Minimum Wage

[ousdahl]

Raising the federal minimum wage to $15 an hour by 2025 would increase the pay of at least 17 million people, but also put 1.3 million Americans out of work, according to a study by the Congressional Budget Office released on Monday.

The increased federal minimum could also raise the wages of another 10 million workers and lift 1.3 million Americans out of poverty, according to the nonpartisan CBO. The current federal minimum wage is $7.25 and last increased a decade ago.

...

Considering a smaller increase to $12 an hour by 2025, the CBO estimated a boost for 5 million workers and a loss of 300,000 jobs. An increase to $10 an hour would give a raise to 1.5 million workers and would have "little effect on employment."

https://www.npr.org/2019/07/08/73960796 ... s-cbo-says

[Deleted User 104]

The problem is, minimum wage increases should be imposed on the billion dollar businesses like Amazon and Wal Mart. It should not be imposed on small businesses where there's less than 10 employees. Making a blanket wage increase across all businesses is not going to work.

[ousdahl]

What’s next, Bernie, there shouldn’t be any billionaires either?

[Deleted User 104]

What’s next, Bernie, there shouldn’t be any billionaires either?

Not saying that. Corporations that provide more value to the customer deserve to succeed and soar. I would like to see a flat tax on everyone and then get rid of 95% of the worthless IRS.

[Geezer]

Punish the poor, right Lobby.

[Deleted User 104]

Punish the poor, right Lobby.

How is it unfair to ask everyone to pay the same tax rate? It would make things perfectly fair and even, just like how the extreme left wants. We can set the rate lower than it currently is and have 95% of the IRS people get a job in something where they help society.

[ousdahl]

So is it fair for poor people to pay the same tax rate as billionaires?

And if you’re gonna write off 95% of the IRS people, then what percentage of billionaires would you want to get a job in something where they help society?

And for that matter what percentage of poor people would you want to get a job in something where they help society?

[Deleted User 104]

So is it fair for poor people to pay the same tax rate as billionaires?

The real question is, how can you argue it's unfair for everyone to pay the same tax? That gives everyone a level playing field. Are you against people being treated equally? Major contradiction if you are arguing some people should pay more. Aren't the left for equality and everyone being equal?

You're welcome.

[ousdahl]

Thanks!

I’m all for equality.

If I had to argue it’s unfair for everyone to pay the same tax, I’d try to argue something like how discretionary income for billionaires is which offshore account to withdraw from to buy another vacation home, yet for poor people it’s whether to pay rent or buy groceries. My idea of being treated equally is for everyone to equally not have to worry about a basic standard of living.

In the context of a tax rate, I’m totally arguing some people should pay more. I’ve suggested an exponential curve, so everyone pays a proportion equal to their economic gain. Oh, and cut out the loopholes. It’s not like poor people too can write off their designer cattle ranch.

Heck, I’ll again bring up the idea of a federal sales tax, so that folks is taxed based on consumption rather than income.

You could even tax a higher rate for things like yachts than for things like Apple Jacks, not that I favor sugary breakfast options. All other things being equal, I’m more of a savory kind of guy.

[MICHHAWK]

The progressives are going to do practically nothing that they claim they are going to do. They are just slobbing the knob in an attempt to get votes and get power. You know, like all politicians do.

[japhy]

Just a thought here, if Amazon and Walmart raise their minimum wage to $15/hr and small businesses keep theirs at less, who would ever take a job at a small business? The convicted felons who can't get jobs at Walmart I suppose. I wonder if small businesses would have to raise their wages as well to get the employees a small business needs to succeed?

Here's a thought on graduated taxes. My employees compensation packages on average are about 1/3 or compensation. They have a job, they come to work, they need the infrastructure between their house and my office to do their job. My company is a national firm and I need to have my employees fly all over the country to provide services to clients. I need national infrastructure to support my income. Why is it unfair for me to pay more as a percentage for the infrastructure and public safety since I require it on a large scale than they do to make may money? Flat tax.....sounds great. I will retire earlier or wealthier. The people making the money right now are not in many cases investing it in our companies, we are nearing retirement and we are stockpiling the cash from our tax breaks. I have said this before but I will repeat. I hire a new engineer every time our income increases by $200,000, that's what it costs to have another engineer on staff and make a profit on their efforts. If you cut my taxes by $50K, that money goes into my retirement, not growing my business or hiring another employee. But if that story about me using the money to hire more people makes you feel better about my tax breaks, OK. I can live with that.

And ousdahl what the fuck is wrong with buying a third and fourth home in the mountains? God damnit man you have a basement apartment in a vacation home to live in, what more do you want? The fact that my purchases sit vacant 11 months out of the year and drive up prices for everyone out there actually working to keep the town going while I am gone, is of no consequence to me. OK, it is actually awesome for me. But I only have so much wall surface in my current homes and I have another 7' X 12' painting I need to hang. I have run out of flat file drawers and some of this stuff has to go on walls now. I have to buy another place so I can hang my art collection, OK? Oh, and traveling to and from my vacation homes is tax deductible as well as the costs associated with my "art business". Can you imagine buying a stack of paper for $800 at an auction and then donating it to a college 2 years later for a $16,000 tax write off? I can.

[MICHHAWK]

In the next 13 months they are going to promise us everything under the heavens and the moons to get those votes and get that power. You know, like all politicians do.

[jhawks99]

In the next 13 months they are going to promise us everything under the heavens and the moons to get those votes and get that power. You know, like all politicians do.

"Health care will be so easy."

[ousdahl]

maybe they'll promise us to pass bills that raise wages and bring equality to pay, and, oh wait those are some of the bills that are still sitting on Mitch's desk?

[ousdahl]

and whether a big business or small, if your business model depends on paying the lowest wages you can legally pay your employees, is that business model really gonna be sustainable either way?

[MICHHAWK]

Exactly.

By the time they get done promising we won’t even have to get out of bed in the morning. Everything will be done for us.

[Geezer]

Mexico will pay for it.

[japhy]

and whether a big business or small, if your business model depends on paying the lowest wages you can legally pay your employees, is that business model really gonna be sustainable either way?

That's enough of that talk mister, that's the sort of thinking that will tank my Uber stocks. Who cares about sustainable? Adam Neumann says that is just old school thinking.

[twocoach]

The problem is, minimum wage increases should be imposed on the billion dollar businesses like Amazon and Wal Mart. It should not be imposed on small businesses where there's less than 10 employees. Making a blanket wage increase across all businesses is not going to work.

So you're OK with taxing successful corporations more for their success but taxing successful individuals more for their success is socialism.

The GOP platform in a nutshell.

[Deleted User 104]

I don't want to tax any person or corporation more, I rather want a level and fair playing field. Companies like Amazon pay very little in taxes due to all the bullshit loop holes. I say, get rid of all those loop holes and most of the IRS. The IRS are just a legalized mafia that look for any way they can to squeeze money out of hard working, ambitious people.