I don't ever post in this section anymore but this thread has compelled me to do so.
:WARNING:
Long story ahead.
First, what some are apparently missing is the fact of inflation. Price and quality of goods go up every single year (mostly) while most labor stays the same. The people who have been working at places like walmart who wanted to make a living wage do. They had the initiative and will to succeed and they moved up and started making a living wage while the lazy individuals stay where they are at complaining and living beyond their means.
I've seen it to many times where someone who has a problem, no matter what it may be, spending their paycheck before they even get it. What I mean is that they go to cash advance places and get an advance at a very high % rate. Their paycheck is spent before they get it.
At that time when I worked around people like that I was myself making $7.50 an hour and I lived in a 1 bedroom apartment with no cable and free dial up internet from Aol. I also had a car payment and insurance to pay for as well as food and utilities. I never applied for government assistance and I would always work overtime and do odd jobs for extra money. This went on for a very long time as I had dropped out of high school at 17, obtained my GED as part of the requirement and went to work. It wasn't until I reached 30 and needed a change and realized I was never going to make my goals if I didn't go back to school.
Fast forward to today and now I have graduated college with a degree in information technology, but with the knowledge that I had already learned over the years and the ability to properly interview I found myself landing a position making almost 60k before even graduating and now that I have I'm due to make even more. I have also payed back the majority of my student loans and have been saving for a house that we will have in 9 months.
The problem isn't corporations or fat cat CEO's, its people being lazy. The fact of the matter is everyone has the ability to make a living wage if they try and the people that don't do not deserve it. I don't care about excuses, there are 24 hours in a day and a lot of time being wasted on doing something other than being productive or bettering yourself. (If you are on RIU and complaining about not making a living wage, then you are not doing enough to better yourself)
The next step in my plan is to open an IT consulting type business. (still working on the exact business plan) But when that time comes and I have employees, I will have competent employees and if you do not meet my expectations your ass will be terminated on the spot and replaced with someone who wants to work. My business will pay people what they are worth and there will be advancement opportunities and yes, my employees will make me a shit ton of money and I will use said money to pay for my 2nd house with some farm/hunting land that I will take care of in my spare time.
If anyone has a problem with that, fuck you, I don't care. I came from nothing and have worked my ass off to get to where I'm at.
So there you have it folks, its not about rich white people being greedy or republicans or conservatives. Its about setting out to be something and making something of yourself. Something you can be proud of, something you can pass on to your children so maybe, just maybe they don't have as hard as a struggle as you.
Hard work and initiative pays off in the end if you are willing to work for it.
On an unrelated note: While me and my wife were out fishing today we came across two ducks and I had picked up an acorn and tossed it toward the ducks. Well, the ducks thought that I was attempting to feed them and started waddling over to my truck. I didn't really have anything to feed them but some sixlets, so I thought it would be funny to feed them candy. I started tossing the candy towards them and they gobbled down the chocolate. As we began to walk to an open area to go fish I turned to my wife and said " them ducks must be democrat." Not being political and having a look of confusion, I said, it doesn't matter that the ducks don't or probably shouldn't eat chocolate, they did for the simple fact that it was free and they didn't have to work for it.
(then again, maybe that was related)
