Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Working on Minimum Wage for 30 Days
My TiVo recorded this episode of 30 Days this weekend. I've seen some of the episodes from the last season of this series, but I think this was the first one Morgan Spurlock did after his documentary Super Size Me. It's a very good episode, and even though it was filmed in 2005, I think it's very relevant info in 2009.
If you aren't familiar with what Spurlock does, he makes documentaries where he or someone else immerses himself in someone else's life for 30 days. This episode is about living on minimum wage (which was at the time of filming, $5.15/hour) for 30 days. A while back, there were comments made about the lower class, the people trying to make it at minimum wage, and I suggested that we should all try on other people's shoes sometimes. Well here is your chance to do so, without the sore feet from standing all day.
Watch Minimum Wage for 30 Days, 45 minutes long.
If you aren't familiar with what Spurlock does, he makes documentaries where he or someone else immerses himself in someone else's life for 30 days. This episode is about living on minimum wage (which was at the time of filming, $5.15/hour) for 30 days. A while back, there were comments made about the lower class, the people trying to make it at minimum wage, and I suggested that we should all try on other people's shoes sometimes. Well here is your chance to do so, without the sore feet from standing all day.
Watch Minimum Wage for 30 Days, 45 minutes long.
# posted by dan @ 10:43 AM 
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Minimum wage is not a living wage here in America(despite what some people might think). People simply can not live on $6.55 an hour. I once thought that if people worked hard they would be able to provide for their families and make a decent living. Then I read the book Nickel and Dimed and realized that minimum wage should be raised. Millions of people work hard every day and still do not make enough to provide for their families. I had never heard of this documentary before but it is similar to Nickel and Dimed. I would recommend people to either read Nickel and Dimmed or watch this documentary to get a better understanding of what it is like to live on minimum wage in this country. Thanks for posting the documentary!
I thought this documentary was very interesting. It is hard to imagine how people can get by with just minimum wage in this day and age, especially those with families. I can definitely see why minimum wage should be increased.
I had to read the book Nickel and Dimed that Lauren mentioned for a class a few years ago. It was a really interesting and good book. It definitely put some of my views into perspective. I became more sympathetic to those who do work hard and still struggle to make it. However, I have a problem with the portion of the lower class who are simply lazy.
# posted by 
: 3:17 PM
: 3:17 PM
Really? Why do you have a problem with lazy people in the lower class? Why not lazy people in the middle class, upper middle class, upper class, super-rich, etc.? Why not just say "I have a problem with lazy people" and leave it at that?
With no figures to back me up, only personal experience and knowing people who would be considered part of the lower class, I would say that the percentage of "lazy people" in any class is either roughly the same, or trends upwards along with personal wealth.
How hard do the super rich work anyway? I mean I'm sure it might be difficult deciding which continent you want to go partying on, or should you spend your afternoon playing golf or tennis, or should you take the BMW, Mercedes or Bentley. Ok, that one is pretty easy, but still..
With no figures to back me up, only personal experience and knowing people who would be considered part of the lower class, I would say that the percentage of "lazy people" in any class is either roughly the same, or trends upwards along with personal wealth.
How hard do the super rich work anyway? I mean I'm sure it might be difficult deciding which continent you want to go partying on, or should you spend your afternoon playing golf or tennis, or should you take the BMW, Mercedes or Bentley. Ok, that one is pretty easy, but still..
I agree that it would be very hard to live on minimum wage and I wished that nobody would have to but that is the way the world is most people find it very hard to break out of a cycle of poverty but alot of people have done so. I also know what katie is getting at I think that there are alot of people who don't have the will or drive to rise above minimum wage jobs.
I remember watching that episode. It was so hard for Morgan and his fiance` to manage day to day life. Even with the increase of minimum wage in the past year, I think it is highly unlikely that an American can live comfortably, let alone survive in our current financial state.
This a great article on minimum wage and why it's a bad policy. Minimum wage actually hurts the very people it is intended to help. Minimum wage laws are an extension of Marxism and have no place in our "free market" society. The article sums it up very nicely from an economic perspective.
http://www.fff.org/freedom/fd0512e.asp
http://www.fff.org/freedom/fd0512e.asp
Dan,
Let me please tell you what: you are about to make me mad! None of the things you accused me of saying did I actually say!! I reposted that same blog so that you could see it again, I never said that assistance programs were not needed, nor did I attack people who actually need those programs!!
I WILL SAY IT ONCE MORE: MY ATTACK IS ON THE GOVERNMENTS MISS-MANAGEMENT OF THE PROGRAMS, ON THE GOVERNMENTS DECISION TO LAUNCH AN EXPENSIVE AD CAMPAIGN IN THE MIDDLE OF FINANCIAL CRISIS TO “ATTEMPT TO FIX” A SUITUATION THEY HAVE CAUSED, AND AN ATTACK ON THOSE ABUSING THE SYSTEM and A CALL FOR REFORM!!!
...Im not really sure how my character came to be attacked based on the fact that.. I attacked the system for disabling people from getting out of their dependence on the government, and for attacking the people who abuse the system and make it even harder for those who need the help to get it?
You are attacking my character here, and I would never say the things you keep saying I said! It is there in print... the original is still up and I posted it again!!!
Let me please tell you what: you are about to make me mad! None of the things you accused me of saying did I actually say!! I reposted that same blog so that you could see it again, I never said that assistance programs were not needed, nor did I attack people who actually need those programs!!
I WILL SAY IT ONCE MORE: MY ATTACK IS ON THE GOVERNMENTS MISS-MANAGEMENT OF THE PROGRAMS, ON THE GOVERNMENTS DECISION TO LAUNCH AN EXPENSIVE AD CAMPAIGN IN THE MIDDLE OF FINANCIAL CRISIS TO “ATTEMPT TO FIX” A SUITUATION THEY HAVE CAUSED, AND AN ATTACK ON THOSE ABUSING THE SYSTEM and A CALL FOR REFORM!!!
...Im not really sure how my character came to be attacked based on the fact that.. I attacked the system for disabling people from getting out of their dependence on the government, and for attacking the people who abuse the system and make it even harder for those who need the help to get it?
You are attacking my character here, and I would never say the things you keep saying I said! It is there in print... the original is still up and I posted it again!!!
# posted by : 6:08 PM
: 6:08 PM
I think minimum wage should be at least $8.50. You wouldn't want it to be too much higher because then people will feel like they don't have to get an higher education just to get by.
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# posted by : 7:31 PM
: 7:31 PM << Home
