[my_username_is_]

>$21 isn’t a living wage for any category of worker in the San Francisco metro area except a single adult or two adults living together

Is it really insane that people should get paid a living wage, regardless of whether it's a 'skilled job' or not?

[ben509]

A "living wage" bundles the assumption that a single wage must pay for all your expenses in maintaining a predetermined standard of living and that there's no other possible arrangement that should be considered.

And that is, in fact, insane, as it's contrary to the experience of anyone who has worked two jobs, shared a flat, budgeted, or otherwise been creative in making ends meet.

[fwip]

"People deserve to be able to live comfortably on a single job at 40 hours a week."

"Nuh uh, some people have been creative and survived under the current system!"

[ben509]

"I'd like to work two low paying jobs that work around my lifestyle."

"Nope, because we care so much, your lifestyle is illegal."

[fwip]

Yep, if Uber pays $21 an hour, you can't possibly drive for both Uber and Lyft, or work a side-hustle. That will definitely be against the law.

[jtcruthers]

Yes, it is. Is it really that insane that doing a job a monkey could do shouldn't be paid the same as jobs that require actual skill?

Why can't that be a job you do on the side for a little extra cash on the weekends? Why does every job need to provide a "living wage"?

[throwaway2048]

People that work should be able to earn a living wage, period, perhaps its an indication the people you mention are paid too little, why not address that, rather than demanding people on the edge of poverty get paid less...

[scarface74]

So should my 17 year old son flipping Pizza deserve a “livable wage”?

There was an article posted on HN a while back where they said the average franchise owner makes around $40K a year - and that’s with them working 60+ hours a week. Where is the money suppose to come from?

Usually when I ask this question, I get the response that those companies don’t deserve to exist. Which is saying a lot considering how many people on HN probably work for a money losing startup living off of VC funding.

[dzamie]

>So should my 17 year old son flipping Pizza deserve a “livable wage”?

Choose one: "yes", "I want to pay higher taxes so independent adults can survive on such a wage via government assistance", "people who work 40+ hours a week so I can eat cheap burgers do not deserve to live", "I would be okay with much slower service and business hours that don't intersect with school days, as well as high local unemployment and probably homelessness."

>Where is the money suppose to come from?

Raise prices or cut other costs. If that doesn't do it, well, perhaps they should listen to you and develop more marketable skills, right? I find it weird that you arbitrarily decided on a "skill threshold" where flipping burgers isn't deserving of a livable wage, but for some reason entrepreneurship is.

[scarface74]

Raise prices or cut other costs. If that doesn't do it, well, perhaps they should listen to you and develop more marketable skills, right?

So the independent pizza shop owner doesn’t deserve to be in business since they have to actually be profitable but the startup founder who can lose money for a decade supported by granddaddy VC backer does?

And by the way, up until the current administration, every Republican and Democratic administration as well as most conservative and liberal economists has said that the best and least disruptive way to support a “livable wage” for heads of household is to increase the earned income tax credit. I would add make that a reverse payroll tax to make it easier for employers to distribute it to workers during the year. Yes, I’m okay with increased taxes if necessary.

[throwaway2048]

Should the small struggling independant slaveowner have a right to stay in business too?

[Sohcahtoa82]

> So should my 17 year old son flipping Pizza deserve a “livable wage”?

Is he working 40 hours a week? If so, then yes.

[scarface74]

And what about the business owner making on average from statistics $40K a year in gross profits after working 60+ hours a week. Does he deserve to make s livable wage and still be able to work 40 hours a week?

Are we better off if he can’t be in business and has to work for someone else?