I was going to post this on facebook but we live in a small town and Mrs. Pal thought it best not to.

Went to the hardware store to buy materials to complete a project. I was met by a very nice kid, everyone under fifty is a kid, who came over to help. He was about 25 cheerful, well spoken. I needed some kind of tubing to use as a sleeve. Tubing had to be 7/8 inside diameter. It soon became apparent that he could not read a tape measure! I'm sorry, maybe it's not his fault, maybe it's the schools, whatever. Mr. Biden's minimum wage would give this kid a 30k salary. Where I live teachers start at slightly more than that. If this man's employer was forced to comply with that standard he would no longer have a job.

People need to realize entry level jobs are a way to learn skills. Thanks, I feel much bitter now!

Jim

Thank God you didn’t post it, you’d be labeled Racist and exercising White Privilege and being one of us who wants a return to slavery and indentured workers to serve us. Cancel culture would descend upon you like locusts. Those of us who have worked hard for what we make and earn, in the eyes of our ruling class only did so because other people paved the way for us and build it, just ask the Messiah “Obama”. We must give everything to everyone so we’re all equal. If you’re not white you’ve turned your back on your own to embrace the culture that has kept the world down in the throes of slavery, racism and inferiority.

I don’t believe any of the crap I wrote but in the good old blue Maskachusetts, I hear this shit daily. My take the kids an idiot who can’t use a tape measure, maybe a nice young adult but his career potential is would you like to go large for a dollar.

But he's empowered by the $15 and thinks he deserves $20.

Could you live on $30k? I certainly couldn't. The minimum wage was raised to $7.25 in 2009. What would you think if you hadn't received a raise in 12 years? Wage stagnation is a real issue.

quote:

Originally posted by PossibleZombie:
Could you live on $30k? I certainly couldn't. The minimum wage was raised to $7.25 in 2009. What would you think if you hadn't received a raise in 12 years? Wage stagnation is a real issue.

I would encourage you to view this video. Artificial price controls on goods or labor do not work! Let the market determine the price!

Milton Friedman on Minimum Wage

Who ever said you'd be able to live on a minimum wage job? They're not there to be a living wage. Your first job \ minimum wage was never meant to be a living wage.

quote:

Originally posted by PossibleZombie:
Could you live on $30k? I certainly couldn't.

I have... actually, for considerably less than that, scaled for inflation since then. It wasn't fun, and it wasn't something I would've wanted to do for the long term. It was actually a pretty strong incentive to...

quote:

The minimum wage was raised to $7.25 in 2009. What would you think if you hadn't received a raise in 12 years?

... work hard, educate myself, improve my marketable skill set, and improve my earning potential by performing well in successively more responsible positions.

quote:

Wage stagnation is a real issue.

Great. Start a business, hire people, and pay them the non-stagnating wage you think is appropriate for their contribution. Pass the cost along to your customers. If you're correct in your estimation of their value, the employees will be happy and your customers will continue to patronize you and support this dream.

Salaries in my sector have been the same for the last 20 years. The exact same. Are we all getting a pay raise?

People and politicians are calling for expiration of school loan debts. Well I paid mine off so when am I getting my reimbursement check?

$15 an hour minimum wage? That’s 30k a year. I had to bust my ass to get to that level with school and OTJ. This everyone gets a trophy generation sure is a mother fucker. What’s next free vehicles and free rent? Geez.

I have been self employed for over 38 years and have never made close to minimum wage.... but then I usually average 60-70 hours a week of work too.

Then I get funny looks from folks when I explain to them how to reduce one's tax burden when you run your own business.... It's so damn simple ... you spend money on the business.

No one around here makes minimum wage. The grocery store pays 12 bucks plus for cart pushers.

Dunks and McD's pay $13 - $15 hour in Coastal NH. Tight labor market.

But keep things in perspective - the 25 year old man is working as a clerk probably making $10 hour. I would not expect his skillset(s) to be impressive. (I usually see High School kids working in my local hardware store)

But... but... its for the chiiildren!

I started working at Wendy's the day after my birthday that allowed me to work in the public sector. $4.25 an hour. My parents couldn't afford to put me through college and I was too stupid to get a scholarship or grants. So, graduated high school in June, entered bootcamp in July. Afterwards, I began my first law enforcement job in 1997 for $8.89 an hour.

I understand the struggle of being lower class and earning low pay. However, I strongly agree with the opinion that minimum wage jobs are those which introduce people to the workforce, earning them skills for their future.

Live on $30K a year?

Sure, I did. I worked 7 days a week. Some days I traveled from one radio station to another for a 4 hour shift as board op.

If I got sick, I didn't work or get paid. No sick leave and no vacation bennies.

As soon as I got a chance for a state civil service job, I jumped at it, and began all over at $7.75 an hour with lots of benefits.

Each time a promotion test became available. I took the test and moved up.

quote:

Originally posted by Pal:
It soon became apparent that he could not read a tape measure!

My opinion doesn't really apply to your primary topic, but in the bigger picture I think a kid who works at a hardware store and can't read a tape measure ought to either a) go work with some contractors for a while and learn the things that people shopping at a hardware store will expect him to know (read: get some practical training/experience), or b) consider a different line of work.

I'm a little bit knowledgeable and fairly well inclined, but sometimes I need more from the hardware store than just hardware -- that is, advice. I'll seek out the oldest-looking fella in the store sometimes, simply because he's likely to have a ton of solid experience. Young man needs to be gaining that experience.

quote:

Originally posted by GWbiker:

Live on $30K a year?

Sure, I did.

My first real job, after active duty USN, paid just over $5,000 / year. That was 1960.

quote:

Originally posted by vthoky:..
I'm a little bit knowledgeable and fairly well inclined, but sometimes I need more from the hardware store than just hardware -- that is, advice. I'll seek out the oldest-looking fella in the store sometimes, simply because he's likely to have a ton of solid experience. Young man needs to be gaining that experience.

This X1000!
I’m down at our beach house for about a week or so working on various projects (building and installing a solar pool heater mainly) and of course I need a couple of specialized fitting that would be used in a way that they weren’t originally designed (but would work great). I got up to the Ace Hardware in Avon, NC. go to the plumbing section and find the old guy. I explain what I want to do and he says “Yeah we can make that work” and he starts collecting various parts for me.
Yep they are a little more expensive but the time and aggravation they have saved me over the years is certainly worth it.

I have no problem with raising the minimum wage,(maybe $10-11) but not to $15/hr. If your life revolves around flipping burgers or tossing fries all your life and trying to make a living at it, you don't deserve the rewards of a larger wage. Jobs like that were not meant to be something you make a living on. I know not everyone will be a rocket scientist but people who have no ambition in life do not deserve to make a bunch of money at the cost of those who do. Smaller business' will suffer and most owners have a hard time making money for themselves,let alone paying somebody $15/hr to ask if you want fries with that or the like. I busted my butt to get into my field, got a degree, took the classes I needed and started off in some small departments, that were more dangerous,( as I usually went to calls alone), but I got my foot in the door and built my resume.

Here's an idea how about working a full time job and a part time job if you don't make enough money.

When I first moved out on my own in 1987 I had a good job with good benefits. I was a service manager for a fire protection company. I was making just around $25,000 a year. It paid the bills. If I wanted the extras I had to work a part time job. I worked three to four nights a week for a friend who had a office cleaning business.
As time went on I bettered my self and helped grow the business and eventually I made more money. I also continued my education and became a instructor at a local fire academy on top of my regular job.

Fast forward several years. My wife and I moved to central Florida and I went to work for the big entertainment companies in central Florida. I was making minimum wage at an entry level job and I was okay with it because I knew what I was getting into when we moved. I would pick up over time when ever I could and we did okay.

The thing that I could never understand was whenever I listen to other entry level employees complain they did not make enough money I asked " do you have a part time job" or "how much overtime do you work" they would look at me like I had two heads and would say " no I already work 40 hours a week"

In my opinion even to this day is some people, not all, do not want to cut into their free time to make the extra money they need to live. If they only want to work 40 hours a week they need to better themselves and find the type of jobs that pays a salary based on their needs.

Now everyone making $20 will want $30 and on and on.

It doesn't work