Not just the Minimum Wage: Red States Rapid Decline a Harbringer for Liberals if we fail to act

[evanrick]

An overwhelming majority of states with the highest wages are all blue states ran by Democrats and those wages are growing faster than in the weakest states, run by Republicans.

Minimum wages increased in roughly 20 states starting in 2015, building on previous gains. Some increases are indexed and automatic, others are set by law for one time increases.



A trend has emerged that conservatives, the GOP, and tea-partiers loath to admit, their policies have failed millions- and are having disastrous repercussions on the economy as a whole.



Suicide, divorce, drug use and other major crimes have been highest across red America as republicans in those states struggle with their conservative fascist oriented governance -disenfranchising as many as possible.

Its time for blue states to come up with plans to prevent the takeover of blue states by red America, where the GOP has already far too much federal representation than their populations warrant.

If they dont, the crony economic policies, right to work, and voting rights restrictions will come crashing down into every liberal backyard.


http://qz.com/320665/five-charts-about-us-minimum-wage-increases-in-2015/

 

[nycguydowntown]

yeah, so true---these hillbilly states will have no problem coming to us blue states to bail them out eventually.

 

[sixthson]

OP, aren't you from a blue state? Aren't you the one who complains about your poor salary and your inability to find an apartment you can afford? Why isn't it working for you?

 

[palemale]

We need to recognize that we live in a sick system. Blue state economies and red state economies have a bit of a symbiotic/parasitic relationship. The red state governments keep wages low, discourage unions, shred the social safety net, in a race to the bottom to attract low wage employers. These employers are essentially subsidized by blue state tax money in the form of the earned income credit. If the federal government raised the minimum wage to a living wage, the tax payers would probably save billions because most working people who receive wages in place of the earned income credit.

Then you get dopes like Texas Governor Rick Perry, who brags about trying to steal jobs from other states. He's too much of a moron to realize that, if too many employers left the blue states, there would be no subsidy for the red states in the form of blue state tax dollars flowing to red states.

 

[Benvolio]

Actually, the word is harbinger, and that is the only thing in the thread worth the bother of a response.

 

[johaninsc]

Actually, the word is harbinger, and that is the only thing in the thread worth the bother of a response.

I'm surprised that you would twink a small spelling error is the only thing worth commenting on in this thread, Ben.

 

[evanrick]

Fortunately or unfortunately those in red states are now suffering from their elected officials bluster of refusing help, tipping the scales away from those leeches. Its funny how republicans and their voters refuse help from Obama on election day but take take take the other 364 days of the year. That is why I do not feel sorry for red states or most republicans.

Employers already have trouble finding any workers that can do any basic tasks, forcing people to go into debt to fund their own educations that wont benefit them, just the government and their new bosses, the banks.

Palbert is absolutely right, its a new serfdom, the sad thing is.... people are choosing to be slaves.

Hundreds of years ago people chose to fight hopeless causes over being a slave, thinking those were the only choices they had.

The federal bureaucracy knows this - and systematically uses that information to further the status quo.

Just want liberals to know we will never solve these problems by beating wall street "at its own game". You must exercise your rights each and every time no matter how hard it feels.

 

[hotatlboi]

Just want liberals to know we will never solve these problems by beating wall street "at its own game".

Not sure what you mean by this, but a couple things.

1. For starters, this statement is 100% correct. There is very little chance for the average worker or investor to ever "beat" Wall Street.

2. However, the flaw in this line of thinking is that one must "beat" Wall Street to improve your fiscal situation. That simply is not true. Anyone can save and invest a portion of their income in low cost index funds and benefit substantially through compound interest over the long term.

If you want to improve your lot in life, you have to stop looking at external factors that you'd already concluded will always keep you down, and start looking internally. You have 100% control over that, and the choices you personally make with your life will affect your future far more than whatever macroeconomic climate we are in.

 

[Kulindahr]

We need to recognize that we live in a sick system. Blue state economies and red state economies have a bit of a symbiotic/parasitic relationship. The red state governments keep wages low, discourage unions, shred the social safety net, in a race to the bottom to attract low wage employers. These employers are essentially subsidized by blue state tax money in the form of the earned income credit. If the federal government raised the minimum wage to a living wage, the tax payers would probably save billions because most working people who receive wages in place of the earned income credit.

Then you get dopes like Texas Governor Rick Perry, who brags about trying to steal jobs from other states. He's too much of a moron to realize that, if too many employers left the blue states, there would be no subsidy for the red states in the form of blue state tax dollars flowing to red states.

Just bill employers for the amount of government assistance their workers need. That would be called "keeping the economics honest".

 

[Kulindahr]

I'm surprised that you would twink a small spelling error is the only thing worth commenting on in this thread, Ben.

Priceless.

 

[Kulindahr]

Just want liberals to know we will never solve these problems by beating wall street "at its own game". You must exercise your rights each and every time no matter how hard it feels.

Be sure to exercise all of them, including bearing arms.

 

[Kulindahr]

If you want to improve your lot in life, you have to stop looking at external factors that you'd already concluded will always keep you down, and start looking internally. You have 100% control over that, and the choices you personally make with your life will affect your future far more than whatever macroeconomic climate we are in.

Tell that to all the people who lost their homes because the banks willingly and knowingly shafted the entire economy.

 

[Benvolio]

Tell that to all the people who lost their homes because the banks willingly and knowingly shafted the entire economy.

They did not such thing. They were required by law to make loans to poor and minority people, so they made variable rate mortgages. The Fed raised interest rates, the rates on the mortgages went up, people could not pay, the FDIC panicked and closed down the banking system.

 

[hotatlboi]

Tell that to all the people who lost their homes because the banks willingly and knowingly shafted the entire economy.

Still applies. I didn't say external factors wouldn't affect you. Of course they will. Sometimes they will have a major impact. But those effects still pale in comparison to the effects of the personal choices we make. Every day you make decisions that can either improve your situation or cause you to regress.

Everyone will face good economic times and bad ones in their lives. It's how you respond to them that will determine your outcome. If you embrace the philosophy that external factors are always in control of your life and you can do nothing to make progress then you will never get anywhere.

 

[Benvolio]

Just bill employers for the amount of government assistance their workers need. That would be called "keeping the economics honest".

Another great reason to outsource labor or replace it with technology.

 

[opinterph]

[The banks] were required by law to make loans to poor and minority people

How has that law changed since the Great Recession?

… the FDIC panicked and closed down the banking system.

What do you mean by “closed down?”

 

[opinterph]

An overwhelming majority of states with the highest wages are all blue states ran by Democrats and those wages are growing faster than in the weakest states, run by Republicans.

Does the cost of living vary between red and blue states?

 

[Benvolio]

U

How has that law changed since the Great Recession?




What do you mean by “closed down?”

The requirement of loans to poor and minorities was continued into the new act.
As interest rates were rising, people started failng to keep loans current, and fewer such loans were being made. Home values decreased. The FDIC required banks to "mark to market", I.e. reduce the the market value of the loans on the banks balance sheets. This reduced the net worth or capital of the banks. Banks became less willing to make loans, expanding the recession and reducing home values. Fearful of paying on its deposit insurance, the FDIC demanded that many banks try to increase their capital. Hundreds of banks were taken over by the FDIC and merged into others. In that atmosphere, banks were very reluctant to make any loans.
Of course, many of the marginal notes had been packaged by large banks and brokerages, and sold to investors, allegedly without sufficient disclosure of risks. Those failures received much of the publicity, but many of the hundreds of bank " failures" had nothing to do
with the packaging.

 

[opinterph]

The requirement of loans to poor and minorities was continued into the new act.

Please offer a “legal” definition for the terms, “poor” and “minorities.”

 

[Benvolio]

Please offer a “legal” definition for the terms, “poor” and “minorities.”

It's not that simple. I suggest you read the Wikipedia discussion of The Community Reinvestment Act.the act relates to neighborhoods, but the effect is to mandate loans to poor and minority persons. The Dodd Frank deals more with discrimination with like effect.