Goodbye Middle Class, 2014 SSA wage info.

a reply to: Puppylove

America is unfair. We get it.

And I have never taken a socialist handout ever. Never taken unemployment. Never taken welfare. None of it.

I could have.

But I wasnt raised that way.

It's easy to see in real life that people are making less. There has been a shift over the years. Back in the seventies and eighties you could get some well paying jobs for the time if you were a decent worker. Now it isn't so.

There are still good paying jobs but the majority of the lower middle class jobs have gone bye bye. The factories that closed down as jobs went overseas is the problem, most of those factories paid decent wages. A consumer based economy eventually collapses, past evidence shows that. It can work on a small basis but the USA is too large for it to work.

It isn't just the top one percent that is causing the problem, it is the top ten percent. Instead of supporting the masses of workers they are passing their bucks between others of their kind. The big thing is all of their wealth can disappear because of their investments, they invest in stocks which can crumble. In the end, the only ones who will have money is the one percent that have shuffled away wealth all over the world. The middle upper class is at the most risk of loosing everything they have.

a reply to: smirkley

We all pay into it so it's there when we need it. You want to buy a car and never drive it, that's your choice.

Then again, everyone forgets that part cause it's more fun to just call people sponges apparently to feel superior.

I've paid far more in taxes than I've ever taken from the government.

originally posted by: NewzNose
a reply to: Puppylove

My Dad had 3 jobs to raise his children and did so until he increased his value at job #1 to get higher paid management position. This was in 1966 - 1974.

I started working as a junior in high school, then worked 2 jobs from 1978 to 1985. I was hired by a new employer making 5 cents more an hour. I was making $10 an hour in 1996 when I went and started my own business. I am still there!

If job #1 isn't paying your bills, get a second job!

If you work multiple jobs, you will never get an actual education and you will usually just be working no skill jobs where you aren't getting any valuable on the job experience either. That is not a recipe for getting ahead.

a reply to: Puppylove

That is a false if you utilize any of the roads, hospitals, libraries, or schools.

Again, break down the numbers.

Your situation is not representative of the whole 38 percent.

Jail prisoners can even work a wage. They are in that demographic too.

originally posted by: Puppylove
Naw they'll just continue to take both and double dip.

Then they'll get voted out by someone who wants the wage. Most people who are capable enough that they should be members of congress, already do better in the private sector, they have little motivation to go after those jobs when they can just use lobbying and have the power without having to hold office.

a reply to: smirkley

Most of our tax money is going to things none of use, like pumping up Israel and warring in the Middle East. The food stamps I used for a few months doesn't compare.

a reply to: Aazadan

People can do that already if we could take back the vote. The only reason lobbying works is because we the people are too disorganized to control the vote like that as things stand.

As we fail to control the vote, they can double dip with impunity.

a reply to: WCmutant

If a company cannot afford to pay a living wage to it's full time employees they are not a benefit to society. If they cannot benefit society they are unnecessary.

a reply to: Isurrender73

I agree.

Define for me what a living wage is or needs to be able to cover. Most of the time when I hear people complain about a living wage they seem to feel entitled to many things that are not necessary to living.

a reply to: Isurrender73

You must hate variety. So charities should close if they cant afford to pay this vague living wage? No benefit to society right? How about any mom and pop? What you are proposing would only empower businesses like Walmart and crush the little guys. Not all jobs are meant to support a family of 4.

a reply to: TycoonBarnaby

Living wage, not surviving wage. People have emotional needs and morale to be upkept as well. People like you seem to be of the opinion a bed in a five by five room with a microwave, bus fare a some ramen should do us nicely. Afterall can survive like that til the ramen kills you and you fall apart from dispair.

a reply to: Puppylove

People like me?

OK then. Lay it out for me. What do you desire for your beyond surviving wage?

a reply to: TycoonBarnaby

A roof over my head, a vehicle, a computer and internet for connecting with other human beings as well as job stuff, finances, ect, since whether people want to admit it or not, internet is basically a necessity these days. A stove, utensils so can cook ACTUAL food, enough to afford non prepackaged food and spices to cook so that people can be healthy. Oh right health insurance so I don't just get sick and die. And maybe 50 bucks extra a month to be able to go out and live in the actual world. I'm sure I'm missing some things.

Smirkly, in one of your posts you said,

“Where I work, the only way to get in without an education or defined resume skills is as a temp. If you cut the mustard after a few months you get hired full time. You will be making twenty bucks an hour plus overtime.

I, too, work in an environment where a degree is required, and where the low-end wage is around $75K annually. I guess that makes us very fortunate Americans. However, our situations aren’t representative of the norm, as many folks these days are working their tails off 40+ hours/week while barely making enough to survive. Economic disparity in this country has gotten alarmingly high. So high I’d call it obscene.

Our political and economic systems have been hijacked by corporate interests. And rather than distribute the wealth from record profits by offering living wages and healthcare to employees, American multinationals are instead currently hoarding approx 2.1 trillion bucks overseas to avoid/evade paying federal income taxes. Under U.S. law, corporations do not have to pay income tax on most of their overseas profits until they are brought into the United States. These earnings can be held offshore for years and are classified as indefinitely invested abroad. Corporations complain about exorbitant corporate tax rates, but in reality, after loopholes and stashing profits abroad, they actually pay very low rates, if anything at all.

You see, corporations own everything in this country. EVERYTHING. They own all the important resources, they own all the land, they own the media, they own the politicians and have the judges in their back pocket, they own all the big lobbying firms, and worst of all they own YOU and ME. It’s obvious what they want - they want more for themselves and less for us. The economic disparity stats should make that clear. The filthy rich, the elite, the big corporations - they’re all part of an exclusive billionaire boys club and we aint in it. And never will be...

For awhile there this country toyed with the notion of Democracy. Seperation between the classes narrowed somewhat and we had an actual middle class. It used to be that a typical American family functioned quite well on a single income. The average family owned a home, a car or 2, and could send the kids to college. We achieved a standard of living enviable by many other countries around the world. But, over time, corporations grew stronger and richer and began exerting their influence over the political process. Now, with the legislative and judicial branches of government pretty much under their control, our little experiment in Democracy has morphed into some form/combination of plutocracy and an oligarchy. Meanwhile, We the People have become more and more complacent, lazy with our thinking, and resigned to a system that makes all of our decisions for us, makes all the rules whether in our interest or not, tells us how and what to think, and generates obscene amounts of profit while throwing mere scraps to it’s subservient, poverty-stricken workforce. But hey, we don’t care. Nothing we can do about it. As long as we’ve got our gadgets to play with, guns to shoot each other, and quality primetime entertainment like the Kardashians sisters, the Swamp People, Justin Bieber, Jersey Shores, and the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills we’re happy campers.

Finally, and believe me, corporations are keeping an eye on the progress being made in artificial intelligence and robotics. The unemployment lines will grow quite long as machine intelligence begins to replace the workforce. And it won’t be just the blue collar workers losing their jobs; white collar jobs are in jeopardy, as well. I won’t go into it, but it’s on the way. Checkout THIS SITE for a little preview of what’s around the corner.

Wish I had a solution, but I don’t. We’re in a real mess, and I don’t know how easy it will be to dig ourselves outta this one...

originally posted by: NihilistSanta
a reply to: Isurrender73

You must hate variety. So charities should close if they cant afford to pay this vague living wage? No benefit to society right? How about any mom and pop? What you are proposing would only empower businesses like Walmart and crush the little guys. Not all jobs are meant to support a family of 4.

A living minimum wage is not utopian.

If mom and pop can't afford to pay an employee a living wage then I guess mom and pop have to do the work themselves. If a charity can't afford to pay a living wage then they are a failed charity.

I am all for variety. I am not for 40 hour work weeks that leave people in poverty. Nor am I for the massive income disparity where 1% make half the money.

Wal-Mart is the low salary leader. How is raising the wage everyone has to pay going to make any difference on who can complete with Wal-Mart? That doesn't make since.

originally posted by: Puppylove
a reply to: TycoonBarnaby

A roof over my head, a vehicle, a computer and internet for connecting with other human beings as well as job stuff, finances, ect, since whether people want to admit it or not, internet is basically a necessity these days. A stove, utensils so can cook ACTUAL food, enough to afford non prepackaged food and spices to cook so that people can be healthy. Oh right health insurance so I don't just get sick and die. And maybe 50 bucks extra a month to be able to go out and live in the actual world. I'm sure I'm missing some things.

Roof. Agreed. Though are you willing to have a roommate to help split costs? These generally come with a stove as well. Utensils can be had for nearly free at yard sales or thrift stores.

Vehicle. No. Too good for public transportation? I haven't driven a vehicle since I was 18 (and that was a awhile ago.) I have never owned a vehicle.

Computer and internet. No. Too good for public computers/internet at a local library? Before I could afford my own computer and internet that was what I used. I do think more cities should begin setting up free city-wide wi-fi, and it is starting/planned in some of the larger metro areas like New York.

Food. Healthy food. Definitely, but that's a tough topic for this whole country as healthy food is hard to come by, and it isn't cheap.

Health insurance. Agreed. The US is ridiculous when it comes to this sadly.

a reply to: TycoonBarnaby

I don't know about you but I've had jobs where there was no public transportation but taxi's that could get there and it was not walk able. Taxi's are more expensive then a car for long distances. We don't live in a utopia where all jobs are driveable or public transportation accessable, sorry, I stand by transportation.

a reply to: Puppylove

OK, include transportation. What monthly dollar amount, after taxes are taken out, do you think you deserve in order to provide for your beyond just surviving existence? What do you have to offer as far as a productive member of society to earn this amount?