Lets assume 15 dollars an hour happens

[Kagthul]

oh lord, you can't believe that.

... Yeah, i believe it. McDonalds did their own internal study in 2012 to see what raising the wages of everyone enequivalent of paying their lowest paid 12.50 an hour (so, not just raising the minimum, everyone would have gotten the same ~6.00$ raise) would cost the company. The answer? About a 4% drop in PROFIT - not gross receipts, just Profit. Or, they could pass every single penny on to the consumer and it would have cost about... 4 cents per MEAL.

People have a VAST misconception of what part labor costs play in a lot of businesses, PARTICULARLY big mega-corporations.

It would be a little worse for 'mom and pop' places, but even they can make a decent profit. Here in MI there is a small (but growing) chain called Moo Cluck Moo - burgers and chicken, fast food joint. Owner pays ALL employees 15$ an hour or more, AND all the food is farm-to-table - locally sourced, including the soda.

A meal there costs maybe 1.50$ more than McDonalds (Burger, Fries & Drink is about 8.50$) - but id pay that just for the increase in quality - the food is amazing compared to any chain fast food joint and better than a lot of sit-down places - and in addition, the staff is always super pleasant and helpful and the restraunt is always spotless... And yet, the owner still makes enough to drive a jaguar, own a nice house, and expand the business (and is opening a similar chain of artisan pizza fast-food places).

[kail]

I feed a family of 3 for around $500 a month and that is including the occasional ribeye steaks.

Not sure what to tell you.

Our water bill is about $40 a month, power bill is about $100. We haven't had cable TV in about 4 years, we get everything from the internet. Out 20mbps services last I check runs about $35 a month with a modem rental.

Over here we have the privilege of paying $80+ for internet. Monopolies are cool!

[Fugus]

Yea, keep in mind it was newly constructed about 5-6 years ago, so the insulation and everything is up to par for the time being.

Can't wait to get me a new place. Had a blizzard in North Carolina about 2 years ago. I had the luxury of sleeping full dressed, wearing a jacket, and two blankets on me. Got to wake up with my face freezing and went to the restroom to pee to find out my toilet water had frozen when I peed onto a block of ice. Also had one summer where my house was near 100f most of the time, ended up spending most of my time at family and friends houses that summer.

[Annoying]

Yeah, I keep my thermostat set to 67F, summer or winter. 78F is so damn hot, I'd be sitting in a puddle of my own sweat.

Speaking of the weather... How's the rain treating you?

[Reeve]

Speaking of the weather... How's the rain treating you?

Pretty well. It got me the day off work yesterday, and it cleared up enough in the afternoon that I could walk to my favorite bar and drink wayyyyy too much (everyone kept buying me shots, am I supposed to be rude?), such that I've been suffering all day today. Hooray rain!

I actually live about 500 feet away from here:



The straight stretches on the right and left are actually major roads under several feet of water. My apartment complex is right behind the tall building on the right, but the water would have had to come up another 20-30 feet to really threaten my complex directly. The water in the bayou there is 40 or 50 feet deeper than usual.

To give some perspective, here's the same location as it normally looks (though a narrower field of view, where you can't really see the major roadways on either side:

[Machismo]

See? I called it.

I merely pointed out the ridiculousness of justifying one attempt to restrict freedom by siting another. That's the problem with most people, they only want freedom when it's for the things they want, and don't give a shit about taking away the freedoms of others when it's convenient. Not only is that a shitty thing to do, it's also very hypocritical.

[breadisfunny]

Guess what. We don't need to wonder. Industries have all ready given their answer, and you won't like it!



Also, I am tired of hearing people talk about "this wouldn't happen if we had unions". Look at the Verizon union strikes for all the reason you need!

which then creates a snowball effect of more and more people being unable to afford your services and you make less and less money. oh sure in the very short term it might boost profits.....

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Over here we have the privilege of paying $80+ for internet. Monopolies are cool!

ours is 120+ a month for 2mbps download.

[Annoying]

Pretty well. It got me the day off work yesterday, and it cleared up enough in the afternoon that I could walk to my favorite bar and drink wayyyyy too much (everyone kept buying me shots, am I supposed to be rude?), such that I've been suffering all day today. Hooray rain!

I actually live about 500 feet away from here:

http://static1.squarespace.com/stati...1432655287851/

The straight stretches on the right and left are actually major roads under several feet of water. My apartment complex is right behind the tall building on the right, but the water would have had to come up another 20-30 feet to really threaten my complex directly. The water in the bayou there is 40 or 50 feet deeper than usual.

To give some perspective, here's the same location as it normally looks (though a narrower field of view, where you can't really see the major roadways on either side:

http://swamplot.com/wp-content/uploa...bayou-park.jpg

Duuude. I was reading about them last night and was like "I should hop on MMO-Champ and PM Reeve to make sure he's OK." Went out, got too drunk (i know right, can't be rude), and forgot until I saw your post up there, heh. Glad you're not too horribly effected by it.

ours is 120+ a month for 2mbps download.

Yeah, know that feeling. $115 for 7Mb down. Our gas/electric is also probably ~10-20% higher than the national average is.

[breadisfunny]

I merely pointed out the ridiculousness of justifying one attempt to restrict freedom by siting another. That's the problem with most people, they only want freedom when it's for the things they want, and don't give a shit about taking away the freedoms of others when it's convenient. Not only is that a shitty thing to do, it's also very hypocritical.

no thats all you've done in every thread you post in is scream about the government violating everyones freedoms.

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Sometimes I feel that people who are this devoid of empathy would be happy to vote "yes" to a proposal to round up the poorest 5% of the population every year and make them disappear.

Who cares what happened to them, or why they got to where they got...clearly it is entirely their fault and they should be made to suffer right?

there are a couple here who actually believe that.

[Chrysia]

LOL at the morons still working at McDonalds after Highschool to make a living.

Your argument is invaild and pointless as fuck kid.

Yes, because all those High School kids are going to work the night shift (illegal) or the lunch rush.

[Xeones]

Correct but not for the reason you THINK.. McDonalds Restaurants usually make about 4% in profit. So in order to NOT pass the costs onto the customers McDonalds will have to lay off many employees and replace them with computers which is what they are already doing.

AKA exactly what I said. Prices go up even if wages stay stagnant. It's ignorant to think giving people a living wage would cause a drastic change in price when it has never happened in the past or in any other country.

[Zzaj]

It's slightly different when there's a direct correlation between people who are low-skilled and low-educated being more reliant on public assistance, being in poverty, and having higher incidence of health issues related to insufficient access to food, healthcare and appropriate shelter. Not to mention the effects on children who are raised in poverty and have literally no way to get a job to make things better for themselves.

There isn't, however, the same correlation between people who start and fail at a business. Starting your own business is a luxury in this country. It's something people do when they have the financial means and financial backing to do so. Having a job that pays enough to tend to a person's extremely basic, human needs, by comparison, is a necessity by definition.

Why not have the gov't dictate prices for stuff then? Min wage makes about as much sense as maximum cost.

[Shadowferal]

The purchasing power of the dollar needs to increase far more than the min wage in my opinion.

But, Wall Street tumbles whenever the dollar gets stronger since people bet against the country.

[Betelgeuse]

I am actually anxious to see the economic results of such a wage increase. Common sense tells me it can't possibly turn out well. Let's say McD's pays $8/hour and Walmart pays $10/hour (which may actually be true!). If the min wage is boosted to $15/hour, both jobs will have to pay the same. Having never worked at either, I still have to assume that the Walmart job is a little bit better than the McD's job, so will the Walmart job pay a little more in order to keep people? Like $17? What happens to a guy making $17 at the plumbing shop? Does his wage go up? If all those wages go up, don't the prices have to go up? Is everything absorbed by the profit margin or do prices have to increase in order to get in the black? Are prices raised just to maintain the current profit margin? So many questions...

[Masark]

What happens to a guy making $17 at the plumbing shop? Does his wage go up? If all those wages go up, don't the prices have to go up? Is everything absorbed by the profit margin or do prices have to increase in order to get in the black?

1. Yes.

2. Yes, but the increase in prices will be strictly less than the increase in wages, because the wages are only a portion of the cost of the goods/service.

This is not unexplored territory. We've been increasing the minimum wage for almost 80 years and none of the doomsaying has ever occurred.

[Endus]

I am actually anxious to see the economic results of such a wage increase. Common sense tells me it can't possibly turn out well. Let's say McD's pays $8/hour and Walmart pays $10/hour (which may actually be true!). If the min wage is boosted to $15/hour, both jobs will have to pay the same. Having never worked at either, I still have to assume that the Walmart job is a little bit better than the McD's job, so will the Walmart job pay a little more in order to keep people? Like $17? What happens to a guy making $17 at the plumbing shop? Does his wage go up? If all those wages go up, don't the prices have to go up? Is everything absorbed by the profit margin or do prices have to increase in order to get in the black? Are prices raised just to maintain the current profit margin? So many questions...

All questions that have answers that you could garner by looking at literally any other minimum wage hike in history. Where yes, all those wages go up, in pretty much exactly the way you're incredulous that they would.

[oxymoronic]

Sometimes I feel that people who are this devoid of empathy would be happy to vote "yes" to a proposal to round up the poorest 5% of the population every year and make them disappear.

Who cares what happened to them, or why they got to where they got...clearly it is entirely their fault and they should be made to suffer right?

trim the fat, nah not sure if i like that. let em breathe i say.

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Yes, because all those High School kids are going to work the night shift (illegal) or the lunch rush.

the drop outs, yes

[belfpala]

Yeah, I keep my thermostat set to 67F, summer or winter. 78F is so damn hot, I'd be sitting in a puddle of my own sweat.

Aren't there systems now where you can have a thermostat in different rooms, and it only controls that room? Like, when I go to bed, only have my bedroom getting A/C (or, where I live, only have my bedroom getting heat)?

[Deleted]

And how do I move without any money, dipshit?

I asked a loan the first time, then saved an emergency fund ever since just in case I have to relocate.

Most friends would fund their relocation by selling the unnecessary crap they accumulated, also to lighten up their boxes.

[belfpala]

I asked a loan the first time, then saved an emergency fund ever since just in case I have to relocate.

Most friends would fund their relocation by selling the unnecessary crap they accumulated, also to lighten up their boxes.

I'm just trying to think about how much money I'd get for my "crap." Note, I've moved several times, each time only taking what fit in my car, so I know this game well.

So, let's start with the car. It's mine, free and clear. It's also 15 years old. I might get two or three thousand for it, but then I'd have to figure out a way to transport myself and my crap for the move. Therefore, assuming I'm moving somewhere that cars are optional, I'd sell it when I got there, not before.

Other crap.
My desktop. Maybe $150.
My books. No sale. I've already sold or lost everything I don't need.
My clothes. No sale. My wardrobe is sparse. Like 10 t-shirts, a few sweaters, a few casual pants, a winter jacket, two fall/spring jackets, socks, shoes, underwear and a suit.
My music equipment. Possibly $2000. The question then becomes, can I live without my guitars? Nope, so knock that down to $1500.
My furniture. No clue, mostly random IKEA stuff.
My roommate. I'll give you money to take her.
My cat. Nope.
My grill. $100 maybe.
My core cooking equipment. Nope. NOPE NOPE NOPE.
My other cooking equipment. My mother might take it for free, can't see anyone paying.
.
.
.
And so on.

Also the time involved to dispose of it all. Could have got a part time at the gas station down the street or something meanwhile. Opportunity cost, blah blah.

Just looking around my place, I might be able to get $5000 for my non-necessary crap. Then I'm down to probably $3000 after moving and paying first+last+deposit to rent. And I probably have a place with no furniture. And unless I'm employed by a national corp, I probably don't have a job yet. And...

tl;dr -- Moving is not as easy as people seem to think. I landed in NYC without a job or furniture, but because of the industry I'm in and my experience I landed a job within the day. Not recommended for most people.