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It is crucial that the federal minimum wage immediately be raised to at least $15 an hour. Americans must be paid a living wage...although 15 bucks barely does that. Therefore, after an increase to $15 in 2018, it is then imperative that the federal minimum wage jump one additional dollar every year over the next ten years...bringing the federal minimum wage - at that point - to $25 an hour by 2028. Even then, an individual's compensation - for a 40-hour work week - would only be $1,000 a week or $52,000 a year...which - a decade from next month - will still be too low. After all, the United States Census Bureau says that the current median income for a single person between 35 and 44 years of age is $49,244...and that amount is clearly insufficient. Therefore, it is essential for this new federal minimum wage law to include a hike of fifty cents an hour, every year after 2028.
Throughout this column, I will use the words "right" and "privilege." ALL Americans deserve to make more money than just an amount that is "enough to get by." We - as a nation - need to be certain...that each and every working American can earn a living so that no person in our country ever goes hungry. In addition... Americans should never have to resort to eating foods that are high in fat and carbohydrates because they cannot afford to buy fresh fruits and vegetables, poultry, fish and lean red meat. There is no reason that the obesity rate in the United States is skyrocketing. An October 2017 study by the National Center for Health Statistics says nearly 40 percent of all American adults and 19 percent of U.S. youths are obese. It is unconscionable - in the 21st century - that a multitude of Americans risk their lives everyday...by eating poorly...because they cannot afford to eat healthy foods.
This is America...and ALL Americans deserve to enjoy life...not just survive. It should be a "right"...not a "privilege"...for ALL individuals...and ALL families...to take vacations. Various studies indicate that huge amounts of Americans have not been on a vacation in many years...or decades. Furthermore, every American adult should be able to purchase a home and to build equity. But a 2017 report by the National Low Income Housing Coalition says the average full-time minimum wage worker cannot even afford rent...in any U.S. state...and still be able to pay for other regular monthly expenses.
Then there's the issue of health insurance. But I refuse to delve too deeply in to that subject today as I have focused extensively on the topic for years in other commentaries. I will, however, repeat the following points. On March 23rd, 2010, the Affordable Care Act became the law of the land, thanks to President Barack Obama. Yet for nearly eight years, most Republicans in Congress have continued their efforts - unsuccessful as they have been - to repeal and replace that which is more commonly known as "Obamacare." Donald Trump and practically every Congressional Member of the GOP are apparently more interested in what's in their own wallets than making sure that everyone in America has health insurance. Depending on which Senate or House of Representatives bill we discuss, the Congressional Budget Office says that a repeal of the Affordable Care Act would cause between twenty-million and thirty-million Americans to lose their health insurance. Therefore, their lives would not only suffer, but would be in severe jeopardy. Death could come to nearly ten percent of our population...but the vast majority of Republicans on Capitol Hill - and others across the country - don't care. It has been said before, but it's worth echoing again. Affordable health insurance must be a "right" for every single American...not a "privilege" for just the wealthy.
And what about college? It too must be a "right"...not a "privilege." Every American parent should be able to send their children to college without putting any mother and/or father...or the students themselves...in to debt. Tuition for all state colleges and universities should be free.
No American should have to live "paycheck to paycheck." According to a 2016 report by the Federal Reserve, about 46 percent of American adults could not come up with $400 in an emergency. Such a statistic is mind-boggling. As for retirement savings...forget it. The Economic Policy Institute stated in 2017 that "nearly half of families have no retirement account savings at all." That means no savings accounts in their local banks...no IRAs...no 401(k)s...no money put away for a "rainy day" or for when they retire. As for individuals, a 2016 survey by GO BankingRates says that 34 percent of single American adults have zero savings. Not one red cent.
Throughout this column, I will use the words "right" and "privilege." ALL Americans deserve to make more money than just an amount that is "enough to get by." We - as a nation - need to be certain...that each and every working American can earn a living so that no person in our country ever goes hungry. In addition... Americans should never have to resort to eating foods that are high in fat and carbohydrates because they cannot afford to buy fresh fruits and vegetables, poultry, fish and lean red meat. There is no reason that the obesity rate in the United States is skyrocketing. An October 2017 study by the National Center for Health Statistics says nearly 40 percent of all American adults and 19 percent of U.S. youths are obese. It is unconscionable - in the 21st century - that a multitude of Americans risk their lives everyday...by eating poorly...because they cannot afford to eat healthy foods.
This is America...and ALL Americans deserve to enjoy life...not just survive. It should be a "right"...not a "privilege"...for ALL individuals...and ALL families...to take vacations. Various studies indicate that huge amounts of Americans have not been on a vacation in many years...or decades. Furthermore, every American adult should be able to purchase a home and to build equity. But a 2017 report by the National Low Income Housing Coalition says the average full-time minimum wage worker cannot even afford rent...in any U.S. state...and still be able to pay for other regular monthly expenses.
Then there's the issue of health insurance. But I refuse to delve too deeply in to that subject today as I have focused extensively on the topic for years in other commentaries. I will, however, repeat the following points. On March 23rd, 2010, the Affordable Care Act became the law of the land, thanks to President Barack Obama. Yet for nearly eight years, most Republicans in Congress have continued their efforts - unsuccessful as they have been - to repeal and replace that which is more commonly known as "Obamacare." Donald Trump and practically every Congressional Member of the GOP are apparently more interested in what's in their own wallets than making sure that everyone in America has health insurance. Depending on which Senate or House of Representatives bill we discuss, the Congressional Budget Office says that a repeal of the Affordable Care Act would cause between twenty-million and thirty-million Americans to lose their health insurance. Therefore, their lives would not only suffer, but would be in severe jeopardy. Death could come to nearly ten percent of our population...but the vast majority of Republicans on Capitol Hill - and others across the country - don't care. It has been said before, but it's worth echoing again. Affordable health insurance must be a "right" for every single American...not a "privilege" for just the wealthy. And what about college? It too must be a "right"...not a "privilege." Every American parent should be able to send their children to college without putting any mother and/or father...or the students themselves...in to debt. Tuition for all state colleges and universities should be free.
No American should have to live "paycheck to paycheck." According to a 2016 report by the Federal Reserve, about 46 percent of American adults could not come up with $400 in an emergency. Such a statistic is mind-boggling. As for retirement savings...forget it. The Economic Policy Institute stated in 2017 that "nearly half of families have no retirement account savings at all." That means no savings accounts in their local banks...no IRAs...no 401(k)s...no money put away for a "rainy day" or for when they retire. As for individuals, a 2016 survey by GO BankingRates says that 34 percent of single American adults have zero savings. Not one red cent.
If the figure I mentioned at the outset of this column - an annual income of $49,244 - is not enough money to live on...and be comfortable and happy...then that's not middle class, that's poor. The United States can no longer be a nation of citizens who struggle to pay bills...or who cannot pay them at all...because they are poor. If there is an upper class (the rich) -
which there is - then we must have an upper-middle class and a legitimate middle class...with
no American having to worry how they're going to put a roof over their head or how they're going to pay for their next meal. There should be no poverty in our country. By all rights, there should be no poverty anywhere in the world. But my thoughts on that subject are best left for another editorial.
"All men are created equal" was first written by Thomas Jefferson when he penned the U.S. Declaration of Independence in 1776. Of course that statement should read..."All people are created equal." Everybody - men and women alike - deserve an equal opportunity...with an income that allows them to at least live comfortably. Not everyone can be wealthy. Not everyone can be super rich. But all American adults should be able to own a home... raise a family...eat properly...pay their bills...go to college...take vacations...and enjoy life without the financial stress that affect their health and their lives overall.
As President Obama noted in his final White House news conference on Wednesday, January 18th, 2017..."You don't want to have an America...in which a very small sliver of people are doing very well...and everybody else is fighting for scraps."
"All men are created equal" was first written by Thomas Jefferson when he penned the U.S. Declaration of Independence in 1776. Of course that statement should read..."All people are created equal." Everybody - men and women alike - deserve an equal opportunity...with an income that allows them to at least live comfortably. Not everyone can be wealthy. Not everyone can be super rich. But all American adults should be able to own a home... raise a family...eat properly...pay their bills...go to college...take vacations...and enjoy life without the financial stress that affect their health and their lives overall.
Americans cannot...and should not have to...live on $7.25 an hour. So...here's a message to Donald Trump...to the
United States Congress...to Republicans nationwide...and to some Democrats and Independents too...in other words to anybody who
disagrees with me. WE ARE THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. Let's act like it.
And that's The Controversy for today.
I'm Gary B. Duglin.
"We'll talk again."
The Controversy is a publication of GBD Productions. Founder and Editor-In-Chief of The Controversy is Gary B. Duglin.
Now, please express your personal opinions by following the instructions above. And thank you for reading The Controversy.
Photo credits: American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME, Federal Minimum Wage), ObamaLibrary.gov (former President Barack Obama's signature on the Affordable Care Act), voanews.com (former President Barack Obama signs the Affordable Care Act in to law), biography.com (former President Thomas Jefferson) and United Press International/UPI.com (former President Barack Obama's final press conference)
Copyright 2017 Gary B. Duglin and
TheControversy.net. All Rights
Reserved.
Gary, in a utopian world what you say might be great but we don’t live in a utopian world. You state a study that said 3.1 million would no longer need food stamps, that study did not take into account the millions, by some studies up to 5 million people that would lose their jobs because of an increase to $15 minimum wage. A local McDonalds franchise just redid one of his 3 locations, because NJ will be raising the rate to $15 by 2021, they reduced their staff from 16 employees during peak hours to 12 by downsizing counter help from 5 to 1 employee and installing self-service kiosks and accepting the McDonalds app that allows you to order and pay online and then pick-up a bag at a side window. The owner was quoted that this was needed to prevent a 25% increase in prices. He also said that addition cuts would be done by mechanizing the cooking area reducing his total staff at peak hours to 8 before 2021 and the $15 per an hour rate. This would be done to save another 15% price increase. That is a 50% cut in employees during peak hours and an overall cut of 25% in his total staff. In addition he stated that it is believed he will still have to raise his prices 15-20% to compensate for his increased cost by his vendors due to the increase in the minimum wage. Go into any grocery store, Walmart, Home Depot you name the store and see all the self-checkout areas, all because of the cost of labor. A minimum wage of $15 will just add to that cost and they will reduce their overhead by firing more people. Isn’t $7.50 - $10 an hour better than NO dollars an hour? In Montana a starting public school teacher makes $27,274 (lowest in the nation) you want to make the counter help at Burger King earn more than a school teacher. You also don’t take into consideration the fact that many unions have their rates tied to the minimum wage, an union construction worker making $30 an hour would go to $37 an hour under your proposal all it does is raise the cost of everything.
ReplyDeleteAs for the rest of your column, how should we pay for all these things you want to give away, our Country has a $20,000,000,000,000 National debt and by many peoples estimate another $150,000,000,000,000.00 in unfunded liabilities, so I ask again how should we pay for your utopian dreams?
First of all, thank you for your response and for reading The Controversy.
DeleteSecond...here's an answer to all your questions, but specifically the chief inquiry you made. How should we pay for (such) utopian dreams? Exactly how numerous Democratic Members of Congress (in the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives) plus many State Democrats (including governors, state senators and assemblymen, etc.) have responded to similar questions as yours. Owners of such big companies need to take less salaries, less bonuses and have less perks. This certainly is applicable to large corporations such as the ones you referenced - McDonalds, Walmart, The Home Depot, but of course...many, many more.
Let's also take smaller companies, but ones that are still tremendously successful. For example, let's say a person owns a local business. What he sells is irrelevant...it could be hardware tools, tropical fish or doughnuts...the product really doesn't matter. The business is owned independently of any public corporation. It's one guy...or one gal...and that person is the sole boss of the company. And for this example, let us assume that this owner's annual income (salary, bonuses, perks, etc.) is two-million dollars. I could say one-million, five-million, whatever. But let's use two-million dollars for this scenario. Suppose...just suppose...this owner took only one-million-750-thousand dollars. That means 250-thousand dollars could be spent to raise the wages of his employees. Again, for this example I am merely using random numbers...pulling them from a hat, so to speak. The bottom line is that to give employees higher wages, the people at the top need to take less. Those bosses...those owners and other executives...would still be making a hell of a lot of money, but their workers down the ladder will be able to live more comfortably and be more happy. As a result, those bosses get employees who care more about their jobs...there'd be less turnover...and those companies receive long-term loyalty from people who will stay with the business for many years, if not decades.
Now - on a much larger scale - let's take the head honchos of huge corporations. Bloomberg ranks the 200 highest paid executives. Below are the top five income earners for 2016, according to Bloomberg.
Number 5 - Ginny Rometty of IBM with a total compensation of $96-million, 764-thousand, 750 dollars...
Number 4 - Elon Musk of Tesla with a total compensation of $99,744,920...
Number 3 - Sundar Pichai of Google with a total compensation of $106,502,419...
Number 2 - Tim Cook of Apple with a total compensation of $150,036,907...
and the Number 1 money-making boss for 2016 - Marc Lore of Walmart with a total compensation of 236-million, 896-thousand, 191-dollars.
Those totals are correct, according to Bloomberg. I, therefore, have two additional comments. Are you kidding me? And...I think I've made my point about raising the federal minimum wage.
Thank you again for your thoughts and for reading The Controversy.
GBD
Gary, you talk about big companies, 65% of all new jobs in the US are created by small business and over 50% of the owner of those business’s nets less than $500,000 a year in income and half of them under $300,000 many under $150,000. The McDonalds franchisee I talked about isn’t making millions; McDonalds makes billions, not the average franchisee, the average McDonalds restaurant has gross sales of $2,600,000 per store per year with the owner netting a profit of $100,000-$150,000 per year per store (per McDonalds 10K filing to the IRS ). Per McDonalds the average store has 1400 man hours a week to cover, 1400 time $8 = $11,200 a week in payroll, times 52 weeks = $582,400 raise that rate to $15 and it goes to $1,092,000 a year, that’s a $510,000 increase (without taxes and insurance which adds another 15%) where should the owner get it if he is only making $150,000 from the store? Your math doesn’t work.
DeleteIt's very simple to make the math work. McDonald's corporate pays the franchise owners money so that they can then pay higher wages to McDonald's employees since it is the franchise owners and their employees who are representing the brand. The McDonald's Corporation reports that its president and chief executive officer, Stephen Easterbrook, makes in excess of 15-million dollars a year. And when totaling the incomes of the top 7 McDonald's executives, the amount equals about 42-million dollars. Some of that cash could be thrown back in to the company to help pay restaurant employees - whether they work for a corporate-owned restaurant or one that is franchise-owned.
Delete"The average McDonald's restaurant generates $2.5 million in sales annually, making it the second-highest-grossing chain in the United States by sales per unit behind Chick-fil-A," according to QSR magazine.
Yeah...I think McDonald's can afford to pay their restaurant employees more money. Get my point? The math does work.
GBD
The math doesn’t work. First, the franchise owners pay McDonalds not the other way around. That’s where they get most of their income. Second in the USA last year there were 14,146 McDonald’s restaurants, the corporation made about $5,000,000,000 in net US net income. For your plan to work McDonalds corporate would cover the $510,000 per store to raise salaries to $15 per hour, $510,000 times 14,146 locations = $7,088,000,000. If you used all the companies net income you would be over $2 Billion short and the company would be bankrupt. Your math bankrupts the company and $15 an hour bankrupts the country. Your math is wrong!
ReplyDeleteObviously you didn't read what I wrote. I am well aware that the franchise owners pay money to corporate. There's an initial fee of $45,000. What I am saying, however, is that in order for employee's of McDonald's - using McDonald's as the example - to get higher wages...CORPORATE should pay their franchise owners a specific amount of money...only to be used for employee wages...as they are the face and representation of the McDonald's brand. Understand my thinking?
DeleteYou obviously did poorly in simple high school arithmetic. Your numbers are inaccurate. You do realize that in the state of New York, the minimum wage is, in fact, $15 an hour. How do you explain that the McDonald's restaurants...all throughout "The Empire State"...are doing fine by paying their employees a minimum wage of $15 an hour?
The fact of the matter is this...the minimum wage is going to be increased to $15 nationwide. That will be the federal minimum wage by 2021 because I am confident that we will have a Democrat in The White House and that the Democrats will control Congress. So if my prediction is correct, then your ludicrous thinking is that everyone should get their fill of McDonald's hamburgers over the next 3 years or so because after that there won't be any more McDonald's. You are so laughable. Americans must be paid a living wage. Period. And that's why - as I wrote in my column - that by 2028, the minimum wage must be $25 an hour.
GBD
Gary, I did very well in HS arithmetic and I also check my facts which you apparently didn’t. First, McDonalds gets the $45K but they also get between 5-8% of everything you sell. Next, New York’s minimum wage is NOT $15 it is $10.50 for business with 10 or less employees and $11 for the rest, going to $15 PER HOUR BY January 1, 2020. Get your facts right. McDonalds in NY has done what they have done in the other states or cities that have raised their minimum wage. According to the fast food franchise industry reports there has been a reduction of 10-30% of employees at fast food restaurants in the higher minimum wage areas and increased their menu prices on average of 10-15% compared to areas with lower minimum wages, in other words up to 30% of the workers were fired. 70% got a raise 30% got unemployment or welfare and everyone else pays higher prices. It is said that over the next 8 years we will lose 30,000,000 jobs to technology many due to the high cost of labor. Many of those jobs such as cashiers and counter help will be replaced by kiosks and self serve lanes putting even more unskilled labor out of work because of the demands for higher wages. That’s what $15 an hour will do to this country!
ReplyDeleteMy response to the above reader will be in three parts.
DeletePART ONE OF THREE
Tsk, tsk tsk. You do like to nitpick. Well let me show you again how wrong you are...but of course you will disagree with me on that too.
Governor Andrew Cuomo of New York sent out the following letter via Facebook, Twitter and other means, on November 12th, 2016. Read it carefully. Specifically where he notes the minimum wage in his state.
"The state of New York has a proud legacy as the progressive capital of the nation, and that is more important today than ever before.
As New Yorkers, we have fundamentally different philosophies than what Donald Trump laid out in his campaign.
So let me be absolutely clear: If anyone feels that they are under attack, I want them to know that the state of New York – the state that has the Statue of Liberty in its harbor – is their refuge.
Whether you are gay or straight, Muslim or Christian, rich or poor, black or white or brown, we respect all people in the state of New York.
It's the very core of what we believe and who we are. But it's not just what we say, we passed laws that reflect it, and we will continue to do so, no matter what happens nationally. We won’t allow a federal government that attacks immigrants to do so in our state.
We are a state of immigrants.
We are the state that raised the minimum wage to $15.
We are the state that passed Paid Family Leave.
We are the state that passed marriage equality.
We are New York, and we will stand up for you. And on that, I will never compromise.
Count on it."
Note Governor Cuomo's own words..."We are the state that raised the minimum wage to $15." He does not say that New York is the state that WILL raise the minimum wage to $15 in 2020 (as you insist). He says "raised (past tense) the minimum wage to $15." THAT is the fact. You just want to argue with me, despite the fact that you know that my comments are accurate.
GBD
END OF PART OF ONE OF THREE
PART TWO OF THREE
DeleteI'm tired of debating an issue with someone who is obviously selfish. You're probably someone whose income falls in to the top two-percent of the country, otherwise, you'd be agreeing with me, as you'd want more money. I probably know people - including myself - who are more charitable (percentage-wise to their income) than you. I notice you continue to harp on the $15 an hour minimum wage but you have yet to comment on my proposed plan of $25 an hour by 2028. A mere $15 an hour (based on a 40-hour week) is only $600 a week or $31,200 a year. Nobody can live on that little amount of money and still be able to accomplish everything that I write about in my column above. I'm not going to repeat everything what I wrote in that editorial, but you should really re-read it. However, I will repeat the following from it.
"All men are created equal" was first written by Thomas Jefferson when he penned the U.S. Declaration of Independence in 1776. Of course that statement should read..."All people are created equal." Everybody - men and women alike - deserve an equal opportunity...with an income that allows them to at least live comfortably. Not everyone can be wealthy. Not everyone can be super rich. But all American adults should be able to own a home... raise a family...eat properly...pay their bills...go to college...take vacations...and enjoy life without the financial stress that affect their health and their lives overall."
Your numbers above about jobs (which other Republicans have made up) have been disputed by economists all across the country. But then...you are one of those who does like to make up things, just so you can sound like you know what you're talking about...which you don't.
GBD
END OF PART TWO OF THREE
PART THREE OF THREE
DeleteRemember the facts I quoted in an earlier response to you above. "The average McDonald's restaurant generates $2.5 million in sales annually, making it the second-highest-grossing chain in the United States by sales per unit behind Chick-fil-A," according to QSR magazine. So, as I said earlier, McDonald's can afford to pay employees $15 an hour. If fast food restaurants, supermarkets and everywhere else in New York State can do it, then so can the rest of the country.
Open up your heart. Understand the factual statistics I quoted in my column. When was the last time you couldn't pay your rent...or more than likely your mortgage? Probably never. When was the last time you went to bed after only eating a peanut butter sandwich...or - for that matter - eating nothing at all? Probably never. I'll bet you take a vacation...or two...or three...or more...every year. I'll bet if you have a child...or children...each one of them (if they so desired) went to college. And you probably paid the bills so your kid wouldn't have a huge debt at 22 years of age. And when was the last time you couldn't pay the telephone bill...the electric bill...or any other bill? Americans cannot live on $7.25 an hour. Americans should not have to live on $7.25 an hour. That's only 290 bucks a week...and that's not even the take-home amount. At $7.25 an hour, that's an annual compensation of just $15,080. Do you really expect anybody...in any state in our country...to be able to live...I mean live...on that little amount of money? If you do...shame on you. My proposed rate of $25 an hour by 2028 will still only give individuals $52,000 a year, which in the 21st century is still not a whole hell of a lot of money. As I said...open up your heart...and then open up your wallet. Every American deserves...yes deserves to live comfortably and to not have to work 2 or 3 jobs. As I wrote in my column..."This is America...and ALL Americans deserve to enjoy life...not just survive." Remember what I also wrote above...and remember the words "right" and "privilege." Focus on everyone's "rights"...not just "privileges" for the few.
GBD
END OF PART THREE OF THREE
I wonder if you will print the truth and admit being wrong, the following comes from labor.ny.gov website:
ReplyDeleteThe Minimum Wage rates are scheduled to increase each year on 12/31 until they reach $15.00 per hour. Employers must post a Minimum Wage Information poster in their establishment.
Location 12/31/16 12/31/17 12/31/18 12/31/19 12/31/20 2021*
NYC - Large Employers (of 11 or more) $11.00 $13.00 $15.00
NYC - Small Employers (10 or less) $10.50 $12.00 $13.50 $15.00
Long Island & Westchester $10.00 $11.00 $12.00 $13.00 $14.00 $15.00
Remainder of New York State $9.70 $10.40 $11.10 $11.80 $12.50 *
General Minimum Wage Rate Schedule
* Annual increases for the rest of the state will continue until the rate reaches $15 minimum wage (and $10 tipped wage). Starting 2021, the annual increases will be published by the Commissioner of Labor on or before October 1. They will be based on percentage increases determined by the Director of the Division of Budget, based on economic indices, including the Consumer Price Index.
The Governor of the State of New York wrote..."We are the state that raised the minimum wage to $15." Those are Governor Andrew Cuomo's EXACT WORDS!
DeleteBut for argument's sake - just to end your nonsense - suppose...just suppose...that Governor Cuomo had written that New York is the state that raised the minimum wage to $15 but it won't be increased until January 2021...then come three years and 28 days from now, companies like McDonald's - according to your ludicrous remarks - will go bankrupt. I've caught you in your own lies. All you have done by disputing Governor Cuomo's words is to support my case...and to prove that you are wrong because you just don't know the facts - or...you have proven that you are wrong because you lie. Either way...it is YOU...who are wrong.
I don't know if only one person or multiple people have responded above with the comments on this issue - since, as usual, such Republican responses to my column continue to be from people who hide behind the "anonymous" banner - but whether the responses above are from one person or several people, I wonder why they lack courage in showing me - a self-proclaimed ultra-liberal progressive Democrat - as well as showing other liberals...other progressives...and other Democrats in total...who you are. Why are you and other conservatives not willing to put your names and faces with your words. I show my name and my picture...why don't you? If you truly support the remarks you make...why do you hide?
GBD
Check the website, know the facts. As for what I said, don't twist my words, I said if you made the corporation pay the extra to all franchisees, but what is happening is what I said, up to 30% of employees will be let go and prices will go up. 70% get raises and 30% get unemployment or welfare and everyone will pay a higher price. I don't lie and you are wrong and do lie. The reason so many conservatives don't give their names is that the left wing progressives are so mean nasty and dangerous that we don't need the harassment and possible repercussions against ourselves and families at home and at work. You truly must hate a lot of people, you want things handed to people. Do you hate America? Do you know what it truly means to be an American?
ReplyDeleteYou still don't get it. And you never will.
ReplyDeleteIf the bosses at McDonald's didn't take such high salaries...and McDonald's as a corporate entity helped the franchise owners with wages for the restaurant employees who are the face and voice of the McDonald's brand...then nobody would be laid off. In other words...give some of the money that is currently given to the top executives - whether it be McDonald's or any other company - and give some of that money to the minimum wage workers in order to boost their hourly rate to $15 an hour. There'd be no need to raise prices for the hamburgers and french fries (or any other product in any other store). Now do you get it.
The bottom line is...cut the salaries of the big bosses...and give some of their money to the people making minimum wage. This is simple to understand. Why don't you seem to get it?
As for your sick, mentally ill, and deranged comment that "conservatives don't give their names" when posting a comment on The Controversy...your response leads me to believe that you need to be institutionalized.
Your comment that "left wing progressives are so mean, nasty and dangerous that we don't need the harassment and possible repercussions against ourselves and families at home and at work" is hateful. I'm one of those "left wing progressives" and you are certifiable. You need mental help. You're as delusional as Donald Trump. Are you Donald Trump? And no I am NOT trying to be funny. For you to not post your name and face is the act of a coward. But for you to give a reason as you did is the act of a hater.
You are a selfish, narrow-minded, self-centered, greedy, money-grubbing, prejudiced snob. I have never said anyone should be "handed" anything. All I - or others who believe the minimum wage should be $15 or higher - have said...Americans need to be paid a living wage. As I wrote in my column, the minimum wage should be increased to $25 an hour by 2028. Read my column again. A 10-year old would understand my words. Why would you think I "must hate a lot of people?" Do you think that way because I feel that we need to take some of the money from the "super rich" in order to pay people so they can be comfortable and happy. That's not "hate"...that's love. That's caring for others. It is YOU whose words indicate being someone who hates America and Americans. To be an American is to be generous, philanthropic, benevolent, magnanimous, big-hearted, compassionate towards others who have less, and simply humane - all of which you obviously are not.
GBD
Gary, you don’t get it and never will. If bosses at McDonalds gave up their FULL salaries, took $0 as salary you could raise all the minimum wage employees’ rate by $0.10 per hour, that’s all. To raise them all to $15 per hour depending on their current income it is estimated you would need over $6,000,000,000 per year. The bosses at McDonalds make under $50,000,000(for the top 7) double that for the rest of the bosses and you get $100 million. Nationwide you have over 500,000 employees; do the math it works out to under 10cents an hour increase or about $200 per year NOT $7 per hour or $14.500. Once again you don’t get it.
ReplyDeleteYou don’t know me yet you have the nerve to make your hateful, nasty, mean comments “As for your sick, mentally ill, and deranged comment” this proves what I said that left wing progressives are mean nasty and dangerous is true. You went on to personally attack me calling me “ a selfish, narrow-minded, self-centered, greedy, money-grubbing, prejudiced snob” I am a middle class working person who has worked for everything I have, I give money to many charities and personally work with two local charities. You are truly a hateful person to make these type comments about someone you don’t know. I do know what it means to be an American and to have the American Dream, work hard to get ahead, sometimes that means 50-60 hours or more a week at work, or two jobs to give your kids a better life then you had, I put two kids through college, own a modest but nice house, have 2 cars (one is 6 years old one is 3 years), save every year to take a vacation and have a good life. Nobody paid me to be “comfortable and happy” they paid me what the job I did was worth. If I went by what you write in this column I would describe you as a nasty, hateful, unsuccessful little man that wants things handed to him, blames everyone else for his failures, hates what America stands for. Is that you? It is what your column says about you. Sometime it takes more bravery to stay anonymous and protect the ones you care about. Then there are the cowards that hide behind a pen spewing their hate.
My response to the above reader will be in three parts.
DeletePART ONE OF THREE
I refuse to debate this issue with you anymore because the bottom line is, the federal minimum wage will end up being $15 (that's everywhere in the United States) in the not too distant future. That is inevitable. But whether you agree with me or not...and whether it becomes effective in 2017, 2018, 2019 or 2020...New York State's minimum wage is/will be...$15 an hour. So with your lack of logic, you insist that those McDonald's will go out of business. Dream on.
You opened this can of worms. You're the one who FIRST wrote "hateful, nasty mean comments" when you wrote "The reason so many conservatives don't give their names is that the left wing progressives are so mean nasty and dangerous that we don't need the harassment and possible repercussions against ourselves and families at home and at work. You truly must hate a lot of people, you want things handed to people. Do you hate America? Do you know what it truly means to be an American?" So don't tell me that I'm "mean, nasty and dangerous." You're the ONE who made the statements above. I was merely responding to YOU.
If you are truly what you say you are, then I find it difficult to believe that you would not agree with my column. And obviously you don't fall in to the vast majority of people - based on numerous nationwide polls - that show that the so-called "middle-class" (which there actually isn't one)...wants the federal minimum wage to be increased to at least $15 an hour.
I am in no way a "hateful person." If you read my column and my responses to you (and perhaps other readers above), I noted that my thoughts have nothing to do with so-called "handouts." I support "compassion" and "love"...not "hate. No American...not you or anybody else...should have to work - as you suggest - "two jobs." No American...not you or anybody else...should have to work - as you suggest - "50 - 60 hours or more a week at work." THAT is NOT the "American Dream." You and everyone else in our country deserve MORE... DESERVE MORE...than that. You deserve to put your kids through college, own a house, have two cars and take a vacation by NOT having to work two jobs with 50 to 60 hours each week. But my question to you is this. Did you ONLY earn $7.25 an hour minimum wage to do what you say you did? It's impossible. You talk about math. What you're saying is IMPOSSIBLE to do on $7.25 an hour. So don't spew YOUR venom and YOUR "hate" at me. Your comment that you were paid "what the job (you) did was worth" is not a statement that most Americans would ever say. Everybody believes their job is worth much more than what they get paid. Surveys prove what I am saying. You cannot call yourself "middle-class" because - at this point in our country - there is NO middle-class. There are the super rich...the rich...and everybody else. And unfortunately the "everybody else" is either very poor or they're just "getting by." They're merely "surviving." THAT is NOT what America stands for.
GBD
END OF PART ONE OF THREE
PART TWO OF THREE
DeleteI am in no way "a nasty, hateful, unsuccessful little man that wants things handed" to me. This is why I stated earlier that you sound just like Donald Trump. My column basically states that the rich can afford to give up some of their money to help those who don't get paid as much. You seem to always be focusing on McDonald's. But let's go back to an earlier response of mine to you (or another reader above).
Bloomberg ranks the 200 highest paid executives. Below are the top five income earners for 2016, according to Bloomberg.
Number 5 - Ginny Rometty of IBM with a total compensation of $96-million, 764-thousand, 750 dollars...
Number 4 - Elon Musk of Tesla with a total compensation of $99,744,920...
Number 3 - Sundar Pichai of Google with a total compensation of $106,502,419...
Number 2 - Tim Cook of Apple with a total compensation of $150,036,907...
and the Number 1 money-making boss for 2016 - Marc Lore of Walmart with a total compensation of 236-million, 896-thousand, 191-dollars.
Those totals are correct, according to Bloomberg. I, therefore, have two additional comments. Are you kidding me? And...I think I've made my point about raising the federal minimum wage.
GBD
END OF PART TWO OF THREE
PART THREE OF THREE
DeleteEvery human being has successes and failures. Nobody is perfect so, therefore, everybody makes mistakes at one point or another in his or her life. But I insist - as I have above - that America stands for being "equal." As I wrote in my column..."This is America...and ALL Americans deserve to enjoy life...not just survive. It should be a 'right'...not a 'privilege'...for ALL individuals...and ALL families."
As I noted also in my column...As President Obama noted in his final White House news conference on Wednesday, January 18th, 2017..."You don't want to have an America...in which a very small sliver of people are doing very well...and everybody else is fighting for scraps."
You must be an extremely fearful and nervous person to think that "Sometimes it takes more bravery to stay anonymous and protect the ones you care about." I - and other Democrats - do not "hide behind a pen." And I - and other Democrats - do not "spew hate." Think about what Donald Trump has said over the last two years or more since his campaign for president began and throughout his presidency. He and numerous other Republicans in Washington - along with many Republicans nationwide - are the haters. Just look at the new tax bill from the Republican-controlled Senate? It's hatred towards everyone except those whose income is in the top 2 percent of our nation. It is the Republicans on Capitol Hill (and apparently many Republicans across the United States and others who agree with the Republicans in the Senate) who are the haters. Remember...it's YOU...who initially remarked that "left wing progressives are so mean nasty and dangerous."
I am done talking with you.
GBD
END OF PART THREE OF THREE
I know your “I am done talking with you” well don’t publish it but I need to tell you a few things. There is still a middle class, I am part of it and most people I know are part of it, $50,000 to $100,000 per year. But it is still there. Yes it is shrinking; mostly do the government spending too much, Federal, State and local. We need tax reform and tax cuts. The American way is having the opportunity to better yourself and your life, not the government guaranteeing it. As for you stop the lying, about what the $15 wage would do, and stop the lying about what I said and stop quoting the Founding Fathers. Your comments prove my point you believe more in the Communist Manifesto then US Constitution, maybe you would prefer to live in North Korea, Cuba or Venezuela where everyone is equal in wealth, they don’t have any! Do you praise Karl Marx, you should you believe in what he stood for. From your writings you must hate the American way of life. I don’t think anyone is worth $150,000,000 a year, but the question is do we live in a free country or does the government control us all? You are a true hater and envious person and are jealous of others success. I won’t get into your hatred for the President, the GOP and conservatives.
ReplyDeleteMy response to the above reader will be in three parts.
DeletePART ONE OF THREE
My policy at The Controversy is to publish everything from readers unless the reader uses profanity or attacks me personally (other than my political views). That being said, let's end this conversation with the following.
Yes, there are people in America who earn between $50,000 and $100,000. But although the official government figures for the so-called "middle-class" is between $40,000 and $125,000, it's really unfair to compare an income at the lower end of that range with the higher end. Someone who makes $125,000 can do a hell of a lot more than someone who earns only 40 grand. Plus...fifty thousand dollars a year can barely be lived on by a single person. But if that person has a wife (who doesn't work) and two or three or more children...forget it. That family is sunk.
The following was published in The Huffington Post on December 28th, 2016. Please do not write back and say that you don't agree because The Huffington Post is a liberal publication. The facts below are indeed facts...by both the Internal Revenue Service and The National Low-Income Housing Coalition.
"According to IRS data, '99 percent of American households make less than $388,000 a year, and 95 percent make less than $167,000 a year. The true middle in terms of income — that is, the cutoff to be in the top 50 percent of earners — is roughly $35,000 a year.' On this income, and even on a higher level of income, it’s incredibly difficult to own a house, a car, send a child (or children) to college, and generally support a family comfortably. A recent survey suggests that most people (59 percent) believe it 'isn’t possible or are no longer certain that it’s possible to live a middle-class existence and be considered financially secure.' A report by The National Low-Income Housing Coalition points out that 'a full-time worker needs to earn $18.92 an hour to afford a two-bedroom rental without spending more than 30 percent of income toward rent. (Thirty percent is considered the most one should pay for housing, if you want to manage your money responsibly.)' It appears that middle class may in fact be the new poor."
THAT is the bottom line. The middle-class may in fact be the new poor.
GBD
END OF PART ONE OF THREE
PART TWO OF THREE
DeleteYes, we need tax cuts...but not for the wealthy. The Republican-controlled Senate is going to cut taxes only for the rich. The bill would cut billions of dollars for Medicare, which tremendously affects the most vulnerable Americans - those who are disabled, poor and elderly. I won't even go in to what this bill will do by eliminating the individual mandate of the Affordable Care Act, which requires most Americans to get health insurance. This bill is a disgrace. A killer.
I do not lie. I never lie. I will not lie. So don't call me a liar.
I will quote Thomas Jefferson because he and our other Founding Fathers believed that everyone should be "equal."
The more you write, the more I believe that you are exactly how I described you in an earlier response...a selfish, narrow-minded, self-centered, greedy, money-grubbing, prejudiced snob. For you to label me a "communist" is despicable. For you to say that "maybe (I) would prefer to live in North Korea, Cuba or Venezuela" is disgraceful. Do not compare me to Karl Marx.
"The American way of life" should be exactly the way I described it in my column, not the way you describe it. You have no idea what my income is, how much assets I have, or what my overall wealth is worth, so don't accuse me of being jealous of others. I am not.
GBD
END OF PART TWO OF THREE
PART THREE OF THREE
DeleteI don't hate Donald Trump. I don't hate Republicans. I don't hate conservatives. I strongly disagree with their warped thinking. I hate nobody. Not one single person. And I never have. But my mind could easily be swayed if you don't shut up.
I wrote at the outset of this response to you that I will publish any reader's comments unless the person uses profanity or attacks me personally (other than my political views). But you have crossed the line by calling me un-American. And that's what you have done by labeling me a "communist"...who doesn't believe in the U.S. Constitution...and when you compare me to "Karl Marx." Therefore, your comments will no longer be published. And I'll know when you submit them because of the way you write and the words you use. So here's my suggestion to you since you have nothing but cruel trash to spread in my forum. Don't read my column.
GBD
END OF PART THREE OF THREE