Double the rate that the machine spits out money and you'll see very little change in peoples behavior. The reason is that people losing interest in the machine has more to do with human psychology than it does with minimum wage.
Wait are you telling me this machine will crank out 7.25 an hour and if I do it 8 hours a day for 5 days a week I will get 1160 a month AND IT WILL BE TAX FREE shit I would crank that puppy till my arm fell off than switch arms.
I will pull a chair near it and prop up my phone and watch tv shows as I crank. Easier fucking job ever.
True. But it isn’t so simple. You need to have intimate knowledge of their finances and be able to prove it. If you do not have their social security number- that level of trust and involvement- your odds of seeing a dime are slim to none. There is simple reasoning behind it- 2 main reasons.
1. Is simple. To mitigate abuse. From well meaning but poorly informed people sure- but mostly from A: malicious intent- people using the IRS like “swatting-“ that is to say- an IRS investigation can be quite stressful, expensive, potentially damaging even if you are 100% legit- and it is of course- expensive for the government. What is to stop someone from putting up just anyone they have a beef with.
B: is people who would abuse the system and “blanket accuse.” It already happens with patents in a slightly different matter. But- with unpaid taxes- all you’d have to do is accuse a bunch of folks you think MIGHT be cheating taxes- or just anyone with deep pockets. If you’re wrong, there isn’t a penalty for reporting what you THOUGHT was a crime. If you are right- you could practically make a living off it. As said- patents are treated this way all the time. People hoard them and attorneys watch for any even accidental unknowing infringement of some of the most obscure patents.
The second reason- is slightly less simple. The finances of people are complex. Much like the faulty logic of those on welfare when people say things like: “well they have this nice thing- they can’t be poor!” Or looking at your “Rich” boss or coworker who is perhaps drowning in debt, or a 20yo thinking some kid at the school is rich because he always has new and nice cars- but he works at a car wash or used car lot and his boss sometimes lets him drive cars as a deal between them.
Because of all the complexity in finances- the buying and selling of stocks, inheritances, capital gains and losses, depreciation, loans, equity, tax shelters, charitable donations, etc etc. - it is VERY difficult in general to tell just by seeing what a person does for a living or how they live or whatever else- how much they make let alone what they report on their taxes.
Say you KNOW your neighbor has a big truck full of tools and comes home dirty. But they have nice things and blah blah. Well- is he a mobile mechanic making $40k a year? Is he a welder for nuclear power plants or a specialist of some sort making 6 figures? But let’s say you KNOW what your neighbor does- and the spouse. You KNOW they don’t have rich family or investments or lottery winnings- (in itself how often do most people discuss ALL their financial dealings with others... and how often are they completely truthful?) but say you KNOW and it doesn’t add up?
Ok. Let’s say your neighbor is dealing drugs or teaching rich kids how to play concert violin or whatever on the side? How exactly do you know they didn’t report that to the IRS? THAT is the part that makes it necessary you are involved enough in their life to see what the heck they put on their actual taxes. 1. You don’t have to write “drug money” in a tax form. There are many ways to report income- and you can “launder” the money so as you’ve transformed it into a reportable form of income. 2. The IRS is not the FBI or the cops. Their department is taxes. Wether you earn it at a 9-5 job, find it on the street, get it in a card from your grandma, or got it selling crack or as a bribe from the mob. The IRS has ways to report ALL of that and they expect you to report it if it is money and you made it as an American (with some rare exceptions.)
And that’s the thing- few people report it if they find some less than life changing summon the sidewalk. Few people report birthday money from the grandparents or uncles and aunts. the IRS is aware of this. They don’t particularly care to bother to investigate or pursue millions of Americans over a sum that likely would not impact their tax liability one bit even if they are supposed to report it strictly speaking to the rules.
But there is the perfect example. If you see your neighbor at a birthday party open cards and gifts totaling hundreds or even thousands of dollars in cash value- and let’s say you film it? Ok. You can prove they received money and gifts- but how does that prove- or even give reasonable suspicion- that this person is cheating their taxes?
You could tell the IRS- “here is proof they got money...” but as for any reason for suspicion they didn’t report it- you have no cause do you? The IRS investigates and pays ON suspicion- If they investigate to FIND suspicion- they can do that on their own. What have you told them- “this person got money- that means they COULD cheat their taxes...” well... that would make anyone with a job suspect of tax fraud by virtue of the fact they had the ABILITY to do so- not any actual proof that they ARE.
Oh, yes. Raise minimum wage and screw over everybody. Let's stop ringing that retarded bell and talk about LOWERING COST OF LIVING. Damn, I'm getting tired of this garbage.
Thank you. Corona hits and suddenly we can subsidize housing for people- but the biggest expense almost anyone has is housing. The most out of control is housing. The corner stone of life is simply having a place to exist. The housing market has exploded in cost despite a huge percentage of properties going in occupied. We have the space to house people. Initial costs of construction asides there is little cost to carry in housing people beyond artificial costs like flooring which... we can manipulate because we invented them as concepts. Start with housing. Move to food. Look to work and transportation next. If we make it so people can afford to live- else still can have a benevolent capitalism where you get the beans and rice free but meat and gravy you gotta figure out how to earn.
John Daly had a vision- he constructed a planned city where people would have access to all essential services, to jobs and food and medical care- recreation and dining and parks and so on- all within their community- mostly without any need to drive. He created this community and it largely worked well. Others have done likewise. A stark contrast to the suburban nightmare- mikes of holes without a single store or other service- thousands of families all needing to drive to the same mega complex to shop and dine- on the same roads that likely aren’t made for that traffic- with the traffic of those driving to and from the place they work to where they can afford to live.
It’s an interconnected mess caused by flaws in a system that was built around a “gold rush” mentality. We need to slow down and think. But raising minimum wage isn’t the answer. It hasn’t helped in a meaningful way in 30+ years, and to raise it drastically enough to matter now would be a huge shock. Raising minimum wage to $20 an hour let’s say- devalues the work of people currently making that who busted ass and got skills or educations so they could earn more. It makes THEM minimum wage employees. Giving everyone a raise just keeps everything the same but makes the numbers bigger. It’s a foolish idea that minimum wage alone will fix a broken system. It’s childish. “Give people more money if they do t have enough!” No sweetie... that’s... it doesn’t work that way.
Turning a crank for minimum wage is a fair price.
Being an Ophthalmic Technician (my job) for minimum wage is a joke.
Learn a skill. Educate yourselves.
I will pull a chair near it and prop up my phone and watch tv shows as I crank. Easier fucking job ever.
Being an Ophthalmic Technician (my job) for minimum wage is a joke.
Learn a skill. Educate yourselves.