At the same time we pay tax dollars as Farm Subsidies to people with annual incomes of over $2 Million Dollars. How can you justify that?
I don't. But then, you seem to ignore that fact.
And just what does that have to do with cost of living in places like Philadelphia, New York, Boston, and Chicago in 2007? When you have no rational answer you introduce irrelevant BS!
It's not irrelevant, Col. I've LIVED in places like Chicago! On low wages, no less. Apparently roommates, thrift stores, and public transportation don't exist in your little world!
See, you say you aren't arguing socialism, yet this proves that is EXACTLY what you are arguing. You want the federal government to set the wages so that workers make enough to satisfy what YOU deem an appropriate standard of living. That's socialism, no matter how you want to spin it!
So, mr. King or irrelevance, since you hold your responders to a higher standard than yourself, I'll play your little game.
NYC: I found a 2 bedroom sublet in Brighton Beach for $1000/mo. The very people who make minimum wage, the young and unskilled, could easily double up and pay $500/mo per person. This is easily doable even on minimum wage, when you're holding down two jobs. I found several studios in a variety of ranges in the $850-1000 range...not doable on minimum wage, grant you, but 1. I highly doubt anyone in NYC is MAKING $5.85/hr; 2. Well under the threshhold of affordability for a $30,000/yr job (which you list as impossible). According to a wage calculator at (
WWW Link), a single person with no dependents will take home $2,070.83 per month with a $30,000 salary. This means that rent eats up 45-50% of their salary, which, granted means they aren't buying Beef Wellington for dinner, but hardly leaves them destitute.
New York's minimum wage is $7.15/hour. I could look up job listings for New York, but it's fairly obvious that, while they won't be living a caviar lifestyle, one on minimum wage COULD eke out a living in NYC.
Boston: Again, several studios for $875-1200. A little higher, but easily doable within the $30,000 window. I found 2 bedrooms starting at $1200 ($600 apiece for two roommates). Massachusetts's minimum is $7.50/hour, but hold on to your hats, boys and girls! Postpone that move to January and you get a 50 cent raise!
Philadelphia: The following excerpt is from rent.com:
All the good living and job opportunities to be found in Philadelphia come at a price, though; the overall cost of living in Philadelphia is 27% above the national average, and apartments for rent are no exception. In fact, Philadelphia has the most expensive apartments in Pennsylvania, with median rents at $650 per month. In "Center City," located in Philadelphia's downtown, one-bedroom apartments go for $650-$850 per month, while two-bedroom apartment rentals go for $1,000 and up. Rents tend to be slightly less expensive for apartments in other, less popular areas of the cityso, again, two bedrooms can be found for about a grand. I'm seeing a trend here.
Minimum wage in PA is $6.25/hr
Chicago: I found apartments in Wrigleyville starting at $675 for studios. Same pattern, same story as all of the above.
Minimum wage in Illinois: $7.50/hr
One of us ISN'T talking out of our arse here. Can YOU guess which one?
