My employer pays health insurance, and my daughter is covered till age 27.
^does your employer provide the group coverage which you (employee is covered) but spouse and children are priced as additional covered but with charges? Or are family members covered without additional costs. ie one employee expense is the same as all family member expense?
@Longprime When my son hit 25 and still in school, I bought a $2000 deductible plan for about $100 per month. The deal with group plans is that you pay for the whole group as a whole not a healthy single 25 year old. That’s why its cheaper. Interestingly, he did need surgery and the total bill was slightly under $2000 so I paid the whole thing. If it would have been $20K, I would have saved some money.
As far as the banks go, I’m really not an expert but the smaller banks weren’t necessarily the problem. But still, all they had to do was create the loan, then sell it to the feds in 30 days to get their money back and the fees for servicing the loans. So they really weren’t risking much or relying on the interest rate. The investment banks just had to take it to a new level.
Worse idea in the world to allow banks to be investment banks. I’m waiting for any serious effort from this administration to resolve this or it’ll happen again. Doesn’t matter which party started it, it was a bad idea.
What are the chances that a bi-partisan consensus can be reached here regarding shutting down the Federal Reserves printing presses? I for one feel that when the “liquidity” begins to flow inflation will be crippling but no one wants there name on the crash so both parties just allow the presses to keep churning out green backs and kicking the can down the road, hoping for some miracle.
@Rod
None. With all of the debt purchases that the FR has done to absorb USTreasury and bank assets, we have yet to see inflation, higher employment, or much housing improvement . Both Parties will prophetize and picture gloom and doom, but the facts show that we still have fundemental problems domestically and internationally.
@Rod Knox, " What are the chances that a bi-partisan consensus can be reached here regarding shutting down the Federal Reserves printing presses? "
I’m all in !
CSA
!
@Rod, I Just Read An Interesting Article By Scott S. Powell, Titled
" Commentary: Is an artificial economy sustainable? "
Scott contends that, " A sustainable economy requires that people have confidence that prices reflect true values and a viable future. The sooner Washington begins weaning itself from debt-enabled deficits and stimulus, the sooner the U.S. economy can start generating the dynamic growth that has previously been America’s legacy. "
CSA
The economy is affected by the middle class and it’s ability to buy and get involved in the economy. With out economic freedom, the overall economy will not grow. It works from the ground up.
Here is a list of the worlds largest employers. In the US, after the department of defense, companies like MacDonalds and Walmart lead the way. If they and companies like them don’t pay livable wages that allow all these people to participate, the economy won’t grow.
In order for that to happen, minimum wage must be raised and tied to the cost of living. It’s part of an overall strategy for increasing growth that’s accepted by economist with actual degrees, world wide.
Confidence is tied directly to the size and security of the paycheck you take home. No person can have faith in our economy when the pay check he takes home does not allow him to participate.
If the economy grew only by keeping middle class wages low in order to keep prices down as some old argue, why doesn’t working for pennies on the dollar or nothing make everyone prosperous ?
Most Jobs At A McDonalds (A Friend Of Mine Owns Several McD Restaurants) And Wal-Mart Are Not In Business To Provide Somebody With A Decent Living Wage.
They Provide Entry Level Jobs For People Just Starting Out, College Students, Second Jobs, Etcetera.
When one tries to make a career of flipping burgers or running a cash register they are setting themselves up for economic hard times. Raising minimum wage does not solve this misconception some people have.
We need these entry level jobs that don’t pay a living wage so that they’re available to People Just Starting Out, College Students, Or As Second Jobs.
Our little town has one each of both of these employers and they fill these niche just fine. The answer is to start out in one of these jobs and then advance within that business or get additional education that will allow other opportunities.
We personally know (everyody knows everybody around here) people who have had entry level jobs at the local businesses mentioned above (plus Holiday Station Stores) who started at low wage, worker hard, and are now managers and earning far more than minimum or who’ve been evabled to find better positions.
The market demand should set the wages, not government. It’s up to employees to earn a better wage, not just have it given to them.
CSA
Most Jobs At A McDonalds (A Friend Of Mine Owns Several McD Restaurants) And Wal-Mart Are Not In Business To Provide Somebody With A Decent Living Wage.
Dag wasn’t saying that…The FACT that they are the biggest employers and they don’t provide a livable wage. Back in the 70’s GE was the largest employer…Followed by companies like GM, AT&T, IBM, Ford, Chryco. All of them decent jobs that you could make a living.
When one tries to make a career of flipping burgers or running a cash register they are setting themselves up for economic hard times.
That’s where the jobs are. Middle class manufacturing jobs are almost gone in this country. You can’t run the economy on service jobs…I’ve been saying that for years.
The market demand should set the wages, not government. It's up to employees to earn a better wage, not just have it given to them.
You don’t understand what a world market is. It’s tough to compete with places like India and China where their yearly salary for many jobs won’t even pay one months rent here in the states. It’s very difficult to compete when there’s such a LARGE discrepancy in wages. Great for a companies short-term bottom line…but LOUSY for the US economy as a whole.
If the economy grew only by keeping middle class wages low in order to keep prices down as some old argue, why doesn't working for pennies on the dollar or nothing make everyone prosperous
It makes the WEALTHY prosperous. If you already have your money…then the BEST way to keep it is to lower the price of the goods you buy. Lower prices is GREAT for the short term for people in the lower and middle class…but not good in the long term because that means their wages are lower.
Everyone has a sense of morality. The difference is how the size of your moral circle. To a Hindu, it includes every living thing. To others, it gets no farther then their immediate family and a few friends. Disassociating our selves from other people allows us to constrict our moral circle to ony those we relate to.
Moral circles large enough to include those working at low paying jobs at least allows you to empathize with them. The average middle class wage earner is well within the moral circle of some and who believe that his success will help the rest. We are willing to share our tax dollars to that end. Some have a moral circle large enough to include immigrants here as well as the working poor. If that means raising the minimum wage for MacDonalds workers and Walmart greeters, so be it. .08 of $9 an hour to pay for healthcare they need, leaves more then .08 of $7.25 an hour.
It’s up to employees to earn more ? Huh ? They can just write their own pay checks? In the name of profits, corporations have very small moral circles.
Dag, a man who watches another man get mugged and does nothing is not free of guilt. But he is also not the mugger.
IMHO the republicans have done a pathetic job these past years. And yes, they too have succombed to the gravy train. As a very simple example, they are as guilty of recntly approving the $368M to keep the Senate barbershop open as the democrats are. The waste and irresponsible spending in the beltway is appalling, and they share the blame.
It's up to employees to earn more ? Huh ? They can just write their own pay checks? In the name of profits, corporations have very small moral circles.
I understand what CSA is saying. People have to take charge of their personal growth. And I agree with him to a point. I personally think the lowest of low should be able to earn a living to support a living. Not saying you will own a home or even buy a new car. But enough to live and support a family. The American dream of home ownership and 2 cars and 2.5 kids in every family is still alive…but you have to work for it…it’s not just given to you.
The problem is there aren’t a lot of jobs to move up into from the lowest paying jobs. Even a shift manager at McDonalds doesn’t make enough to support a family. At Wallmart…Only upper management makes enough to support a family. At a typical Wallmart…that’s MAYBE 4 employees. Other parts of the country it might be doable…But NOT in NH or MA where the cost of living is very high.
We have let the country’s leadership become engrossed with the stock ticker. There is far too much concern for pushing the Dow northward with no concern for the downward spiral of the working class. The smoke and mirrors used by the collaborators in the corporate/political scheme keep the scope of the “printing press prosperity” vague. But it seems that the Fed/Treasury/Banker clique have incrementally added liquidity to the economy with as little foresight as those who keep throwing $100 bills into slot machines looking for a jackpot. The casino (Dow) is so bright with all the bells and whistles and cheering and comped drinks that dropping the rent money in the slot is OK. Prosperity is just one pull away.
Our leaders are as derelict in their management of our finances as the gambling addicts. Sooner or later you run out of money and must walk out of that casino and find that soon to be repossessed BMW that is running on fumes with 4 bald tires and head home hoping that the lights and water are still on.
The BMW has been towed already and our credit rating has informed us that the lights and water are on their “final notice”.
" It’s up to employees to earn more ? Huh ? They can just write their own pay checks? In the name of profits, corporations have very small moral circles. "
Huh ? Earn more, not just get paid more.
That’s done by advancing one’s position. Others take more than one entry level job to earn more.
Example of both:
Recently, during 5 years of college, my son did both. In addition to being a full-time student he held four jobs. He earned enough to pay lodging, food, transportation, books, and other expenses. He worked in a computer repair facility, did bag-drop at a golf course, worked for a financial advisor, and was a dock worker at a marina. Bag-drop paid the best, very lucrative (Year-around it would be a living wage).
Does he still do entry-level work ? No. He has advanced. Some of the former employers want him back, though.
He earned his higher wages, not just got paid higher wages and has no regrets or ill feelings.
CSA
Hmmm. “But enough to live and support a family” Not to be unsympathetic at all by how could one earning only minimum wage expect to have a family to support? Isn’t this part of the problem? They should not have families unless they can be supported. I couldn’t support a family on my $1.65 an hour and waited until I did make more.
People should not be slaves and should be paid at least a minimum fee for their labor, but isn’t the crux of the issue that they should not have families yet??
People should not be slaves and should be paid at least a minimum fee for their labor, but isn't the crux of the issue that they should not have families yet??
there are people in their 40’s who make minimum wage.