This will make Trump’s “more money in my paycheck” look like chump change

[Chew Toy McCoy]

Study: Poorest Americans would get 20% income boost from Biden relief package

Democrats have touted the "American Rescue Plan" as one of the most impactful anti-poverty bills of this era.

www.axios.com

 

[SuperMatt]

Study: Poorest Americans would get 20% income boost from Biden relief package

Democrats have touted the "American Rescue Plan" as one of the most impactful anti-poverty bills of this era.

www.axios.com

Too bad they couldn’t get Manchin, Sinema, et al to sign onto the minimum wage increase too, or the results would be even better. The cost of everything has gone up since the last minimum wage boost, and even government payments like social security have gotten yearly increases.

Republicans say they hate giving out “freebies” to people. But as long as the min. wage is $7.25, there will be lots of government benefits paid out to help people buy enough food to stay alive. I can never understand the dichotomy of “no government freebies!” but also “don’t raise the minimum wage!” - These 2 things cannot both happen unless you want people starving in the streets. And maybe that is what they want?

 

[Chew Toy McCoy]

Too bad they couldn’t get Manchin, Sinema, et al to sign onto the minimum wage increase too, or the results would be even better. The cost of everything has gone up since the last minimum wage boost, and even government payments like social security have gotten yearly increases.

Republicans say they hate giving out “freebies” to people. But as long as the min. wage is $7.25, there will be lots of government benefits paid out to help people buy enough food to stay alive. I can never understand the dichotomy of “no government freebies!” but also “don’t raise the minimum wage!” - These 2 things cannot both happen unless you want people starving in the streets. And maybe that is what they want?

Hey! Only I'm allowed to throw a Democrat negative wrench into positive Democrat news!! I'll save you are barstool next to mine.

I don't know much about Manchin but every time there's an article with him in it, it sounds like he's an obstructionist Republican. I'm not sure what makes him a Democrat or if the people who elected him are happy with his performance. Do a good number of his constituents have country club memberships?

Something will be done about minimum wage I'm sure. It probably just won't be the blanket $15. I've already posted at great length about my feelings on that.

 

[SuperMatt]

Hey! Only I'm allowed to throw a Democrat negative wrench into positive Democrat news!! I'll save you are barstool next to mine.

I don't know much about Manchin but every time there's an article with him in it, it sounds like he's an obstructionist Republican. I'm not sure what makes him a Democrat or if the people who elected him are happy with his performance. Do a good number of his constituents have country club memberships?

Something will be done about minimum wage I'm sure. It probably just won't be the blanket $15. I've already posted at great length about my feelings on that.

Manchin actually votes with Dems pretty often, but he’s pretty conservative, so I doubt he’d vote for any of the more progressive ideas being presented.

What he is NOT is a Trumper. And that’s a plus next to his name in my book. I’d rather have a Dem who slightly obstructs the progressive agenda I want... than a Trumper.

 

[User.45]

Too bad they couldn’t get Manchin, Sinema, et al to sign onto the minimum wage increase too, or the results would be even better. The cost of everything has gone up since the last minimum wage boost, and even government payments like social security have gotten yearly increases.

Republicans say they hate giving out “freebies” to people. But as long as the min. wage is $7.25, there will be lots of government benefits paid out to help people buy enough food to stay alive. I can never understand the dichotomy of “no government freebies!” but also “don’t raise the minimum wage!” - These 2 things cannot both happen unless you want people starving in the streets. And maybe that is what they want?

What I really need to understand is how minimum wage increase would impact inflation. Haven't heard anything in those realms from either sides and since I haven't really did my research on it, my opinion is not founded by data sufficiently to voice it. But this whole thing reflects the emotionality of politics. I prefer data with a decision-making that has the most positive, or at least, least negative impact on our society and the world.

 

[SuperMatt]

What I really need to understand is how minimum wage increase would impact inflation. Haven't heard anything in those realms from either sides and since I haven't really did my research on it, my opinion is not founded by data sufficiently to voice it. But this whole thing reflects the emotionality of politics. I prefer data with a decision-making that has the most positive, or at least, least negative impact on our society and the world.

Politics has been a big problem when it comes to the minimum wage. If it wasn’t, I think it would be tied to an inflation index, just like COLA for things like Social Security or government jobs.

 

[Chew Toy McCoy]

What I really need to understand is how minimum wage increase would impact inflation. Haven't heard anything in those realms from either sides and since I haven't really did my research on it, my opinion is not founded by data sufficiently to voice it. But this whole thing reflects the emotionality of politics. I prefer data with a decision-making that has the most positive, or at least, least negative impact on our society and the world.

I share the same concern. I think a lot of cost of living gets associated with housing. I think in a relatively short period of time if the minimum wage suddenly jumps then so will the cost of housing. There won't be this minimum wage utopia where everybody lives comfortably and I'd say over at least the last decade rental properties have become a bigger part of people's retirement and spare money plan.

 

[User.45]

Politics has been a big problem when it comes to the minimum wage. If it wasn’t, I think it would be tied to an inflation index, just like COLA for things like Social Security or government jobs.

I share the same concern. I think a lot of cost of living gets associated with housing. I think in a relatively short period of time if the minimum wage suddenly jumps then so will the cost of housing. There won't be this minimum wage utopia where everybody lives comfortably and I'd say over at least the last decade rental properties have become a bigger part of people's retirement and spare money plan.

I think it's an important issue, but I suspect it would squeeze the lower-middle class making around $15 immediately.

 

[Chew Toy McCoy]

I think it's an important issue, but I suspect it would squeeze the lower-middle class making around $15 immediately.

Like I've said, you have somebody in NYC already making a minimum wage of $15 per hour barely scraping by and then you want to double the minimum wage in a small town to $15 per hour which is on par with medium/high-income earners in that town? This isn't a one size fits all issue just like the unemployment amount increase. Seriously, have people in the federal government never heard of what a percentage is and how it works?

 

[User.45]

Like I've said, you have somebody in NYC already making a minimum wage of $15 per hour barely scraping by and then you want to double the minimum wage in a small town to $15 per hour which is on par with medium/high-income earners in that town? This isn't a one size fits all issue just like the unemployment amount increase. Seriously, have people in the federal government never heard of what a percentage is and how it works?

The (not necessarily great) counter argument is that such action could slow the rift between mainland and coasts. But honestly, when I lived in Europe, I associated the idea of rural living with cleaner air, fresh food with fewer middlemen, less stress and more exercise (bikability). Now I know it was a total illusion there, but living in rural Midwest for a few months vs. major cities, I just don't understand why would anybody want to live in rural USA. Pollution may be even worse than in the city, stress is sky high because there aren't good jobs, and you absolutely can't get anywhere without a car. It's also a trap because the lower wages generate a significant mobility barrier for a city move...

 

[Chew Toy McCoy]

The (not necessarily great) counter argument is that such action could slow the rift between mainland and coasts. But honestly, when I lived in Europe, I associated the idea of rural living with cleaner air, fresh food with fewer middlemen, less stress and more exercise (bikability). Now I know it was a total illusion there, but living in rural Midwest for a few months vs. major cities, I just don't understand why would anybody want to live in rural USA. Pollution may be even worse than in the city, stress is sky high because there aren't good jobs, and you absolutely can't get anywhere without a car. It's also a trap because the lower wages generate a significant mobility barrier for a city move...

I will admit I had a liberal biased blindspot about midwest people and their jobs. It was my belief that they should be supporting democrats because democrats are offering them FREE STUFF to compensate for those job losses, but the fact is they'd much rather have jobs. Democrats were offering them nothing in that department other than the "get a degree!" deflection while Republicans were lying to them about saving their jobs and whose fault it is they are disappearing.

I think a heavy component of Biden's green jobs initiative should be targeting those available jobs to people who are or were in the fossil fuel industry, not just bragging about some big general jobs created number and displaced workers have no clue where those jobs are.

 

[User.45]

I will admit I had a liberal biased blindspot about midwest people and their jobs. It was my belief that they should be supporting democrats because democrats are offering them FREE STUFF to compensate for those job losses, but the fact is they'd much rather have jobs. Democrats were offering them nothing in that department other than the "get a degree!" deflection while Republicans were lying to them about saving their jobs and whose fault it is they are disappearing.

I think a heavy component of Biden's green jobs initiative should be targeting those available jobs to people who are or were in the fossil fuel industry, not just bragging about some big general jobs created number and displaced workers have no clue where those jobs are.

The midwest was clearly let down and forgotten. I also blame the all-or-none electoral system here. If we had a form of popular vote system, presidential candidates would be held accountable for letting whole regions down and it would make things way better. Right now, swing state status is the best way for many of these places wield their power over the presidency, but it would be much nicer if it were distributed throughout.

 

[SuperMatt]

Republican Senators - 0% supported the stimulus
Republican Voters - 59% supported the stimulus

Sorry, GOP voters - why do you keep voting for people that do the opposite of what you want?

https://www.twitter.com/i/web/status/1369637725431808000/

 

[Chew Toy McCoy]

Sorry, GOP voters - why do you keep voting for people that do the opposite of what you want?

I'd argue that's why Trump won and why he and his supporter representatives are still so popular. He's still seen as anti-establishment, left and right, but when it comes to sticking it to liberals and their agenda or giving their constituents what they want they'll err on the side of sticking it to liberals. And like you said "keep voting for", so they're already used to not getting what they want and right-wing politicians are well skilled at shifting the blame away from themselves as to why they aren't getting what they want.

 

[SuperMatt]

I'd argue that's why Trump won and why he and his supporter representatives are still so popular. He's still seen as anti-establishment, left and right, but when it comes to sticking it to liberals and their agenda or giving their constituents what they want they'll err on the side of sticking it to liberals. And like you said "keep voting for", so they're already used to not getting what they want and right-wing politicians are well skilled at shifting the blame away from themselves as to why they aren't getting what they want.

It seems like the GOP playbook is not to change course. They must continue to look out for the billionaire donor class. Instead, they seek to make it harder for people in the most liberal demographics to vote. You definitely CAN fool some of the people ALL of the time. The GOP has figured out who those “some of the people” are and are hoping by squeezing out others, there will be just enough rubes to keep voting them in.

There’s a very good reason they acted like Rush Limbaugh dying was the end of the world. He’s been turning brains to mush for years; with him gone, people might try to think for themselves. If that happens, it’s lights-out for the GOP.

 

[User.45]

It seems like the GOP playbook is not to change course. They must continue to look out for the billionaire donor class. Instead, they seek to make it harder for people in the most liberal demographics to vote. You definitely CAN fool some of the people ALL of the time. The GOP has figured out who those “some of the people” are and are hoping by squeezing out others, there will be just enough rubes to keep voting them in.

There’s a very good reason they acted like Rush Limbaugh dying was the end of the world. He’s been turning brains to mush for years; with him gone, people might try to think for themselves. If that happens, it’s lights-out for the GOP.

Nah. He'll be replaced by 2 others. I think RL didn't do what he did out of conviction. He did it for the $800M he raked in for the matching the demand that was already there.

 

[Chew Toy McCoy]

It seems like the GOP playbook is not to change course. They must continue to look out for the billionaire donor class. Instead, they seek to make it harder for people in the most liberal demographics to vote. You definitely CAN fool some of the people ALL of the time. The GOP has figured out who those “some of the people” are and are hoping by squeezing out others, there will be just enough rubes to keep voting them in.

There’s a very good reason they acted like Rush Limbaugh dying was the end of the world. He’s been turning brains to mush for years; with him gone, people might try to think for themselves. If that happens, it’s lights-out for the GOP.

The GOP benefitted greatly from keeping their constituents ignorant but the internet made that a lot harder. Then Trump came along and unearthed a whole new level of stupid who will believe literally anything. On one hand this is going to make their lying a lot easier, but on the other they are going to lose a lot of their base who isn’t insane or driven by starting a literal civil war.

 

[SuperMatt]

The GOP benefitted greatly from keeping their constituents ignorant but the internet made that a lot harder. Then Trump came along and unearthed a whole new level of stupid who will believe literally anything. On one hand this is going to make their lying a lot easier, but on the other they are going to lose a lot of their base who isn’t insane or driven by starting a literal civil war.

Funny enough, the internet has actually made it EASIER to sustain the ignorance of their voters. They flood it with misinformation that many seem to believe is true... (see also the Facebook thread)

 

[Chew Toy McCoy]

Good article explaining the process of how Republicans get their constituents to vote against their own self interests or ignore their representatives when they work against them.

Opinion | The brutal political incentive that pushed Republicans to reject Covid relief

A brutal political incentive pushes GOP leaders to embrace policies that hurt their own constituents.

www.nbcnews.com

 

[Thomas Veil]

...I think a heavy component of Biden's green jobs initiative should be targeting those available jobs to people who are or were in the fossil fuel industry, not just bragging about some big general jobs created number and displaced workers have no clue where those jobs are.

Yes! Exactly!

But that might wake up some Republicans and make them realize it’s not their party that has their interests at heart.

Republican Senators - 0% supported the stimulus
Republican Voters - 59% supported the stimulus

Sorry, GOP voters - why do you keep voting for people that do the opposite of what you want?

And this is something that Democrats are particularly bad at: messaging stuff like this. They should be talking about this constantly from now through 2024, comparing how Trump’s tax cuts went primarily to the rich vs. Biden’s bill benefiting those who most need it.

Democrats should have one single overriding theme through everything they do and say: Republicans are not your friends.