SOTU - hoping for some discussion

[GreenGuy]

This article on the Obama's State Of The Union address (http://www.thenewamerican.com/usnews/constitution/item/17517-america-rejects-rule-by-decree-as-critics-lambaste-obama-speech) struck me as a pretty good analysis - if the claims made are true. Hoping to spark a little discussion here to enhance my own insights. For instance, the article states several times that the majority of economists oppose the minimum wage. I don't know that that's true, and it's one point that the writer doesn't support with links.

Personally, I believe we need a minimum wage - not a wage that will enable one to buy a home and a new car - but a minimum that will prevent homelessness and starvation. Why? Because without it, corporations like MalWart will not even pay people enough to cover the cost of gas to get there. If we had an economy made up of entrepreneurs who understand what it's like to be a working stiff, maybe we could get by without it. But when corporations run everything, the absence of a minimum wage means that people will starve without government handouts - exactly the situation we have now.

So, setting aside the business of minimum wage, what do Avalonians think of the rest of this article? If Americans are so overwhelmingly against Obama, that means at least some folks are thinking - less dumb than some of us may be giving them credit for. But I'm not convinced, and the welter of conflicting claims by the various pundits-du-jour, has me frankly confused.

Little help here?

[Lifebringer]

I think the reason you have a lot of "views" and not posted comments is, that most here know we are on a budget that is 1972, while the rest of the country's budget reflects the actual cost of everything. You see, since Reagan was in there and said: "The poor have too much money," they've stagnated the wages to keep them always under government control through various programs following them around their every economic decision, because they have not enough to make it. They want you to float, but not swim. It's called control and that's the sick part about it. Now the President has reflected both WS businesses who also know they've skimmed too long, and the economist that say if a worker were to have proper wages that covered the month to month necessities plus food, auto insurance, life insurance, health insurance and "back to school" if they have children year after year after year until they finish school, the wages at minimum to even think about proper, would be 20.00 per hour.

We are fighting for half of that now. People/working people have worked two or three positions, and not received the proper increase for those skills acquired. Cheating in every company, whenever a worker needs a raise, they lay them off or threaten to move the job out of the country. Well...Gen X, Y, and Z are calling their bluff, because WE have the solutions they've held back so long. The skills, the dreams, the future of this world, and that they cannot mimick. They go the way of the dodo, if they don't stop the skimming, because "homies" ain't having that.

Just thought I'd post, I saw it yesterday, and as you can gather, I keep a pulse in my and other communities of brotherhood, facing the same problem. Why is a waitresses wages ONLY 2.50 + tips? Now that is highway robbery, not to mention the damage to the body bought on by gravity and long hours on the feet. Yet they pay them next to nothing. Who dreams this stuff up, to take from the single mom working tables without a skill? Ridiculous because her mind is multitasking faster than most in the whole restaurant, even remembering to clean up after someone's child at the table when they leave. And yet her worth is not counted properly. The janitor that used to be able to afford proper cleansing and disinfectant agents, now has to do the job w/less as their children grow up, and tada, MRSR germs in hospitals. There's your trickle down.
Soon as the corp CEO realizes, kicking the bottom of the stool for a bonus, won't let the company stand, then we'll talk. Right now, there's a lot of prayer for discovery and their bragging rights on WS profits are there for all to see, how blatantly greedy and heartless they are to those around them suffering their economic theft by financial deception.

But yeah, somebody has to speak for the people, and WE GAVE this President his marching orders in both elections because he's known to compromise, to get something done about it. Haven't heard anyone else speak up, besides Clinton, Carter, Johnson and Kennedy.:wizard::happy:

Fairness rm 101.

[ghostrider]

I can't speak for everyone but for me , sometime one is sooo wiped out from trying to survive , the political speak takes time to digest ... Taxes have done more harm, companies are working with fewer people to cut cost , thus one person is doing the job of three ... the president I believe has good ideas but the way he wants to get there creates more problems making the ends harder to be accomplished ... Healthcare, good idea , medical coverage for all is good but , they way it's handled is a trainwreck, it should be the un-affordable care act ... In truth Nafta killed jobs , the agenda is set , all presidents just keep the illusion of the good of the people going ... I don't see the millionair movie stars, sports stars, CEO's , politicians , bankers , doing that bad ... The public pays more with less , until that is fixed , the middle class is going bye bye ... So the words of any president or leader are just words , we all know the agenda behind it = control ...not freedom ... I wanna see a salary cap on leaders , 50k a year and four years and done , term limits, don't allow anymore time in government ... end the lifelong ride on the back of the working class ... and we would get a broad representation of the people as well as make them involved in what government does , everyone should serve ... as it is now , lawyers and doctors from harvard and yale run everything , that is not all the people , there are more than just trust fund babies in America ...

[Lefty Dave]

State of the Union ? What union ???
This country, and the whole western world is in such decay, such atrophy...there is no hope for repair....it must be dissolved, abolished... then established, redefined as a free society, in which all have equal rights and equal opportunities and all are held to the same standards....anything else is just samo samo...
As to capitalism, in the end, one person owns everything...everyone else owns nothing....no one explained that to me when I was a young lad in school...no, we must start something new....EQUALISM...!!! No more interest rates...no more interest !!! No more profit margins,...no more profit !!! Contribute what you can...extract what you need...and there should be enough for all....at least it's worth a try....after all, what we're doing now isn't working !!!
Just me ranting...please forgive me if I've insulted your views, ...after all...I could be wrong.
End of line.

[LivioRazlo]

I brought the topic of increased minimum wage to my Economics teacher last semester and I was not at all shocked on what he had to say about it. Mind you, this is coming from a guy who holds a Master's in Economics. He stated that if you want higher wages, people need to gain and develop the skills required to do so - that minimum wage is set for a minimum standard of living for people who have little to no skills - and that the new generation coming in and being born just expect things to be handed to them. I completely understand and get where he was coming from and in so many ways, he is correct. I work a minimum wage job, by my own choice - I left a job paying $3.00 more on the hour because of the emotional, physical and psychological stresses it was impacting in my life. I may not get as many hours as I once did, but I make enough to pay the rent, bills, buy some food and maybe go out and spoil myself once in a while. The big point he stressed upon me is that everyone should be living within their means - not having to have to have the latest smartphone, video gaming platform or other frivolous things. I myself am guilty of this to a certain extent, but I am slowly learning my errors and trying to correct them.

Now, on to the subject of the State of the Union address - what an utter load of ca-ca. People are waking up by the thousands and finally smelling the crap the U.S. government is shoveling. Yet, we need more than just waking up - WE NEED ACTION! Simply creating petitions and having them signed, liking a cause on Facebook or donating to a noble cause just simply isn't cutting it anymore. We are up against huge conglomerates with millions upon billions of dollars at their disposal to bribe and defeat any opposition. The solution is very simple, yet difficult at the same time - Americans need to become more self-sufficient - plain and simple. We need to be utilizing the Internet for what it truly is - a mass index of information at our fingertips, waiting to be harnessed for the cause of furthering humanity. I was discussing the SOTU on a friends Facebook feed as it was occurring and I was dumbfounded by the remark of someone associated with whom I was discussing the topic. She stately that we need the government to create laws telling us we are equal - I was like really? Are you that blind?

I could go on and on about this, but for now, I'll stop and await the responses. :thumb:

[GreenGuy]

I brought the topic of increased minimum wage to my Economics teacher last semester and I was not at all shocked on what he had to say about it...He stated that if you want higher wages, people need to gain and develop the skills required to do so - that minimum wage is set for a minimum standard of living for people who have little to no skills - and that the new generation coming in and being born just expect things to be handed to them.

I think that's a valid point. If we were to attempt to simply give everyone a good living wage, there'd be no motivation for most people to better themselves. I believe we've already gone to far in that direction at least in some communities, and I'm not a socialist. But I still stand behind a higher minimum wage for the reasons in the OP. I came across this article analyzing and advocating for a higher minimum wage (http://www.commondreams.org/view/2014/03/01-1), and it makes good sense to me.


Now, on to the subject of the State of the Union address - what an utter load of ca-ca.

I couldn't agree more. I do think that citizens of this country ought to have access to the best health care in the world. If we can afford to fight wars around the world, support nasty little rogue nations and dictators and undermine others, meddling in other people's business around the world, then we can afford to enact policies that will work to keep our own people healthy and productive. The way to do that is to remove lobbyists and the insurance companies from the equation.