Kevyn

I have friends in Finland and Sweden in both cases they have nice homes and automobiles my friend in Finland has a yacht. Home ownership is high in both nations you are simply full of crap.

Jakebrake Loc: Broomfield, CO

Wowzer kevy, talk about someone full of s**t, you take the cake lil feller. Apparently your friends are 1%ers!


https://www.mansionglobal.com/articles/could-increased-home-ownership-in-sweden-backfire-17109

Gatsby

MrMister said nothing about 30 years ago, that makes you the liar, or a fool, your choice.

The price of a new car in 1965 is totally irrelevant, as are you.

Richard Rowland

I didn't originate the information, I merely reposted it. I have no idea what the originator was using for figures. However, Googling the salary for 85&86 the figure shown is 75,000.

Taking it up to the present from the 75,000 to 174,000 the difference is 2.32 times. Simple math tells us that when a figure doubles, depending on addition or subtraction, it can be 50% or 100%. By removing the decimal, the increase can be calculated at 232 %.

However, the assertion being, working folks have been left behind over the last several decades is in fact true, and not subject to speculation.

The old saying that figures don't lie, but liers figure could perhaps apply to Kevy and his calculations.

Kevyn

I know one thing for sure, you aren’t a mathematician.

Richard Rowland

Never said I am, however, if ya don't care for my simple math, perhaps you'll educate us by contributing a more detailed mathematic formula.

AHO-C

Actually, Kevyn....that 'Motto' of term limits / Congressional pay having risen 231%/ with 'Nasty' Nancy 's picture was used during the 2016 e******n cycle...The Congressional pay ( both Houses) in 1986 was $75,100/yr and in 2016 it was $174,000/yr.....which by the magic of basic mathematics comes out to 2.31691078562 ( actually should have been 2.32 or 232% ..rounded ).....However, all of the % comparisons are meaningless so you need to actually look at are the following.....In 1970 Congressman made $42,500/yr vs. the Median Income of $7500+/- per yr..... in 2016 Congressman made $174,000/yr vs $59,039/ yr ....now it is important to remember that a Congressman averages about 150 Legislative Days/Yr and that their salary is not all of the income that they make in a year either, while the Median Income is all the money the Median family makes.....Also as you can see in terms of 'Real Dollars' the US Median Income has been basically flat over the years....so no matter how you look at Congressman, for a part time job they have been paid near the Top Quintile ( ie. top 20-25% income level ) and actually just with Congressional pay make more than 75-80 % of the people who elect them....so throw in 'Bennies and other perks' and it boils down to .....the V**ers should actually be approving their pay scales...not themselves !!
The whole situation of a self generated pay raise is the antithesis of Capitalism and wreaks of Royalty or in my case a hardworking C****e that is equal but better than you !!

US MEDIAN REAL INCOME ( up to Dec.2016)


US MEDIAN INCOME (up to Dec. 2016)

Kevyn

Something that increases by double increases by 100% since the increase in pay over 30 years was less than double the increase was less than 100% the original meme claiming over 200% would indicate more than a quadrupling, it never happened.

Blade_Runner Loc: DARK SIDE OF THE MOON

Capitalism is the engine of prosperity. It's not that hard to understand.

Congressional salaries are paid with taxes. Taxes are a compulsory contribution to state revenue, levied by the government on workers' income and business profits, or added to the cost of some goods, services, and t***sactions.

Congress is not a free market capitalist organization, it does not provide a product or service that benefits our nation without first collecting the compulsory contributions from those who earn salaries. On top of that, they regulate the living s**t out the production and services provided by the private sector capitalist and wage earners.

How did so many elected reps and senators gain wealth far above what they have earned over the years on their salaries? I suspect they invested in private sector free market capitalist enterprises.

BEYOND INSIDER TRADING: Here's How Members Of Congress Get Rich Off Earmarks

How Did Members of Congress Get So Wealthy?

PeterS

Prosperity for some but certainly not for all. A Capitalist will purchase the labor of others for the least amount you will sell it for. Since labor scarcity only pushes wages up naturally every 20 years or so it's to a Capitalists advantage to seek wages that are as low as possible. What they don't want are for wages to be forced up artificially via government intervention. This is because when the floor is forced up all wages have to follow. Say for example you are making $15 an hour and the minimum wage is pushed up $7.45 to $15 per hour. Well, you damn sure aren't a minimum wage employee are you even if you were perfectly happy making $15 per hour. So the question becomes how much will you work for and can your work be performed by someone making minimum wage? If not what about someone who makes $20 an hour or $22 an hour or $24 an hour...what is the lowest amount to make you happy or someone who is your equal happy? What they won't give you is $30 an hour even though based on minimum wage that is what you are worth.

Capitalists never want to pay you what you are worth--they always want to pay you the minimum you will take. What's ironic about this is that the raise you get is based on the increase in the minimum wage, not an increase in your productivity--though knowing you that is exactly what you are telling yourself--am I right?

PeterS

A Congressman or woman has to live in both their district and in Washington DC. A salary of $174,000 will allow them to live well in their district or in Washinton DC but it won't allow them to live equally in both--you can forget about well. This is why the majority of Congressmen and women are millionaires or billionaires because you have to be a millionaire or billionaire to maintain two households one in DC, which is one of the most expensive in the nation, and where ever else that second household happens to be.

Of course, if you don't mind Washington being populated by millionaires and billionaires, who v**e their own best interests, then, by all means, keep pointing your finger at Washington millionaires and billionaires and act like that is the problem--when that's exactly who you want to be your representative. Nasty Nancy and her ilk are the only ones who can afford to be your representative. Ironic don't you think???

Blade_Runner Loc: DARK SIDE OF THE MOON

No, you're wrong on all counts. Socialism certainly has its army of useful i***ts.

What are the four basic rights that people have under free-market capitalism? The four rights are: the right to own private property, the right to own a business and keep all that business's profits, the right to freedom of choice, and the right to freedom of competition.

Free markets lead to prosperity

The Power of Economic Freedom

Economic Freedom: Policies for Lasting Progress and Prosperity

To build a better world, we must have the courage to make a new start. We must clear away the obstacles with which human folly has recently encumbered our path and release the creative energy of individuals. We must create conditions favourable to progress rather than “planning progress.”… The guiding principle in any attempt to create a world of free men must be this: a policy of freedom for the individual is the only truly progressive policy.
—Friedrich A. Hayek

Milton Friedman on Why Free Market Capitalism is Best

Why Raising The Minimum Wage K**ls Jobs

$15 Minimum Wage Laws Are Wiping Out Jobs in New York and Illinois

Minimum wage hikes are causing businesses to cut jobs

In February, Wendy's CEO Bob Wright said the firm expects wages to rise at least 4% in 2017. Wendy's has three options to offset the rising costs.

First, they could cut margins, but with an 8% margin, that's unlikely. The second option is to raise prices. Given how price-sensitive consumers are these days, that too is a non-starter. Finally, the firm could reduce the amount of labor they use… and that's exactly what they did. Wendy's eliminated 31 hours of labor per location, per week.

However, their locations are just as busy. To keep output steady, they are planning to install automated kiosks in 16% of their locations by the end of 2017. David Trimm, Wendy's CIO said the timeframe for payback on the machines would be less than two years, thanks to labor savings.

Market leader McDonald's has also been automating. Last November, the firm said every one of its 14,000 US stores will be replacing cashiers with automated kiosks. McDonald's has actually prioritized these changes in locations like Seattle and New York that have higher minimum wages.

Federal Minimum Wage Hikes Could Crush Small Businesses Across America

Tug484

They're working 170 days or less this year.
That means they make one thousand twenty three dollars and fifty two cents a day.
They are TOTALLY NOT WORTH IT.

America 1 Loc: South Miami

1965 $25,000.
2019 $178,000.
$2833. increase per year plus benefits.
1989 $96,000.
2019 $178,000.
$2733. increase per year plus benefits.
Bottom line are they worth it or more worthless since 1965.
Does every citizen deserve the same benefits?

Richard Rowland

Having rethought the issue, I think the mistake is that the initial calculation included the 75,000 being paid in 85&86. 174,000 divided by 75,000. The way it should have been calculated, in my limited math opinion, is the 99,000 difference when subtracting the 75,000 from 174,000.

75,000 divided by 99,000=1.32 or a 132 % increase. A pretty healthy increase vis-a-vis what the American worker received during that period of time.