To people who say poverty doesn't exist in America

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GoonSquad
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21 Dec 2014, 12:37 pm

LoveNotHate wrote:

Minimum wage increases:

Seattle to $15/hr by 2018
Chicago $13/hr by 2019
DC to $10.40/hr
Louisville to $9/hr
Missouri to $7.65/hr

*Federal is $7.25/hr

many labor groups, and workers across the nation are looking at Seattle, and thinking, hey, we are doing the exact same work, and only making half the pay (e.g., a fast food worker in Seattle will make two times what an equivalent fast food worker will make in Missouri).

this is going to be interesting to see if Seattle businesses will flee or other parts of the nation will join Seattle

in the meantime, as the US low wage service economy grows and grows, there will be a lot of bitterness from these workers wondering why they can't get a "liveable wage" like Seattle workers

But just think of all those Chinese peasants who have great new jobs! Don't they deserve to make a good living too?

Why should Americans get all the good jobs?

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eric76
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21 Dec 2014, 1:42 pm

I used to live without an air conditioner in central Texas and in the Houston, Texas area.

It wasn't that big a deal even there.

Anyone in reasonable health who thinks that they must have an air conditioner is nothing more than a spoiled brat.

Kraichgauer
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21 Dec 2014, 5:56 pm

eric76 wrote:

We don't have an air conditioner, either - do have a ceiling fan, though.

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eric76
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21 Dec 2014, 6:22 pm

Kraichgauer wrote:

eric76 wrote:

We don't have an air conditioner, either - do have a ceiling fan, though.

I got a swamp cooler for the house. I haven't used it in a couple of years, though.

GoonSquad
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22 Dec 2014, 10:35 am

^^^ Wow, no wonder you're that way...

As a student of Stoicism, I can certainly appreciate voluntary discomfort, but self-abuse has some bad effects on character and cognition.

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guzzle
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22 Dec 2014, 9:41 pm

LoveNotHate wrote:

Makes me wonder what the cost of living in Missouri compared to Seattle is though? So I went Googling

http://www.missourieconomy.org/indicato ... /index.stm
The UK minimuum wage is £6.50/hr but the mayor of London encourages employers to pay a London Living Wage of £9.15/hr.
https://www.gov.uk/national-minimum-wage-rates
http://www.london.gov.uk/priorities/bus ... iving-wage

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24 Dec 2014, 12:36 pm

The_Walrus wrote:

donnie_darko wrote:

22% of American homes lack central AC and 13% lack AC of any kind

Is that the percentage of homes that need it or does it include places like Alaska, Washington, Rhode Island and Wyoming where circumstances rarely call for it?

Have you ever lived in Rhode Island in the summer?

It's not that circumstances rarely call for air conditioning here (practically all *new* construction includes central air). It's that so much of the housing here is over a hundred years' old, there's no way to retrofit central air without significant construction and remodeling.

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24 Dec 2014, 12:51 pm

eric76 wrote:

What if they heat sensitive?...now granted there are some other ways to stay a little cooler aside from air-conditioning, but there are reasons for them aside from people being spoiled brats. I have low tolerance for when its really hot out and have passed out/puked from over-heating, not fun....the house I live in now has no air conditioning but I have a basement room so stays kinda cooler if I get too hot in the summer.
One can be in reasonable health and still have that issue.

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Kraichgauer
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24 Dec 2014, 2:46 pm

RhodyStruggle wrote:

The_Walrus wrote:

donnie_darko wrote:

22% of American homes lack central AC and 13% lack AC of any kind

Is that the percentage of homes that need it or does it include places like Alaska, Washington, Rhode Island and Wyoming where circumstances rarely call for it?

Here in the eastern side of Washington state, which is the polar opposite of the rain forest-like conditions of the state's west side, can get very hot at times in the summer.

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AspieOtaku
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24 Dec 2014, 9:49 pm

Kraichgauer wrote:

RhodyStruggle wrote:

The_Walrus wrote:

donnie_darko wrote:

22% of American homes lack central AC and 13% lack AC of any kind

Is that the percentage of homes that need it or does it include places like Alaska, Washington, Rhode Island and Wyoming where circumstances rarely call for it?

Here in the eastern side of Washington state, which is the polar opposite of the rain forest-like conditions of the state's west side, can get very hot at times in the summer.

Amen to that it also gets very cold in the winter too esspecially in Kennewick!

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eric76
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24 Dec 2014, 11:46 pm

Sweetleaf wrote:

eric76 wrote:

You don't have fans?

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24 Dec 2014, 11:57 pm

Most of my extended family here in America still live in "third-world conditions." They have to choose between clothes and food and education and sometimes rent. These conditions were imposed by the coal companies and Teddy Roosevelt (who stole our land and sent us to the coalmines and used the military to keep us without profitable wages.)

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Kraichgauer
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25 Dec 2014, 1:21 am

AspieOtaku wrote:

Kraichgauer wrote:

RhodyStruggle wrote:

The_Walrus wrote:

donnie_darko wrote:

22% of American homes lack central AC and 13% lack AC of any kind

Is that the percentage of homes that need it or does it include places like Alaska, Washington, Rhode Island and Wyoming where circumstances rarely call for it?

Here in the eastern side of Washington state, which is the polar opposite of the rain forest-like conditions of the state's west side, can get very hot at times in the summer.

Amen to that it also gets very cold in the winter too esspecially in Kennewick!

Certainly there have been times, such as one winter in my college years that saw polar winds that had closed down not only the public schools, but also all the colleges. Not to mention the so called "ice storm," that had shut down all power in the Spokane area. So far, this winter has been pretty mild... knock on wood.

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25 Dec 2014, 3:17 am

Sweetleaf wrote:

eric76 wrote:

I'm heat sensitive too and cannot sleep in it. If it's not in the 80's, I am fine without it. I can just use regular fans to keep cool.

Also people have died from heatstrokes because they couldn't afford to stay cool. Whenever we get a heatwave, places here offer shelter for people to stay at during the day to stay cool because they can't afford AC. I have left my apartment and would go to a mall just to keep cool and just look at books. This was before I had kids.

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25 Dec 2014, 3:21 am

eric76 wrote:

Sweetleaf wrote:

eric76 wrote:

You don't have fans?

Unless it's above 85 degrees, fans will not keep you cool because they will not blow cool air at you. It will just blow hot hair. Have you not been in a heatwave? Have you not driven without any AC in 100 degree weather with windows down? I have and trust me, there is no cool air.

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25 Dec 2014, 3:24 am

Dillogic wrote:

GoonSquad wrote:

I don't think you realize how things really work in the US. Here, hunger is not a function of scarcity of food it is a function of scarcity of MONEY. It is also the same with doctors and medical care. In short, if you do not have money, you don't eat or get treated for sickness unless you can find a charity to help you.

But, I can afford food and medical care and I have poverty levels of money. Sure, I don't eat the good stuff, and I only go for medical care when it's needed, but I get by.

Perhaps since I only have myself to look after, it's easier. But I wouldn't have kids or animals if I couldn't afford them.

Not all poor people were poor when they had them and then s**t happened.

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