this post was submitted on 11 Apr 2025
669 points (100.0% liked)

politics

23991 readers
4175 users here now

Welcome to the discussion of US Politics!

Rules:

  1. Post only links to articles, Title must fairly describe link contents. If your title differs from the site’s, it should only be to add context or be more descriptive. Do not post entire articles in the body or in the comments.

Links must be to the original source, not an aggregator like Google Amp, MSN, or Yahoo.

Example:

  1. Articles must be relevant to politics. Links must be to quality and original content. Articles should be worth reading. Clickbait, stub articles, and rehosted or stolen content are not allowed. Check your source for Reliability and Bias here.
  2. Be civil, No violations of TOS. It’s OK to say the subject of an article is behaving like a (pejorative, pejorative). It’s NOT OK to say another USER is (pejorative). Strong language is fine, just not directed at other members. Engage in good-faith and with respect! This includes accusing another user of being a bot or paid actor. Trolling is uncivil and is grounds for removal and/or a community ban.
  3. No memes, trolling, or low-effort comments. Reposts, misinformation, off-topic, trolling, or offensive. Similarly, if you see posts along these lines, do not engage. Report them, block them, and live a happier life than they do. We see too many slapfights that boil down to "Mom! He's bugging me!" and "I'm not touching you!" Going forward, slapfights will result in removed comments and temp bans to cool off.
  4. Vote based on comment quality, not agreement. This community aims to foster discussion; please reward people for putting effort into articulating their viewpoint, even if you disagree with it.
  5. No hate speech, slurs, celebrating death, advocating violence, or abusive language. This will result in a ban. Usernames containing racist, or inappropriate slurs will be banned without warning

We ask that the users report any comment or post that violate the rules, to use critical thinking when reading, posting or commenting. Users that post off-topic spam, advocate violence, have multiple comments or posts removed, weaponize reports or violate the code of conduct will be banned.

All posts and comments will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis. This means that some content that violates the rules may be allowed, while other content that does not violate the rules may be removed. The moderators retain the right to remove any content and ban users.

That's all the rules!

Civic Links

Register To Vote

Citizenship Resource Center

Congressional Awards Program

Federal Government Agencies

Library of Congress Legislative Resources

The White House

U.S. House of Representatives

U.S. Senate

Partnered Communities:

News

World News

Business News

Political Discussion

Ask Politics

Military News

Global Politics

Moderate Politics

Progressive Politics

UK Politics

Canadian Politics

Australian Politics

New Zealand Politics

founded 2 years ago
MODERATORS
 

If only Democrats had the stones to do this.

you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
[–] [email protected] 8 points 1 month ago (2 children)

Given there's lots of states still sitting at $7.25, $17 is certainly a step in the right direction. But it should be $25/hr and people should be pushing the idea that $17 is too small, but still better than nothing. $17/hr is already the compromise and treating it like it isn't doesn't benefit it. But its also not helpful to be defeatist about it not being enough.

[–] [email protected] 10 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago) (3 children)

$17/hr is $35,360/yr. The median income in Arkansas, the state with the lowest cost of living, is currently $36,761.

https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/arkansas

It’s not a compromise. Federal minimum wage should be enough to live on in the poorest state. More than that would create private business deserts in poor areas, forcing the locals to exclusively patronize corporations. More of the population would need social program assistance to help pay for the increased cost of our domestic food supply.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 month ago (1 children)

So it's already barely enough now so we shouldn't want it higher in the future?

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 month ago (2 children)

It’s not barely enough. It’s the median income.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago) (2 children)

It's barely enough in the poorest state, how is that acceptable to you?

Just to show how bad it is, in today's money if it's a family 17 just 2 dollars over poverty wage of 15.

https://www.americanprogress.org/article/the-minimum-wage-is-a-poverty-wage/

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 month ago (2 children)

It’s barely enough in the poorest state, how is that acceptable to you?

Because they're not in rich states, so their lives have no value.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Are you aware there is more wealth inequality in wealthier states than poorer states? There’s no state in the US like Saudi Arabia. Wealthier states have a higher cost of living, making it more difficult to earn a livable wage, not less. That’s precisely why states set their own minimum wage, which is unfortunately below representative of the difference in cost of living.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 month ago (1 children)

That’s precisely why states set their own minimum wage, which is unfortunately below representative of the difference in cost of living.

So how low is low enough for you? How exploited do you want to see everyone?

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 month ago (1 children)

As I said above, an ideal federal minimum wage is enough to live on in the state with the lowest cost of living. More than that will put more people in lower income states below the poverty line when the price of goods and services increase as a result of the higher payroll costs.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 month ago (1 children)

As I said above, an ideal federal minimum wage is enough to live on in the state with the lowest cost of living.

But if it never goes up, oh well. Not like it matters to you.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago) (1 children)

Willful ignorance gets no respect from me. Take your empty and actionless criticism elsewhere.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 month ago

Willful ignorance gets no respect from me.

Baseless arrogance gets none from me.

load more comments (1 replies)
[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago) (1 children)

Because I understand economics, and it’s not the right tool for the job.

If you raise the federal minimum wage too high for the poorest states, private businesses will not be able to employ workers. Raising wages directly increases the cost of goods, driving consumers to corporate chains, shuttering local businesses whose employees end up working for minimum wage for the corporations. That’s how you end up with an entire state on welfare and SNAP benefits while working, just to make ends meet.

What you want is a livable wage everywhere, which I am all for. That cannot happen by increasing the federal minimum wage. Smart subsidization and mixed-economics (Democratic Socialism) has proven to be the most effective way to achieve that goal. Look into Nordic mixed-economies for reference.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 month ago (37 children)

Honestly you don't or you'd understand it's too low. The entire point of a minimum wage is it's supposed to be the minimum amount a person needs to make to survive as businesses will do everything they can do pay as low as they can. It's the floor and shouldn't be a poverty wage which it continues to be as people like you say we can't possibly do anything to help people.

That drives people to corporate chains, shuttering local businesses whose employees end up working for minimum wage for the corporations. That’s how you end up with an entire state on welfare and SNAP benefits

Notice how that's already the case in most of small town America, to the point large corporations train staff during orientation on how to get it.

This is why go higher and force them to actually pay.

Then again you only want the bare minimum so what's the point of trying to convince you of anything

load more comments (37 replies)
[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 month ago

It's the same picture.

Alabama is a developing country.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Yay, my state was mentioned.

Did you hear our Gov. Sanders (no relation) wants to allow child labor at below minimum wage, and increase the number of positions that can pay minimum-tipped-wages of $2.13/hr ?

Federal minimum wage should indeed increased. But, I have heard people recently complaining that McDonalds workers shouldn't be receiving a living wage, because they worked at McDonalds 5 decades ago. I keep my mouth shut and yearn to move away when my familial duties are complete (or my will is exhausted).

[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 month ago (1 children)

I’m not surprised. DeSantis is trying the same thing in Florida, to offset the lost farm workforce due to mass deportations. We’re basically cattle to these people.

The McDonald’s argument is old and outdated. Back when a family could comfortably afford necessities and some luxuries, those were seen as after-school jobs. It’s a very different world now. Any full time position should be able to afford someone all necessities. If not, it’s the very definition of exploitation.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 month ago (15 children)

Any full time position should be able to afford someone all necessities. If not, it’s the very definition of exploitation.

So Say We All

load more comments (15 replies)
[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago) (3 children)

More than that would create private business deserts in poor areas, forcing the locals to exclusively patronize corporations. More of the population would need social program assistance to help pay for the increased cost of our domestic food supply.

... If we're talking about Arkansas... all of that has already happened.

You know Walmart is... from, and based in Arkansas, right?

20 ish % of the population is already below the poverty line... and the poverty line is basically 'lets assume you have no rent and are homeless and just want to be able to buy food'.

That means 20% of the state is already getting SSI, SNAP, TANF, etc.

...

The US Federal poverty line is about $35 dollars a day. about $13k a year.

If you converted that to a full time wage, thats about $6.75 an hour.

The US Federal minimum wage is $7.25 an hour.

50 cents of difference.

Hasn't changed since 2009.

From 2009 to 2025, if you go by CPI, a single 2009 dollar is worth about $1.50 2025 dollars, that is to say, prices have risen by 50% in 16 years.

...

Arkansas is literally an economic disaster zone.

41% of the state struggles with getting their basic needs met, multiple independent observers and international aid agencies have compared the level of poverty, lack of education, access to healthcare... to areas of the world recently devastated by wars.

You say the cost of living is 36-37k.

That must be for a single person.

As of Nov 24, the median individual income in Arkansas is $29,740.

That makes the median wage about $15.50 an hour.

The median individual income in Arkansas cannot afford the average cost of living for a single person.

Arkansas is already the state equivalent of a mentally unsound person being deemed incompitent to make their own decisions and be declared a ward of the state.

Bumping up the min wage would be more like doubling the care and support staff for the assisted living facility that is Arkansas, already massively dependent on Federal subsidies to the poor.... and the laughably tiny tax rates on giant megacorps that allow said megacorps to dominate its economy.

...

If you want to see what unchecked hypercapitalism looks like, you're looking at Arkansas.

load more comments (3 replies)
[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 month ago

Given there’s lots of states still sitting at $7.25, $17 is certainly a step in the right direction.

Yeah, but centrists like having a permanent underclass to exploit.