How many here work for the Minimum Wage?

[Philosoraptor]

Or have at one time. Are you happy with it? Could you use more? Does it pay the bills, rent, gas, food, etc. for you and your families?

I know some folks who work for less that min., generally Mexicans, who are hard working and happy to have it. And I know a lot of folks who pay big child care bills and at the end of the week have no money left over for fun or enjoyment. They just live to work and see their kids for a couple hours a day.

How do you like it?

[thepurpose]

1. You can make way more then the minimum and all the stuff you mentioned

will still be a struggle to keep up with.

[Tandalayo_Scheisskopf]

2. The Living Wage...

Is the amount you need to live in your area without any public assistance. Or so it is said.

The gap between minimum and Living Wage amounts to nothing more than corporate welfare.

But you never hear that mentioned.

[Philosoraptor]

3. What IS the living wage?

And why isn't there a legal MAXIMUM wage?

[magellan]

5. You know the answer to that

America is a capitalist country! You can do what you want to the rabble at the bottom, but don't you dare touch those golden parachutes at the top.

[Tandalayo_Scheisskopf]

6. It varies...

By state to state. A few years ago, in NJ, it was computer to be around $16.85. I am sure it has grown since then.

[Donald Ian Rankin]

10. Surely a living wage should be per year, not per day?

I'm quite capable of living for an hour without spending any money at all; conversely, earning $16:85 per hour, 8 hours a week is not going to be enough to stay alive.

If there was a fixed "reasonable number of hours to work per week" then stating a living wage per hour would make sense, but as it is I think it would make much more sense to say "A living wage is X dollars a year, which works out at p dollars per hour if you work 35 hours a week, or q if you work 40, or r if you work 30."

[Donald Ian Rankin]

9. Because it wouldn't work, I suspect.

If America introduced a maximum wage, all that would happen would be that people who wanted to pay more than it would do so via other countries, so the main effect would be to drive money out of America.

[twiterpatted]

4. How many have a wage which is affective by the minimum wage?

[jody]

7. I once worked for min wage as perhaps many on DU. That's often the first

step when a young person begins work.

Perhaps you need to reword your question.

[izzie]

8. Being retired in like making minimum wage

I am lucky as I do not need so much being old. Also I have done a lot of stuff in my years and young people should be out wanting to do those things. I could never have done them unless I had some money and a lot more then minimum wage. For years I paid more in taxes than most people make on minimum wage in a year.

[HeeBGBz]

11. I make $3 an hour which is above minimum wage for servers

Plus tips.

I do okay unless I have a day of assholes who feel they aren't obligated to pay my salary. Even though they want their sweet tea filled up every other minute and bring me some french dressin and napkins and get rid of these plates for me and could you make this special for my whiney ass youngun who won't eat it anyway and could I have more sweet tea please and more ice...

[Philosoraptor]

14. We raised 3 kids, largely on my wife's tips.

For several years, I don't understand how they get away with it. I think tips should be tips, and not figured into a person's hourly wages. I know it's hard work, and millions live on tips.

She always found that rich assholes tipped the least.

[HeeBGBz]

16. Yup, and church people

Here on the gulf coast, the construction workers 3/4 of them don't tip, but I have one crew of 8 that comes in every day and they tip great and I make sure they have everything they need and then some just to let them know how much I appreciate their kindness.

What gets me is the ones who come in every day and don't tip. I got their number and you can bet that when the place is packed, they will be the last in line for refills or any other service.

[Philosoraptor]

17. I always over tip.

And I alway behave like a human being. I hate to be eating with folks who just can't help but be mean to a waitress to start their day off right.

If I was rich, I'd give every waitress and waiter a $20 tip just out of general principal.

its HARD work and it doesn't pay what it's worth.

[Viva_La_Revolution]

12. Min. wage is $7.50 in OR right now

and I make a quarter more, (thankfully that will be changing in a few weeks)

and no, it's not enough. I'm behind on a few things, and there is no extra for anything.

[OzarkDem]

13. I have

When working as a nurse assistant years ago. I've also worked at near minimum wage in retail in recent years for extra money during the holidays, etc.

There's no way anyone can live on those wages - many of the women I've worked with in recent years are working 2 or 3 jobs to make ends meet.

[Philosoraptor]

15. Senators & Congressmen don't care how difficult it is to live out here.

Someone Democratic senator should take a film crew out and show the world how hard it is to live on the insulting min. wage.