DailyDirt: Getting Ahead Is Getting Harder
from the urls-we-dig-up dept
More and more stories about economic inequality appear to be written more frequently. There are all sorts of statistics about the 1% versus the other 99% and how much wealth the top 1% controls compared to the rest of the population. The numbers vary all over the world. Russia apparently has 110 individuals who control 35% of the country's wealth, while worldwide, the top 1% controls 39% of the world's wealth. If you're not feeling rich now, check out a few of these links if you have the spare time.- Is overtime pay really that important for middle class prosperity? Decades ago, American workers earned more time-and-a-half pay than they do today, and there's a billionaire who points out that raising the overtime threshold income to $69,000 (from $23,660) would bring back overtime pay rules to over 10 million workers. [url]
- A few retailers like Costco, Trader Joe's and QuikTrip pay their workers more than other low-cost retail firms. But can productivity gains from hiring and treating employees better actually work across the retail sector? [url]
- Between 1997 and 2013, childcare providers' wages hardly grew at all, according to the National Child Care Staffing Study. It may not be too surprising to see that childcare workers earn near poverty-level wages, but it's a bit disconcerting to see that adults who take care of animals earn more. [url]
- It costs money to save money, so it's not so easy to bootstrap your way out of poverty. Getting sick, having a car break down, getting a parking ticket... are all unlucky events that could ruin your life if you have no savings and a low-paying job. [url]
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Filed Under: childcare providers, income gap, inequality, middle class, overtime pay, poor, poverty, productivity, rich, savings, wages, wealth
Companies: costco, quiktrip, trader joe's
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Balderdash!
In the good old US of A, the only poor people are lazy people! If you aren't successful, then it's because you're not trying hard enough, or lack the work ethics to hold an honest job! All it takes to get ahead in life is hard work, 'luck' has nothing to do with it!
(I've asked before, but seem to have forgotten the suggestion, any suggestions on what 'I mean it as a Poe, but others have meant it in complete sincerity' be called?)
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Re: Balderdash!
Unsure, but Misaimed Fandom would be a good description of the people who take quotes like the above seriously.
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/MisaimedFandom
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Re: Re: Balderdash!
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Re: Re: Balderdash!
Die for Our Ship
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/DieForOurShip
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Re: Balderdash!
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Keeping People Down is Easier.
Poor people are hurt more and more often and wealthy people by reconnection fees.
It only logical: Poor people are more likely to have service terminated due to failure to pay. A fixed dollar fee will be a greater percent of a poor person's wealth than that of a wealthier person.
In my real life I was flabbergasted when I was charged $100 to reconnect my water, which I paid 45 minutes after it was shut off. Apparently I lost the notice.
$100 is too much to turn a handle (in town).
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Re: Keeping People Down is Easier.
Imagine my surprise when they charged me for TWO months worth of late fees!
The logic works like this: Even one day into a month is treated as an entire month, and since it was due on Jan. 1st, I got charged for both January and February!
So if I pay it on Jan. 31st, I don't pay a single cent in late fees, but if I pay it on Feb. 1st, I get charged two months worth of late fees.
I know I made a mistake and I was perfectly prepared to pay a reasonable late fee, but rigging the system so people are charged an absolute minimum of two months for a single day is just legalized robbery.
The woman wasn't too amused when I asked if I could work for three days out of the month and then get paid for the entire month.
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Re: Re: Keeping People Down is Easier.
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Re: Re: Re: Keeping People Down is Easier.
You're missing the point. Why is it that I can pay it on Jan. 31st and not get charged a late fee, but if I pay it on Feb. 1st, I get charged two months of late fees?
In what world does it make sense that the absolute minimum late fee a person can be charged is two months? There is no condition under which a person will only incur a single month of late fees.
Not to mention the ripoff of charging for an entire month based on only three days.
Imagine if you needed to stay at a hotel for a couple days and they charged you for the entire month.
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Re: Re: Re: Re: Keeping People Down is Easier.
-C
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Re: Re: Re: Re: Keeping People Down is Easier.
It was due January 1st - they were going to be nice enough and NOT CHARGE YOU the late fee if you got around to paying it less than 1 month late. Since you didn't do that, they charged you the appropriate fees.
I would suggest that you ask them to stop giving you a grace period. Then you will be less confused.
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Re: Re: Re: Re: Keeping People Down is Easier.
Do you understand what "due" means?
Why a full month? Plenty of reasons. They want their money; Deterrent; Opportunity costs...
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What we have now, isn't really a functioning economy, it's more like a wealth vacuum cleaner that sucks the money out of the lowest levels and distributes it all to the rich. Eventually the money runs out and there's nothing more to vacuum up.
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Re:
That counterbalance is, ironically, labor unions and other progressive tools like anti-trust regulations and banking laws that, ha ha, the 1% beneficiaries managed to gut.
-C
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Re: Re:
http://truth-out.org/news/item/27877-the-wages-of-global-capitalism
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Getting sick in the US
Getting sick in the US can easily ruin you even if you have savings, insurance, and a well-paying job.
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Banks
It goes something like this:
You have $200 in your bank account, you deposit a check for $400, and write two checks: one for $300 and one for $200.
By your accounting, you should have $600 total before writing the checks, then $500 in checks, for an ending balance of $100.
However, your bank cashes the checks first, before honoring your deposits:
Your first check for $300 is cashed and your balance is now -$100.
Then they charge you a $35 under-balance fee.
Then they cash your second check for $200 and your balance is now -$335. (They cash your check for your "convenience" rather than bouncing the check.)
Then they charge you another $35 under-balance fee.
Then they charge you a $35 fee for not having more than $100 in your account.
Your balance is now -$405 and they honor your deposit of $400.
And your balance is now -$5.
All because you didn't make enough money to keep your checking account above a "safe" threshold.
And then people wonder why poor people use check-cashing services and payday loans.
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