Comments on: One Dollar An Hour.

By: Paul Moore

Paul Moore — Sat, 08 Aug 2009 00:47:59 +0000

Back in the early eighties, when Michigan was still reeling from the Carter malaise, I took a job harvesting Xmas trees for less than minimum wage. As farm labor,(One of my co-workers called it “convict labor” but I pointed out that cruel and unusual punishment was unconstitutional.) it was also exempt from laws requiring FICA and unemployment. The low wage was somewhat offset by the lack of deductions, and my family got to eat regularly.

By: Bill

Bill — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 17:54:59 +0000

you do have freedom to farm yourself out to your neighbor for whatever price you can barter to do hundreds of jobs: cleaning, yardwork, babysitting, dusting, car repair, bingo chaperone, pet feeder, etc etc etc etc etc etc.

why do teenagers think a real job has to have a check stub with fica taken out? there’s plenty of work to do. from what i’ve seen, very few teens actually want to do any manual labor, though. sell clothes at the trendy, hip and cool clothing store? sure.

By: Jerry

Jerry — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 16:51:25 +0000

“if you went door-to-door in your neighborhood and said you’d do odd jobs for a $1 an hour you’d have so much work you’d be exhausted.”

That’s not the point, obviously. We’re talking here about getting a foot inside a work place. Obviously, that’s got a value besides the buck you’re getting.

Did you pretend that you did not get the point, or did you just not read the article?

By: maidintheus

maidintheus — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 13:03:04 +0000

Great article! The hypothetical buck an hour is just saying, we have a negotiating power that’s been stolen from us. Of course we usually wouldn’t be working for a dollar an hour! Look back to the Chrysler/Lee Iacocca contract negotiations. He went to the people (side stepped the problematic unions who were negotiating them into bankruptcy)and they agreed to work for less and save their jobs by saving the company they work for.

The ‘taxman’ doesn’t like this kind of talk though, or anything else that has to do with freedom. Neither do today’s unions. They want our freedoms: Can anyone say SLAVE?

If we ran our homes with such lack of negotiating and freedom we would be in poor shape. Try having someone come in and tell me the amount of allowance to provide my children. They’d be real happy for a while. As the allowance escalates, I would run into serious problems keeping their lights on. If perchance there was a bump in the road or an unexpected emergency, the kids would be out in the street, and I’d be filing bankruptcy.

See, it’s not rocket science. It’s just freedom, this one being the freedom to adjust for facts/circumstances on the ground, and negotiate my time (ya know, the moments of my life/my experience/my talent)in exchange for money, goods, services…(I should be free to choose, it’s MY life remember). ‘They’ want to call this income. Bull, it’s a fair trade, an exchange of something deemed of value between the parties involved. Taxman don’t like that kinda talk though!!!

By: Anna

Anna — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 10:56:57 +0000

It’s not really the money I’m so concerned about either. I know my nature and if I don’t keep busy I can become rather lazy. I want something to get me up and keep me going.
And it would give me an opportunity to get out and get used to being around strangers. (I am a rather shy person)
But more importantly it would be an opportunity to serve as a witness to others. I am a Christian and believe I am to “let [my] light so shine before men that they may see your good works and GLORIFY YOUR FATHER WHICH IS IN HEAVEN.”

By: Anna

Anna — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 10:50:14 +0000

“if the job was within biking distance from my house”
You wouldn’t happen to live in Dansville would you??

Earning a dollar an hour would be a whole lot more than I’m earning now(which is nothing). And I really want to start earning something.
You see, I really want to go into nursing; but NOT into debt. My plan is to get a job… doesn’t really matter what kind… and save up for CNA classes. After the classes I want to find a job as a CNA and save up for college. (now I realize it would take a whole lot longer at a $1 and hour, but it would be a start)
None of this, however, is going to work if I can’t find a way to start. And having had no “real” job my resume is a pretty sad little thing.

By: Bill

Bill — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 23:24:20 +0000

Seriously, if you went door-to-door in your neighborhood and said you’d do odd jobs for a $1 an hour (carry garbage to the curb, cut grass, pick up sticks, wash windows, babysit, etc etc etc etc etc etc etc) you’d have so much work you’d be exhausted. Time to put match your actions with your words.

The debate about the minimum wage is one thing, but I find this “I’d gladly work for $1 an hour if I could just find a job” to be a little, ahem, “curious” (let’s use that word ).

By: Bill

Bill — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 22:55:28 +0000

You would really work for a $1 an hour? Man, I’ve got some work for you–starting with cleaning out my rain gutters.

Dead serious.

By: Anna

Anna — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 12:50:50 +0000

I know how your niece feels. I’m 18 and recently finished high school. I don’t think I’ve filled out 30 applications yet.. but I have filled out a lot. I wouldn’t mind a dollar an hour if the job was within biking distance from my house. I just want a job!! Earning SOMETHING would be more than NOTHING. But if the minimum wage is raised to $10 an hour not only will fewer people be willing to hire me, but also more people will be laid off (increasing my competition)!
Last year I had my first (and only) interview at a coffee shop. The lady interviewing me told me that she had already interviewed 75 other people for the job.. and had more to interview the next day!!
And that was before this Obamanation!!