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A few random thoughts, flung about in random fashion

Soapweed

Well-known member
As a rancher operating in this past volatile year, a few thoughts have come to mind. The election didn't go at all the way I would have liked. The Democrats are now in control, for better or for worse, so we will have ample opportunity to see if they are any smarter than the Republicans. My gut feeling is that they aren't, but that remains to be seen. I will believe it when I see it. When things go even worse haywire than it is now, don't be surprised if some of us old hard-bitten Republicans mumble, "We told you so." :wink:

On the subject of minimum wage, it is not going to help a thing, in fact it will only hurt. If minimum wages go up, everything else will go up. The recipients of minimum wage will get "more money" but the surplus will not be enough to cover the additional rise in the cost of living. Because the wage earners get more money, the percentage of taxes they pay will go up proportionately, and the price of things they wish to buy will also go up. The minimum wage earner will have less actual spending power than they did before.

Supply and demand takes care of the "minimum wage" problem. Right now, in our local town, starting hourly wage to flip burgers at McDonald's is already significantly higher than the national minimum wage. The manager of McDonald's already knows that they will have to pay more to get competent help.

All the minimum wage increase will accomplish is that some unqualified people that could make a modest income, will not be hired. For best results, there should be no minimum wage at all. If it costs too much to afford to hire uncompetent help, guess what, they won't get a job, period. The long-term effect is disasterous. A young kid that could get a leaf-raking job for $3 per hour won't get hired. The kid just runs the streets, gets into trouble, and becomes a burden to society. Had some old retiree been able to give the kid $3 per hour, the kid would have had a job, received some income, and felt good about themselves because they were developing a work ethic. The old retiree can't afford to pay the high government-required "minimum wage" so they do the job themselves. In the process, the old person falls down and breaks a hip. They have no money, so the taxpayer is stuck with the resulting medical bill. Society loses all the way around, all because the Democrats want a minimum wage increase. :wink:
 

mwj

Well-known member
Soapweed I value your opinion but I think that the old person with the leaves to rake will not be hiring enough rakers to be covered under the min. wage law. Besides if they are only able to pay $3 per hour they have not had there raking done for several years!
 

Denny

Well-known member
mwj said:
Soapweed I value your opinion but I think that the old person with the leaves to rake will not be hiring enough rakers to be covered under the min. wage law. Besides if they are only able to pay $3 per hour they have not had there raking done for several years!

Problem is kids now days want to start at $10 an hour.My first job payed $20 per day 10 hour days if you worked 1/2 day you got $10.Come to think of it thats more than I make now.

My Dad is disabled he can't hire his raking done all the Teenagers are to good for that.All the grandkids did it for free a couple weeks ago.As they should have.Problem is we live in a Me and Gimme society life's to easy for kids to appreciate what they really have.The best working kids I know come from some good households that are short on money but have a strong work ethic.And they don't have the Gimme's.
 

Soapweed

Well-known member
mwj said:
Soapweed I value your opinion but I think that the old person with the leaves to rake will not be hiring enough rakers to be covered under the min. wage law. Besides if they are only able to pay $3 per hour they have not had there raking done for several years!

You are right, but..........with the child labor laws such as they are, you can't even "legally" hire an underage kid to do anything. When I was a youngster I started working half-days in the hayfield at age eight, and full time when I was nine. Dad hired several twelve-year-old kids in those days. They learned how to work young, and are productive worthwhile citizens today. I might also add that they have fond memories of the hot sweaty days working in Dad's hayfields. A little hard work never hurt anyone.

This is why we have such a problem with illegal immigrants today. They are the only ones willing and able to work hard physically. Since our government, in its infinite wisdom, has passed child labor laws and minimum wage pay scales, our youth no longer has any desire to work. If they do have the desire, legalities prevent employers from hiring them. By the time kids reach the "legal" age of sixteen to go to work, they are spoiled enough that they don't want to. Oh, what a tangled web the Liberal mindset has woven.

My wife just heard some interesting statistics. During the World War II era, 65% of Americans were God-fearing Bible-believing Christians. With those of us in the Baby Boomer generation, the number has dwindled to 35%. In the present teenage generation, only 4% are Christians. America has always been blessed because God has been the foundation of our very being. God is now getting swept under the rug. When we turn our backs on God, will it be any wonder if He turns His back on us?
 

Econ101

Well-known member
I was going to say, Soap, that you must not have as many illegal immigrants as some of us have in the community. The minimum wage for them in the U.S. is a lot better than what their country offers them given the huge disparity of wealth that is perpetrated in their politics.
 
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