Poor
Man Survival
Self
Reliance tools for independent minded people…
ISSN
2161-5543
A Digest of Urban Survival
Resources
"There is no worse tyranny
than to force a man to pay for what he does not want
merely because you think it would be good for him."
-- Robert A. Heinlein
(1907-1988) American writer
merely because you think it would be good for him."
-- Robert A. Heinlein
(1907-1988) American writer
Minimum
Wage: The Eternal Experiment or…Should We Try Another Way?
The
cost of living in the United States has continually risen during
the past two decades while wages and benefits have fallen.
Unemployment numbers are far higher than the false numbers provided
by the White House and Obamacare costs have tripled in less than two
years and nearly 10 percent of the population cannot afford any kind
of health insurance.
America continues to lose its middle
class and it is one of the reasons why there were so many angry
voters who supported Trump…and many more voters were angry to learn
about wealthy politicians and corporate leaders who were stashing
cash [$7.8 trillion] in Panama along with the ties Mrs. Clinton has
to yet another potential series of scandals .
Yet, in America many still whine about
demands for hikes in the minimum wage so folks can live a little
better life. Proponents for the hike got a win in California [one
result of it being so over regulated is that a bare bones cost of
living for a family of four is estimated to be $48,000] and in New
York with bills which raised the minimum wage to $15 per hour over
the next six years.
This resulted from grassroots efforts
started by fast food workers in 2012 but it is gamble say many in the
business community. Many predict it will shutter businesses but no
one knows for certain as they are still debating the effects of the
wage hikes from the 1980s, 1990s, and 2000s.
Doomsayers have decried every increase
as far back as I can recall. Oddly enough, in the mid-1980s I wrote
a column a business column about General Electric’s pioneering
practice of off-shoring US jobs and how it could lead to “hamburger
flippers wouldn’t be able to afford $40,000 cars’ and how Wall
Street would begin eliminating pensions and health care pensions.
The column appeared in the Wall
Street Journal as an OP/ED piece and the response indicated that
I had lost my marbles…turns out I was right and they were wrong.
The American worker and the middle class did get screwed.
Both states have built-in safeguards.
California has a trigger halting increases in the event of a
recession and New York doesn’t raise the suburban and upstate rate
to $12.50 until 2020, and further hikes depend on economic
conditions.
Isn’t it a hoot however that such
conditions seldom prevent politicians at either the federal or state
levels from getting a raise even if they DO NOT DESERVE ONE!? In the
meantime all those politicians who voted for these measures is giving
themselves a round of applause and a congratulatory slap on the
back-what a grand job!
There is some research from economists
like Alan Krueger and David Card to suggest that moderate wage
increases do have positive effects, partly due to greater employee
retention and productivity but some argue these wage hikes are not
modest…some argue that studies indicate that even a 10 percent wage
hike reduces employment by 0.7 percent.
I’m not so sure. I favor the
economists that tell when manufacturers lay off 400 US workers and
send those jobs to Mexico to make Oreo cookies, that’s when
employment is reduced AND sale of the produce in America is reduced
because my neighbors are pissed about the layoffs and buy ZERO Oreo
cookies!
Seattle and San Francisco recently
raised their minimum wage and they did not become wastelands…perhaps
they cut the pay of local politicians to make up the difference? Now
that’s an idea most citizens could get behind…
Parting thoughts…
Single
Stop: Nearly 50 million Americans live in
poverty, with limited access to financial counseling. Single Stop
USA [Singlestopusa.org works to break the cycle of poverty by
connecting poor families with financial resources, education, and
benefits for which they are eligible…counselors are specially
trained to find resources and information-often in as little as 15
minutes.
Additional
Resources
How
to Maneuver the Financial World on a Low Income (Life
Hacker): "Ever since that time covering Occupy, the thought of
switching to a credit union has been spinning in the back of my mind.
The whole process has always seemed burdensome, but after doing some
research, I learned that it’s much easier than I thought."
8
Debt Reduction Mistakes Even Smart People Make (PT
Money): "If part of your strategy to improve your finances
includes bringing in some extra money, then you’ve surely asked
yourself, “when am I going to find time to do this?”
Apps
for Managing a Busy Family
- Family Locator from Life360 is a popular app. Enter information on all members of your household and you can monitor their phones’ location via GPS.
- Wistiki can save lots of hunting for lost valuables. The service sells cards, tags and key fobs that can attach to wallets and backpacks to help you find lost treasures when they vanish.
- AnyList lets you create a running shopping list so members of the household can add to it when they can’t get to a store – a recipe manager is included.
Yours
for better living,
Bruce
‘the Poor Man’
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1 comment:
Despite all previous rises to the minimum wage, the world didn't collapse...AND I NEVER SEE ANYONE BITCH WHEN A CEO GETS A RAISE. Wall Street can always afford that - hell they paid that lady from Yahoo more than 40 million to step down so what does that tell you1
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