>>>>>The biggest argument that I actually hear is that if you don't want to make minimum wage, then you need to work harder and get a better job....which is of one of the dumbest statements ever. When I was in high school back in the early 80's most of the people that made minimum wage were students or kids that still lived at home with their parents. That is simply not the case anymore - take a look inside your local McDonald's and see how many adults are working in there compared to students. Then to top it all off - if you want the better job I guess you need to go to college - yet the republicans are against providing community college for free too. So there you have it - if you don't like minimum wage - get a better job - by going to that school you can't pay for - because you have a minimum wage job. This ignorant "trickle down economics" concept where you don't tax the rich so they can "trickle down" the money is again a proven dismal failure. There is no 'trickle' - just a bunch of old rich white guys keeping everything for themselves at the expense of everyone else.
>>>>>
>>>>>Well I was making less than minimum wage as a bar tender when I left my first husband at the age of 30. I did not want to be doing that when I was 50. So I worked hard, put myself through school, earned my BSCS and now I have a better life. And I am not an old rich white guy.
>>>>>
>>>>>I do not think that it is so dumb to work harder and get a better job. That is exactly what I did.
>>>>
>>>>Just making a WAG here, but I'm guessing this was in the 80's? Since then, according to many studies the price of college tuition has tripled (or more). In the 70's/80's a person COULD work full time at a minimum wage job and afford to go to college and pay rent (average rent in the 80's, including subsidized, $251) and actually eat. Not so much today.
>>>>
>>>>So, sitting there and saying "I did it, so everyone else can too" is kinda like comparing apples to oranges. How about asking yourself, after having checked out current costs, "Can I do that today?"
>>>
>>>
>>>I think you're comparing apples to oranges. The cost of attending college when I went was comparatively the same as now allowing for 40 years of inflation. If you had the where with all to do it once, you can do it again.
>>>
>>>Costs when I went IIRC were about 2,500, today they are 9,500. So yes, today it would still be doable.
>>
>>On minimum salary? With rent/utilities/food?
>>
>>Using figures from 3 years ago when I was in San Antonio
>>Rent $425/mo for an efficiency/1 bdrm apt $5100.00
>>Utilities: (average) $70 - electricity/gas/water/trash $840.00
>>Car Maintenance/Gas/Insurance: $125/mo $1500.00
>>Food: $100 /mo $1200.00
>>
>>That's a total of $8640.00 per year.
>>Notice I didn't include a car payment (as my car is paid off) - but for S&G's let's throw in another $150/mo for a car payment. Now our total is 10,440.00 per year.
>>
>>Also notice I'm not including anything for clothes or medical expenses or college. Just throwing John's number of 9500/year in there...now we're up to 19,940/year, without having to buy any clothes. And even at Goodwill prices that's probably another 600/year
>>
>>Or, looking from the other direction.
>>
>>(40 * 7.25) = 290 per week. I'm going to assume that between all taxes we're going to lose 20%. So, we net 232 per week. 52 weeks gives us 12,064.
>>
>>Even if you average 20 hours of overtime (which ain't happenin' that often) AND you get your "time and a half" for it . That will bring you up to 21,112. Working 60 hours a week, every week. Just when do you plan to go to school?
>
>I wonder how many zero hours contracts existed back in the day.
>Now many casual workers now have no guarantee of how much they'll actually get anyway.

Word I hear from both friend's who work retail/service is 40 hours is not guaranteed and asking for extra shifts that would put you over 40 hours is a good way to give your manager a hearty laugh