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posted by n1 on Thursday June 05 2014, @11:18AM   Printer-friendly
from the will-code-for-gold dept.

The NYT reports that in a unanimous vote, the Seattle City Council went where no big-city lawmakers have gone before, raising the local minimum wage to $15 an hour, more than double the federal minimum, and pushing Seattle to the forefront of urban efforts to address income inequality. "Even before the Great Recession a lot of us have started to have doubt and concern about the basic economic promise that underpins economic life in the United States," says Council Member Sally J. Clark. "Today Seattle answers that challenge." High-tech, fast-growing Seattle, population 634,535, is home to Amazon.com, Zillow, and Starbucks. It also has more than 100,000 workers whose incomes are insufficient to support their families, according to city figures and around 14% of Seattle's population lives below the poverty level. Some business owners have questioned the proposal saying that the city's booming economy is creating an illusion of permanence. "We're living in this bubble of Amazon, but that's not going to go on," says businessman Tom Douglas. "There's going to be some terrific price inflation."

 
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  • (Score: 3, Insightful) by jasassin on Thursday June 05 2014, @11:36AM

    by jasassin (3566) <jasassin@gmail.com> on Thursday June 05 2014, @11:36AM (#51590) Homepage Journal

    Ok. In USA you need to make at least 11.5 thousand dollars a year to qualify for healthcare. That gives you the bronze plan. If you are 18 with no parents you MUST make at least 11.5 a year or you pay a $95US fine, because without the subsidies that come over 11.5 insurance is double your salary. Fuck you Obama. Fuck you.

    --
    jasassin@gmail.com GPG Key ID: 0xE6462C68A9A3DB5A
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  • (Score: -1, Flamebait) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday June 05 2014, @11:45AM

    by Anonymous Coward on Thursday June 05 2014, @11:45AM (#51598)

    Good luck finding a job in the Obama-nation, where job postings are faked to keep HR busy. You can apply, you can even go to an interview, but check with HR later and you will be told that no, no one was actually hired. HR are very very careful to indemnify themselves against lawsuits for fraud, because fraud is their business.

  • (Score: 5, Insightful) by dublet on Thursday June 05 2014, @12:05PM

    by dublet (2994) on Thursday June 05 2014, @12:05PM (#51615)

    I know, right. How dare he not want cancer to bankrupt someone AND kill them? How dare the government care for it's citizens and ensure they don't get financially crippled when, through no fault of their own, they get an illness of some sort? How dare the president of the USA do this thing?

    • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday June 05 2014, @12:10PM

      by Anonymous Coward on Thursday June 05 2014, @12:10PM (#51620)

      Except for Obamacare is too expensive. As an American, I can only afford Reagancare.

    • (Score: 2) by Oligonicella on Thursday June 05 2014, @12:10PM

      by Oligonicella (4169) on Thursday June 05 2014, @12:10PM (#51621)

      How dare he force the VA down everyone's throats?

      • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday June 05 2014, @12:14PM

        by Anonymous Coward on Thursday June 05 2014, @12:14PM (#51623)

        You jealous bro? Should have volunteered to serve Obama. He takes care of his homies.

        • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday June 05 2014, @01:38PM

          by Anonymous Coward on Thursday June 05 2014, @01:38PM (#51660)

          lshmsfoaidmt

    • (Score: 1, Troll) by khallow on Thursday June 05 2014, @02:05PM

      by khallow (3766) Subscriber Badge on Thursday June 05 2014, @02:05PM (#51679) Journal

      And the only cost for all this wonderful care and concern is the future of the US.

      • (Score: 3, Informative) by hoochiecoochieman on Thursday June 05 2014, @03:22PM

        by hoochiecoochieman (4158) on Thursday June 05 2014, @03:22PM (#51736)

        Wow, I didn't know the US were so weak that their future is compromised by creating something that all other developed countries already have.

        I guess you know something we don't. Maybe we're all too stupid and only you right-wing Americans are smart. If we could only be as smart as you guys we could have a Third-World-class healthcare system [wikipedia.org] which is also by far the most expensive in the world [wikipedia.org]! Now, who would want to change such a wonderful thing?

        • (Score: 2) by khallow on Thursday June 05 2014, @09:14PM

          by khallow (3766) Subscriber Badge on Thursday June 05 2014, @09:14PM (#51914) Journal

          by creating something that all other developed countries already have.

          Ok, here's something I know which you apparently don't. Obamacare didn't create something which all other developed countries have. There are huge dynamics more or less unique to the US system for driving up health care costs such as employer-based health insurance, massive health insurance subsidies which insulate a huge class of people from the cost of their health care, and built-in bailouts for insurance companies who gamble too much. Sure, it might be nice to implement one of these other health care systems and save some money, but that didn't happen.

          Another thing which I know which you apparently don't is that every developed world country has problems with rapidly growing health care costs and unfavorable demographic trends. The US just happens to be the worst of the lot by a bunch. But everyone else will be facing these same issues in time and no doubt, making similar bad choices.

    • (Score: 1, Flamebait) by jasassin on Thursday June 05 2014, @08:54PM

      by jasassin (3566) <jasassin@gmail.com> on Thursday June 05 2014, @08:54PM (#51907) Homepage Journal

      I know, right. How dare he not want cancer to bankrupt someone AND kill them? How dare the government care for it's citizens and ensure they don't get financially crippled when, through no fault of their own, they get an illness of some sort? How dare the president of the USA do this thing?

      OK smartass I'll bite. So you believe fining people who make less than 11.5 thousand a year is the answer to a monetary deficiency? If that's what you truly believe, you are just as fucked as Obama. Dumb fuckhead.

      --
      jasassin@gmail.com GPG Key ID: 0xE6462C68A9A3DB5A
  • (Score: 2) by Sir Garlon on Thursday June 05 2014, @01:15PM

    by Sir Garlon (1264) on Thursday June 05 2014, @01:15PM (#51646)

    If you're over 18 with no parents and making less than 11.5K a year, then you can apply for a hardship exemption [healthcare.gov], dumbass.

    --
    [Sir Garlon] is the marvellest knight that is now living, for he destroyeth many good knights, for he goeth invisible.
    • (Score: 1) by meisterister on Thursday June 05 2014, @11:53PM

      by meisterister (949) on Thursday June 05 2014, @11:53PM (#51974) Journal

      Why does someone even need an exemption? Why can't we either move to price caps or a socialized system, like every other developed country?

      Trying to solve the mess that we have with a massive kludge really isn't going to help much.

      --
      (May or may not have been) Posted from my K6-2, Athlon XP, or Pentium I/II/III.
  • (Score: 2) by Thexalon on Thursday June 05 2014, @02:04PM

    by Thexalon (636) on Thursday June 05 2014, @02:04PM (#51678)

    In USA you need to make at least 11.5 thousand dollars a year to qualify for healthcare.

    If you are a single person with an annual income of less than 133% of the federal poverty line (currently $15521.10 a year), then you are eligible for Medicaid, and do not pay the penalty.

    --
    "Think of how stupid the average person is. Then realize half of 'em are stupider than that." - George Carlin
    • (Score: 1) by compro01 on Thursday June 05 2014, @02:32PM

      by compro01 (2515) on Thursday June 05 2014, @02:32PM (#51692)

      If you are a single person with an annual income of less than 133% of the federal poverty line (currently $15521.10 a year), then you are eligible for Medicaid, and do not pay the penalty.

      Only if you live in a state that accepted the medicaid expansion, which is only about half of them.

      • (Score: 2) by Sir Garlon on Thursday June 05 2014, @03:06PM

        by Sir Garlon (1264) on Thursday June 05 2014, @03:06PM (#51724)

        Only if you live in a state that accepted the medicaid expansion, which is only about half of them.

        And somehow that is Obama's fault, I'm sure.

        --
        [Sir Garlon] is the marvellest knight that is now living, for he destroyeth many good knights, for he goeth invisible.
        • (Score: 2) by jasassin on Thursday June 05 2014, @09:26PM

          by jasassin (3566) <jasassin@gmail.com> on Thursday June 05 2014, @09:26PM (#51917) Homepage Journal

          And somehow that is Obama's fault, I'm sure.

          Maybe, maybe not, but it is the way it is... and Obama is commander in chief.

          --
          jasassin@gmail.com GPG Key ID: 0xE6462C68A9A3DB5A
          • (Score: 2) by monster on Friday June 06 2014, @10:07AM

            by monster (1260) on Friday June 06 2014, @10:07AM (#52146) Journal

            Commander in chief != Emperor

            The POTUS has indeed some margin to do stuff, but drafting most legislation is the sole jurisdiction of Congress and Senate, Obama just has the option to veto it (and even his veto can be overturned).

      • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday June 05 2014, @03:08PM

        by Anonymous Coward on Thursday June 05 2014, @03:08PM (#51727)

        So don't live in one of the stupid states. I thought that was the whole point of America, you can move freely between the states and they are supposed to be competing with each other.

        • (Score: 2) by jasassin on Friday June 06 2014, @12:57AM

          by jasassin (3566) <jasassin@gmail.com> on Friday June 06 2014, @12:57AM (#51994) Homepage Journal

          I thought that was the whole point of America, you can move freely between the states and they are supposed to be competing with each other.

          I don't think you grasp the concept of the United States of America. We leave each other alone unless they try to gank our bank. But we do rifle the barrels and machine the bolts.

          --
          jasassin@gmail.com GPG Key ID: 0xE6462C68A9A3DB5A
          • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday June 06 2014, @02:55AM

            by Anonymous Coward on Friday June 06 2014, @02:55AM (#52034)

            Yea, exactally. Your a states rights kinda country who dont want the feds messin' with ya stuff. And if your state does something stupid compared to other states, just move to a sensible state. Eventually when the better ideas get the kinks worked out the feds can implement the best solution for the country. You know, competition of ideas.

            If your state/city goes bankrupt or everyone dies because they have no healthcare the other states/cities benefit from the sensible people realising what's happening and leaving for greener pastures. Stupid people of course will hold those bibles and guns closer and get angry when all the other cities/states leave them behind.

  • (Score: 2) by isostatic on Thursday June 05 2014, @03:29PM

    by isostatic (365) on Thursday June 05 2014, @03:29PM (#51742) Journal

    Right, so what happens if you don't have healthcare? You get hit by a bus and you're left to rot at the side of the road?