Quote:You are still ignoring the the point that there are vastly more people in the work force than there are well paying jobs available to good old boot strap lifting people. You, I think, are just assuming people are lazy and ignoring that there are not enough jobs that pay living wages to accommodate every citizen that wants to try for better jobs. That is the point. 

 

Sure there are lazy people. There are lazy people that landed in great paying careers due to who they were born to or just dumb luck. I am not trying to take anything away from these people nor the people that worked hard for what they got. What I do think is people trying to work should be able to live and take care of their responsibilities without having to work 3 jobs to make ends meet. I seriously do not understand how anyone can argue against this. 

And you are overestimating how many people rely on minimum wage to support a family.  Look the numbers up. 

 

You're making incorrect assumptions about me in order to make your case.  Nowhere have I said anyone is lazy.

 

There aren't enough good paying jobs because the economy is sputtering on the verge of another recession.  When the economy was going strong, there were plenty of opportunities for people to advance their situation.  Because the current policies of bigger, more encroaching government have put a significant drag on this economy, good paying jobs are more difficult to find.  However, they are not impossible to find for those who are more flexible. 

 

There are absolutely some lazy people, but I'm taking into consideration that most people want to work and to be able to sustain themselves.  However, for those who live below the poverty level, there are programs far and wide to assist them in maintaining a respectable living situation with subsidized housing, transportation, communication, and food.  The poor in our society today don't know the true meaning of "poor" or "poverty" in this country.  There are those who recognize that they're better off taking what the government is willing to give them over trying to get a leg up for themselves. 

 

Those who are willing to work hard and do whatever is necessary to lift themselves up usually do succeed, even if they have to work 3 jobs to do it.  Companies are not obligated to pay them more than they do just so they can cut out an extra job.  If people truly want to improve their situation, they can do so without forcing companies to deviate from what they're doing. 

 

The market can and should determine what someone is going to be paid.  In reality, the best thing that could happen if you want to get people back to work is to do away with the minimum wage all together.  It would allow companies to create more jobs, and I'll guarantee the majority would be paid at rates higher than the currently mandated levels.  Creating more jobs helps lift the economy.  As the economy improves, those lower income earners will have more opportunity to climb.  If you don't think the market should be the vehicle used to set wages, take a look at what's happening in North Dakota with jobs up there thanks to the oil boom they're enjoying.  Even entry level jobs are paying significantly more than minimum wage because there's a demand.  Their state economy is booming. 

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