[DanaC]

Originally Posted by lookout123

You're right comrade, all jobs are important. If we didn't have someone doing them then there would be a problem. What you don't seem to understand is that pay is not based on whether a job is important or not, but rather supply and demand.

How many people can bag groceries? Pretty much anyone. Welcome to minimum wage.

How many people can efficiently push auto financing through so John Q Public can drive his new Nissan? Not all that many really so the job pays pretty damn well.

How many people have gone through the education and licensing procedures to become financial planners and are willing to deal with the stress? Not that many, that is why the pay is much much more than the grocery bagger.

How many people have gone through medical school and have specialized in neurosurgery? Not many, so they get megabucks.

How many people scratch and claw their way to the top of major corporations? Only a few so they're fucking wealthier than I can even imagine.

How many people have sold their souls and formed the right networks to get them into the White House? Only a few guys so they get to write their tickets for life.

The people themselves are of no more intrinsic value than one another, but the skills and abilities they bring to the table are of a vastly different value. This isn't about the value of man, but the value of skills.

And for the record, minimum wage isn't supposed to be liveable. You can raise the dollar amount to anything you want and it won't make a damn bit of difference ten years later. If you raise the grocery bagger to $30/hour ($60K/year) every job up the ladder will rise in the same curve and in ten years the rich will still be rich and the poor will still be poor and only the numbers will have changed.

I agree with you to a point (I know, that's a surprise:P). In fact I agree with you entirely right up until your final point. The minimum wage should be livable. It shouldn't be enough to pay for two holidays abroad every year and a brand new car; but it should pay enough to put food on your family's table and keep your kids well shod. It should be enough that people don't have to work two jobs and never see their kids just to make ends meet. That doesn't breed happy families. Make the mimium wage a dignified amount. The rest may get paid more, and that's fine,. They can take their holidays and buy their kids a great computer at Christmas.