US Politics

Is that to $15/hour? I suspect that since the demand has been around for so long, that policy's already behind the times. Better than nothing, but the key is always to catch up with the times.

The big difference here is Biden is proposing to raise the minimum Federal Wage to $15 per hour.

Is that to $15/hour? I suspect that since the demand has been around for so long, that policy's already behind the times. Better than nothing, but the key is always to catch up with the times.

You might be saddened to hear that the current Federal minimum wage is about $7ph!

The US doesn't need a new party to the right of the Republicans, it needs a new party to the left of the Democracts...

this is bang on...

$7.25 per hour.

For context, my first summer job in 1988 was at a supermarket for $5 per hour when the minimum wage was $3.35. The CPI has roughly doubled between 1988 and 2020 so the increase is roughly commensurate.

The average earnings for all employees in the US was around $11.40 per hour in 2020

Still too low.

That is grim.

Yes, what I was implying is that I suspect it's already too low. Basically, you often get policy proposed (usually by bleeding-heart do-gooders) that's really progressive for its time. People then campaign for it with some determination without updating the demands. As time slips away, the proposal becomes more and more dated, and when it's finally adopted, e.g. by a conservative like Biden, it may already be obsolete and for true change, it should have been increased to $20 or $25/hour. I'm not saying it's a bad thing in itself (it's obviously going to help, if it actually gets paid, which experience of the minimum wage in the UK has shown it often does not, and I guess in the US, too, there would have been people well under $7.25), but you'd expect it to be in place for quite a long time now without further increases, and to only be increased when it's (again) too late. I hope I'm wrong, but sadly, that's usually how these things go.

Sanders campaigned last for £15 min wage I believe.

this is bang on...

That vote-split would sure be great for Republicans.

£15

O RLY? :)

Well, yes, because it's an established campaigning goal, and because he probably knew it would throw a spanner in the works to increase the amount so close to the election. I still wonder if it's really up-to-date enough as a policy.

Bloody hell. And to think people people get very few days off (at least that's what I heard).

The US doesn't need a new party to the right of the Republicans, it needs a new party to the left of the Democracts...

Agree.

The last thing the US needs is the progressive vote being split.

10 days plus public holidays for a new starter according to Wiki.

One thing to remember is that the cost of housing in the US is a fraction of what it is here. That is a broad generalisation (rural vs urban) but land is not in short supply in the US, so costs are lower.

I'd be interested to understand how the need for personal transport factors into that for spending power. (Car ownership mandatory due to no limited public transport).

But they are already radical socialist commie liberals?

This is worth a read on what was going on in Trump's White House;

https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2021/01/olivia-nuzzi-interview-donald-trump-regrets.html

Giuliani has always been an unprincipled cunt. He instigated a riot of NYPD officers as part of his race-baiting campaign for office back in 92. https://www.cato.org/publications/commentary/rudys-racist-rants-nypd-history-lesson

Per Psaki, the agenda for the Biden-Putin call (which sounds like a real doozy)
*Navalny poisoning
*US support for Ukraine
*New START treaty
*The Solar Winds hack
*Russian bounties on US soldiers
*Interference in the 2020 election
*Treatment of peaceful protesters

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/live/2021/jan/26/joe-biden-donald-trump-impeachment-kamala-harris-nancy-pelosi-covid-coronavirus-live-updates?page=with:block-601062288f086b454d1ec862#block-601062288f086b454d1ec862

These people are fucking certifiable

That vote-split would sure be great for Republicans.

Not lost on me. I most meant ideologically I wish we were farther left..

But you've also got to factor in insurance.

While I'm not up on the tax rates in different states, when I was there I was quite surprised by how high tax was for lower and middle income brackets.

Very anecdotal by overall my takeaway vs the UK was; 1. Wages are generally higher, 2. Tax for the majority of people is the same, 3. Cost of housing is cheaper and bigger, 4. Cost of groceries (assuming not pure junk and meat) is much higher. 5. Other than clothes, cost of goods is higher (obviously some exceptions with US products/Apple/etc.)

If you're a an upper-middle or higher earner I think you probably end up with a better deal because you both get paid more gross and pay less tax. For everyone else, I'm not so sure.

If course the USA is huge there's as much variation as you'd get in Europe.

Have we had this yet?

https://www.spytalk.co/p/how-the-kgb-hooked-trump

" I prosecuted for 30 years & I’m not sure I EVER had as much evidence of guilt as has been amassed against Trump for dozens of crimes. Will somebody please step up & prosecute this mope already? How long do we let this criminal run wild? "

from twitter

They’re not. They don’t believe it any more than we do, they’re just playing to those who are, and trying to pressure any flaky anti-insurrectionist Senators.