Oddly, it was exactly 40 years ago we went off the gold standard. The more money govt. is allowed to print, the worse anyone's buying power. But if you own assets, they go up in price, too. That's why the stock market is going up.
So you think blue collar people should make less while I think white collar people (like teachers) should make more. Our economy isn't screwed up because a few grocery clerks make $60k/year. It's screwed up because real wages for most Americans have been stagnating for decades, while wealth among the elite continues to skyrocket. We were able to fake it for a while by doing things like doubling the workforce (adding women), priming the economy with bad real estate loans and other forms of consumer debt, etc. But at some point, the only ones who can afford to buy stuff are the top 10-30% of all people holding wealth. Consumer demand is crushed. And you get the economy we have now.
If a chart is trending up between 1987 and 2009, it's not exactly a shock that it continues to trend up between 2010 and 2011.
The white collar clerical types on this board amaze me. This country needs middle class! My dad's friend is one of those longshoreman.
I thought that was an amazing little side fact when it came to this debate. Sure, some companies might be using it as an excuse for not hiring people, but those companies tend to look for excuses to fire people left and right.
it's easier to blame those on your economic level, then it is to accept that those above you are the ones who caused things. in other words, pay no mind to the man behind the curtain!
Every American should get a college degree and we should do away with minimum wage and open our borders. :MARIS61:
skilled blue collar workers - yes, I agree in principal. Unskilled. No way. Float your way through high school, maybe even drop out, and then expect to sail on an easy carpet ride thanks to the union - that is one of the signs of raw political power gone wrong. It is one of the reasons unions are so reviled. They don't understand old fashioned fairness and common sense.
So, high school is what makes a man? Isn't it possible that some people who don't do well in high school later turn out ok? barfo
Those with a college education just cant fathom that someone without one is making more money than they. Who's going to do the back breaking grunt work for $15 bucks an hour? That much money goes real far in todays economy. Unions aren't going anywhere, its the backbone of the middle class.
i think a few people on this board were bitten by unions as children as if people making 60k are ruining this country?
My mom remarried about 10 years ago and this guy and myself do not get along at all. He's got his masters in something and I have 2 years from Mt. Hood CC. You should have seen his reaction when he found out accidentally that I made 40K more then him a year. Take that you college educated snobby bitches..... all of you!!!!!!!
Want to know why that graph looks like it does: In 1993 my company provided health insurance from Blue Cross Oregon (nice plan, go to any doctor you want) for all the employees. Cost: $88 per month. Now, with a far more restrictive plan (to "save" costs), on an HMO based Kaiser plan, we are paying $435 per month. A policy comparable to the Blue Cross plan is about $1,000 per month. There are a lot of reasons for the skyrocketing costs of health care and thus health insurance. Until the root causes of the skyrocketing costs are addressed there is no solution. ObamaCare did NOTHING substantive to address costs, and many economists agree will only drive cost ever higher - increased demand without addressing supply almost always leads to higher costs.
Go to trade school. Become an apprentice. Learn a trade. Plumber. Electrician. Heavy Equiptment Operator. Etc. MM was talking about unskilled labor.
Haha, exactly. I remember when I was coming out of high school and a buddy's dad was dead set that you had to go to a University, blah, blah, blah... We'd go rounds about it. He absolutely hated unions. He had his Masters Degree and was unemployed trying to make ends meet as a freelance artist. I could see how those types could definitely have sour grapes towards unions. I'm the type that would much rather be out there doing back-breaking work. Its just the way I am. Shoot me if I ever had to work a desk job.
