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It's a temporary stimulus payment anyway. We all paid for it. It helps a lot of people who really needed it, especially hourly wage workers in the service indu

It's a temporary stimulus payment anyway. We all paid for it. It helps a lot of people who really needed it, especially hourly wage workers in the service industry who instantly took a hit from the shutdowns and these workers tend to not have healthcare insurance to begin with due to the low wages. It would be foolish for someone who had a well paying job with benefits to permanently stop working for "more" money on paper temporarily, especially considering you would also risk being unemployable afterward. Does +$600 to your weekly pay outweigh the health benefits that you got while being employed?

Alupis 6y ago
Well sure, but I'm still not seeing where this "proves how deeply underpaid those jobs were". The explicit intention behind CARES was to provide some resemblance of financial security during a very uncertain time. If paying people a couple hundred more dollars per week than they'd earn while working is what achieves that... and it's temporary... ok fine. But the CARES Act will continue to payout through December... which is a long time from now... and that's if it doesn't become a political wiffle ball and get extended. None of that has to do with the value an employee brings, or can earn while in the service industry. Into the weeds, but... With a growing anti-tipping movement, I don't see how we can argue service industry workers can be paid more than they already are. If the market had the appetite for $30 diner burgers, we'd already be paying those rates, no? Wouldn't the business owners raise prices and just pocket the difference if people were willing to pay more? I think that results in fewer people eating out... which leads to fewer service industry workers, which leads to some other problems. Way into the weeds - I've long thought the solution isn't just to command more money be paid to service workers. We should instead focus on trade school and education to empower people to seek skilled jobs that pay far better. I'd fully support free or low cost trade schools and community colleges, and would rather pay taxes into that versus a $30 mediocre burger.
- mydongle 6y ago
  That's right. As I said, I prefer those industries to collapse rather than let them continue on, surviving merely due to the exploitation of cheap human labor. Unless they can change and pay better or make work conditions better.
  - Alupis 6y ago
    I don't think those industries need to collapse. We should have fewer people making careers at unskilled jobs. Nobody can provide for a family comfortably doing that. Instead, it should be a starting position; an entry into the workforce as you learn a trade, skills or gain knowledge.

Alupis 6y ago

Well sure, but I'm still not seeing where this "proves how deeply underpaid those jobs were". The explicit intention behind CARES was to provide some resemblance of financial security during a very uncertain time. If paying people a couple hundred more dollars per week than they'd earn while working is what achieves that... and it's temporary... ok fine. But the CARES Act will continue to payout through December... which is a long time from now... and that's if it doesn't become a political wiffle ball and get extended. None of that has to do with the value an employee brings, or can earn while in the service industry. Into the weeds, but... With a growing anti-tipping movement, I don't see how we can argue service industry workers can be paid more than they already are. If the market had the appetite for $30 diner burgers, we'd already be paying those rates, no? Wouldn't the business owners raise prices and just pocket the difference if people were willing to pay more? I think that results in fewer people eating out... which leads to fewer service industry workers, which leads to some other problems. Way into the weeds - I've long thought the solution isn't just to command more money be paid to service workers. We should instead focus on trade school and education to empower people to seek skilled jobs that pay far better. I'd fully support free or low cost trade schools and community colleges, and would rather pay taxes into that versus a $30 mediocre burger.

mydongle 6y ago
That's right. As I said, I prefer those industries to collapse rather than let them continue on, surviving merely due to the exploitation of cheap human labor. Unless they can change and pay better or make work conditions better.
- Alupis 6y ago
  I don't think those industries need to collapse. We should have fewer people making careers at unskilled jobs. Nobody can provide for a family comfortably doing that. Instead, it should be a starting position; an entry into the workforce as you learn a trade, skills or gain knowledge.