4 ms·

The only politically feasible alternative is increased welfare spending, which means a low minimum wage is just a way to have taxpayers cover employers’ labor c

The only politically feasible alternative is increased welfare spending, which means a low minimum wage is just a way to have taxpayers cover employers’ labor costs. https://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2014/02/13/ron_unz_how_raising_the_minimum_wage_will_reduce_welfare_spending.html https://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2014/02/13/ron_unz_h...

crooked-v 6y ago
See, for example, how Wal-Mart has the single largest collection of workers who get food stamps in the US.
- pchristensen 6y ago
  Not defending Wal-Mart's labor practices, but there are probably very, very many companies where they have the single largest collection of workers who $INSERT_CONDITION_HERE.
  - Ekaros 6y ago
    I would actually say that it is the opposite... As there is few very large employers. Wal-mart being largest one of them. Companies employing lot of people also has largest collection of workers with $INSERT_CONDITION_HERE. Not that the whole sector couldn't do better. Wal-Mart just having that statistic because they employ the most.
    - pchristensen 6y ago
      Sorry, that's what I meant to say. Wal-Mart is the largest private employer by a factor of 3. They're probably first in many categories (of absolute numbers, not percentages) based on the size of their workforce.
  - kennywinker 6y ago
    This is a puzzling comment. Yes, you can probably find a unique characteristic among various groups... but this specific value of $INSERT_CONDITION_HERE is relevant to the discussion, and probably a negative force in our society. Seems like you're trying to dismiss it for some reason?
Spivak 6y ago
I think a more politically feasible alternative is a corporate welfare program where companies apply to have the government step in and just pay a portion of worker's wages. I don't like it but I think it would be something that would actually manage to pass with some amount of bipartisan support. The market still sorta-kinda allocates the labor, incentives for employer and employee are aligned, and as part of the program they would could implement some form of corporate austerity to audit spending so companies couldn't just walk away with the cash.
marshmellman 6y ago
Or a high minimum wage is a way to have employers cover the government’s welfare costs? Who really should front the bill for low earners to live above poverty, and why?
- kennywinker 6y ago
  If you are getting a significant chunk of someone's time and labor, but not paying them enough to live well, that seems like the definition of exploitation. If you can't pay a living wage, your company should go out of business - it's not helping society, and it's sucking up air that could be used by other companies that CAN pay their workers a livable wage. Specifically in the case of walmart, they CAN pay their employees a living wage. They drain about 6-7 billion from taxpayers (1) by way of workers on assistance. From 2006-2020 walmart has made over 10 billion/year every year except two (9ish billion and 6ish billion) (2) (1) https://www.forbes.com/sites/clareoconnor/2014/04/15/report-walmart-workers-cost-taxpayers-6-2-billion-in-public-assistance/#19327e2d720b https://www.forbes.com/sites/clareoconnor/2014/04/15/report-... (2) https://www.macrotrends.net/stocks/charts/WMT/walmart/net-income https://www.macrotrends.net/stocks/charts/WMT/walmart/net-in...

crooked-v 6y ago

See, for example, how Wal-Mart has the single largest collection of workers who get food stamps in the US.

pchristensen 6y ago
Not defending Wal-Mart's labor practices, but there are probably very, very many companies where they have the single largest collection of workers who $INSERT_CONDITION_HERE.
- Ekaros 6y ago
  I would actually say that it is the opposite... As there is few very large employers. Wal-mart being largest one of them. Companies employing lot of people also has largest collection of workers with $INSERT_CONDITION_HERE. Not that the whole sector couldn't do better. Wal-Mart just having that statistic because they employ the most.
  - pchristensen 6y ago
    Sorry, that's what I meant to say. Wal-Mart is the largest private employer by a factor of 3. They're probably first in many categories (of absolute numbers, not percentages) based on the size of their workforce.
- kennywinker 6y ago
  This is a puzzling comment. Yes, you can probably find a unique characteristic among various groups... but this specific value of $INSERT_CONDITION_HERE is relevant to the discussion, and probably a negative force in our society. Seems like you're trying to dismiss it for some reason?

Spivak 6y ago

I think a more politically feasible alternative is a corporate welfare program where companies apply to have the government step in and just pay a portion of worker's wages. I don't like it but I think it would be something that would actually manage to pass with some amount of bipartisan support. The market still sorta-kinda allocates the labor, incentives for employer and employee are aligned, and as part of the program they would could implement some form of corporate austerity to audit spending so companies couldn't just walk away with the cash.

marshmellman 6y ago

Or a high minimum wage is a way to have employers cover the government’s welfare costs? Who really should front the bill for low earners to live above poverty, and why?

kennywinker 6y ago
If you are getting a significant chunk of someone's time and labor, but not paying them enough to live well, that seems like the definition of exploitation. If you can't pay a living wage, your company should go out of business - it's not helping society, and it's sucking up air that could be used by other companies that CAN pay their workers a livable wage. Specifically in the case of walmart, they CAN pay their employees a living wage. They drain about 6-7 billion from taxpayers (1) by way of workers on assistance. From 2006-2020 walmart has made over 10 billion/year every year except two (9ish billion and 6ish billion) (2) (1) https://www.forbes.com/sites/clareoconnor/2014/04/15/report-walmart-workers-cost-taxpayers-6-2-billion-in-public-assistance/#19327e2d720b https://www.forbes.com/sites/clareoconnor/2014/04/15/report-... (2) https://www.macrotrends.net/stocks/charts/WMT/walmart/net-income https://www.macrotrends.net/stocks/charts/WMT/walmart/net-in...