How Low Can You Go?

[babylonsister]

http://www.boomantribune.com/story/2011/6/28/17233/4053

How Low Can You Go?

by BooMan
Tue Jun 28th, 2011 at 05:02:33 PM EST


How many more people would have jobs if employers could legally pay them almost nothing? That's an interesting question. But I'd like the answer to a different question. Pollsters should go around to small business owners and ask them how low of a wage they'd be willing to pay their employees before they felt bad about it. You know, would you be willing to pay your employees one buck per hour of work? And what could you do with that privilege? Could you expand your business with these workers who are willing to work for such a pittance? What would you expect them to be qualified to do? Whatever the result, we could call it the Asshole Ratio. It would tell us the percentage of small business owners who are plain and simple assholes. That would probably turn out be 30%, the same number that stuck with Dubya to the bitter end.

[zeos3]

1. Here's a question I'd like an answer to...

Pollsters should go around asking small businesses who do they think will buy their products/services if everyone's making jack-shit for wages.

[hedgehog]

2. I see daily proof that the minimum wage is too low. A local outlet

for a major pizza chain routinely has an employee standing out in all kinds of weather waving a sign. So, the store can afford to pay someone to do nothing but stand around in the cold. Exactly how many people see this and immediately think " I must go in and buy some pizza"? I can't imagine there are any additional sales tied to this practice.

[Journeyman]

3. And question them how much they expect other companies will demand they drop prices. . .

once it's known they no longer have employee wage obligations?

If they're only paying their employee $3 an hour, and not the $12 they were paying them last week, why is their product still priced at the old rate?

All prices should be reduced, reduced ridiculously low, so low no one can pay their suppliers, then we can all starve together in peace and harmony, out behind the dumpster next to the alley.

[Sarah Ibarruri]

4. Most business owners want pure profit with no expenses.

That's where government comes in. Federal governments needs to step in with regulations that ensure living wages. Because in this country the federal government hasn't given a damn, unions had to come along and do the job the federal government failed to do.

In our country, instead of working for the people, our federal government destroys unions and promotes the destruction of jobs via 'free trade' agreements.

How well the government lied to us about free trade agreements by saying these would create jobs, which is the direct opposite of what they were intended to do. And you know what? It wasn't only Republicans that promoted the destruction of jobs via free trade agreements. Some Democrats promoted them even more than Republicans.

[provis99]

5. How low would they go?

What kind of wages did businessmen like Southern plantation owners pay their "employees" before the Civil War?

[Major Hogwash]

6. Umm, I've been asked to come in for a few hours "off the clock" before, so free is the bottom line.

They'd prefer to have volunteers, rather than employees.
I've had several bosses in the past tell me that.

And they blame it on the government, ya know, for them having to fill out paperwork to collect taxes and keep numbers on people so they can screw their customers time and time again.