Hello, my name is David, and I have some great information for you. Are you 16 years or older? Are you willing to put in long hours for little pay? Are you willing to be demeaned and undervalued? If so, have I got a job for you! We have a lot to offer here at McJacks Taco King Jr, including injuries on the job, sex discrimination, low wages, and best of all, low morale. We offer no benefits, no job protection, unpredictable work schedules, no training and no unions. In fact, if we even hear the word union, you can kiss your job good bye. And if you grieve your unlawful termination to the National Labor Relations Board, then we will fire you for some other reason. And don’t bother asking for a higher starting salary or set hours, because if you do, we will accidentally lose your application. But hey, who needs to sweat all that small stuff when you can be part of the fast-growing service economy!
Welcome to today’s Mcjob economy! How fast is the service industry growing? Well, Blockbuster, Starbucks, and Subway are opening at a rate of one a day. In fact, 7 out of 10 of the jobs that the United States government expects to grow the most are in the service sector (Eyes on the Fries). Currently the service industry accounts for 70% of all economic activity in the country as reported by the Census Bureau (Census Bureau). Why is this a problem? Well that translates into 2 million Americans who are working to makes ends meet. And ends don’t meet that well when you are working at or below the federal minimum wage of 5.15 an hour (Department of Labor Statistics).
The federal minimum wage has remained at 5.15 an hour since 1997. If the minimum wage had kept up with inflation, the current minimum wage should be eight dollars and 52 cents an hour. If the minimum wage kept up with gross national productivity, the current minimum wage would be over 16 and a half dollars an hour (Eyes on the Fries).
Now most critics against raising the minimum wage argue that raising it would be pointless because about half of the minimum wage earners are teens. They argue that most teenagers would just spend the money on frivolous things like CDs, jewelry and movie tickets. However, Jasmine Davis, a young teen who has worked two Burger King jobs, seems to contradict that notion. Jasmine has been working since the age of 14, and has spent the majority of her money on necessities like clothing, food, medical care, rent and utilities. Not only does she use her money to support herself, but her three younger sisters as well. Jasmine’s story is documented by filmmakers Casey Peek and Jeremy Blasi in their documentary “Eyes on the Fries.” Jasmine Davis is not an exception (Eyes on the Fries). In fact, according the Department of Labor, roughly 750,000 young people between 20 and 25 work at jobs paying minimum wage or less (Department of Labor Statistics).
Many people have tried to advance beyond the service industry through higher education. Today nearly ¾ of all teens seek some sort of education beyond high school. However, paying for college has become a daunting prospect. Back in the 70s, a month of minimum wage work could pay for a year of tuition at a UC. Today, it takes 6 months of minimum wage work to pay for just one semester. Juan Tyzone is enrolled UC Berkeley. He cannot take a full academic load because he must work to cover his living expenses. He has worked two jobs in retail and as a janitor at a gym. Despite his efforts to finish his degree, he cannot balance work with school. He cannot make enough money to support himself and pay for his books. To make things worse, his job makes him ineligible for financial aid, and he has yet to graduate. It’s been eight years (Eyes on the Fries).
And just try to fit in your classes around your work hours. Employers do not have much sympathy for the fact that your anthro class meets Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at three. Unlike the typical nine to five job, many mcjob assignments change weekly, making life unpredictable. One week a person may be working 30 hours, and the next week 13. With such undependable hours, a person may or may not know if they can pay their rent the next week, or even afford their next meal. These haphazard hours also make it hard to schedule anything else in like study sessions or extracurricular activities (Eyes on the Fries).
Life in the service industry would be bad enough if you only got low wages and had to juggle an ever-changing work schedule. If fact, you’re lucky if you get paid at all. The service industry has been known for having their employees work off the clock. Taco Bell, for example, had to pay millions of settlement dollars to its employees in California, Oregon, and Washington for having them clean tables and bathrooms after they punched out. Wal-Mart, the largest corporate employer, is currently being sued in 28 states for the same problem (Eyes on the Fries).
And Wal-Mart doesn’t limit itself to this type of labor law violation. In December of last year, a California jury awarded over 100,000 Wal-Mart workers 172 million dollars because Wal-Mart had illegally denied them the breaks they were entitled to (MSNBC). Of course, Wal-Mart is not alone when it comes to illegal labor practices. As the most profitable retail giant in the world, it sets the standards and practices for the industry. As Wal-Mart Goes, so goes the global economy (Los Angeles Times).
Things were not always this bad for workers. Back in the 60s, General Motors was the country’s largest employer, providing over 350,000 jobs (Roger and Me). And these were not minimum wage jobs. Today The average GM assembly line worker is paid over 31 dollars an hour with a pension plan and health insurance (Langfitt). Unfortunately things went south, literally. In the late 1970s GM started outsourcing jobs to Mexico (Roger and Me). And in the past several weeks announcements by both GM and Ford will have Americans wondering if its Deja vu all over again as upwards of 60,000 Americans clock out of their plants for the last time and line up for interviews at their local big box store or drive thru (Langfitt).
While jobs at General Motors offered benefits and a career, the new service industry does not. Seven out of ten of new jobs in America are mcjobs, and with fewer good jobs on the horizon, more Americans will slip into poverty
(Eyes on the Fries). The only escape from this mcjob economy may be college; however, with the current labor practices of today’s companies, it will be nearly impossible for the average American to afford college. Because US corporations have outsourced more than 3 million manufacturing jobs since 2000, mcjobs have become the only job in town (Muzi News). Therefore I advocate that Congress pass legislation that would make the bad jobs good again by enacting a three section bill that will do the following: Section 1, increase the federal minimum wage to 8.50 an hour. By raising it to 8.50 an hour, more students will be able to pay for college or help support themselves and/or their families. San Francisco voted to raise the minimum wage to 8.50 an hour, keeping in line with inflation, and so should the rest of the United States (Eyes on the Fries).
Section 2, require businesses to release the hours employees work every three weeks instead of every week. By doing this, people will have more control over their lives.
Section 3, create a task force that will conduct random inspections of businesses. The task force would be required to check every business at least once every 90 days in order to make sure they are in compliance with the labor laws. In 1990, the Department of Labor did something similar to this over a three day period in March. Over these three days, they caught more than 42,000 violations in over 1,900 venues, more than half of the places they inspected (Yracheta).
Since our inception, millions have come to this country in hopes of living the American Dream. But as the years go by, we are watching the gap between the rich and poor increase, and the middle class shrink. The American Dream is becoming the American nightmare. If we do not secure the future of our country, then I suppose that my senior quote might as well be, “uhh, do you want fries with that?”
You based your speech on a hack documentary instead of reality? I'm surprised you ranked as high as you did.
Wait, no I'm not.
BTW, why won't union heroes like Nancy Pelosi allow their employees to organize, if unionising is the road to Utopia?
Hmmmm... a conservative on the offensive about research. Hardly suprising. The topic that she was addressing hardly needs research at all. All one must do is open there eyes to the reality of the situation that we are facing with the Wal-Martization of our country.
BTW, while we are attacking political leaders for appearent hipocrisy, why not enlist Jenna Bush in the "long war" Hmmmm? I mean she is able bodied enough to carry a gun to Iraq is she not? Or would you go? Probably not.
The topic that she was addressing hardly needs research at all.
Nah. Not when you have the leftist kook propagandists giving you your talking points. What could be more liberal than not lifting a finger to figure out stuff on your own?
I mean she is able bodied enough to carry a gun to Iraq is she not?
Probably about as able as Chelsea, eh?
ThatGayConservative, just once, I would like you to respond without coming off as arrogant and deaf to differing views (while rarely providing any sort of rebuttal that has *content* in it instead of the fluff you like to throw around). I am afraid that I don't see any actual counter-argument here. Name-calling and derision doesn't equate to an actual qualified rebuttal.
Perhaps some day you will learn this. Perhaps not.
Citizen Press Revolution
No surprise there.
If you're not coddled by others, they're "arrogant and deaf to differing views". How arrogant is that?
Obviously one does not have to provide a counter-arguement here. Note that the original poster doesn't intend to offer any kind of solution. Just the typical whining.
I work a McJob. I am attending college right now and I can't afford it, Even with half paid tution. With out the help of my mom and dad, elder brother, and elder sister there would be no way I could do it. This speach is very valid. I am making 7 bucks an hour. I am paid the most out of the girls. Two guys at my work get paid more than I am. Out of over thirty workers...that is very sad. Most of us our college students and all of us still need money from our parents. We shouldn't have to rely on our parents for money to attend college or to survive.
Maranda Ash
I'm going to college in an area where if you don't drive, you're not alive.
And by the laws of America I can't get a license till I'm 18, which is only next year, because I'm an international student. That means, I can only work on campus, so tiny, that it can make you claustrophobic, and the wages on campus.. well, you all know what they're like.
soooo, I'm gonna be a complete dependant on my mom...
talking about growing up and being all independent...
hexhunterkid, check out the book "No Logo" by Naomi Klein (sp?). I have never seen Eyes on the Fries, but from what I read here, I think No Logo will give you an even broader, deeper, and sharper perspective on these sorts of issues.
I'm glad to see someone "as young" as you becoming aware of the labor injustice in the U.S.
I'd also give the Industrial Workers of the World organization a consideration: http://www.iww.org/
Citizen Press Revolution
Yo. Its nice to see most people agreed for me. As for the conservative, well, apparently you have never held a minimum wage job, and your parents paid for your college. As for me, I do have a minimum wage job, and my parents are not paying for college, and Im not getting a thing from the government. A lot of my information is from "Eyes on the Fries" which, by the way, won the
Grand Festival Award, 2004
at the Berkeley Video & Film Festival. However, i based a lot of that information from personal experiance, and many times im refering to myself.
Thnx for the recomendation for "No Logo," who actually is one of the people who praised "Eyes on the Fries." I would reccomend the movie, but it is very short (less than 30 minutes) and is very expensive (30 dollars). However it comes with a large packet filled with information as well.
Though I agree with most of everthing that you wrote. I do have to disagree with your view of wal-mart. In the cases that you mentioned, it had to do with the management staff on duty, not the company it's self. I have had many years of experiance with wal-mart and none of has been bad. They provide my son's cub scout pack with $750 a year, as well as match upto $500 of any fundraiser they hold on their grounds. Starting wage for a cashier position in my area is $7.50 an hour, plus dental, vision, and health insurance. A 401k that is provided by the company and an employee never has to had thier own money if they don't want. Though I personnally have not had a job there, my grandmother has, my ex-boyfriend has, and my sons cub scout master is currently working there. My Grandmother has worked at the store in our area since it opened in 1995 and has had many promotions and wage increaes' when I last checked she was making somewhere in the range of $15.00 an hour. Now mind you she started in 1995 and minium wage did not increaes to $5.15 until 1997 and at the time she started, stating wage was $5.50 an hour. Denys Buchanan
Yo. Its nice to see most people agreed for me. As for the conservative, well, apparently you have never held a minimum wage job, and your parents paid for your college. As for me, I do have a minimum wage job, and my parents are not paying for college, and Im not getting a thing from the government. A lot of my information is from "Eyes on the Fries" which, by the way, won the
Grand Festival Award, 2004
at the Berkeley Video & Film Festival. However, i based a lot of that information from personal experiance, and many times im refering to myself.
Thnx for the recomendation for "No Logo," who actually is one of the people who praised "Eyes on the Fries." I would reccomend the movie, but it is very short (less than 30 minutes) and is very expensive (30 dollars). However it comes with a large packet filled with information as well.
well, apparently you have never held a minimum wage job, and your parents paid for your college.
Nice ASSumption there.
Actually, I've held several minimum wage jobs. I started at McDonald's when I was 14. Yes, 14. And no, my parents have never paid for me to go to college. I managed financing on my own and didn't have government loans either. I'll tell you one thing, I didn't spend $30 for video of an ass clown to whine and bitch to me about how much life and America sucks. Nor did I spend time whining to others about how life is unfair. I worked hard and also worked hard on figuring out how I was going to go to school.
The fact of the matter is that there's almost no excuse, other than laziness, for not going to college. If you want to go, you can find a way. If you want to whine, piss and moan about how much everything sucks, you're not going to get very far either in education or in life. The only thing holding you back is you. Not Wal-Mart, not McDonald's, not "Big Oil", not "evil racist, sexist, bigot, homophobe Republicans". Only you.
I can guarantee you one thing. Neither that video nor this post is going to pay one dime towards your tuition. Neither is anybody on this thread. Sorry kiddo, but them's the facts.
BTW, I've also been buying my own food, clothes, entertainment etc. since I was about 15. Yeah I've had my share of pop-tarts for breakfast and Mac & Cheese for dinner.
well i dont spend 30 dollars on a video either. I bearly make it but how does a single mom make it. She work two jobs and never sees her kids. I just read a book I think it was called nickled and dime and this single women tried to live a year on minnium wage. She couldn't make it. She had to work two jobs, the problem with that was she was working over 70 hours a weeks and she soon become tired and had to quiet the second job and she saved money to last for a while but soon she had to start another second job. That is stupid.
Maranda Ash
Yo. Its nice to see most people agreed for me. As for the conservative, well, apparently you have never held a minimum wage job, and your parents paid for your college. As for me, I do have a minimum wage job, and my parents are not paying for college, and Im not getting a thing from the government. A lot of my information is from "Eyes on the Fries" which, by the way, won the
Grand Festival Award, 2004
at the Berkeley Video & Film Festival. However, i based a lot of that information from personal experiance, and many times im refering to myself.
Thnx for the recomendation for "No Logo," who actually is one of the people who praised "Eyes on the Fries." I would reccomend the movie, but it is very short (less than 30 minutes) and is very expensive (30 dollars). However it comes with a large packet filled with information as well.
Nice post. I think any kid who wants to drop out of school should be forced to spend a month at a fast food place. My fast food time and retail time(especially working the fry vats at Taco Bell) helped me see how important education is and drove me screaming to school.
I think everyone should at least work at a fast food or some restaurant at least once in their lives. Definitely a different perspective.
Well I still say that life in the fastest growing economy is better than the life in the fastest shrinking economy, but then again I am fairly biased in that reguard. Still using Gross National Product to calculate an appropriate minimum wage does sound like something Mugabe would do, and it has worked so well for him...
Umm....my first job paid me under $3/hr. I loved it. I moved up to $5 from there, and then on to more.
It's a process that you work at. You refine yourself. Gain more skills. More knowledge. I have gone to school, and currently going back to school I realize this - Mom and Dad have not helped me at all. Nope, I ran my own business first time around, while taking 25 credit hours, with a family, while doing a federal work study, and still doing odd-jobs for extra cash for shoes for my kids.
WaaaWaaa. Get over it.
Thanks to a few good years of hard work at below minimum wage, at minimum wage, and later on more I value that fact of what I earn now. I value it much more than I would have if out of the start the government forced McBucks to pay me $9/hr to flip burgers, sweep floors and make milk shakes. Which, when the wages go up, the prices go up so profits stay in line, and you are just as broke as you were before, and the government is just as stingy as they were before, and you will still have the same managment issues as before.
That is the beauty of free enterprise and government mandates. It creates bloated pricing, deflated wages and a CEO with houses on each of the 7 continents.
~~~Ideas and ten cents change in a poor economy can buy you the world.
Thank you!!!
If you raise minimum wage, then everyone's costs of production rise, so they charge higher prices to cover it, you pay more for your stuff, and wind up breaking even. That's just how things work.
Not everyone can get the salary they want. There is always going to be a lower class. Businesses will always charge as much as they can for their goods and services. Therefore, no matter how much you make, as long as you're on the bottom it isn't going to matter. Prices adjust. Markets gravitate to equilibrium. There are oportunity costs for everything; and raising the minimum will cause more problems that it solves.
This is life, not Utopia.
My major is Economics. Trust me, I know what I'm talking about here.
P.S.--I'm working my way through college too, so you can't use the 'full scholarship' thing on me.
A major in Economics, likely taught economist theories not grounded in reality, not considering that resources is limited where you actually have an economic theory that is sustainable for mankind's future. I don't need to trust someone who was likely taught theories based in imaginary worlds. Seriously, in a "science" where if the real world results don't match one theory, you use another theory to explain why it didn't match that one theory, and if the results again don't match that theory, so you use this theory... I have to be a little skeptical of such "trust me" statements.
The wage needs to be raised so that, by working full-time, people can at least afford one bedroom apartment lifestyle. This is no longer the case. Our economy no longer reflects wages paid to a large percentage of the populate that is needed to survive independently.
This is a bad economic system.
Citizen Press Revolution
Too bad it has more to do with personal greed that economics.
The property owners are at free liberty to not charge $500 for an apartment, but then they couldn't pay that morgage, the second mortgage on their home, go to Disneyland and pay for full coverage insurance on their new Lincon Navigator SUV either could they.
Why should the government force more when it's the greed that caused it in the first place. That is true economics - then people wonder why jobs get outsourced and automated. I would rather make $5.25 an hour than have the job outsourced or automated.
Everyone always looks to the government for things like this, it is the idea of free enterprise that greed corrupted.
Of course, the oil companies love it. When minimum wage was less than $5/hour gas was under $1 per gallon. Minimum wage goes up $.15-.25 and the price of gas doubles....just what we all want, and yes I fully believe the higher the minimum wage, the higher the cost of ALL goods and that is poor economics.
If the wage went to $6 an hour, lets do the math of the increase:
$5.15/hour times 32 hours a week (most min wage jobs never give 40 hours any more) equals $165/week rounded, or about $660 per month.
$6.00/hour times 32 hours a week equals $192/week rounded, or about $768 per month rounded.
Now, with more income, you pay more in Federal Taxes, Medicare/Medicaid Taxes, SS Taxes and State Taxes. So out of the extra $108 you get per month, you may see $90 of that if you did your tax form properly? How about probably more like $75-80 of it will come home.
And that $75-80 will make a huge difference in affording a quality living, won't it.
BTW- you are talking to someone who has lived below the poverty level for 85-90% of my life who truly understands what the minimal increases mean. It won't do any good unless it is a significant increase of dollars, not cents, which won't happen, and if it did you would see gas prices over $4 per gallon at that point....why? since more people have more money, they can drive more and demand is high, with supplies low...we have to control it.
Economics - do the simple math and it is plain to see that a 5% raise is not any good to the people or the economy.
As I love to point out, how is it in America a company's CEO can take home $2+ million, the average worker $20,000 and the company post a loss of $1+ Million? If the higher ups in the company took 5% less and gave 5% more, that would make it much better across the board eh? The rich are as rich, the poor arent as poor and the prices should hit in the middle somewhere.
~~~~Ideas and ten cents change in a poor economy can buy you the world.
The argument is perfectly valid and for once I enjoyed reading a speech. School for 3.5 years for me costs over sixty grand. Most of this money I will have to take out in loans because I'm only paid 8 dollars an hour and between my husband and I we still don't make enough for me to begin paying back on my loans while I'm in school yet. Not to mention he has his own loans for time at TN Tech.
Its not impossible to pay for school while you attend, but I'll tell you it ain't easy. And food service and retail jobs are not fun.
I agree with the argument cause I worked at McDonald's getting paid $5.35 and if it weren't for my parents and my scholarships, then I definately couldn't afford college by myself. It was barely enough to pay for gas going to and fro from work. And there are lots of people who are trying to work and go to school and it just doesn't work all of the time. They should raise the min wage cause a lot of the people who work at those jobs have nothing else to go to and so they struggle for the rest of their lives in those jobs. I know, that's all that's in my home town.
Meanwhile:
My basic question remains:
How many credit hours can you get for plopping your ass down in the mud and whining about how unfair life is to you?
Answer:0
And that's coming from experience.
As far as the notion that I'm some rich elitist like Kennedy, Kerry, Pelosi, Reid etc., I've actually had to work. In addition to what I posted above, I've probably spent almos 90% of my working life on the Graveyard shift. I only recently got a shift working 3-11PM with weekends off. Not only that, while you and your pards were out drinking and dropping acid, I was working mainly in EMS. I was the one who cleaned your pards off the dashboard, pavement or that oak tree. And when your pards thought life sucked, I was the one undoing the noose or picking them up after they blew their stupid brains all over the bedroom wall. Therefore, folks can take their "elitist" assumptions of me and shove them sideways and then drop down, fifth ring, cook.
Long story short, there's plenty of better paying jobs for you out there. I could get a job right now working security, that would pay $9.25/hr. with tons of time to study. There's also plenty of other opportunities for college money out there for those willing to quit sucking on the liberal tit of misery & pessimism, and get off your whiney ass to find it. It ain't gonna find you.
However, if you want to wallow in your DNC imposed misery and accept the "fact" that there's no hope for you, well you can enjoy whatever you get. Just quit bitching about it.
Here's a novel idea: Your "speech" is a rant about how bad things suck. Why not create for yourself and write about how to fix it? Or does that not fit the action line and agenda?
Why are you so mean? Yippy for you for doing all the things you are suppose to do but what the heck is wrong with you? You don't seem very happy with your lot in life. Okay, so some kid wrote an essay, got credit for it and decided to post it here...maybe you should just deal with it.
Why are you so mean? Yippy for you for doing all the things you are suppose to do but what the heck is wrong with you? You don't seem very happy with your lot in life. Okay, so some kid wrote an essay, got credit for it and decided to post it here...maybe you should just deal with it.
Mean? Why is it mean to expect somebody to quit their bitching, grab their balls and figure out how to get through school?
Sitting around on your snatches whining about how life sucks, America sucks, Bush sucks, etc. isn't going to buy you any books or credit hours, is it?
Sure I could join the group singing Kumbayah, but what does that accomplish? Life is whatever you make of it and sitting around bitching about it won't fix it. So your job sucks. Either make the best of it or move on. There's always bigger and better out there. Nobody can improve you except you. Why would you want to join the pessimism? If things get in your way, it's up to you to overcome them and you'll be a better person for it. Don't give up and don't whine about it. Just do it.
Why am I mean? I'm not mean. Life is mean and you have to get through it. Most folks will help you along, but they won't join your self destruction.
Consider the situation of making friends or getting a date. Do you think most folks are attracted to pessimism and negativism or the exact opposite?
to the smug conservative.. the overriding conclusion i see to your posts is that you dont see anything wrong with our economy.. that nothing needs to be changed. and the truth of the matter is, when viewing the entire world's economy proportionately, we're (assuming we're all from USA) that very small percentage (less than 5%) of people controlling 95% of the world's money. so , looking at the world as one giant corporation, that would put you in the same category as the greedy CEO, not willing to change your way of life, not even by a negligible margin, in order to make the world a better place for others. and because you see nothing wrong with the system- i mean how could you see anything really wrong when you're spending your free time arguing with teenagers online about theories? so that's how you can possibly admit that there's nothing wrong with our economy, which is really just a diluted microcosm of the greed and corruption that we've imposed on the rest of the world's economy. you never see the true costs of your way of life, you feel safe arguing that nothing needs to be changed, and you fit the stereotype for "stupid, conceited american". now to address the original post, if you think that a rise in our nation's minimum wage is anywhere near a solution to the mcindustries and walmartization of our suburban landscapes, then you should move in with the conservative, you'd make a cute, bickering old couple some day. cause you're on the same side of the coin. ethnocentric , small scale thinkers. this is not a problem in our (america's) economy.. this is a global economic crisis. and you should feel VERY lucky that the worst of it you'll ever see is having a hard time paying for a secondary education, something that the vast majority of civilians on this planet could never even imagine pursuing. so get smart, my fellow CEOs, try looking outside your pampered lifestyles for a moment and think of some actual change on a global scale, cause that's what SHOULD concern you.
Yay for you,
As a missionary to Mexico I can tell you that there are other people out there that do not live anywhere near the American lifestyle..in fact, if we have the money to buy the books listed on these posts and we are able to read them then we are richer than 85% of the rest of the world. When leaving a hotel or eatery in Mexico the people sponsoring you will tell you not to leave more than 2 pesos or it will cause economic trouble. (longer story to that). The people in Leon, Mexico make around $35.00 us dollars a week and when you go into their tienda's to buy a coke or snack it cost just as much as it does in the USA. To have a coke is a privilage.
We really are a wealthy, fortunate country.
to the missionary..
to say that we're "fortunate" sounds too accidental.. like we just happened to spin a 10 in the game of life or found a hundred dollar bill in the gutter. we're a nation of the fattest, oiliest, smuggest cash-addicts on the planet, and if we had any ounce of objectivity we'd see that just by living in the US and contributing to it's economy perpetuates the necessity to exploit the innocent lives of our fellow earth-citizens. REVOLT , STOP VOTING, STOP WORKING hahahaahahmauhauhauamuhuah
great post. i agree . here in Virginia folks are working on a living wage amendment. there are some folks who are advocating a law that will increase the minimum wage by $1 for the next 5 years. they want to bring it to $10.15. studies have shown that 60% of the people that work at places like Micky D's are people who have families particularly single mothers. I know, I work at Starbucks and half of the folks that work for me are single mothers.
and so what if a good portion of the people who would benefit are teenagers. They can apply all those seminars they attend on saving money and attaining good credit. lets utilize this properly...
again, good post.
it's a great post!
it is..
and it looks like a circle of unfortunate events..
Parents drop out, mom got pregnant in high school, both worked on low-waged, low benefit jobs, kids grew up, girl got pregnant, dropped out, working on a low-waged job...
this is scary you know
I think I'd want to see proof from more than one documentary to actually see what the truth is. I don't mean to say that there are no messups in the fast-food corporations, just that this needs much more evidence. From more than a couple sources.
I think perhaps David should shut up and quit whining.
He dreams of a lovely, liberal utopia that never has and never will exist.
You aren't owed anything by anyone based solely on the fact that you think you're entitled to something.
Whiners never get very far in life.
home equity line of credit
While I don't agree with Wal-mart's practices I must point out that Wal-mart is only in the position is today because of consumer choice. If people stopped shopping there, then it wouldn't be as powerful.
I personally choose not to shop at Wal-mart, but I can't solely blame Wal-mart for wrongdoings when it is the consumer that has propelled them to the forefront of the market.
If you have ten dollars in your bank account and no food in your refrigerator...
and you can get a couple of burgers and some fries and an iced tea at your local fast food joint for that money,
or you can get a month's worth of food at Wal-Mart...
Do I even need to pose the question?
~danimo
Interesting post. I'm curious as to whether you double-checked your references, especially since you can say whatever you want in a documentary and things of the sort, but overall, good stuff.
I know so little about the economy and the government ~ and, like a lot of Americans, I'm just too sick and tired to take the time and learn about them (but unlike most Americans, it's 'cause I've got a lot of much more actually personally pertinent issues and interests to focus on). It's just so disheartening to see the nefarious masterminds who effectively (and/or literally) run this country. They can see far enough into the future to create two distinct socioeconomic classes; they can see far enough to see their personal gain. You'd think they could see a few years ahead of that, when this nation comes crashing down beneath them.
Face it, folks. America was not meant to last thousands of years like every other country. America was corrupt to begin with.
~danimo