welfare vs wages

[Danzig]

Originally Posted by GenuineRisk

Though the article points out that the study assumes that every family is receiving every single program offered, and combined the value of all those programs to get the stats, whereas eligibility for individual programs may vary- a family may qualify for one program, but not another.

That said, even $15/hr is not going to make anyone rich. That equals an income of just over $31,000 a year. For a family of six, that's still under the national poverty line.

And the national minimum wage is $7.25/hr. Which comes out to an income just over $15,000 a year. For a family of 2, that's under the poverty line.

I think I've touted it here before, but Barbara Ehrenrich's Nickeled and Dimed, about her attempt to live on a minimum-wage job, is really interesting and a very good read.

no one is talking about someone 'getting rich'. i get that people need help-but should the amount of help be higher than what can be earned by working? if so, why work? many people won't get rich working either...

that said, i'm all for raising the minimum wage. it's funny, the other day, i saw the clips of neil cavuto discussing his first job, and his wage at that time. adjustments over the years from what he'd made, means the current min. wage should be $10 an hour.
now, i get why they have a fed. minimum. however, this is an issue with doing things on a federal basis. what you can live on in one area isn't close to what you can live on elsewhere.
the current atmosphere in the fast food industry points to serious issues as well. as the govt has ramped up it's assistance, businesses are taking more profits for themselves. mcdonalds alone showed what, $5 billion in profits.
so, just imagine if employers paid a living wage, and the amount of assistance could be cut dramatically. but no, the rich get theirs, and the rest of us support a bloated mess.
what would businesses save in taxes? what would taxpayers save? the system is skewed.
the rich have had their taxes cut repeatedly, they are a former shadow of what they once were. where are the jobs that they're supposed to be creating with their savings? we're in worse shape than ever.