Living Wage OK'd in Chicago Options

[GOB]

In fact I'd be surprised if you could find many philosophy undergrad majors that make more than $26k a year.

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[Testm0nkey]

bottom line here people is with all the welfare, food stamps, WIC, practically insane amounts of govt college grants & loans, and any other program out there designed to give poor people a break, what possible incentive is there for them to try to get out of poverty??

I'll go toe to toe with any dipshit in here that tries to claim poor people can't go to college. the insane amount of grants & loans available allow anybody who wants to go to go.

What will raising the minimum wage do? It'll teach poor people that they don't need to work harder or try to get an education, they get something for nothing. It'll put a strain on companies large & small, which can't possibly help the economy. You raise it from $5.15 to $7, all that does is give some dude an extra set of rims & another subwoofer per year.

And Jessica, that's fucking stupid to compare yourself to the poverty line, you're a damn college student. I'm sure the 15 year olds sacking groceries while in high school are below the poverty line too. In fact I'd be surprised if you could find many college students that make more than $26k a year.

that is ridiculous

[Spectatrix]

Would you mind elaborating, Cathryn?

[Mommy]

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hardy har har. i have a job lined up that pays 36k+ a year, but when you move somewhere and dont have a job and have to take the first thing that comes available to get by at first, thats what happens. ive said it a million times, a bachelors degree is a bachelors degree is a bachelors degree unless you get it in nursing or engineering. doesnt matter what the degree is in, they all look the same on a resume.

[woody]

fixed

< Philosophy grad making more than 30K/yr

[Mommy]

< Philosophy grad making more than 30K/yr

haha oh yeah, i forgot you were philosophy



additionally, philosophy majors have a good chance of being accepted to law school

[Mommy]

Poverty for an individual is defined as $9,800/yr. Yeah, that sucks, but it's still possible to live on those wages. You wouldn't be able to afford a car unless you were just doing liability insurance on it, but it's not impossible. You get an efficiency apartment, buy cheap groceries, don't go out to eat, and watch your utility usage.

let me lay out some math here that i think is reasonable.

minimum wage equals out to $10,712 a year without any deductings or ss being taken out

lets say rent is $250/mo for an efficiency....thats $3k/yr

water is $20/mo so $240/yr

electricity at $80/mo is $960 which is a light estimate because i hardly ever use AC and mine is $106/mo

to eat healthy, my estimate is $30/wk for food so thats $1440/yr

laundry for 2 loads a week would be $192/yr

clothes we will say $60 every 2 months... $360/yr

transportation... i dont know what a bus pass costs these days, but we will just say $200/yr

extra odds and ends like cleaning supplies and shampoo etc we will alot $200/yr for

total so far $6592

now, my guess the actual take home on minimum wage is closer to about $9,00.

So here is what we have left over $2408.

Health insurance is a must these days. Most minimum wage jobs offer more expensive health care so they are looking at about $60/2 wks of deductions. Thats $1440/yr. What about co-payments and prescriptions. If they go to the doctors 4/yr and the co-pay is $25 and they need a $20 prescription each time thats an additional $180/yr.

Now, we have $788 left over which seems like a lot, but is not for an entire year of work. If a person were to get cable, almost half of that would be gone.


in other words, yeah, its livable but only for the absolute bare minimum...they wont be able to buy birthday or christmas gifts, get internet, have a car, pay tithe if they go to church, give to charities, or buy something like a vacuum cleaner, much less have a savings because lets face it, that $788 will go to some type of necessity whether it be stamps, a cell phone bill, or something else. Ummm what kind of life is that? Has anyone here ever worked at a fast food restaraunt? it fucking sucks. Its pretty hard work, like always moving and always hustling. I dont know many of people like you and me that could do it because its frustrating work. You smell all the time and get sweaty. So are we saying that just because you dont have to have any prior skills it shouldnt pay much. I can think of several jobs that any joe could do that pay a lot better. But no, people like impala say that only potheads and junkies work those places. No, people who desperately need a job work there too.

[moebary]

clothes we will say $60 every 2 months... $360/yr

it's $60 a year if it's a male, i spend about that much on clothes a year

and some of those others are a little high if your living off minimum wage, like food and probably electricity since they couldn't afford a tv, computer, washing machine, etc

This post has been edited by moebary: Jul 29 2006, 12:30 PM

[FORSAKENR320]

in other words, yeah, its livable but only for the absolute bare minimum

thats why it's called the poverty level






no, not all people making minimum wage are potheads, but each and every person has made choices through their life that have landed themselves in that situation.


life sucks, get a fucking helmet

[moebary]

life sucks, get a fucking helmet

exactly

[Mommy]

it's $60 a year if it's a male, i spend about that much on clothes a year

and some of those others are a little high if your living off minimum wage, like food and probably electricity since they couldn't afford a tv, computer, washing machine, etc

i dont have tv or a washing machine


and $60/yr? What about socks, shoes, underwear, work clothes, etc????

[Jim]

i dont have tv or a washing machine


and $60/yr? What about socks, shoes, underwear, work clothes, etc????

If you're not making much money, you can wear the same underwear/socks/what have you for years.

Shoes and work clothes vary. If you're working at McDonald's I'm pretty sure you don't have to buy new work clothes monthly. And when I was there I kept the same shoes for over one and a half years.

[Spectatrix]

i dont have tv or a washing machine


and $60/yr? What about socks, shoes, underwear, work clothes, etc????

I do have to admit that your electricity estimate is high. Jim and I have a TV, DVD player, 2 computers that are on most of the time, AC... and our electricity usually runs between $60 and $80.

Oh, and I haven't spent even $100 in the last year on clothes, even considering that I bought a $40 pants suit last weekend. I haven't bought new socks in years, new underwear only every couple of years, shoes last me at least two years...

[Mommy]

I do have to admit that your electricity estimate is high.  Jim and I have a TV, DVD player, 2 computers that are on most of the time, AC... and our electricity usually runs between $60 and $80.

Oh, and I haven't spent even $100 in the last year on clothes, even considering that I bought a $40 pants suit last weekend.  I haven't bought new socks in years, new underwear only every couple of years, shoes last me at least two years...

I havent bought new shoes in 3 years. I have 4 pairs of shoes total. I did have to buy work clothes and that cost some money. I dont buy expensive stuff either. Pants usually cost like $15 and shirts about $12. I have to dress business professional everyday though so I had to pretty much buy a new wardrobe. For someone working at mcdonalds, though, I guess they wont need that much. Problem is, they dont need to look like a damn bum either so thats why I said $60 every 2 months. Thats only $30/ mo. I think thats pretty reasonable. Thats a pair of jeans and a shirt a month.

As for the electricity thing, I live in Austin. I have been told our electricity is higher priced here. I never have the lights on, I dont have a washer or dryer, and I dont have cable so my tv is never on. Additionally, I hardly ever cook. My thermostat for my AC is usually set to 80 degrees. My bills have been $106 and some change for the past two months in a row.

This post has been edited by Jessica: Jul 30 2006, 05:40 PM

[Dogmeat]

christ my electric bill in lubbock is usually $100 a month, but keep my thermostat set on 72-73 degrees ....