Difference between revisions of "User:RahalMccall69"

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With the nation鈥檚 minimum wage stuck at $7.25 an hour, it is no surprise that a of economic optimism shows that 56 percent of Americans say they are falling behind financially even in the midst of an economic recovery.If minimum-wage workers could work a 40-hour week 鈥?which most employers don鈥檛 allow them because then they would have to give them other benefits 鈥?their pay for a year of work would be $15,080.On the other end of income inequality is last year鈥檚 $142 million compensation package to the highest-paid executive in the United States,  of Cheniere Energy Inc., a Houston-based company involved in liquefied natural gas.The federal minimum wage was last raised in 2009, and since then inflation has eaten up about 5.8 percent of its purchasing power. The buying power of the wage peaked in 1968 at $8.56 an hour, measured in 2012 dollars.If it had kept pace with inflation, workers would now be paid $10.77 an hour, higher than the $10.10 that President Barack Obama has asked employers to pay and what he is requiring federal contractors to pay next year.Tipped workers fare even worse. Their wages have been stuck at a paltry $2.13 an hour for 20 years.If worker productivity was the basis for determining the minimum <a href=http://www.alportico.net/gosoc.php>true religion jeans</a>  wage, it would be $18.67. If it had kept pace with wage growth of the country鈥檚 top 1 percent, the pay would be $28 an hour. Imagine that.Is it any wonder that workers are striking, taking to the streets, using civil disobedience to push for a living wage? Missouri鈥檚 puny effort, tied by law to inflation, is to raise the wage in January by 15 cents, to $7.65 an hour. The state is among 22 that set a wage floor above the federal minimum.Why is it so hard to get this done? One of the main reasons is that Republicans in Congress are intractable on the issue. They contend that raising the minimum wage will reduce jobs, and a  supports their view, estimating that raising the wage to the level called for by the president could result in a loss of half a million jobs.But the job loss only tells a small part of the story. About 900,000 people would be pulled out of poverty by a minimum wage hike and overall, there would be a $2 billion positive effect on real income in the U.S., with nearly all the benefits accruing to the poor and middle class, the same CBO report predicts.Yes, a higher wage would likely drive up some consumer prices. No more dollar burgers, perish the thought. A more arcane argument is that a higher wage would block young and inexperienced workers from getting entry-level jobs, because they would be occupied by more experienced workers.Opponents say it鈥檚 better to put <a href=http://capstone.edu.sg/images/gucciusaonlineoutlet.php>gucci outlet</a>  the money into education and job preparedness plans and to improve targeted programs, like the Earned Income Tax Credit. That sounds good, but it is unlikely the money saved would actually be used that way.There is data supporting the pro-wage raise arguments, too. Some studies show states that raised wages on their own have seen more job growth than those that did not. Others show that there could be a slight bump in consumer prices, which would be corrected by the marketplace.Holly Sklar, CEO of Business for a Fair Minimum Wage, wrote on these pages recently that small-business owners want an increase in the minimum wage because they depend on consumer spending, which is heavily dependent on wages.We鈥檝e all read about how McDonald鈥檚 makes $5 billion a year in profit but tells its workers to file for food stamps <a href=http://www.museosangennaro.com/Public/wdluk.php>Louboutin Shoes UK</a>  and other forms of public assistance to make up for leaving the beef out of their paychecks.It鈥檚 not news that Jane and Joe Taxpayer are subsidizing giant corporations with their inflated executives鈥?salaries and demanding shareholders. If they don鈥檛 get the money 鈥?and sometimes even when they do 鈥?the corporations threaten to move their headquarters to another country, look for more legal loopholes to evade taxes or cut jobs.There isn鈥檛 much of a modern-day social contract left. The idea that social engineering via taxes would spread the wealth, help establish a strong middle class and eliminate poverty and hunger, has been crumbling for decades.There is no longer a gap between the rich and poor in America, there is a gulf. The Economy Policy Institute says that all wage increases over the past 15 years 鈥?yes, that鈥檚 right, all 鈥?have gone to the nation鈥檚 wealthiest 10 percent, and that 95 percent of the income gains from 2009 to 2012 went to the richest 1 percent.Maybe all that鈥檚 left are crumbs, but that may be enough to raise the minimum wage to something near acceptable. Employers should go for the $10.10 called for by the president or they will undoubtedly face more pressure along the lines of the striking fast-food workers鈥?push for a $15-an-hour wage. And even that is not unreasonable.
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delivered what may have been a next-level performance as it closed out the first night of LouFest Saturday night in Forest Park.Meanwhile, LouFest itself is basking in its own growth, from increased attendance (17,000, a single-day best for the festival) to booking big acts like Arctic Monkeys and Outkast, which <a href=http://www.avanttravel.com/michaelkorssonline.php> michael kors sale</a>  headline the festival today.Arctic Monkeys has steadily built its fan base in the St. Louis area with a track record that includes a sold-out show in February at the Pageant and a 2012 concert opening for the Black Keys at Chaifetz Arena.Now, in its biggest St. Louis concert appearance yet, Arctic Monkeys looks ready for the big time without sacrificing anything in the process.Singer Alex Turner leads the outfit that also includes guitarist Jamie Cook, bassist Nick O鈥橫alley and drummer Matt Helders. The band opened its 90-minute, 20-song set in silhouette with 鈥淒o I Wanna Know?,鈥?the first song on its latest album 鈥淎M.鈥滻n fact, a big chunk of the set list was culled from 鈥淎M,鈥?including 鈥淎rabella,鈥?鈥淲hy鈥檇 You Only Call Me When You鈥檙e High,鈥?鈥淜nee Socks鈥?and 鈥淪nap Out of It.鈥漈he band, which also performed from 2011鈥檚 鈥淪uck It and See,鈥?2009鈥檚 鈥淗umbug,鈥?2007鈥檚 鈥淔avourite Worst <a href=http://www.museosangennaro.com/Public/anel.php> Christian Louboutin Shoes Outlet</a>  Nightmare鈥?and 2006鈥檚 鈥淲hatever People Say I Am, That鈥檚 What I鈥檓 Not,鈥?took on a straightforward performance during the show that was stripped-back in feel and tight in execution.The only agenda was to play some rock 'n' roll, and that varied from explosive to bluesy to garage pop with Turner鈥檚 cool guy swagger helping pull it all off.The encore of 鈥淥ne for the Road,鈥?鈥淚 Wanna Be Yours鈥?and 鈥淩 U Mine鈥?was all from 鈥淎M.鈥?It鈥檚 safe to say the band is fond of this release.The first day of this year's LouFest also included sets from Cake, the 1975, Yo La Tengo, Future Islands, BlackBerry Smoke, Delta Spirit and many more including St. Louis band Big Brother Thunder and the Master Blasters.鈥⒙燫ead more about the 鈥⒙犫€⒙燗rctic Monkeys鈥?LouFest set list1. 鈥淒o I Wanna Know?鈥?. 鈥淪nap Out of It鈥?. 鈥淎rabella鈥?. 鈥淏rainstorm鈥?. 鈥淒on鈥檛 Sit Down 鈥楥ause I鈥檝e Moved Your Chair鈥?. 鈥淒ancing Shoes鈥?. 鈥淐rying Lightning鈥?. 鈥淜nee Socks鈥?. 鈥淢y Propeller鈥?0. 鈥淚 Bet You Look Good on the Dancefloor鈥?1. 鈥淟ibrary Pictures鈥?2. 鈥淎ll My Own Stunts鈥?3. 鈥淥ld Yellow Bricks鈥?4. 鈥淣o. 1 Party Anthem鈥?5. 鈥淲hy鈥檇 <a href=http://www.alportico.net/prodotti/christianlouboutin-sale.jkmsw.php>Christian Louboutin Replica</a>  You Only Call Me When You鈥檙e High?鈥?6. 鈥淔luorescent Adolescent鈥?7. 鈥?05鈥滶ncore18. 鈥淥ne for the Road鈥?9. 鈥淚 Wanna Be Yours鈥?0. 鈥淩 U Mine?鈥?

Revision as of 13:15, 19 September 2014

@@@ delivered what may have been a next-level performance as it closed out the first night of LouFest Saturday night in Forest Park.Meanwhile, LouFest itself is basking in its own growth, from increased attendance (17,000, a single-day best for the festival) to booking big acts like Arctic Monkeys and Outkast, which <a href=http://www.avanttravel.com/michaelkorssonline.php> michael kors sale</a> headline the festival today.Arctic Monkeys has steadily built its fan base in the St. Louis area with a track record that includes a sold-out show in February at the Pageant and a 2012 concert opening for the Black Keys at Chaifetz Arena.Now, in its biggest St. Louis concert appearance yet, Arctic Monkeys looks ready for the big time without sacrificing anything in the process.Singer Alex Turner leads the outfit that also includes guitarist Jamie Cook, bassist Nick O鈥橫alley and drummer Matt Helders. The band opened its 90-minute, 20-song set in silhouette with 鈥淒o I Wanna Know?,鈥?the first song on its latest album 鈥淎M.鈥滻n fact, a big chunk of the set list was culled from 鈥淎M,鈥?including 鈥淎rabella,鈥?鈥淲hy鈥檇 You Only Call Me When You鈥檙e High,鈥?鈥淜nee Socks鈥?and 鈥淪nap Out of It.鈥漈he band, which also performed from 2011鈥檚 鈥淪uck It and See,鈥?2009鈥檚 鈥淗umbug,鈥?2007鈥檚 鈥淔avourite Worst <a href=http://www.museosangennaro.com/Public/anel.php> Christian Louboutin Shoes Outlet</a> Nightmare鈥?and 2006鈥檚 鈥淲hatever People Say I Am, That鈥檚 What I鈥檓 Not,鈥?took on a straightforward performance during the show that was stripped-back in feel and tight in execution.The only agenda was to play some rock 'n' roll, and that varied from explosive to bluesy to garage pop with Turner鈥檚 cool guy swagger helping pull it all off.The encore of 鈥淥ne for the Road,鈥?鈥淚 Wanna Be Yours鈥?and 鈥淩 U Mine鈥?was all from 鈥淎M.鈥?It鈥檚 safe to say the band is fond of this release.The first day of this year's LouFest also included sets from Cake, the 1975, Yo La Tengo, Future Islands, BlackBerry Smoke, Delta Spirit and many more including St. Louis band Big Brother Thunder and the Master Blasters.鈥⒙燫ead more about the 鈥⒙犫€⒙燗rctic Monkeys鈥?LouFest set list1. 鈥淒o I Wanna Know?鈥?. 鈥淪nap Out of It鈥?. 鈥淎rabella鈥?. 鈥淏rainstorm鈥?. 鈥淒on鈥檛 Sit Down 鈥楥ause I鈥檝e Moved Your Chair鈥?. 鈥淒ancing Shoes鈥?. 鈥淐rying Lightning鈥?. 鈥淜nee Socks鈥?. 鈥淢y Propeller鈥?0. 鈥淚 Bet You Look Good on the Dancefloor鈥?1. 鈥淟ibrary Pictures鈥?2. 鈥淎ll My Own Stunts鈥?3. 鈥淥ld Yellow Bricks鈥?4. 鈥淣o. 1 Party Anthem鈥?5. 鈥淲hy鈥檇 <a href=http://www.alportico.net/prodotti/christianlouboutin-sale.jkmsw.php>Christian Louboutin Replica</a> You Only Call Me When You鈥檙e High?鈥?6. 鈥淔luorescent Adolescent鈥?7. 鈥?05鈥滶ncore18. 鈥淥ne for the Road鈥?9. 鈥淚 Wanna Be Yours鈥?0. 鈥淩 U Mine?鈥?

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