Topic: Fast Food Workers Deserve $15 an Hour ?
Chazster's photo
Mon 04/20/15 08:32 PM
Edited by Chazster on Mon 04/20/15 08:36 PM


$ 15.00 an hour = $ 32,000 Gross pay per year....for a man with a wife and 1 kid...

lets take a look at his monthly budget....

32k minus 20% (6,400) for income tax = 25,600 Net yearly = 2,133 per month...out of this figure must come all of these expenses.....

2,133 minus 800 rent/mortgage........leaves 1,333
..........minus 300 util/water................leaves 1,033
..........minus 400 food for three.........leaves....633
..........minus 200 car pmt/+gas ........leaves.....433
..........minus 100 clothing/toiletries....leaves....333
..........minus.. 50 car insurance.........leaves.....283
..........minus 100 health ins...............leaves.....183
..........minus...83 savings plan..........leaves......100

$ 100.00 a month is all that is left for any incidentals for a family of three....my estimates are very conservative (especially the health ins w/high deductibles) so if you care to argue one of the other costs as too high, just add it to the health ins, because it is way, way on the low side....imo $15 an hour is a livable wage for a man woman and child...i would readily agree to maybe $10-11 an hour for a single person..

the present $ 7.50 per hour/$15,300 annual gross wage is inadequate and should be raised to reflect the cost of living in 2015...



no offense, but where are you living where 200 dollars covers car payment and gas?


I call BS. My wife and I make way more than this, no kid, and with a standard deduction don't even have 20% effective tax rate.

Just went to a tax estimator

Gross income $32,000
Qualified plan contributions - $0
Adjusted gross income = $32,000
Standard/Itemized deductions - $12,400
Personal exemptions - $7,900
Taxable income = $11,700
Tax liability before credits $1,170
Child tax credits - $1,000
Estimated tax liability = $170

$170 is your tax liability not $6400. I just added over $500/month to your budget. Now even adding in SS and Medicare tax (2500) you are left with over $3700 more than you predicted which is about $300/month more so $400 for incidentals.

Chazster's photo
Mon 04/20/15 08:39 PM




no offense, but where are you living where 200 dollars covers car payment and gas?

i'm in the dfw/ftw metroplex.....you can get a new no frills toyota/hundai.kia type compact for $120 a mon...and $20 bucks a week for gas....if your credit is okay...

or there are plenty of used car places where your job is your credit...but advise against that..(high interest and expect the repair bills to start rolling in pretty quick)

I also live in DFW. Bought my wifes car for 5k. It only had 50k miles on it too.

Argo's photo
Mon 04/20/15 08:39 PM

$ 15.00 an hour = $ 32,000 Gross pay per
year....for a man with a wife and 1 kid...
lets take a look at his monthly budget....
What, the wife isnt working also? Chauvanist! laugh Im just kidding lol

But what about all the govt assistance they wld be approved for? Serious question....IDK.

My only point wld be to not get married.....or definitely not have a kid while making minimum wage or $15/hr. I know theyre are extreme exeptions, but still....there is some personal responsibilty involved.

only welfare would go single custodial parents...adc/wic/disabled and such...
able-bodied adults maybe 50 a week unemployment (90 days max) and thats it...
moms need to stay at home (at least until kids are in school all day) absent or missing parents are the cause of many societal ills.....teenagers get out of the workforce, there aren't enough jobs to go around for the adults...let their parents buy them clothes and make-up and ipads....

Argo's photo
Mon 04/20/15 08:55 PM



$ 15.00 an hour = $ 32,000 Gross pay per year....for a man with a wife and 1 kid...

lets take a look at his monthly budget....

32k minus 20% (6,400) for income tax = 25,600 Net yearly = 2,133 per month...out of this figure must come all of these expenses.....

2,133 minus 800 rent/mortgage........leaves 1,333
..........minus 300 util/water................leaves 1,033
..........minus 400 food for three.........leaves....633
..........minus 200 car pmt/+gas ........leaves.....433
..........minus 100 clothing/toiletries....leaves....333
..........minus.. 50 car insurance.........leaves.....283
..........minus 100 health ins...............leaves.....183
..........minus...83 savings plan..........leaves......100

$ 100.00 a month is all that is left for any incidentals for a family of three....my estimates are very conservative (especially the health ins w/high deductibles) so if you care to argue one of the other costs as too high, just add it to the health ins, because it is way, way on the low side....imo $15 an hour is a livable wage for a man woman and child...i would readily agree to maybe $10-11 an hour for a single person..

the present $ 7.50 per hour/$15,300 annual gross wage is inadequate and should be raised to reflect the cost of living in 2015...



no offense, but where are you living where 200 dollars covers car payment and gas?


I call BS. My wife and I make way more than this, no kid, and with a standard deduction don't even have 20% effective tax rate.

Just went to a tax estimator

Gross income $32,000
Qualified plan contributions - $0
Adjusted gross income = $32,000
Standard/Itemized deductions - $12,400
Personal exemptions - $7,900
Taxable income = $11,700
Tax liability before credits $1,170
Child tax credits - $1,000
Estimated tax liability = $170

$170 is your tax liability not $6400. I just added over $500/month to your budget. Now even adding in SS and Medicare tax (2500) you are left with over $3700 more than you predicted which is about $300/month more so $400 for incidentals.

that tax is deducted from your weekly pay and it is not returned until the following year in the form of a tax return even though it is not due and payable until apr 15 it is taken from each and every check you receive...when you live paycheck to paycheck it makes a big difference....besides when you get your big return you can put it towards your health insurance which you were behind on paying only a hundred a month. which i purposely set at that low number for people who want to argue my figures...

Chazster's photo
Mon 04/20/15 09:11 PM




$ 15.00 an hour = $ 32,000 Gross pay per year....for a man with a wife and 1 kid...

lets take a look at his monthly budget....

32k minus 20% (6,400) for income tax = 25,600 Net yearly = 2,133 per month...out of this figure must come all of these expenses.....

2,133 minus 800 rent/mortgage........leaves 1,333
..........minus 300 util/water................leaves 1,033
..........minus 400 food for three.........leaves....633
..........minus 200 car pmt/+gas ........leaves.....433
..........minus 100 clothing/toiletries....leaves....333
..........minus.. 50 car insurance.........leaves.....283
..........minus 100 health ins...............leaves.....183
..........minus...83 savings plan..........leaves......100

$ 100.00 a month is all that is left for any incidentals for a family of three....my estimates are very conservative (especially the health ins w/high deductibles) so if you care to argue one of the other costs as too high, just add it to the health ins, because it is way, way on the low side....imo $15 an hour is a livable wage for a man woman and child...i would readily agree to maybe $10-11 an hour for a single person..

the present $ 7.50 per hour/$15,300 annual gross wage is inadequate and should be raised to reflect the cost of living in 2015...



no offense, but where are you living where 200 dollars covers car payment and gas?


I call BS. My wife and I make way more than this, no kid, and with a standard deduction don't even have 20% effective tax rate.

Just went to a tax estimator

Gross income $32,000
Qualified plan contributions - $0
Adjusted gross income = $32,000
Standard/Itemized deductions - $12,400
Personal exemptions - $7,900
Taxable income = $11,700
Tax liability before credits $1,170
Child tax credits - $1,000
Estimated tax liability = $170

$170 is your tax liability not $6400. I just added over $500/month to your budget. Now even adding in SS and Medicare tax (2500) you are left with over $3700 more than you predicted which is about $300/month more so $400 for incidentals.

that tax is deducted from your weekly pay and it is not returned until the following year in the form of a tax return even though it is not due and payable until apr 15 it is taken from each and every check you receive...when you live paycheck to paycheck it makes a big difference....besides when you get your big return you can put it towards your health insurance which you were behind on paying only a hundred a month. which i purposely set at that low number for people who want to argue my figures...

Not if you claim your dependents and exemptions it isnt. They will take those into consideration along with the standard deduction. You should be aiming to not owe or be owed anything come tax time.

msharmony's photo
Mon 04/20/15 09:16 PM


$ 15.00 an hour = $ 32,000 Gross pay per year....for a man with a wife and 1 kid...

lets take a look at his monthly budget....

32k minus 20% (6,400) for income tax = 25,600 Net yearly = 2,133 per month...out of this figure must come all of these expenses.....

2,133 minus 800 rent/mortgage........leaves 1,333
..........minus 300 util/water................leaves 1,033
..........minus 400 food for three.........leaves....633
..........minus 200 car pmt/+gas ........leaves.....433
..........minus 100 clothing/toiletries....leaves....333
..........minus.. 50 car insurance.........leaves.....283
..........minus 100 health ins...............leaves.....183
..........minus...83 savings plan..........leaves......100

$ 100.00 a month is all that is left for any incidentals for a family of three....my estimates are very conservative (especially the health ins w/high deductibles) so if you care to argue one of the other costs as too high, just add it to the health ins, because it is way, way on the low side....imo $15 an hour is a livable wage for a man woman and child...i would readily agree to maybe $10-11 an hour for a single person..

the present $ 7.50 per hour/$15,300 annual gross wage is inadequate and should be raised to reflect the cost of living in 2015...



Who would take a minimum paying job with those kind of expenses?
The problem comes when we expect to have everything before we work for it.
These should be on the back burner for newbys.



people who hit hard times, cutback, layoff, illness, and have to look for a job in an economy where we are told we need to accept any job available because its 'better than nothing'

msharmony's photo
Mon 04/20/15 09:24 PM
Edited by msharmony on Mon 04/20/15 09:43 PM



$ 15.00 an hour = $ 32,000 Gross pay per year....for a man with a wife and 1 kid...

lets take a look at his monthly budget....

32k minus 20% (6,400) for income tax = 25,600 Net yearly = 2,133 per month...out of this figure must come all of these expenses.....

2,133 minus 800 rent/mortgage........leaves 1,333
..........minus 300 util/water................leaves 1,033
..........minus 400 food for three.........leaves....633
..........minus 200 car pmt/+gas ........leaves.....433
..........minus 100 clothing/toiletries....leaves....333
..........minus.. 50 car insurance.........leaves.....283
..........minus 100 health ins...............leaves.....183
..........minus...83 savings plan..........leaves......100

$ 100.00 a month is all that is left for any incidentals for a family of three....my estimates are very conservative (especially the health ins w/high deductibles) so if you care to argue one of the other costs as too high, just add it to the health ins, because it is way, way on the low side....imo $15 an hour is a livable wage for a man woman and child...i would readily agree to maybe $10-11 an hour for a single person..

the present $ 7.50 per hour/$15,300 annual gross wage is inadequate and should be raised to reflect the cost of living in 2015...



no offense, but where are you living where 200 dollars covers car payment and gas?


I call BS. My wife and I make way more than this, no kid, and with a standard deduction don't even have 20% effective tax rate.

Just went to a tax estimator

Gross income $32,000
Qualified plan contributions - $0
Adjusted gross income = $32,000
Standard/Itemized deductions - $12,400
Personal exemptions - $7,900
Taxable income = $11,700
Tax liability before credits $1,170
Child tax credits - $1,000
Estimated tax liability = $170

$170 is your tax liability not $6400. I just added over $500/month to your budget. Now even adding in SS and Medicare tax (2500) you are left with over $3700 more than you predicted which is about $300/month more so $400 for incidentals.


you don't pay your monthly bills aFTER FILING taxes ,, you pay them MONTHLY

I make roughly what is in the example,, it is spot on,,,only instead of just saying income tax, he should have included whats taken for

withholding AND MED/FE AND OASDI/EE fo rme thats 8% every check
and 10% for insurance
thats around 18% out of EACH check,,,which makes his take home estimate spot on for people to LIVE ON

and lord help you if there are any student loan expenses

Argo's photo
Mon 04/20/15 09:32 PM









Not if you claim your dependents and exemptions it isnt. They will take those into consideration along with the standard deduction. You should be aiming to not owe or be owed anything come tax time.

i congratulate you on being one of the more intelligent taxpayers in america today...
there are many many people who claim zero during the year and when you ask them why they answer.... because i get such a large return in april ? my advice is for every person to claim 13 dependents on their w2/w4 ? i forget which....and go exempt for the year...the employer will not deduct a single cent of fed income tax......to receive a return at year end is the dumbest possible thing you can do, in effect you giving the govt an interest free loan for the year....it's like paying 900 a month rent daily when it isn't due until the 1st of next month...$30 on the 1st day...$30 dollars the 2nd day and so on and so on...each day the landord is accumilating more and more of your money for his use instead of yours.....thats whats to fools who claim zero with the irs...

2OLD2MESSAROUND's photo
Tue 04/21/15 07:36 AM
Edited by 2OLD2MESSAROUND on Tue 04/21/15 07:39 AM
InvictusV stated >>>
This is pretty simple.. If the wages are raised to $15 an hour then they will raise their hiring standards and only give jobs to people they deem are worth paying that wage to.

If you have 5 applicants that are in college and 5 applicants that didn't graduate HS who do think is getting the job?

You are going to squeeze out the people that need these jobs. $8.25 sucks, but it is better than ZERO which is where these people are headed.

2old2messaround stated >>>
Not hardly; hasn't happened in the past when the job market got pinched and unemployment shot sky high --- white collar humans were just as apt to be shoved out of 'ANY JOB' opportunity because they're over qualified for those 'BLUE COLLAR/BURGER FLIPPING' jobs...they wouldn't even get called in for an interview!

Sad but that's what HR is told to do!


InvictusV stated >>> What does this have to do with the job market being pinched? Employers forced to pay higher wages are going to hire people they think are going to give an equal return for the salary they are paying.

And the statistics show that during the financial crisis people with advanced degrees did not even remotely come close to the high unemployment numbers that the unskilled endured.

Nice try..

What percentage of 'White Collar' fill any corporate jobs to the worker B's out in the factory/plant? Your statement doesn't equate; the numbers are skewed to the worker B's; they always out number Admin!

A tight job market/or a tight economy = just so many job opportunities in any give area! One company closing will displace a wide variety of workers: blue collar - white collar and just non-skilled workers {ie janitorial/cleaning staff}...this main theme has been about 'FF' workers and job skills!

You stated that the job would be filled by a college degree applicant and I disagreed; not the way that the HR/Franchise Manager is told to fill positions! They want fewer turnovers and hiring 'over skilled' humans {anyone attending college will be viewed as OVER SKILLED} while some warm body fresh off of a cleaning crew/non-admin type of job will have precedence over anyone else applying --- that's just the way it is!

I've hired more 'white collar' humans for our landscape/mowing crews just because they were desperate and in such dire need for a 'JOB' and had them leave within a few days because they a) hated the working conditions b) found their dream job and were so sorry to leave me in a lurch but they just couldn't even give me 2 weeks notice c) not even show up the next day; no phone call - no notice just quit! Fact of life; it happens in the FF industry too.

Conrad_73's photo
Tue 04/21/15 09:14 AM
enjoy your Kiosk-Machines!pitchfork

no photo
Tue 04/21/15 11:07 AM





no offense, but where are you living where 200 dollars covers car payment and gas?

i'm in the dfw/ftw metroplex.....you can get a new no frills toyota/hundai.kia type compact for $120 a mon...and $20 bucks a week for gas....if your credit is okay...

or there are plenty of used car places where your job is your credit...but advise against that..(high interest and expect the repair bills to start rolling in pretty quick)

I also live in DFW. Bought my wifes car for 5k. It only had 50k miles on it too.


I also live in DFW and need a good used car. Where did you find yours?

2OLD2MESSAROUND's photo
Tue 04/21/15 11:18 AM
Conrad_73 stated >>>
enjoy your Kiosk-Machines!pitchfork


OMG...I had no idea surprised I had to look that up; those are very impressive...guess I've neglected my science digest reading!

Have you used one before?

Chazster's photo
Tue 04/21/15 09:17 PM






no offense, but where are you living where 200 dollars covers car payment and gas?

i'm in the dfw/ftw metroplex.....you can get a new no frills toyota/hundai.kia type compact for $120 a mon...and $20 bucks a week for gas....if your credit is okay...

or there are plenty of used car places where your job is your credit...but advise against that..(high interest and expect the repair bills to start rolling in pretty quick)

I also live in DFW. Bought my wifes car for 5k. It only had 50k miles on it too.


I also live in DFW and need a good used car. Where did you find yours?



Actually I don't even know the place. I was living in Colorado at the time and my wife just got a job here. I flew in for the weekend with her and we only had a few days to get her an apartment and a car. We got it from some As is dealership. It was a 2005 no frills car but ran well. It ended up having a cracked radiator but we didn't know until we had the timing belt and water pump changed (regular maintenance). The guy only charged me for the part since he was doing the other work. It was still a great deal if you ask me. We use hers for most weekend and travel driving. (I have family in Houston). We take my car when we go somewhere nice.

Chazster's photo
Tue 04/21/15 09:35 PM










Not if you claim your dependents and exemptions it isnt. They will take those into consideration along with the standard deduction. You should be aiming to not owe or be owed anything come tax time.

i congratulate you on being one of the more intelligent taxpayers in america today...
there are many many people who claim zero during the year and when you ask them why they answer.... because i get such a large return in april ? my advice is for every person to claim 13 dependents on their w2/w4 ? i forget which....and go exempt for the year...the employer will not deduct a single cent of fed income tax......to receive a return at year end is the dumbest possible thing you can do, in effect you giving the govt an interest free loan for the year....it's like paying 900 a month rent daily when it isn't due until the 1st of next month...$30 on the 1st day...$30 dollars the 2nd day and so on and so on...each day the landord is accumilating more and more of your money for his use instead of yours.....thats whats to fools who claim zero with the irs...


True not everyone does this. I would hope that people who are living pay check to pay check do this. It is fairly easy to look up what to do and it can be adjusted at any time. Actually since my wife and I both work I have to make sure to withhold extra or I will owe money.

no photo
Tue 04/21/15 10:47 PM
Was the fast food industry ( store level) ever really designed to be a wage earner type job?

I have always believed that these type jobs were primarily designed for kids in high school, college kids looking to earn some money and gain some business experience.

or people supplementing another income and retired folks looking to work some and earn some extra income

Meaning a start in the work force or a secondary type job. Meaning entry level pay.

Same as the kids working in the movie theaters, caddies, car wash, ect , ect.

So if you chose to work in a fast food work environment as your primary job, you expect to be paid $15 per hour??... when other service type entry level jobs pay far less?

What part of the pay scale did they not understand when they took the job?.. Now its a problem?

Working at a McDonald's (or other service type companies),is not mandatory... if you don't like the pay... don't work there. And if that is all you are qualified to do, then don't expect others to pay for your shortcomings.

JMO





2OLD2MESSAROUND's photo
Wed 04/22/15 06:34 AM
devildog123 stated >>>
Was the fast food industry ( store level) ever really designed to be a wage earner type job?

I have always believed that these type jobs were primarily designed for kids in high school, college kids looking to earn some money and gain some business experience.

or people supplementing another income and retired folks looking to work some and earn some extra income

Meaning a start in the work force or a secondary type job. Meaning entry level pay.

Same as the kids working in the movie theaters, caddies, car wash, ect , ect.


So if you chose to work in a fast food work environment as your primary job, you expect to be paid $15 per hour??... when other service type entry level jobs pay far less?

What part of the pay scale did they not understand when they took the job?.. Now its a problem?

Working at a McDonald's (or other service type companies),is not mandatory... if you don't like the pay... don't work there. And if that is all you are qualified to do, then don't expect others to pay for your shortcomings.
JMO


EXACTLY...and that's why those jobs are barely a 4hr straight shift job at best; possibly an 8hr on any given day but not for more than possibly 20 - 25 hrs in any given week. People keep thinking of those type of jobs as if they are a 40 hr work scheduled position and they are not!
Have you ever asked a 'FF' manager how much time he/she spends doing a weekly shift schedule --- OMG, it's mind boggling how long it will take to get all those warm bodies to agree that those 'hours' on that schedule are going to work around their: other jobs/other classes - etc., etc., etc. If you value your staff you try to appease them all and you just can't make them all happy - impossible and it's really horrible around the holidays---EVERYONE has a priority!

msharmony's photo
Wed 04/22/15 11:32 AM

Was the fast food industry ( store level) ever really designed to be a wage earner type job?

I have always believed that these type jobs were primarily designed for kids in high school, college kids looking to earn some money and gain some business experience.

or people supplementing another income and retired folks looking to work some and earn some extra income

Meaning a start in the work force or a secondary type job. Meaning entry level pay.

Same as the kids working in the movie theaters, caddies, car wash, ect , ect.

So if you chose to work in a fast food work environment as your primary job, you expect to be paid $15 per hour??... when other service type entry level jobs pay far less?

What part of the pay scale did they not understand when they took the job?.. Now its a problem?

Working at a McDonald's (or other service type companies),is not mandatory... if you don't like the pay... don't work there. And if that is all you are qualified to do, then don't expect others to pay for your shortcomings.

JMO










this is inconsistent with society's mandate that people needing work accept whatever is out there

times have changed,, from when jobs were secure , now there are fewer and fewer that offer any real security, and with most living check to check, that leaves PLENTY Of citizens between work that still need to eat in a society that disdains taxpayer money helping them get through,, so more people have to 'accept' these jobs,, making them more than just for kids and also for adults facing hard times,, whose numbers grow larger and larger


so if adults must take 'entry level' work to save the taxpayer their precious taxes,, than perhaps that entry level pay should now consider that their applicant pool has adjusted and adjust its pay with it,

Conrad_73's photo
Wed 04/22/15 11:44 AM
http://www.againstcronycapitalism.org/2015/04/mcdonalds-hires-7000-touch-screen-cashiers-at-0-an-hour/

mightymoe's photo
Wed 04/22/15 11:48 AM


jack in the box tried that, last about 2 months and was gone...

no photo
Wed 04/22/15 12:01 PM

Most pertinent statement from that article:

"" But the reality of the market says that fast
food work (in most places) is worth less that
$15/hour. It sucks, but that is reality""