How on earth were you able to afford an education while on minimum wage? Where did you find the time? It’s simply unrealistic for most, especially those trying to raise and support a family.
LOVE!
People come at these social issues with a false dichotomy and an assumption that “the man” is somehow holding them down. The fact that x number of workers will be out of a job doesn’t seem to register when discussing the issue, even if y number of workers get a bump.
My first job was at McDonald’s. I made minimum wage to drop fish and nuggets in a basket and pull them out when the timer was up. If the guy with Down’s Syndrome was supposed to work that day, I cleaned the bathrooms and eating area instead. McDonald’s operated with a razor thin margin most of the time for the work that was done (people who criticize business need to look at actual cost sheets for products sometime), which was why prices were relatively low. Raising that wage would mean that the cost of a hamburger would go up, because the company had to make money to stay in business, that simple.
Later, I worked in a shop with skilled and semi-skilled labor. While I unsuccessfully tried to get it unionized, due to some legitimately unfair labor practices, the wage there was pretty decent. Even relatively unskilled workers could turn $12 an hour, if it was halfway busy. The big problem was trying to get people to show up on time for work (or show up at all), or actually do the job when they were there. The opportunity to move up was open to anyone with a willingness to learn, but most people wanted to just sit out the back door and smoke when nothing was going on. I started out as one of the unskilled people, but took advantage of any training the company offered, as well as learning from the skilled people there. (mind you, we were always desperate to find good help)
I realize that you’ll probably come back with “Well, that’s fine for you, but what about everyone else?” I’ll just point out that people are not only the sum of their circumstance, but also of their choices in life. If everyone was making a mad dash to learn a new skill, and people sat around with trade manuals in their hands, or studied accounting in their spare time, I’d grant you a point. Just having lived in the “real” world all my life, I don’t see it.
Rob