Controversial Political Opinions

[David Horn]

I was going to pass this by but thought better of it.  I created a list to simplify my response.

(03-18-2022, 02:23 AM)JasonBlack Wrote:

1. The concept of "a minimum wage should be a living wage" is not inherently offensive, but a living wage for 1 person. Not "father works for 40 hours a week and supports a wife and kids", you shouldn't be having kids with a stay-at-home mother if you only make minimum wage. A lot of people move the goalpost on this issue like crazy.
   
2. Welfare should come with some expectation of community service. At the very least, something like "you have to plant X number of trees this month to get your welfare payments".
   
3. Marriage should be a contract drawn up between two parties where they agree on terms, planning for instances of divorce, disability, cheating, etc in advance. The government's only role should be enforcing that contract, the same way they enforce other contracts.
   
4. Employers should have to pay AT LEAST double wages for work done on Christmas, Thanksgiving or Black Friday.
   

1. The minimum wage should not be based on our evaluation of its use, but on a mathematically sound extrapolation of the concept since its inception.  If we examine both the per capita growths of the economy and the minimum wage in real terms dating back to the late 1960's, the current rate should be about $20 per hour (estimates are low side: $18; high side: $22).  This correlates with the growth of paid work in general, which is nearly as far behind the curve as the minimum wage.  Note: return on capital is vastly above the curve.  I wonder why.  
   
2. First, there is little of what can be called 'welfare' to even discuss.  Bill Clinton did it in, much to his shame.  Almost everyone receiving anything (and far too little imho) is either mentally or physically unable to work, or both.  All the Welfare Queen nonsense is just that.  There is a codicil: benefits scammers are prolific and tend to avoid being caught.  Isn't it better to extract them from the shadows, provide aid if it's needed and ignore the blame game?
   
3. Really?  I know some people who actually tried something like that, and they ended their relationships as bitter enemies ... even before they began.  Matters of the heart don't do well in the legal realm.
   
4. Well, we agree on something.  I would expand the list, but you have the right idea.