Minimum Wage Increase?

@squirt_aka_casey Said
Accually, I think that any elected official should get paid the absolute minimum. Especially the President, who really doesn't have any bills if he doesn't want them. $12,000/yr isn't a lot, but it's even less when you have to buy your own gas, and food, and have to pay rent and other utilities. Okay, maybe not minimum, but they could at least have to pay thier own way!

@stumblinthrulife Said
I once heard a wonderful plan for keeping elected officials honest. I think it's actually from an Iain M Banks novel, but I've yet to find the source for certain.

The theory is simple. At the point of election, the president is thrown in prison, from where he leads the country. All assets and capital are frozen at this point. At the end of the term, there are three outcomes -

1. The president did a good job. They are rewarded consumate to the performance of the country as a whole, and released with a warm hand shake and the thanks of the nation.

2. The president did an average job. Assets are unfrozen, capital returned and a nominal wage paid for service.

3. President screws up, didn't keep promises, sent the economy down the toilet. Leave the bastard in there to rot.

Heheheh.

@marshalljackson Said
$7.25 an hour?? oh my god... how are people expected to live on that? Minimum wage here in NZ is like $10 and even thats pathetic... rise up and tell your government to be reasonable and fair. They spend billions and billion of dollars killing defenceless children and familys in Iraq etc... they should give that money to the people george (apparently) cares about - you, the people of america.

@el_tino Said
is that in US dollars and what is the cost of living like?

@marshalljackson Said
NZ dollars, I understand the cost of living is similar to most US citys. According to american friends I have the price-of-product-ratio is the same. So there is very little difference between the tow countys in that sence.

@marshalljackson Said
$7.25 an hour?? oh my god... how are people expected to live on that? Minimum wage here in NZ is like $10 and even thats pathetic... rise up and tell your government to be reasonable and fair. They spend billions and billion of dollars killing defenceless children and familys in Iraq etc... they should give that money to the people george (apparently) cares about - you, the people of america.

@raditz8526 Said
People aren't expected to live on minimum wage. Minimum wage is intended for high school students just entering the job market with minimum skill, minimum talent, minimum education and minimum worth to the company, not single parents trying to raise a family of four. If you are over the age of 20 and all you can manage to get is a minimum wage job, you are a loser.

If people want to be fair, abolish the minimum wage. Pay people what they are actually worth to the company, not what some a** hole politician thinks they are worth.

@raditz8526 Said
People aren't expected to live on minimum wage. Minimum wage is intended for high school students just entering the job market with minimum skill, minimum talent, minimum education and minimum worth to the company, not single parents trying to raise a family of four. If you are over the age of 20 and all you can manage to get is a minimum wage job, you are a loser.

If people want to be fair, abolish the minimum wage. Pay people what they are actually worth to the company, not what some a** hole politician thinks they are worth.

@mammothmeat Said
First off.. Sorry to dig up this old thread!

I wouldn't even consider working for less than $10 an hour.

The last job I had (electronic assembly) payed $15,25 to start with, and gradually went up to around $16 an hour. (figures are not 100% representative, but you get the idea)

Now, keep in mind that this was a company that helps people get back to work from long periods of illness and/or other disabilities and they pay LESS than you would normally get for the same job. Their reasoning for this was so people would be motivated to get a "real" job and make more money.

The average worker in norway earns $55k+ a year.