General Discussion

Mr.Bee

(1,596 posts) Sun Nov 2, 2025, 06:11 PM Nov 2

219

Of Course Americans are BROKE [View all]

It's been an ongoing Republicant project.

FDR's concept of the minimum wage was to establish a "living wage" that protected workers from exploitation and increased their purchasing power to stimulate the economy. He believed businesses paying less than a decent wage had no right to exist and that the minimum wage should be enough for a "decent living," not just bare subsistence. This led to the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938.

Check the record: the minimum wage was raised every single year to keep up with the cost of living.

That is, until 1980, when it was frozen for nine years.

The 1990 increase didn't keep up.
Second unprecedented minimum wage FREEZE 10 years during Clinton/Bush.
Third unprecedented minimum wage FROZEN since 2009!

2009. The minimum wage has now been frozen SIXTEEN years.

Now when you consider the transfer of wealth to employers and corporations for a total of 35 years of people not being paid a living wage, of course CEOs are rich. Not to mention raising the cost of every item households depend on.

52 replies

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Of Course Americans are BROKE [View all] Mr.Bee Nov 2 OP

Thank you for the data. yellow dahlia Nov 2 #1

Hiding In Plain Sight Mr.Bee Nov 2 #2

My MAGA relatives would say, Diamond_Dog Nov 2 #3

I would tell them Mr.Bee Nov 2 #6

Well, you can imagine how they feel about FDR. Diamond_Dog Nov 2 #11

Did any of them ever stop to think Diamond_Dog Nov 2 #22

I certainly heard that line many times over the years in markodochartaigh Nov 2 #17

EVER SINCE REAGAN, (actually HWBush's CABAL) popsdenver Nov 3 #49

++++1000 Diamond_Dog Nov 3 #50

If the Republicans continue popsdenver Nov 3 #51

Median wage has been stagnant relative to productivity for 45 years. pat_k Nov 2 #4

Please supply reference links. Not disputing your excerpts, but backup documentation is needed. erronis Nov 2 #7

Oh! I beg pardon- Mr.Bee Nov 2 #9

World Economic Forum, Capital in the 21st Century, pat_k Nov 2 #10

Thank you! erronis Nov 2 #15

They've been stealing from us for decades Mr.Bee Nov 2 #12

FWIW pat_k Nov 2 #14

Regarding weakening of unions and tax law that facilitated concentration of wealth: pat_k Nov 2 #13

Republicans always talk about "redistribution of wealth". markodochartaigh Nov 2 #19

Yes, R's have been hellbent on systematically "redistributing wealth" from the hands of the many to the hands of the few pat_k Nov 2 #23

Why don't the labor unions understand these charts and data? FakeNoose Nov 3 #40

Sadly, a great deal of damage had been done by '60. pat_k Nov 3 #41

That also means that the current business model Javaman Nov 2 #5

FDR's concept of the minimum wage: Mr.Bee Nov 2 #8

And, policies that concentrate wealth in the hands of the few at the expense of the many make for a very fragile economy pat_k Nov 2 #18

I very much concur Metaphorical Nov 3 #34

And who was in charge then? Oh yeah Ronald Reagan. Initech Nov 2 #16

Yes he certainly did. Diamond_Dog Nov 2 #20

Ronald Reagan was elected president in 1980 KS Toronado Nov 2 #21

Must do more than raise the minimum wage. Inheritance tax, wealth tax, capital gains taxed higher than labor and... pat_k Nov 2 #24

Oh there's a ton of stuff we need to get done and quickly. KS Toronado Nov 2 #32

My big worry is that too few of our electeds are out there advocating for the big stuff. pat_k Nov 3 #33

A tax on spending rather than income Metaphorical Nov 3 #35

Should be at least $30 per hour MichMan Nov 2 #31

Seattle's minimum wage is 20.76 and will increase to 21.30 1/1/26 pat_k Nov 3 #42

The minimum wage as established in 1938 was 25 cents per hour MichMan Nov 2 #25

But did it have the same purchasing power? leftstreet Nov 2 #27

In 1957, J. Paul Getty was worth $2-4 billion dpibel Nov 2 #30

Raygun made munimum wage political southmost Nov 2 #26

K&R Bayard Nov 2 #28

Big corps worked to keep prices down and wages low. Klarkashton Nov 2 #29

That goes back HarryM Nov 3 #36

So glad you pointed this out. cer7711 Nov 3 #37

Minimum wage should have been indexed to inflation like Social Security. n/t Buttoneer Nov 3 #38

From the comercial. "I was drowning in debt." Hotler Nov 3 #39

TOP TEN COUNTRIES of Minimum wage chouchou Nov 3 #43

K&R BlueWavePsych Nov 3 #44

"republicans"... Godot51 Nov 3 #45

When You Say 'Republicans' Mr.Bee Nov 3 #46

"... until 1980, when it was frozen for nine years." Grins Nov 3 #47

The last Increase Before Reagan Mr.Bee Nov 3 #48

In 2025 Mr.Bee Nov 4 #52