A little history on minimum wage

The problem is not that the poor are lazy, but that the rich are greedy, and want more and more and more...and don't give back to the society that props them up.

Good. Now, what is the cost of living where that 25% are. Are they in developed nations or in developing countries? Possibly even former Soviet bloc countries like Romania.

Also, look at the population of America in comparison to the world. Only China and India have larger populations, over one billion, while the US has 324 million. We're third in population in the World. Mexico comes in at #10 and Canada at #38. That's just population.

Are you currently taking a social studies course in school? In particular, civics, geography, or world history? It would be good for you to pursue this idea and ask why. As part of your study, you can check the labor laws, including things like minimum wage and average wages for specific jobs, as well as the cost of living. My sister was a missionary in Romania and Kenya. She can tell you how things that sound inexpensive to us are too expensive for those citizens. She was telling me about one of her hosts being sick and needing an antibiotic. In the US, the same antibiotic had cost me well over $100 at that time. Her Kenyan host couldn't afford the medication eben though it was only $5 there.

Even in our own country, there is a large difference in cost of living. I was wondering, for example, what housing cost back in my home town earlier today. I found a house, 2 bedroom, with utilities included, for $25/ month less than I pay for my two room apartment here.

No flames needed. Do the research. You'll get an extra credit grade for school, and you'll be able to understand why.

For the record, accounting for taxes and cost of living, the US ranks 11 in minimum wage in the world. Australia ranks number 1. Adjusted for taxes and cost of living, the $15.96 hourly wage is worth $9.54. In the US the $7.25 an hour, adjusted, is worth $6.26.

Also, don't forget that the US pays out about $156 Billion a year to supplement those low wage workers. You might think that Big Mac is expensive now, but what you pay at the register is only a part of it. Just wait til you start working and see how much you spend in taxes, especially since the tax laws were changed in the Reagan administration. It used to be a minor child, like I was when I filled out my first 1040A form in 1972, could claim himself as a dependent on his own return, but his parents could also claim him on their return. We won't even discuss child support.

Anyway, get cracking. The ball is on your court.

You brought up a point. Now prove how this is pertinent. You're still a child, but if you want to play in an adult world, you have to learn.

Really? What is your house payment per year? If it's over $15K, a minimum wage job won't cover it, much less food, clothes, internet, gas, electric, water, sewage and trash pick up. One reason why I suggested you get a job. If you do like I did at your age, a good chunk of it went into the household income. The minimum wage is not above the living standards in the US.

Also, look at how wages have declined, yes, declined, in just under fifty years. This little meme shows you just how much labor is worth today compared to when I was a child.

Now, look at the cost of living.

You need real world experience that I don't see you motivated to give. You say that minimum wage is way above living standards, prove it.

Let's paint a picture for you. My mother is 44. She works for a magazine, and is the editor. She makes around $35 USD an hour, after 11 years with the company. According to her payment, she would have around a $3.50 raise every year. She works 7+ hours a day. At minimum, 35x7= $245 a day. 5 days a week. 245 x 5= 1225 a week. Around 4 weeks a month. 1225 x 4 = 4900 a month. That is not even including my father's payment. We are fortunate enough to have livable standards. Say, a month we spend $300 on food, $100 on gas, house payment of $500, car payment of $200, and electric bill of $100. That would be $3700 dollars of money to go to other things we want or need. Such as college.
You are also forgetting few people live off of minimum wage. Let's paint another picture since we have time. The Ohio minimum wage is $8.10.
Say a kid who's 14 wants a job at a grocery store. He gets accepted to his job and is paid 8.10 an hour, on top of his parents' money earnings. He works part-time, because of school, full time on weekends. Say he works 4 hours. 8.10 x 4= 32.40 a day. 5 days a week is 162 a week. He works on weekends as well, 2 days of a 7 hour shift. 8.10 x 7= 56.70 a day. 2 days would be 113.40 a week. 113.40+162=255.40 a week 4 weeks a month, 1021.6 a month MINIMUM. That would nearly cover the expenses I listed last time alone. Nobody works off of only minimum wage. His parents would work too. You could throw at me that restaurant workers get paid less because of tips. However, off of tips they earn a lot of Money. Say a restaurant waiter serves 30 people on a busy day by himself in a 7 hour shift. If they each give 5% interest on a 100 dollar meal, he will have 150 from tips in one day. Look at data and stop telling me I do not know what I am talking about

Okay, good picture you painted, but you didn't use the tools you were given. You've painted a picture of a nuclear family with two above minimum wage workers with the possibility of a working teen.

The scenario is a single, working adult on their own making minimum wage. You also chose a state that has a higher than federal minimum wage, which, btw, is $8.15.

Okay, let's start there with the extra $36 a week that higher wage gives. Step one for someone that just left home.

Finding the job. In a city, it shouldn't be difficult thanks to public transportation. Car ownership is expensive. Besides a car payment, you have gas, oil, antifreeze, brake fluid, power steering fluid, washer fluid, and the big one: Insurance. Unless you're in the know, you're better off sticking to a bicycle. You could get a moped, but you'd still have operating expenses. Including insurance.

So, while nice, as a minimum wage worker, on your own, it's either going to be public transportation, or in good weather, a bike.

Let's start with housing. As you chose Ohio, I selected Columbus as a place to live. Think you'll buy a house? Difficult on minimum wage unless you have prior savings. You could pick up an old house at tax auction, but you have a 1 year waiting period before you can evict anyone living there. If the previous owner pays the tax debt, your back to square one, although you'll be refunded the money you paid. But say you get the place. Is it liveable? How much work will you have to put into it. Could likely cost you more in the beginning.

Most people, however, don't go that route. They usually rent a place. You can rent a sleeping room for about $100 a week but you may not have kitchen privileges. Or you may habe others that like the food you bring in. Sleeping room is a stopgap, good for a week or two, but not longer. Meanwhile, I found studio apartments in Columbus starting at $400 a month. Add your deposit, first month would be $800. Cover that from your savings.

Furniture? A futon for sitting and sleeping, or a used sofa sleeper. Recommend go with the futon in a studio apartment. If your folks don't have one to take along, buy local. A good one with a good mattress will cost about $500. This is one thing you don't want to buy used. Again, that comes out of your savings. Table and chairs, dresser. That should cover it. Blankets, towels, washclothes. Your folks may provide those. Same with dishes and pots and pans. More>>>>

So, now your cost of living, or your nut, is $400 a month.

Food? Figure $100 a month for the apartment. More if you entertain. Also, for the first year, add in taxables and sundries. Soaps: dish, laundry, and personal as well as shampoo. Toilet paper. Plan on a four pack a month, in case you have female visitors.

Electric? If it's an all electric apartment, plan on $100 a month. More in winter and summer for heating and cooling. Especially if you have AC.

Transportation . again, budget $100 for that.

Now, phone. Walmart has a plan for $45 a month. Unlimited Internet, but only 3gig of 4G. Shop around.

Cable and internet? Look at about $100 for those. Again, shop around.

So far your nut is $750. If they don't repeal Obamacare, you can stay on your dad's insurance for a few more years. Otherwise. Eben as young and healthy as you are now, you can figure plunking down at least $100 a month for health insurance.

Now, let's look at your wages.

At $8.15 an hour, hope you can get a 40 hour a week job. Most of those jobs are 30 hours or less. But say by some miracle, you land it. You'll make 1304 a month. Before it even goes to the bank, though, you have $100 taken out for Social Security and Medicare and $130 for federal withholding.

Now your $1304 is 1074. Subtract from that the $750 nut that should leave you a tidy $324. Expect to blow at least half of that each month. Clothes, an occasional meal out, birthday/holiday/wedding/anniversary gifts. And if you're dating, expect to spend it all. Ooops, I forgot. You probably are a member of a church. Don't forget your tithe, that's $130 a month plus whatever you add for special projects.

Now, you'll still have enough to put into a mutual fund.

But if you take a minimum wage job, I advise avoid the fast food or big box stores unless your career path involves management in them.

The point? Get a better job. Not always an option. You'll figure it out if you join the real world. By then, it'll be too late for you