[lettergram]

Having worked with people on social welfare. 80% to 90% can do some form of work, but don’t. Personally, I think most people find it appalling.

An easy solution is to cut the benefits.

My personal thought is that we should lower minimum wage, but combine people who work under an income level benefits. With only full social welfare being allocated to people who can’t work.

Essentially, a minimum wage, but it’s a differential made up for after all options are exhausted.

[radcon]

> My personal thought is that we should lower minimum wage, but combine people who work under an income level benefits.

Huh?

It sounds like you're saying the government should subsidize even more shitty, low-paying jobs, but I can't be understanding that right...

[wycy]

No, an easy solution is to make it worthwhile to work by increasing the minimum wage.

The bottom has been so eroded that full time at minimum wage works out to $14,790/yr--and you seriously want to lower minimum wage? Less than $15k for an entire year of someone's life is less than how much my salary has increased in the past 3 years (w/o a job change). The idea that people still want to cut minimum wage and cut benefits is disgusting.

[lettergram]

Having lived in sub $15k a year, it’s pretty easily doable. That being said, they also rarely make just $15k, most have multiple jobs. Finally, you assume they should be making more or have a better quality of life. Unskilled labor really doesn’t have anything to bargain with, because they don’t provide much value. Arguing in relation to your salary is silly, because your skills have value (and from the sounds of it are growing in value). We can’t make up value, that’s why other people go from $15k a year to $0 a year when we take away their job by increasing minimum wage

[knightofmars]

> Having lived in sub $15k a year, it’s pretty easily doable.

Where?

Did you have any support networks (family, friends, etc)?

Were you on your parent's insurance at the time?

[icebraining]

I think the argument is that the wage paid by the employer would be added to some government subsidy.