Way back in the 1990s, the First Lady of the United States, Hillary Clinton, complained that she and her husband, President Bill Clinton, were the targets of a “vast right-wing conspiracy.”
During my lifetime, I have come to learn that most conspiracy theories are pure hokum, but, at the time, I was at least open to the possibility. Robert Ludlum was still alive at the time and maybe he was just doing it as research for his next Jason Bourne novel.
Mrs. Clinton better hope that she was wrong back then. Just imagine what that Hate Machine could do after 20 years of unchecked exponential growth of right-wing mendacity, screwball economics, war-mongering, obstructionism, and just a touch of racism thrown in for flavor. That woman would be in deep doo-doo if she ever tried to do something crazy, like run for president.
I was thinking about it the other day and I was about to toss the whole “right-wing conspiracy” thing in the trash heap of silly notions once and for all. But then I saw a report on the supposed movement to raise the national minimum wage to $15 an hour. It was then that I realized that the aforementioned conspiracy exists. Who else would be crazy enough to convince people who work at fast-food places that they deserve to be paid more than beginning teachers? Only really greedy rich people who believe that there should be no minimum wage whatsoever would try to pull off such a stunt. It’s actually quite brilliant in a really sinister way.
A couple weeks ago, I mentioned that 75 percent of all Americans (including a majority of Republicans) support an increase in the minimum wage to around $10 an hour. The most economically sound minimum wage in history—that of $1.60 in 1968—extrapolates to $8.54 in 2014. President Obama has called for $10.10/hour, while The Economist (not exactly a liberal rag) wrote that, given how rich the U.S. is, “One would expect America … to pay a minimum wage around $12 an hour.”
Something about that number 15 causes me to bristle. I’ve concluded that one of two things (or perhaps a combination of the two) has happened. In somewhat simplistic terms, the meltdown of 2008 happened when banks and corporations took advantage of bad government policies (deregulation, a silly push for low-cost housing) and ran with them as far and as fast as possible before the tsunami of bad credit hit.
After that, while the politicians ducked for cover, the banks and others decided to take advantage of the crappy economy they had helped make by squeezing every penny possible out of those at the bottom. That included making sure that their sycophants in Congress didn’t raise the minimum wage. Maybe after years of working for artificially suppressed wages, the guy flipping the burger just snapped and came up with the crazy-ass number of $15.
Or, perhaps the people in the conspiracy decided to use divide-and-conquer tactics. Knowing that the average American supports an increase in the minimum wage, they came up with the idea of throwing out talk of $15 an hour, realizing that even responsible Democrats would blanch at such nonsense.
And nonsense it most certainly is. With all due respect (and I always try to make a point of not insulting the people who are touching my food), many people who work at fast-food places do so for a reason. It’s not like they got out of college and said, “What should I do now? Should I go to work at Raytheon or the Burger Barn?”
When I was young, working at a fast-food place was a rite of passage, an entry-level job that helped teach valuable lessons of discipline, hard work, and the management of both time and money. (My entry level job was cleaning the toilets at the local elementary school. I dreamed of moving up to a fast-food job.) These days, a lot of fast-food workers are adults, many stuck there due to bad decisions made earlier in their lives.
I’m sorry, but I visualize some of these people, in younger days, sitting in a classroom, using a pen to etch the words L-O-V-E and H-A-T-E on their knuckles, while other kids in the class were actually learning stuff. And those who learned stuff used that stuff to get into college, where they learned more advanced stuff that, upon completion of their studies, qualified them for jobs that paid $15 or more an hour.
A few months back, there was a $15 rally here in Tucson. I talked to one of the older guys, perchance to get a column out of it. I asked him why he thought he deserved $15 an hour for what he did.
He said, “I’ve got two kids.” Good for him for working, but that didn’t answer the question.
“What about your wife?”
“I’m not married.”
“What about your kids’ mother?”
“There are two of them.”
“You realize that you’re writing this column for me.”
It reminds me of the early days of hip-hop, when rappers would say, “I’m bad! I’m bad! I ain’t done sh-t to make me bad. I’m just bad ’cause I say I’m bad.”
There’s my toned-down rant about the $15 an hour minimum wage. Please note that it doesn’t apply to people who work at Popeye’s Chicken.
This article appears in Jun 25 – Jul 1, 2015.
Focusing on fast food workers is de rigeur for any discussion of increasing the minimum wage. Tom ignores the fact that many of these workers were previously working in better paying jobs, were laid off during the great recession and were desperate to support themselves and their families. They took the job to survive on their own without government assistance. A far cry from “these people, in younger days, sitting in a classroom, using a pen to etch the words L-O-V-E and H-A-T-E on their knuckles, while other kids in the class were actually learning stuff.” The economic “revival” hasn’t done much for the middle class and that explains in part why workers are demanding a minimum wage that at least keeps them afloat.
Taking the fast food workers as an example, the point of an increase will more than likely become moot as the industry automates. Twenty years from now (some say) the job of “burger flipper” will be as obsolete as the defunct telephone operator and gas station attendant .
Here’s The Burger-Flipping Robot That Could Put Fast-Food Workers Out Of A Job
Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/momentum-ma…
http://www.businessinsider.com/momentum-ma…
The question any worker needs to ask is “can the work I do at $XX/hour be accomplished without human intervention. Think of that in terms of automation, self service and use of the internet for virtually any transaction or service. As wages (the cost of labor) increase, the pressure to eliminate workers and replace them with automation will increase. This is a pretty bleak outlook for workers in the US as the design and manufacture of robotics will outsource or originate in low wage regions with the code and software written by experts in India and Belarus working for $3/hour.
The problem isn’t that fast-food workers want to get paid as much as entry-level teachers. The problem is that entry-level teachers don’t get paid nearly enough.
The $15 per hour wage is a bit of a fantasy, but Tom should know damn well that if people want to get at least $9-$10 hour minimum wage, they have to shoot for the moon and ask for $15.
Instead of just going with your gut reaction, why not do a little research into how the minimum wage has flagged behind inflation for the past 25 years.
And, the majority of fast-food workers have never been school kids, at least not in the 20+ years that I managed restaurants. It never even exceeded 40% of my crews. Kids can’t work during school hours. kids can’t work after 9 pm in a lot of places.
Every time I hear that particular lie it makes me want to puke. You ought to be ashamed of yourself for falling for it, Tom. You ought to know better.
Wow. I totally skipped the one paragraph about $1.60 extrapolating to $8.54, but I still stand behind the rest of my rant.
Also, $8.54 seems a little low, but if that’s what you came up with, okay.
At least a burger flipping robot won’t spit on your food
Yes they will…if you don’t meet their demands for a “livable lubrication.”
WD 40 please.
Cannot support this increase for a job that should be looked at the “end” of a job hunt instead of a stepping stone! Until salaries for teachers, military, etc are raised do not even go here.
Tom, apparently you have let your negotiation skills rust a bit. So let me re -enlighten you a little bit. In negotiations, the person wanting a certain something, in this case a raise, has and should begin negotiations with a number high enough that exceeds ($15.00/hour) what they will settle for. (in this case $10.00/ hour). the person being negotiated with, in this case the restaurant, comes back with a number ($8.75/hour) that is low-ball (even though they know they too will settle for the middle – in this case $10.00) At the end of negotiations all walk away happy they all won!!!!!!
I dare anyone here to even submit an application to a fast food restaurant. Unless you become a manager you will not get 40 hours a week at a single restaurant. You will have to work 2 jobs.
If you become a manager you will get a salary and will work a minimum of 40 hours per week, most work 60, at several restaurants, and have no control whether they work nights or days or both.
It is competitive. You need a HS diploma to be considered.
I know many of you posting here have “real” jobs and either a technical degree or college degree, and are retired or have a job that allows you to post during work hours.
It is brutal out there. These managers make enough to pay rent, and are always one paycheck away from disaster.
Not everyone is smart enough or rich enough to get a college education. Not everyone is healthy enough to join the military/police/fire department. The TSA and USPS have had benefits and pay slashed.
Not all fast food workers are loser/drug addicts/lazy/illegals/teenagers.
It’s tough out there guys, Grapes of Wrath tough to do it without a family support system and to be an average person trying to make it on minimum wage.
I personally know fellow Veterans who can’t even get jobs at Target.
With a little research most sources indicate 1968 minimum would be 10.66 in today’s dollar’s. Only one source had 8.54. If you adjusted for increased productivity from 1968 to 2014 one source said 21.75. So 15.00 is not way off target.
From 1970 to 1974 I worked a minimum wage job in Tucson, 25 hours a week. I paid for room board books and tuition at the UofA. Only had to borrow money last year of school. Tota debt for four years college $1000. To do the same thing today one would need to earn $20-$30 dollars an hour.
Several years ago I walked my neighborhood in central Tucson encourageing voters to support a minimum wage for Tucson. The ones most opposed were those who were already earning the proposed new minimum wage. No way should someone be given what they worked so hard to get. Not realizing that what happens is that all wages have a tendency to rise when you raise the minimum.
Superficially today America would appear to be a wealthy country. For those with the wisdom to look at all facets of it, it is no longer a wealthy country in general.
Some businesses may be thriving where there are a disproportionate number struggling to make ends meet, the very same could be said for the average working class.
For those who are pushing buttons on a cash register and flipping burgers, learn a skill or trade that pays better than minimum wage. You hold the key to your income and future in your own hands rather than expect someone to take up the slack for you.
I have to say… funny and well said. There is a reason why they required people to pay min of wage. Otherwise if we rated their skills they may have received a lot less. They want $10.00… earn it. Just like the rest did. Grow up Americans and put your money where your mouth is Or should I say “our money where your mouth is”. Enough with the entitlement, show people what you are worth… and yes, I believe you are worth more then $10.00 but do YOU?