Everyone is in a fuss over raising the minimum wage because it will hurt small business'. Meanwhile, we are forced to have healthcare and can't afford gas in our tanks to get to work. Wouldn't it be better to lower the cost of living or lower the wages of corporate management and use that money to pay their own employees more? Maybe if they took a pay cut, there would be more money to pay the employees who do all the work and keep their business' alive, otherwise, go ahead and raise the minimum wage. People need to start paying our bills and stop making us work for almost free.

It's a vicious cycle of corruption and greed, large crony capitalist corporations controlling regulation, corrupt politicians, with "too big to fail" banks (so why do banks need bailouts?) that rob the public at the top to fund their greed. These actions always devastate those on the bottom or consumer end.

Until we can get representation that actually has a clue or a care how "we the people" are affected by the actions of their greed/corruption, or the people rise above their ignorance, complacency and tolerance, to hold our politicos feet to the fires they build that consume us, nothing will change.

what do we do?

I for one could use a raise.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EDx8G8Z-PFM

Inflation destroyed our currency. Even if you get a raise it would not matter. Only 25 percent of jobs are livable wages.

I know that's my point, even raising the min wage will still not provide a stable income for the average American to have affordable living expenses. They need to lower costs on everything and stop having corporate greed. Most companies don't even provide health insurance, they purposely hire people under the term temporary, seasonal, or part time to avoid having to provide health insurance and raising the wages is not gonna solve our problems, don't get me wrong, I'll take all the raises I can but its the cost of living that is the problem.

While the dollar isn't worth as much as it used to be, it still needs to keep up with other world currencies. If it didn't, then American products and services would be too expensive and our exports would completely dry up. Not to mention the jobs in the US. The main reason Toyota and EADS have factories in the US is because our cost is low enough.

Gov't taxes are out of control and will never keep up with their spending! $17 Trillion dollars in debt...... does anyone even have a clue how much that is? You could fill a dozen football stadiums with hundred dollar bills and they would still over flow!

To avoid taxes, regulations and Obozocare our "job creators" outsource our jobs to other countries. The tax base deminishes. They steal the remaining wealth thru bailouts, inflation and still higher taxes.

Borrowing more, spending more, and taxing those remaining few middle class still afloat even higher is supposed to fix the problem?

Has anyone noticed the only jobs worth having these days are in gov't or their crony capitalist conglomerate empires, the banks or wall street?

The only thing on the rise is need and greed!

The problem stems from an out of control gov't, greedy bankers and corporations, and corrupt leadership!

And the sad part is, young people like Mort will end up paying the bill.

Without any benefits.

I've been working for the government for the past 7 years, steadily, but listed as seasonal so that no benefits are given outside of my required retirement fund Pers. no medical. I was recently given free life insurance that's all.

Recently, where I work (walmart), our quarterly bonus, when we maxed out was $500 bucks. Recently, they've "revised" it, so that now when we max out, it's $180. You can bet the corporate assbags at the top, and store mgr. aren't missing out, so why just us "lower downs"?
I find it ludicrous that those at the top on down to even store level management, can't seem to be content with their more than adequate salaries.

And who's opposing the increase of min wages? Not me! The lower down.

I know, I hate when those assbags continue their education and earn a degree. Many of them work for minimum wage while going to school to earn a degree. BasT**rds! I wish that everyone could continue their education to get to the top.
Oh well, just be content with $180 and being a "lower down". It's better than nothing.

I may get flamed for this, but I believe we should go back to a culture where you get what you earn. I don't think everyone should be entitled to a certain amount of money.......you have to work for it. I believe of course everyone should be paid fairly, but not beyond what they deserve based on what they do. It's not exactly equal when someone is getting paid more for doing less, while someone else gets paid the same, for doing a lot more you know what I mean?

That in a nutshell is a lot of my issue with the idea of increasing min wage. That and also.....businesses are not gonna wanna hire as much because they won't be able to afford to do it. Hell a lot struggle even now, and with Obamacare looming that is likely to get worse, the influx of part time jobs instead of full time out there is proof of that.

Raising the min wage will only hurt from this perspective, hell even having it at all can hurt them. If you allowed them to hire and pay what they wanted to pay (within reason to keep things fair.....ie: not being allowed to go under a certain amount let's say), you'd see more jobs, and more people making at least some kind of a living.

And I know the game itself is tilted in the direction of those in power, I understand all that......but if this is what we have to deal with, I believe we'd be better off going in a different direction than we have been.

Not going to flame you Kiesto, cause I understand where you're coming from and why...Many times it seems like it iworks exactly as you describe...Too many people getting paid too much for too little....BUT...I give you this to think about....Many of those people who appear to be doing very little are actually guiding the ship....It's like driving...It looks like the driver is only humming along to the music on the radio when actually he has his eye on everything around him....Sometimes what looks the easiest is actually the hardest.....

This is the reality...

Reduce the salaries of all those that run the corporation by at least half, or if they can be classified as 'millionaires', end their salaries altogether; let them live on the interest their money/wealth brings in or what they have tried to hide in of-shore bank accounts around the world.
Another step in the direction of a more debt reduced society would be to reduce the highly inflated real estate prices for homes by at least 30 to 50% as those figures have been used by various real estate reports on home pricing versus inflation rates. Where I live, it is now estimated that the inflated prices are between 50 and 65%! Inflation is the basic devaluation of money; a question to ponder is when are the currencies, like the dollar and the Canadian looney ever going to be put right to actually what they are really worth...probably never...so far seems only the Swiss Franc and the Euro reflect their actual worth but with 'fluctuations' ...

What do the numbers mean....as far as pay scale.