate officers but have nice homes, nice cars, enjoy good entertainment, vacations, travel. Tell your kids to get moving and come on over.

Sounds like there are some attitude issues here.

CPAPIST wrote:They stay in Idaho? I hope they love Idaho because they are paying the price for it.

Iowa and Louisiana

What about their upbringing and parental guidance for education and career planning? Lacking?

It's not too late. They need to redraw career plans and get moving. There are a hell of a lot of people in this country who aren't corporate officers but have nice homes, nice cars, enjoy good entertainment, vacations, travel. Tell your kids to get moving and come on over.

Sounds like there are some attitude issues here.

They are both performing respectable jobs that American society demands be done, but American society doesn't want to pay a living wage to anyone doing it.

You haven't got the foggiest idea in hell about the realities of American life, and I'll leave it that.