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The bill to raise minimum wage (at the State level) has died.
http://hawaiitribune-herald.com/sections...ature.html
I think the State should create a web calculator so people can figure out they won't be able to afford living here BEFORE they move. It really takes at least $20-25/hour unless you live in a tent.
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When the minimum wage goes up, the cost of basic goos goes up. Who wins?
I want to be the kind of woman that, when my feet
hit the floor each morning, the devil says
"Oh Crap, She's up!"
I want to be the kind of woman that, when my feet
hit the floor each morning, the devil says
"Oh Crap, She's up!"
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Look at this problem from the other direction: as taxes, fees and "compliance" costs rise, those stuck making minimum wage are essentially forced out of the economy.
Minimum wage should at least be tied to the cost of living index and/or increased at the same rate as taxation.
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As far as I can see, Walmart bashing is a national hobby and people just repeat what they have heard without checking it out.
I know 4 Walmart employees, they all like their jobs, earn more than minimum wage, and receive benefits.
Walmart also hires the unemployable to be greeters. Maybe it isn't a great job, but it is pretty darn good job of no one else will hire you under any circumstances.
Employees seem to not understand that they must produce value for the company in excess of what they are paid. Their job is not there to provide them with comfort and all their living expenses in exchange for nothing.
Minimum wage here (Oregon)is slightly over $9 and I know a whole bunch of people who would not give you $9 worth of work in an hour. I would bet it is the same in Hawaii, except that worker is costing a lot more than $9 an hour and still not doing $9 worth of work.
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quote:
Originally posted by Oregon Woodsmoke
As far as I can see, Walmart bashing is a national hobby and people just repeat what they have heard without checking it out.
I know 4 Walmart employees, they all like their jobs, earn more than minimum wage, and receive benefits.
I read a different article; it says the average 300-employee Walmart costs its "host" economy about $900K/year in subsidies.
It goes something like this: the "average" Walmart employee is kept in perpetual part-time, so they don't get benefits; at minimum wage, they don't earn enough to break the poverty line, so they're subsidized by welfare/food stamps/etc.
It's somewhat ironic that these employees pay taxes which are then returned to them as subsidies; seems like it would be more efficient to make the minimum wage fully tax-exempt, thereby eliminating the administrative overhead of taking/returning the money.
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I worked as a contract employee for the Walmart in Hilo last summer and fall. I worked more than 20 hours per week, but was not given the option of purchasing health insurance because technically the company I was working for was based out of Arizona. I also had no other benefits either.
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I always wondered why were paying people from Arkansas for stuff coming from China
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quote:
Originally posted by Seeb
I always wondered why were paying people from Arkansas for stuff coming from China
Because it's still cheaper than manufacturing it here?
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This morning's news, while not "Puna", was 110% on-topic.
Washington DC passed a law requiring "big box" retailers to pay a "living wage" of $12.50/hour.
Walmart then announced that they would immediately cease construction on three stores in Washington DC.
This strategy "works" on the mainland, because people can just "drive to another State", it would be very interesting to see how it applied here -- I suspect Walmart would just "suck it up" rather than lose sales to Amazon...
