Working Class can’t afford the American Dream in Pittsburgh (rent, how much)

[_Buster]

Originally Posted by gladhands

Yes, because fast food restaurants are only open between the hours of 4 and 9 pm, right? I'm sure they have cashier apprenticeship programs too.

ha, I don't know what their "apprenticeship" rules are, but I would bet my house that most of their employees are making less than the adult minimum wage. Teenagers also include 18 and 19 years olds that are out of school, and during summer I'm sure its almost all young kids.

[Faer]

Originally Posted by _Buster

ha, I don't know what their "apprenticeship" rules are, but I would bet my house that most of their employees are making less than the adult minimum wage. Teenagers also include 18 and 19 years olds that are out of school, and during summer I'm sure its almost all young kids.

Its not entirely complete data, but here: https://www.glassdoor.com/Salary/McD...11,20_IN16.htm

[_Buster]

Originally Posted by Faer

Its not entirely complete data, but here: https://www.glassdoor.com/Salary/McD...11,20_IN16.htm

I'm sure those are the adult salaries. When teens apply they find out they'll make less. Also nobody seems to have brought up that the US dollar is worth more than the Aussie dollar, meaning you have to divide all those wages by 1.25 for the equivalent here.

[Faer]

Originally Posted by _Buster

I'm sure those are the adult salaries. When teens apply they find out they'll make less. Also nobody seems to have brought up that the US dollar is worth more than the Aussie dollar, meaning you have to divide all those wages by 1.25 for the equivalent here.

It would be mathematically impossible for those all to be adult salaries, as some of them average out to less than the adult minimum wage. You are quite right about the exchange rate (1:1.24 atm). FWIW, the 2014 Aussie min wage of $16.87 AUD is $20.92 USD. It actually went up this year to $18.29 AUD, or $22.68 USD.

[Katarina Witt]

Originally Posted by _Buster

ha, I don't know what their "apprenticeship" rules are, but I would bet my house that most of their employees are making less than the adult minimum wage. Teenagers also include 18 and 19 years olds that are out of school, and during summer I'm sure its almost all young kids.

Pretty much. Read the link I posted (above).

[wpipkins2]

Originally Posted by tyovan4

Never said that.
Also not trying to "make myself look better". If anything - the opposite. I live in a poor neighborhood. I went to community college and then poor people state university. I live within my means. And I'm tired of having wealthier, enlightened folks like yourself tell me that I'm bad because I'm not interested in subsidizing people less responsible than me to have nicer things than I do. If I don't pay for it for myself - why should I pay for it for others?

I've been very open about my financial situation, so that people can better understand why I'm making the arguments that I am. If you're cool with me having to pay more, out of my meager salary, to better support those who are less well-off than me - than pray tell how many thousands per year you donate to charity, out of your six-figure salary? Do you put your money where your mouth is??

Exactly who are you subsidizing?

[Copanut]

Originally Posted by gladhands

Also, allow me to say that this entire thread is dripping with entitlement. My parents were working poor, as were there for us. None of them owned a home. I believe all people should be able to raise their children in a safe neighborhood, but not everyone is entitled to home ownership, which is exactly what this thread is about. You want to be part of the landed gentry? Do better.

[RogersParkTransplant]

The problem with letting free market capitalism define wages is that you end up with something like England in the time of Charles Dickens, or the US in the time of Jacob Riis. Basic limitations on capitalism were put in place here in the period 1890-1945, and the American middle class became the envy of the world. Many of these limits were rolled back in the period 1980-2010, and here we are.

I'm not interested in taking money from anyone here. The issue isn't the working or middle class. The issue is a system in which corporate shareholders make a tremendous profit while the employees can barely get by. The devil is in the details, yes, but the big picture isn't about you or me; it's about giant faceless corporations and the very few people who own majority shares in them.

[szug-bot]

Originally Posted by RogersParkTransplant

The problem with letting free market capitalism define wages is that you end up with something like England in the time of Charles Dickens, or the US in the time of Jacob Riis. Basic limitations on capitalism were put in place here in the period 1890-1945, and the American middle class became the envy of the world. Many of these limits were rolled back in the period 1980-2010, and here we are.

I'm not interested in taking money from anyone here. The issue isn't the working or middle class. The issue is a system in which corporate shareholders make a tremendous profit while the employees can barely get by. The devil is in the details, yes, but the big picture isn't about you or me; it's about giant faceless corporations and the very few people who own majority shares in them.

I think you hit this nail on its little shiny head. Left to its own devices, capitalism (and I AM a fan!) is not perfect and perhaps destructive. You wanna talk more recent examples? Nicaragua, 1980s...a Marxist was VOTED IN (Noriega). This is because capitalism led to just what the comment above eludes to from Dickens' time.

Government involvement is always necessary, not as a controlling force, but as a guiding (invisible) hand. I don't care what the whiny anarchists out there say, this has worked pretty well for the United States for almost 2 centuries, all things considered.

Now Peduto, though, to get back on topic? Too heavy handed. His administration is too meddling, and not fostering better capitalism.

[Goinback2011]

There were 2 reasons the middle class fared well from 1945 to about 1975. First, post WWII, the rest of the industrial world was flattened, leaving no foreign competition for American goods. Second, there was very little immigration pushing down wages.

Labor is a commodity that gains and loses value based on supply and demand. Artificially raising wages will just fuel price inflation. It's futile.