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> Walmart's low-wage workers cost U.S. taxpayers an estimated $6.2 billion in public assistance including food stamps, Medicaid and subsidized housing, accordin

> Walmart's low-wage workers cost U.S. taxpayers an estimated $6.2 billion in public assistance including food stamps, Medicaid and subsidized housing, according to a report published by Americans for Tax Fairness, a coalition of 400 national and state-level progressive groups. https://www.worldhunger.org/report-walmart-workers-cost-taxpayers-6-2-billion-public-assistance https://www.worldhunger.org/report-walmart-workers-cost-taxp...

refurb 6y ago
A progressive group blames Walmart? No surprise there. I guess the alternative is what? Get rid of Walmart jobs? Will people be better off then?
- oarsinsync 6y ago
  > I don't care what corporations pay their people, that's not my money. I care what the gov't pays people, because that's my money. You’ve just been given an example that demonstrates the two are linked, with corporations underpaying their staff, subsidised by the government. Do you have the same opposition to govt subsidies on underpaid private workers as to do for what you presumably consider to be overpaid public workers? Note that Walmart is posting billions in net (not gross) profits, while the employees are using food stamps.
  - rtx 6y ago
    Isn't there a minimum wage law in USA, I doubt corporation of this size will be so balant.
    - WalterSear 6y ago
      Hasn't increased to keep up with the cost of living in 50 years. https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://www.investopedia.com/articles/personal-finance/022615/can-family-survive-us-minimum-wage.aspEwjDkK6Z-cnrAhXIup4KHXsGDSMQFjABegQIDRAG&usg=AOvVaw00UFpgEXOpyxzhx5CW1MZg https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https:/...
      - rtx 6y ago
        Shouldn't the voters be responsible for that instead of Walmart. This looks like a way to blame Walmart for ignoring your democratic duties.
        pas 6y ago
        Blaming Walmart while lamenting the shortcomings of the system can be done at the same time. Usually blaming big corps is a bit more effective than trying to untangle US democracy/politics (first past the post, healthcare/education costs skyrocketing, employment and health insurance too strongly entwined, race, religion and ideology takes the center stage not poverty, because path dependence of the affected groups).
        oarsinsync 6y ago
        So who do you vote for if you want to ensure fair living wages for all? How do you align that particular interest with all the other interests you have? What if you're an MAGA supporter, against tax cuts for the rich, in support of equal treatment of all ethnicities and religions, believe in additional rights and protections for police, pro life, pro gun-control, pro living wages and universal healthcare. What is your democratic duty? Who do you vote for? Which candidate enables you to vote for everything that matters to you? Every issue cannot simply be distilled down to which candidate you voted for. Especially if the issues you care about are unlikely to be handled properly by either candidate, if only because the executive branch doesn't wield unlimited power (thankfully), and the branches of government are no longer demonstrating any willingness to work together (unfortunately). The issue remains systemic, and instead of targeting the individuals "for ignoring [their] democratic duties", the system itself would benefit from meaningful changes.
        Johnny555 6y ago
        In the USA, wealthy companies have a big voice in politics too, and they don't want a higher minimum wage. Their voice comes not just in money paid to candidates, but they fund groups that play ads warning voters that higher minimum wage will cause higher unemployment and force companies into bankruptcy. McDonalds used to do this, but they've backed off recently: https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2019/03/27/mcdonalds-says-its-done-lobbying-against-raising-minimum-wage/ https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2019/03/27/mcdonalds...
- pas 6y ago
  Negative Income Tax, or any linear system (as in a safety net that does not have discontinuities/jumps, so it doesn't make folks choose between having a shitty job or getting a shitty unemployment income).

refurb 6y ago

A progressive group blames Walmart? No surprise there. I guess the alternative is what? Get rid of Walmart jobs? Will people be better off then?

oarsinsync 6y ago
> I don't care what corporations pay their people, that's not my money. I care what the gov't pays people, because that's my money. You’ve just been given an example that demonstrates the two are linked, with corporations underpaying their staff, subsidised by the government. Do you have the same opposition to govt subsidies on underpaid private workers as to do for what you presumably consider to be overpaid public workers? Note that Walmart is posting billions in net (not gross) profits, while the employees are using food stamps.
- rtx 6y ago
  Isn't there a minimum wage law in USA, I doubt corporation of this size will be so balant.
  - WalterSear 6y ago
    Hasn't increased to keep up with the cost of living in 50 years. https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://www.investopedia.com/articles/personal-finance/022615/can-family-survive-us-minimum-wage.aspEwjDkK6Z-cnrAhXIup4KHXsGDSMQFjABegQIDRAG&usg=AOvVaw00UFpgEXOpyxzhx5CW1MZg https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https:/...
    - rtx 6y ago
      Shouldn't the voters be responsible for that instead of Walmart. This looks like a way to blame Walmart for ignoring your democratic duties.
      - pas 6y ago
        Blaming Walmart while lamenting the shortcomings of the system can be done at the same time. Usually blaming big corps is a bit more effective than trying to untangle US democracy/politics (first past the post, healthcare/education costs skyrocketing, employment and health insurance too strongly entwined, race, religion and ideology takes the center stage not poverty, because path dependence of the affected groups).
      - oarsinsync 6y ago
        So who do you vote for if you want to ensure fair living wages for all? How do you align that particular interest with all the other interests you have? What if you're an MAGA supporter, against tax cuts for the rich, in support of equal treatment of all ethnicities and religions, believe in additional rights and protections for police, pro life, pro gun-control, pro living wages and universal healthcare. What is your democratic duty? Who do you vote for? Which candidate enables you to vote for everything that matters to you? Every issue cannot simply be distilled down to which candidate you voted for. Especially if the issues you care about are unlikely to be handled properly by either candidate, if only because the executive branch doesn't wield unlimited power (thankfully), and the branches of government are no longer demonstrating any willingness to work together (unfortunately). The issue remains systemic, and instead of targeting the individuals "for ignoring [their] democratic duties", the system itself would benefit from meaningful changes.
      - Johnny555 6y ago
        In the USA, wealthy companies have a big voice in politics too, and they don't want a higher minimum wage. Their voice comes not just in money paid to candidates, but they fund groups that play ads warning voters that higher minimum wage will cause higher unemployment and force companies into bankruptcy. McDonalds used to do this, but they've backed off recently: https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2019/03/27/mcdonalds-says-its-done-lobbying-against-raising-minimum-wage/ https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2019/03/27/mcdonalds...
pas 6y ago
Negative Income Tax, or any linear system (as in a safety net that does not have discontinuities/jumps, so it doesn't make folks choose between having a shitty job or getting a shitty unemployment income).