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DannyB chased by a bunch of wild rabid kangaroos writes . . .
Bernie Sanders introduces 'Stop BEZOS' bill to tax Amazon for underpaying workers
Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA) have introduced a bill that would tax companies like Amazon and Walmart for the cost of employees' food stamps and other public assistance. Sanders' Stop Bad Employers by Zeroing Out Subsidies Act (abbreviated "Stop BEZOS") . . . would institute a 100 percent tax on government benefits that are granted to workers at large companies.
The bill's text characterizes this as a "corporate welfare tax," and it would apply to corporations with 500 or more employees. If workers are receiving government aid through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, formerly known as food stamps), national school lunch and breakfast programs, Section 8 housing subsidies, or Medicaid, employers will be taxed for the total cost of those benefits. The bill applies to full-time and part-time employees, as well as independent contractors that are de facto company employees.
Sanders announced his plans for the proposal last month. He emphasized today that "this discussion is not just about Amazon and [Amazon CEO] Jeff Bezos." But as the bill's name would suggest, he's been particularly critical of Amazon and Bezos who became the richest person in the world (and modern history) last year. "The taxpayers in this country should not be subsidizing a guy who's worth $150 billion, whose wealth is increasing by $260 million every single day," [ . . . rest omitted . . . ]
Food stamps, School Lunch, Medicaid, great . . . but what about employees who must shop at Walmart?
(Score: 2) by bobthecimmerian on Thursday September 06 2018, @01:35AM (15 children)
You cover your own housing, food, and medical benefits on below minimum wage? And are saving up for a good retirement? Because even if Social Security still exists in a few decades if you make less than minimum wage now you'll be collecting the inflation-adjusted equivalent of maybe $1,000 per month then.
Really?
(Score: 1, Insightful) by khallow on Thursday September 06 2018, @05:29AM (14 children)
Social Security was first and foremost a scheme for transferring money from working age people to the federal government general fund (and secondarily old people). As a substitute for investment, it's an awful idea. I imagine anyone with half a brain isn't counting on Social Security to shoulder the burden.
Spending control does mean that he's probably not living in a mansion, dining on caviar, and picking up elective health care on a Cadillac plan.
What would that be? That strikes me a lot like the marketing for breakfast cereals. There is a too specific idea of what a good retirement is.
(Score: 3, Funny) by The Mighty Buzzard on Thursday September 06 2018, @10:35AM
A little boat, something to pull it, fishing gear, and most anywhere with air conditioning would do me fine. Wait, I already have all that... Did I retire and not notice?
My rights don't end where your fear begins.
(Score: 2) by bobthecimmerian on Thursday September 06 2018, @01:11PM (12 children)
Tell me how someone can afford a tiny apartment, utilities, food, and the cheapest health insurance program you can imagine on minimum wage. Cadillac? Really?
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday September 06 2018, @02:34PM (2 children)
He is single and has no kids.
(Score: 2) by DannyB on Thursday September 06 2018, @06:49PM
maybe polygamous, leader of a compound, the kids bring in extra outside money.
The lower I set my standards the more accomplishments I have.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday September 06 2018, @08:11PM
Sounds like a good idea if one is making minimum wage: Don't have kids you can't afford.
Being single or not, though, does not matter, since the second person could work as well.
(Score: 2) by The Mighty Buzzard on Thursday September 06 2018, @04:44PM (3 children)
Look into real estate an hour away from the nearest major city. You'll see how.
My rights don't end where your fear begins.
(Score: 2) by bobthecimmerian on Thursday September 06 2018, @11:52PM (2 children)
I'm an hour outside of Philadelphia and you can't buy a dog house for less than $150,000. In the town where I grew up, two hours from the closest major city and with terrible job prospects, the average house price is in the $60,000 range and a one bedroom apartment is $500 per month - which is still crazy hard to afford on minimum wage.
(Score: 2) by The Mighty Buzzard on Friday September 07 2018, @02:28AM
Must be a Pennsylvania thing. Try somewhere with more land or less people. TR is currently trying and failing to sell his three bedroom house back in OK for less than $60K. Granted, the neighbors who keep piles of random junk and busted-ass furniture in the yard next door might have something to do with that but still.
My rights don't end where your fear begins.
(Score: 2) by urza9814 on Friday September 07 2018, @05:18PM
Yup, my first apartment was around 3 hours from the nearest city (Pittsburgh). $1000/month for half of a basement. Two bedrooms and a kitchen. Then again, three years later I found a nicer apartment (only one bedroom though) which was cheaper ($900/mo) and within walking distance of downtown Providence., and closer to Boston than that first place was to Pittsburgh. Proximity to a major city is hardly the only factor that matters here.
(Score: 1) by khallow on Friday September 07 2018, @03:27AM (4 children)
Ok. You ask how? They earn money at minimum wage and spend a portion of it on those items. I'll note that the entire list of items you mentioned cost me (and my coworkers) about $700 per month ($450 for room and board, $250 for insurance, utilities are free). The entire list.
(Score: 2) by bobthecimmerian on Saturday September 08 2018, @07:13PM (3 children)
And food? And does that health insurance have a deductible? Can you meet the deductible if you develop a serious illness or fall down stairs or something? How do you get to work, walking?
(Score: 1) by khallow on Sunday September 09 2018, @12:05AM (2 children)
Yes.
Yes and I can meet it.
Yes. I have a car, but I don't need to have one.
People don't have to make the same choices or the same sacrifices I choose to make. But if you're in the US, and think you're stuck in an awful job, with no chance of escape for the next few decades, then you're doing life wrong. Learn to play the game.
(Score: 2) by bobthecimmerian on Monday September 10 2018, @05:50PM (1 child)
How can you afford your car and car insurance and fuel and maintenance? I still find your scenario absurd. What state? What kind of insurance policy do you have - is it through work? I'd seriously like an itemized breakdown of your budget, I find your numbers ludicrous.
(Score: 1) by khallow on Monday September 10 2018, @08:38PM
I bought the car used for about a third to quarter its original price (ten year old Nissan Versa, two years ago). Insurance, fuel, and maintenance just haven't been significant costs. I also have a cheap cell phone.
You've already got the great majority. I make more than minimum wage, but food, rent (and all utilities), and health insurance all is $700 per month. That's the key to it. With 180 hours of work at $7.25 and a quarter taken off for fed taxes (after the cost of room and board is taken out, I might add) and such, I would still be making $1000 per month roughly. $300 per month would leave more than enough for the remaining two big items in my budget, car and phone.
It's not be great income at minimum wage, but I could still save money. And the business I'm in has a lot of turnover. It's not difficult for someone who is willing to work hard to get positions that pay significantly above minimum wage. I've seen people go from entry level (currently pays I think $8.50 per hour for lowest hourly positions to $7.25 per hour for corresponding tipped position) to an assistant manager position over the course of a summer (it's seasonal work) or move to a better paying position.
While you probably have it figured out, I'm working seasonally in the tourism industry with a summer and winter season, usually about 9 months of work and 3 months downtime. But the company I'm with does have jobs at locations that are year round, should that ever become important to me.
The point of this exercise from my angle is not that everyone can or wants to work my particular niche market, but rather that these sorts of opportunities wouldn't exist in the first place, if the US really had that many desperate people looking for work. We get plenty of people each season who either never show or up and leave because they find something better elsewhere. The narrative is bogus.