Instead of Corporations, Why Not Invest in People?

[Metro Jacksonville]

Instead of Corporations, Why Not Invest in People?



Should we be investing in people instead of corporations?  Progressive Editorialist Robert Montgomery suggests it may be time for a change in our priorities.

Full Article
http://www.metrojacksonville.com/article/2013-aug-instead-of-corporations-why-not-invest-in-people

[If_I_Loved_you]

Instead of Corporations, Why Not Invest in People?



Should we be investing in people instead of corporations?  Progressive Editorialist Robert Montgomery suggests it may be time for a change in our priorities.

Full Article
http://www.metrojacksonville.com/article/2013-aug-instead-of-corporations-why-not-invest-in-people

[Overstreet]

If the cost of producing the goods or providing the services goes up  the cost of the final product or service  will rise also. I know this because I do it in my line of work.

[Ocklawaha]

Who does he think the corporations are? Nameless, faceless, monsters living in big boxes? Corporations ARE people, they are made up of business people, entrepreneur's, skilled and unskilled workers, in fact that corporation itself is an invisible 'person' with rights to buy, sell and trade as any other person has.

Minimum wage was never supposed to be a 'living wage.' it is merely an entry level into the business world. Don't progress, educate yourself and move forward, and you can stay at that entry level for a lifetime. Get that education or training and you can climb the ladder.

We have become a 'nanny state' with a legion of 'victims' thinking they are owed something. If you want the rewards, you need to pay the dues.

[theduvalprogressive]

Ocklawaha, how to you reconcile that with the reality that during the 50's and 60's when the National Minimum Wage was indexed to the cost of living that not only did it keep almost 70% percent of the population above the poverty level, but that also the increased money circulating in the system from consumer spending kept prices for most consumer good low?

I'm sure your answer to that will probably be that price invariably go up but wouldn't you, at least, concede that if wages didn't flatline after 1972, that demand would have have slowed the increase in the price of production?

Also during the period of deregulation that happened during the Reagan and Clinton eras, here in the South when many companies came here to take advantage of lower wages, they paid something closer to a living wage. For example in the area it was not uncommon that people make perhaps a few bucks an hour above the minimum of 4.25 an hour. Service industry positions in the Baymeadows area paid as high as 3 to 4 dollars above the minimum and the resulting purchasing power resulted in a boom for local business. Many companies grew as the city grew which slowed as wages flatlined.

[CityLife]

Man would it have been sweet to make $15 bucks in hour in high school as a cashier at Winn Dixie....which would last about 2 weeks until Winn Dixie made every lane self checkout.

[CityLife]

Apparently you haven't seen Winn Dixie's employees either....and I say that as a former Winn Dixie cashier that was happy to make $5.15 an hour in high school.

Aunt Margie bless her heart wouldn't have a choice anymore. In an era where we're losing low wage jobs like crazy to technology and autmotation, an outrageous minimum wage is a surefire way to make the issue even worse. I'm all for trying to build a strong middle class, but dont think that is the way to go about it.

[Captain Zissou]

It's funny that you picked big retailers as your target. First, they aren't extracting "untold billions" from helpless consumers. There are definitely some corporate responsibility and stewardship pouts that could be made here, but the margins aren't nearly as steep as you would like to believe. An across the board wage increase of $1 or $2 for companies would either wipe out the company would require that they pass that expense through to the customer. It would be a net zero outcome for the employees as they'd have more money to pay for more goods, but then what would happen to the unemployed who just had their bills go up by 15%? our modern economy depends on cheap food and goods to survive. If we take that away, we would see some pretty drastic results.

[If_I_Loved_you]

Who does he think the corporations are? Nameless, faceless, monsters living in big boxes? Corporations ARE people, they are made up of business people, entrepreneur's, skilled and unskilled workers, in fact that corporation itself is an invisible 'person' with rights to buy, sell and trade as any other person has.

Minimum wage was never supposed to be a 'living wage.' it is merely an entry level into the business world. Don't progress, educate yourself and move forward, and you can stay at that entry level for a lifetime. Get that education or training and you can climb the ladder.

We have become a 'nanny state' with a legion of 'victims' thinking they are owed something. If you want the rewards, you need to pay the dues.

So anyone can move up the business ladder of life? Poppy Cock not everyone wants or can move up the ladder. So if they stay on the bottom of the ladder they should always be paid the lowest wage? What World do you live in Fantasy Land? God Ock even $15.00 an hour doesn't get you very far today. With gas at $3.58 a gallon and the cost of food through the roof. 

[Non-RedNeck Westsider]

So anyone can move up the business ladder of life?

Yes sirree.

Poppy Cock not everyone wants or can move up the ladder. So if they stay on the bottom of the ladder they should always be paid the lowest wage?

If you don't 'want' to then you should be clamoring to 'want' more.  And 'can't' is a tricky word.  Sometimes people genuinely 'can't' do things, but often times it's because they don't 'want' to learn the skills required.

What World do you live in Fantasy Land? God Ock even $15.00 an hour doesn't get you very far today. With gas at $3.58 a gallon and the cost of food through the roof. 

It may not get you very far, but it will certainly get you along.  Somewhat comfortably, if you know how. 

What fantasy world do you live in, IILY, that you can't 'get by' at $600/wk pre-tax?

[JayBird]

So anyone can move up the business ladder of life?

Yes sirree.

Poppy Cock not everyone wants or can move up the ladder. So if they stay on the bottom of the ladder they should always be paid the lowest wage?

If you don't 'want' to then you should be clamoring to 'want' more.  And 'can't' is a tricky word.  Sometimes people genuinely 'can't' do things, but often times it's because they don't 'want' to learn the skills required.

What World do you live in Fantasy Land? God Ock even $15.00 an hour doesn't get you very far today. With gas at $3.58 a gallon and the cost of food through the roof. 

It may not get you very far, but it will certainly get you along.  Somewhat comfortably, if you know how. 

What fantasy world do you live in, IILY, that you can't 'get by' at $600/wk pre-tax?

+1,000,000

[If_I_Loved_you]

So anyone can move up the business ladder of life?

Yes sirree.

Poppy Cock not everyone wants or can move up the ladder. So if they stay on the bottom of the ladder they should always be paid the lowest wage?

If you don't 'want' to then you should be clamoring to 'want' more.  And 'can't' is a tricky word.  Sometimes people genuinely 'can't' do things, but often times it's because they don't 'want' to learn the skills required.

What World do you live in Fantasy Land? God Ock even $15.00 an hour doesn't get you very far today. With gas at $3.58 a gallon and the cost of food through the roof. 

It may not get you very far, but it will certainly get you along.  Somewhat comfortably, if you know how. 

What fantasy world do you live in, IILY, that you can't 'get by' at $600/wk pre-tax?

I live in the real world Non-Redneck besides did I say this is what I make?

[Non-RedNeck Westsider]

No.  No you never said that's what you make, but you must have some sort of personal insight to the situation based on:

God Ock even $15.00 an hour doesn't get you very far today.

[carpnter]

Who does he think the corporations are? Nameless, faceless, monsters living in big boxes? Corporations ARE people, they are made up of business people, entrepreneur's, skilled and unskilled workers, in fact that corporation itself is an invisible 'person' with rights to buy, sell and trade as any other person has.

Minimum wage was never supposed to be a 'living wage.' it is merely an entry level into the business world. Don't progress, educate yourself and move forward, and you can stay at that entry level for a lifetime. Get that education or training and you can climb the ladder.

We have become a 'nanny state' with a legion of 'victims' thinking they are owed something. If you want the rewards, you need to pay the dues.

So anyone can move up the business ladder of life? Poppy Cock not everyone wants or can move up the ladder. So if they stay on the bottom of the ladder they should always be paid the lowest wage? What World do you live in Fantasy Land? God Ock even $15.00 an hour doesn't get you very far today. With gas at $3.58 a gallon and the cost of food through the roof. 

If they don't want to move up the ladder, then yes they should be getting the lowest wage.  If the person doesn't want to better himself (or herself) then why do they deserve to get paid equivalent to a person who wants something better and is willing to work for it? 
The way it used to work was someone came in at the bottom and moved up the ladder to a better job (or new company) with better wages and some new person would come in and replace the person at the bottom. 

[If_I_Loved_you]

No.  No you never said that's what you make, but you must have some sort of personal insight to the situation based on:

God Ock even $15.00 an hour doesn't get you very far today.

Well the newspapers and internet have been talking about what fast food workers would like to be paid? And then you look at the costs around Jacksonville Fl.