Democracy At Work Is The Only Way To Stop Billionaires Like Bezos

a reply to: lordcomac

Thanks for a thoughtful response.

However, the crux of the matter is that many large corporations are receiving indirect subsidies from federal, state and local taxes, through hiring workers below a living wage, knowing that supplimental income is available to keep the workers alive.

So the barely living workers continue to work, while having society look down upon them for being "welfare queens" or whatever is the term today. It is about 40 million Americans right now.

The advantage is that if you, as a taxpayer, shop at one of these corporations, you get lower prices. If you don't, then you subsidise other taxpayers (and everyone else who shops there) lower prices.

So, I think the idea is that if a worker at one of these places is getting taxpayer funded assistance to live, and costing the taxpaying public to fund this, then the burden of taxes should go to the corporation, not the taxpayer.

This would raise prices on direct goods, but the taxpayers were paying for the subsidies any way. So you were paying for something to begin with, you just could not directly see it.

Depending on how well we as voters can manage our government (not likely), we could reduce taxes to the taxpayer, or redirect the newly available funding programs needing resources.

originally posted by: notsure1

originally posted by: Krazysh0t

originally posted by: notsure1
If Bexos has to pay his employees more he wont have all that money to spend making up dirt on Trump..

Are you liberals sure you want this?

What a stupid strawman you are deploying here...

Bezos has gotten a pass from liberals because he hates Trump.

He is richer than most of the others combined and you guys love him. he pays his employees what he makes in 10 seconds and you guys love him because he hates Trump.

More strawmen. How about worrying about what YOU think and stop telling us what we think? Stay in your own firing lane.

originally posted by: Krazysh0t

originally posted by: notsure1

originally posted by: Krazysh0t

originally posted by: notsure1
If Bexos has to pay his employees more he wont have all that money to spend making up dirt on Trump..

Are you liberals sure you want this?

What a stupid strawman you are deploying here...

Bezos has gotten a pass from liberals because he hates Trump.

He is richer than most of the others combined and you guys love him. he pays his employees what he makes in 10 seconds and you guys love him because he hates Trump.

More strawmen. How about worrying about what YOU think and stop telling us what we think? Stay in your own firing lane.

Damm you love to say strawman lol.

originally posted by: notsure1

originally posted by: Krazysh0t

originally posted by: notsure1

originally posted by: Krazysh0t

originally posted by: notsure1
If Bexos has to pay his employees more he wont have all that money to spend making up dirt on Trump..

Are you liberals sure you want this?

What a stupid strawman you are deploying here...

Bezos has gotten a pass from liberals because he hates Trump.

He is richer than most of the others combined and you guys love him. he pays his employees what he makes in 10 seconds and you guys love him because he hates Trump.

More strawmen. How about worrying about what YOU think and stop telling us what we think? Stay in your own firing lane.

Damm you love to say strawman lol.

They are used a lot around ATS. I get a lot of practice.

Democracy At Work Is The Only Way To Stop Billionaires Like Bezos

Bad Employers by Zeroing Out Subsidies (BEZOS) Act, new legislation to pressure large corporations to pay their workers a living wage. The proposed bill imposes a “corporate welfare tax” on companies with 500 or more employees whose workers receive federal assistance such as food stamps (i.e., SNAP), public housing or Medicaid.

Use democracy to vote yourself a bunch of free money.

Newsflash that isn't democracy.

That's tyranny of the mob.

originally posted by: Bluntone22
Any guesses on how many low wage workers get fired if this goes through?

Well then if the lines at Walmart get too long, and the inventory is chaotic and disorganized, people will stop going there.

If Amazon can't fill it's orders quickly, then people might decide it's quicker just to go to the brick and mortar store.

What goes around, comes around.

originally posted by: Bluntone22
a reply to: Xcalibur254

And what is a living wage exactly?

Costs vary from place to place, but lets assume a single person with no kids or disabilities.

A small apartment can cost between $700-$2000/month

Internet and phone are a necessity for job applications, work, research, etc so that'll add another $120-$240

If utilities aren't covered by rent, that's $150-$300

Food can range between $100-300 depending on how skilled the person is at cooking and what's available for purchase

Transportation is a whole other beast. No public transport? Gotta get a vehicle. That means insurance which is really hard to calculate, gas which depends on the price and how much driving has to be done and vehicle maintenance which varies in cost. Some people have to spend between $200-$600

Got public transport? A bus pass varies in price but usually is about $100/month.

There also has to be enough money for activities/entertainment and cover or assist with the random problems that are costly.

So the range is $1370 - $2540 before entertainment or buffer

That means someone has to work 40 hours a week at $11 - $20/hour just so they can live and work another day without any activities like getting a coffee or hopping in a cab or buying some clothes and shoes.

As you can hopefully see, a living wage is not one you can put an arbitrary number on.

This BEZOS approach forces larger corporate heads to choose to either pay their workers more and get them off welfare or cover the cost of the gov't footing the bill for ensuring workers are able to live and work another day for those larger corporate heads.

As far as I can tell, this doesnt impact startups or small businesses, only places that have 500+ employees that are also on welfare.

a reply to: neo96

Because the "mob" rule we have now where people like Bezos can exploit the American taxpayers because of his money and influence is way better.

At least Sanders' bill ends up benefiting the vast majority of the country as opposed to what we have now.

ETA: Also, aren't you one of those people that thinks your money shouldn't be going to pay for welfare? This pretty much means your money wouldn't be going to pay for a large number of people's welfare.

a reply to: Xcalibur254

Give it a GD rest.

Created by Sanders that couldn't even stand up against Billionaire Clintons.

Sanders and his party are the kings of exploitation.

The corporations had government kill the most effective unions and now the American working man is SOL.

I guess it's capitalism at it's most obscene.

a reply to: neo96

So you like paying for Amazon employees' welfare?

This will not be very popular but I think we should put a cap on what one guy can earn.

Something stupid high like 100 billion or even 50 billion. After that they have to give it all to employees.

Then after a few years a guy like Bezos would make all of his employees millionaires then they could retire and he could make a whole new crop of employees millionaires,

imagine that. he could still be worth 50 billion but at his pace he is going to own everyone and everything.

a reply to: Xcalibur254

So far it sounds decent.

Seems fair.

a reply to: Xcalibur254

Well Bezos IS ALREADY paying half of the social security and medicare contributions,their unemployement insurance, workmans comp and everything else business owners have to shell out for employees.

How bout Bezos haters get over themselves.

Your not going to get everything you want.

ALL so the masses can go out and buy more stuff.

originally posted by: neo96
ALL so the masses can go out and buy more stuff.

You DO know that is literally how the economy operates right? If people aren't buying stuff then the economy falters.

a reply to: Krazysh0t

I know how a GD business operates.

Share price of Amazon Stock is GD meaningless.

Amzn may generate $177 billion per year but it nets only 3 billion

en.wikipedia.org...(company)

Lot of GD overhead.

a reply to: Xcalibur254

Speaking of Bezos, I read comments, I think it was on Reddit, from people who work in those Amazon warehouses.
It was so disheartening to read about all their knee problems, foot problems, shoulders and back. All from the constant running through those warehouses and doing so much lifting.

A whole section was devoted to discussing boots, and pads and inserts to put in worn-out boots, and how quickly they wear out, and not having enough money to properly replace them.

I have read of cases where a judge caused an apartment owner to live in his own rental property for a while, to experience the leaking pipes, lack of heat, rodents and insects first hand.

It would be most gratifying for me if a judge ordered Bezos to work in one of his own warehouses for a month or so.
In cheap boots.

originally posted by: neo96
a reply to: Krazysh0t

I know how a GD business operates.

Ok. Great, but I said the economy. Not a business.

originally posted by: Bluntone22
a reply to: Xcalibur254

I wonder what tucker Carlson gets paid compared to the guy cleaning the set after the show?

And what is a living wage exactly?

Give me an actual number, not a paragraph droning on and on... actual dollar amounts.

Here this will help you without typing a paragraph with real numbers and dollar amounts broken down by state, then counties as we all know living in NY is much different than say Portland.
Living wage calculator

Let me know if you have any other questions.

Meanwhile I do have a follow up to your Tucker Carlson remark, which works harder the one reading a teleprompter an looking pretty or the cleaner?

a reply to: Xcalibur254

Depending on the bill I might support it. What about companies that really cater to employing high school kids, do they have to pay a living wage?