The problem isn't about there being a top or bottom. There isn't really a middle now and the gap between the 2 are as wide as ever. That's not good for our country.

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Be well

GO BEARS!!!

The nation is being hallowed out completely from a economic class perspective. Tons and tons of welfare, transfer payments and other schemes are being injected to not only mask the decline but make to hasten it and to help keep the boot on the collective throats, so to speak.

This isn't supply and demand. It isn't one company being forced to pay more it's every company. All companies will react to this in a similar way. You think it won't be a big shift and I do. I hope you are right because the current min wage is too low.

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I realize the middle is disappearing and that is a huge/main issue. My top and bottom was simply to try to illustrate that no matter what the system the will be rich and not so. You can give the poor $1M today each and it will just make the top 10% zillionaires rather than billionaires.

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Elections have consequences.

Where are these manufacturing jobs?

In this country?

I don't think they're as readily available as you make it seem.

Also I don't see why anyone would choose lower wages in fast food over a factory job

And I'm not pro millionaires. I'm realistic.

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They're here. There's an entire generation of skilled manufacturing labor on the verge of retirement with far fewer workers to replace them.

It's just that those jobs aren't always as easy to identify as just stopping at McDonald's.

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You know me like that.

Its a far more nebulous concept than "run support" to be sure

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Proud member of the white guy grievance committee

It aint the six minutes. Its what happens in those six minutes.

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Be well

GO BEARS!!!

Its absolutely supply and demand

You're arguing that demand doesn't matter. Company sets whatever price they want and thats what we have to pay

Not sure why you refuse to acknowledge that there is a price point where you start losing customers

There is unless ALL prices are going up across the board.

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You are not being realistic at all. You're bring the opposite of a realist

We all agree that corporation will do everything they can to make money

The difference is Rick and I think the corporation has to stay at reasonable prices and you think they can set prices wherever they want with no reprucussions

You think every company in every market will collude simultaneously to raise prices to an unreasonable level?

You call thast realistic?

Why does Costco pay better than Walmart? Were they not invited to the collusion meeting?

You think Costco will raise there prices at the same level as Walmart even though they'd be affected way less by the wage increase?

They are and they aren't. Dr Ken is sort of right in that there a lot of manufacturing jobs that are going unfilled ( think tool and die makers / machinists ) due to lack of qualified people coming up through the ranks. Problem is its a career path not many choose and if you happen to fall into a factory job more than likely you'll be a parts changer rather than the skilled position of CNC programmer or actual Die Maker that pays the $20 plus per hour ( not that thats a lot of money these days anymore) . There is a lot you have to learn and know in that field and not a lot of people want to take the time and dedication to rise through the ranks to become a high paid machinist or its just not on their radar as a profession .

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Proud member of the white guy grievance committee

It aint the six minutes. Its what happens in those six minutes.

There are a number of tool and die jobs that require some level of college education now.

And after training, many of these jobs pay in the $60-80K range annually.

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They do indeed. Its a highly skilled job. Have to know your shit and be prepared to work a lot of hours but the made. Until they send your mold making job to China and pay Hop Sing $1.30 and hour to build it when you were making $23 to make it here.

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Proud member of the white guy grievance committee

It aint the six minutes. Its what happens in those six minutes.

Costco is the exception and they charge membership fees to make up for it I would assume.

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Out this way tool and die and machinists are making tall cash and in demand. Non union shops paying top dollar. A lot of the problem in this country (and I can't blame a lot of people for not doing this) is that they are unwilling to go where the work is. I have said here many times before go where the work is (in a Sam Kinnison voice). In this day and age of easy relatively cheap travel there is no reason not to relocate for a real meaningful long term job. I am not talking about transient temp jobs but real work.

Another point is I see a lot of people making money driving trucks and working for the railroads.

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Elections have consequences.

How do all the discount superstores have similar price points now? Collusion?

Edit: I never said unreasonable hikes but added together it will be significant IMO.

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The guys in China are not able to do many of these jobs either.

Skilled labor is a real problem in this field.

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The lack of truck drivers in many fields is reaching point of critical mass right now.

If you have a CDL and are not working then you don't want to, or you can't pass a drug test.

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I work in the manufacturing industry. Replacing skilled workers is one of our greatest concerns.

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Btw we raised minimum wage from 5.15 to 7.25 from 2007-2009 (about 40%) and prices stayed reasonable

And these same 50$ big mac arguments were made. What happened there?

The markets are skewed in many ways. You will not see Nike or Underarmour at Sams or Costco. Every read a Dick's $10 off ticket. Good for everything but those two. They control their brands and tell stores what they can charge. Citing Costco or Starbucks are not shining examples of why there should be a higher min wage. They do what they want and perhaps sacrifice some margin. Most companies will not.

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Elections have consequences.

Especially flat bed trucks. You can go get a truck and a CDL and charge whatever you want. 30 loads per each available trk in the Chicago area is the stat I read. Drivers can sit back and bid whatever route they want.

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My business is 100% dependent on US manufacfuring. I sell to people who are making electrical equipment, machinery, and who are automating their factory, right here in the USA. My businees grows double digits every year. I see factories every week. There are still lots of them full of workers.

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CSFMB 2014 Nascar Pick 'em Champion

We don’t have a trillion-dollar debt because we haven’t taxed enough; we have a trillion-dollar debt because we spend too much. — Ronald Reagan

Good point there. On the other hand did it help society to close a wage gap or improve things? I will wait for a graph.

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Elections have consequences.

Did the raise help anyone? Doesn't seem like it.

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I wonder how many people in this thread even know what companies their 401K money is invested in.

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Right now the top 1% pockets $3.8 trillion and the top 10% pockets $8.7 trillion. Leaving the other 90% to fight over $8.3 trillion. If the top 10% just took 40% instead of 51% that would give the the forgotten 90% another $2 trillion to split up. If they took it back to the level it was the year I was born (1982) it would give the forgotten 90% $3.3 trillion dollars more to split up. I believe 1982 was right as usual.

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Be well

GO BEARS!!!