General Discussion

Mr.Bee

(1,411 posts) Sun Nov 2, 2025, 06:11 PM Sunday

219

Of Course Americans are BROKE [View all]

It's been an ongoing Republicant project.

FDR's concept of the minimum wage was to establish a "living wage" that protected workers from exploitation and increased their purchasing power to stimulate the economy. He believed businesses paying less than a decent wage had no right to exist and that the minimum wage should be enough for a "decent living," not just bare subsistence. This led to the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938.

Check the record: the minimum wage was raised every single year to keep up with the cost of living.

That is, until 1980, when it was frozen for nine years.

The 1990 increase didn't keep up.
Second unprecedented minimum wage FREEZE 10 years during Clinton/Bush.
Third unprecedented minimum wage FROZEN since 2009!

2009. The minimum wage has now been frozen SIXTEEN years.

Now when you consider the transfer of wealth to employers and corporations for a total of 35 years of people not being paid a living wage, of course CEOs are rich. Not to mention raising the cost of every item households depend on.

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Of Course Americans are BROKE [View all] Mr.Bee Sunday OP

Thank you for the data. yellow dahlia Sunday #1

Hiding In Plain Sight Mr.Bee Sunday #2

My MAGA relatives would say, Diamond_Dog Sunday #3

I would tell them Mr.Bee Sunday #6

Well, you can imagine how they feel about FDR. Diamond_Dog Sunday #11

Did any of them ever stop to think Diamond_Dog Sunday #22

I certainly heard that line many times over the years in markodochartaigh Sunday #17

EVER SINCE REAGAN, (actually HWBush's CABAL) popsdenver 12 hrs ago #49

++++1000 Diamond_Dog 11 hrs ago #50

If the Republicans continue popsdenver 10 hrs ago #51

Median wage has been stagnant relative to productivity for 45 years. pat_k Sunday #4

Please supply reference links. Not disputing your excerpts, but backup documentation is needed. erronis Sunday #7

Oh! I beg pardon- Mr.Bee Sunday #9

World Economic Forum, Capital in the 21st Century, pat_k Sunday #10

Thank you! erronis Sunday #15

They've been stealing from us for decades Mr.Bee Sunday #12

FWIW pat_k Sunday #14

Regarding weakening of unions and tax law that facilitated concentration of wealth: pat_k Sunday #13

Republicans always talk about "redistribution of wealth". markodochartaigh Sunday #19

Yes, R's have been hellbent on systematically "redistributing wealth" from the hands of the many to the hands of the few pat_k Sunday #23

Why don't the labor unions understand these charts and data? FakeNoose 19 hrs ago #40

Sadly, a great deal of damage had been done by '60. pat_k 15 hrs ago #41

That also means that the current business model Javaman Sunday #5

FDR's concept of the minimum wage: Mr.Bee Sunday #8

And, policies that concentrate wealth in the hands of the few at the expense of the many make for a very fragile economy pat_k Sunday #18

I very much concur Metaphorical Yesterday #34

And who was in charge then? Oh yeah Ronald Reagan. Initech Sunday #16

Yes he certainly did. Diamond_Dog Sunday #20

Ronald Reagan was elected president in 1980 KS Toronado Sunday #21

Must do more than raise the minimum wage. Inheritance tax, wealth tax, capital gains taxed higher than labor and... pat_k Sunday #24

Oh there's a ton of stuff we need to get done and quickly. KS Toronado Sunday #32

My big worry is that too few of our electeds are out there advocating for the big stuff. pat_k Yesterday #33

A tax on spending rather than income Metaphorical 22 hrs ago #35

Should be at least $30 per hour MichMan Sunday #31

Seattle's minimum wage is 20.76 and will increase to 21.30 1/1/26 pat_k 14 hrs ago #42

The minimum wage as established in 1938 was 25 cents per hour MichMan Sunday #25

But did it have the same purchasing power? leftstreet Sunday #27

In 1957, J. Paul Getty was worth $2-4 billion dpibel Sunday #30

Raygun made munimum wage political southmost Sunday #26

K&R Bayard Sunday #28

Big corps worked to keep prices down and wages low. Klarkashton Sunday #29

That goes back HarryM 21 hrs ago #36

So glad you pointed this out. cer7711 21 hrs ago #37

Minimum wage should have been indexed to inflation like Social Security. n/t Buttoneer 21 hrs ago #38

From the comercial. "I was drowning in debt." Hotler 21 hrs ago #39

TOP TEN COUNTRIES of Minimum wage chouchou 14 hrs ago #43

K&R BlueWavePsych 13 hrs ago #44

"republicans"... Godot51 12 hrs ago #45

When You Say 'Republicans' Mr.Bee 12 hrs ago #46

"... until 1980, when it was frozen for nine years." Grins 12 hrs ago #47

The last Increase Before Reagan Mr.Bee 12 hrs ago #48