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The minimum livable wage in the US ranges between $19 to $30 an hour on average in each of the 50 states. The federal minimum wage is still $7.25. $15 an hour is STILL not livable. The minimum wage MUST go up dramatically, it’s out of touch with reality.
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Anonymous 2w

I think we should just have welfare programs for people making less than the livable wage, like free healthcare and food stamps. Higher minimum wages disproportionately hurt small business owners. For example, the average McDonald’s franchise store owner profits ~$120k-$290k per year. If there were a $5 increase to minimum wage and they employ 10 employees all working 40 hours per week their profit decreases by $104k per year (10x5x40x52). I’d be willing to hear arguments tho

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Anonymous 2w

Our wages are higher because our necessities are more expensive. Health spending is significantly higher in the United States since we refused to implement universal healthcare and opted to privatize it, enabling corporate greed to strip people of thousands of dollars for simple procedures or treatments that actually cost the facilities nowhere near as much.

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Anonymous 2w

The US has the 2nd highest median income in the world. Fewer people than ever are earning minimum wage. Raising the minimum wage just cuts off the bottom of the career ladder and makes it more difficult for people to develop their careers. The more effective way to help people who are struggling is with social services.

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Anonymous 2w

We need more widespread rent control and policies that limit corporate and billionaire greed

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Anonymous 2w

Source: https://worldpopulationreview.com/state-rankings/livable-wage-by-state

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Anonymous 2w

In order to buy a house the minimum wage would have to be $60. Yet they’re not fucking caring that we’re going homeless

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Anonymous 2w

Disposable income is so significantly higher in the US, that people have more money even after paying for things like our bloated healthcare system.

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Anonymous replying to -> #1 2w

Corporations should also be barred from purchasing homes off the streets to jack up prices and should be forced to sell any houses they’re hoarding away from hard-working Americans.

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Anonymous replying to -> #1 2w

Rent control is counterproductive. It just disincentives building housing and creates a shortage.

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Anonymous replying to -> #2 2w

Doing nothing to cap rent is much more unproductive, worsening the quality of life for millions of Americans and unreasonably ballooning the cost of living. Greed shouldn’t be normalized or excused, because what’s the point of building housing that barely anyone can afford in the first place?

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Anonymous replying to -> OP 2w

Large corporations own roughly 0.5% of homes.

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Anonymous replying to -> #2 2w

That statistic doesn’t match the reality being felt by thousands of people. It’s like “pee on my leg and tell me it’s raining”, because telling us corporations don’t actually own that many homes overall doesn’t mean much considering that’s still 593,600 homes according to that chart.

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Anonymous replying to -> OP 2w

Its a drop in the bucket of 118,720,000 American homes. Theres no reason to believe that corporations are monopolizing homes. We shouldn’t make policy decisions based on feelings.

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Anonymous replying to -> OP 2w

Capping rent has created shortages everywhere it’s been tried. Austin is significantly lowering rent prices right now despite a growing population because they’ve allowed for the construction of lots of new housing.

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Anonymous replying to -> #2 2w

It’s a temporary solution to a problem that needs a bandaid before we can do surgery.

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Anonymous replying to -> OP 2w

Then we should work to implement free universal health care and control inflation instead of promoting band-aid solutions that may actually do more harm than good to the average worker

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Anonymous replying to -> #4 2w

I’ve always though, if a business can’t afford to pay its workers a livable wage, then that store or company has no business working lower class citizens for less money than they can live off of. Obviously it’s easier to say that than enforce or pressure that but that lesson seems to have been completely forgotten lately

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Anonymous replying to -> #5 2w

Gee that’s exactly what the lefts been saying for how long now? It’s the regressive and traditionally capitalist conservatives that turn white and start stuttering the moment anything just slightly socialist is mentioned

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Anonymous replying to -> #2 2w

In most cities and towns physical housing isn’t the concern so much as affording the already existing abandoned buildings everywhere. It isn’t a problem solving solution but a symptom relieving treatment to be combined with other treatments

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Anonymous replying to -> #2 2w

Huh then why does every single estimate say between 25-50% of all Americans are literally living paycheck to paycheck? Doesn’t seem like much disposable income available there

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Anonymous replying to -> #6 2w

Physical housing IS our main concern. The only reason those useless empty lots can get so expensive is because there is too much demand for housing and too little supply, which is artificially restricted by zoning laws, landlords, and NIMBY associations. That's why you have people commuting two hours to the city everyday from some shitty suburb.

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Anonymous replying to -> #5 2w

Not with where I’ve moved and lived at least, there’s always been an abundance of abandoned and rotting houses that should have been upkept and livable had property prices been more affordable. Instead we have 15 people living in tiny rooms splitting the rent because that’s the only available living space that isn’t $300k because of Blackrock. I’m sure it can be different throughout the country but at least my experience

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Anonymous replying to -> #6 2w

Obviously I don’t disagree that everyone should be able to have a living wage, but I honestly think raising the minimum wage would end up giving big corporations who can afford the higher wage much more power, or just increase inflation. In my opinion, the largest issue is that we can’t redistribute the wealth of the 1% who just hoard 30% of the economy.

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Anonymous replying to -> #6 2w
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Anonymous replying to -> #2 2w

That seems easy to claim, got any studies or info on it other than a claim by a rich elite?

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Anonymous replying to -> #6 2w

Academics are rich elites now? This is from the study you just cited. It explicitly states that 20% of households making $150K+ are living paycheck to paycheck by their definition and this can likely be attributed to factors such as buying larger, more expensive homes.

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Anonymous replying to -> #2 2w

I fail to see how this is proving your claim that households are lying about their economic state

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Anonymous replying to -> #6 2w

No one has said they are lying. I’m just pointing out that “paycheck to paycheck” is a misleading stat because it includes financially irresponsible people who make more than adequate incomes.

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