Fast Food wants $15 an hour?

[Just the facts]

My path to a better job, car, house and all of it began with entry-level jobs and entry-level pay. If I did it once I can do it again, and so can anyone else.

Very few people have had a harder ladder to climb than me. I went from living in a tent at age 12 to the CEO of my own company at age 38. In our current state of national economics I doubt I could do it again. As Rush L. has pointed out on many occasions, a lot of company founders say they couldn't do it again today.

http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2011...lant%E2%80%99/

Cavuto continued: “I talked to your buddy Bernie Marcus [founder of Home Depot] not too long ago, if he could do or you guys could do—”

“We couldn’t do it,” Langone interrupted.

“—today what you did with Home Depot when you got it going—”

“We couldn’t do it,” Langone flatly declared.

[bradh]

His point is the opportunity is available to everyone who wants to use it. I have no pity for those who do not wish to advance themselves in life, I have much sorrow for those with the motivation and drive to advance themselves, but do not find a way to get any traction or leverage due to the circumstances to get going. A guy who works for one of the contract handlers at WRWA...he lives 4 miles from the airport. He can not afford a car and his bike broke and doesn't have money to fix it. He works a 4am shift for $8.50 an hour....he walks 4 miles to work every morning (on dark streets with no sidewalks) to be there by 4am, works on his feet in the heat, rain, wind, snow for 8+ hours a day, then walks 4 miles home, wherever that is. That is dedication. Sucks that our transit system can't help him out.

How can I get this guy a new bike?

[bradh]

2) Lack of people wanting to pursue education. Typically someone making minimum wage, especially if they have a dependant and aren't supported by parents, is going to qualify for the maximum annual Pell Grant of $5600. That grant is available for 4 years of school and as all grants isn't paid back. There is no reason why many of these folks aren't enrolled in school to at least get an associates from a community college. You can go full time at OCCC and get the max Pell Grant amount and still have $2000+ left over per year in money you can save for when the funds run out (or don't cover enough). I'm not sure if this is just lack of people knowing about it or lack of ambition. Probably a mix a both.

On the other end of the spectrum (not fast food workers, but college graduates), too many people pursuing degrees has hurt us as well. Everyone is force fed they have to go to college. They get there, get out, and immediately expect riches.

Some of these folks would be better off learning the trades, and growing that way. Many times that leads to you owning your own business down the road. I know this avenue is not as lucrative as it once was, as immigrant labor has laid a huge hit to it, but sometimes I think we force too many people to college.

[Just the facts]

On the other end of the spectrum (not fast food workers, but college graduates), too many people pursuing degrees has hurt us as well. Everyone is force fed they have to go to college. They get there, get out, and immediately expect riches.

Some of these folks would be better off learning the trades, and growing that way. Many times that leads to you owning your own business down the road. I know this avenue is not as lucrative as it once was, as immigrant labor has laid a huge hit to it, but sometimes I think we force too many people to college.

This is an argument my and I are having right now. She is 100% convinced both our kids have to go to college. I am sitting here looking at $200,000 to $400,000 in expenses and thinking - that is a lot of money to hope they get a job that is worth that kind of expense. I am thinking I can take the same amount of money and start a small business with it and hire them to help run it. When they have a good handle on it I could turn the business over to them and they are guaranteed to have a job - and no debt of their own. Then they can pay me back. If they want to get an AA degree during that time then perfect.

[bradh]

I'm not bashing a college education by any means. If your kids are bright and can obviously succeed with a college education, don't hold them back.

I'm talking about the marginally successful HS kids who would be better off going straight into the workforce, or even military. You can go straight into the oil patch, work a rig, pick up valuable experience, and in 5 years you could be doing very well as your buddies who went to college are just getting out, struggling to find a service industry job or something.

Military, you can gain serious technical experience in a myriad of fields that you can use to your advantage when you get out.

College is not the only answer for these kids.

[catch22]

How can I get this guy a new bike?

From what I can tell he doesn't want any help. But I'm sure if we had a decent bus system he could probably advance a little further at less expense to his body. However, my point is there are thousands of people like him throughout our city who would benefit from a decent transportation system. Honestly, he could probably get a job closer to his place of residence for a similar wage and not have to walk 8 miles everyday. If you can hold security clearance at the airport, getting a job somewhere else should be a piece of cake.

[tomokc]

JTF - As Venture posted in #11, college doesn't have to cost $200-400,000. We have a child in a state university right now who is on track to earn a degree in four years, at a fraction of that cost.

[Just the facts]

It was just an average figure and my oldest is still 4 years away (5% cost increase per year).

https://www.collegedata.com/cs/conte...rticleId=10064

In its most recent survey of college pricing, the College Board reports that a "moderate" college budget for an in-state public college for the 2012–2013 academic year averaged $22,261.

So for 4 years at the average in-state public college is $89,000 times 2 kids is $178,000 and that is before we factor in inflation over the next 8 years. Toss in opportunity costs (they could be working full time during these 4 years) and the true cost goes even higher.

[OKCisOK4me]

Hell. ..for $15 per hour, Id leave my job and go work in that industry! Benefits after 90 days??

[Midtowner]

Forbes: The Price of the Big Mac Would Not Go Up at All at $15/Hour

How Much Would A Big Mac Cost If McDonald's Workers Were Paid $15 Per Hour? (Updated, Corrected) - Forbes

[Just the facts]

To bad the guy making that claim assumes that only McDonalds would be subject to the new $15/hr wage hike while all their competitors would still be paying the lower rate. If McDonalds could automate to the point this guys thinks they could they would be doing it already.

A degree in economics these days must not be worth the paper they are written on.

[WilliamTell]

I get it tom. .

Whats the deal with me agreeing with your post lately.

Its like you left the party of crazy.

[zookeeper]

Whats the deal with me agreeing with your post lately.

Its like you left the party of crazy.

Most of the time he makes a lot of sense to me. Sometimes what he writes about issues and what he writes about himself don't seem to match. He calls himself as far to the right as they come and I never see that in his posts. I see a guy mostly conservative on a lot of social issues and actually more populist than anything when it comes to economics. I don't see JTF as one who supports the absurd concentration of wealth we have in this country. I don't want to put words in his mouth, but I think he understands that there has to be something between the very, very rich and everybody else. No society with such an unequal balance has ever survived for long. I don't mean between the rich and the idle poor, but between the very, very rich and those who work very, very hard for very, very little.

[SoonerDave]

JTF - As Venture posted in #11, college doesn't have to cost $200-400,000. We have a child in a state university right now who is on track to earn a degree in four years, at a fraction of that cost.

I think there are a lot of folks who are starting to realize the same thing. Heck, OU at $300/credit hour (total) is - compared to other state and private institutions - less expensive, but that doesn't mean it can't take a bite out of the pocketbook. Conversely, a OKCCC is closer to $100/hour, and most kids who aren't certain about their four-year degree can get most if not all the basics out of the way there and - if they can endure the horrors of possibly living at home - save literally thousands - even tens of thousands - on the cost of those degrees.

[kevinpate]

How can I get this guy a new bike?

Check with a church ministry. Pool some funds via friends. Check with local police and see when they plan to auction unclaimed stolen bikes.

[LandRunOkie]

How can I get this guy a new bike?

The problem being described is larger scale than you are able to fix. If you seriously want to make a difference, get in contact with your city council person and demand more sidewalks, bicycle infrastructure, and transit funding.

[venture]

Most of the time he makes a lot of sense to me. Sometimes what he writes about issues and what he writes about himself don't seem to match. He calls himself as far to the right as they come and I never see that in his posts. I see a guy mostly conservative on a lot of social issues and actually more populist than anything when it comes to economics. I don't see JTF as one who supports the absurd concentration of wealth we have in this country. I don't want to put words in his mouth, but I think he understands that there has to be something between the very, very rich and everybody else. No society with such an unequal balance has ever survived for long. I don't mean between the rich and the idle poor, but between the very, very rich and those who work very, very hard for very, very little.

Kerry out here is awesome. Kerry in the politics section still makes me sigh at times. However he knows what he is saying and he has the facts to back it up. If he is challenged he proves his point with data and doesn't just try to counter with avoidance questions. We need more people like him to keep conversations reasonable and productive.

[MWCGuy]

Speaking from personal experience many of the community colleges across the nation will get you out of the minimum wage world and into a job that pays anywhere from $35K-$50k a year depending on the job, where you live and the local job market.

I went to OSU-OKC. The day I enrolled the admissions counselor told me what jobs are readily available and what jobs are not so available. When you go to class, your being taught be people working in the field or those who have recently retired. When it comes time to graduate you can attend one of many career fairs they hold on a regular basis to find work. If you make the effort to network with the professors they can tell you who is hiring long before the companies post it in the marketplace. Many of the schools including OSU-OKC have school to work programs with many local employers. The employers will even pay for your tuition in exchange for a commitment to work for 2-5 years.

I understand what these folks are going through however, you have to find the motivation to get yourself out of the minimum wage earner life. I started washing dishes at $4 an hour, I worked for about 9 months until I found out through friends one of the grocery stores were hiring starting at $5 an hour. I showed up everyday, worked hard as a cashier and was tapped to move to the seafood counter for $6 an hour. High School graduation came and I realized that $6 an hour was not going to pay the bills. I couldn't live at home because my parents had three kids to support. (I was 4 out of 6. We were a blended family. My older siblings moved out as they each hit 18.) I opted for the military. I did my time and I got out. I went back to the retail world at $8 an hour and left at $12 in 2008. I once again came to the realization that I was never going to make enough money and a glass ceiling was on the road ahead of me. I left and went the healthcare route now I work in a support position for a local hospital making $20 an hour with a generous benefit package. Will I stop at that? No, I won't I am keeping my eyes open for other opportunities. At some point I will probably go back to school and work on getting my bachelors so I can move into the administrative side of the hospital business.

You have to keep your eyes and ears open in today's job market. You can't expect your employer to take care of you like our parents and grandparents employers did. (work the same job for 30 years and expect prosperity) You have to network and keep your eyes and ears open. Many people are working good paying jobs today based off people they were in contact from a prior job. When you start feeling stale, underpaid and under-appreciated it's time to refresh the resume and start looking for new work. Sometimes that means going to school or moving to a new place.

[tomokc]

I find two types of stories in this thread: Those written by people who succeed despite the obstacles, and those written about others who fail because of the obstacles.

This is what inspires me to support those who work hard to become successful.

[kelroy55]

How can I get this guy a new bike?

I'll donate

[kelroy55]

Kerry out here is awesome. Kerry in the politics section still makes me sigh at times. However he knows what he is saying and he has the facts to back it up. If he is challenged he proves his point with data and doesn't just try to counter with avoidance questions. We need more people like him to keep conversations reasonable and productive.

I agree but don't tell Kerry I said that *lol*

[Bunty]

Hell. ..for $15 per hour, Id leave my job and go work in that industry! Benefits after 90 days??

But, by far, the biggest problem with $15 an hour is that it still won't provide a worker with a decent living, if the boss only wants to work the worker for 20-40 hours a week.

[kelroy55]

[RadicalModerate]

I have to wonder why anyone would "strike for poverty" . . .
Seems to me they have enough of that already . . .

[RadicalModerate]

But, by far, the biggest problem with $15 an hour is that it still won't provide a worker with a decent living, if the boss only wants to work the worker for 20-40 hours a week.

"'$15 an hour won't provide a worker with a decent living'?"

"Apparently we don't share the same definition of 'decent living' . . ."