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134. Making UNION wages in California, I could just afford a studio

Tue May 29, 2012, 11:30 PM

May 2012

True, it was in a very good area and I have cats and if I had looked more, I might have been able to find something bigger for the same price, but still.

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WOW: In No State Is a 40-Hour, Minimum Wage Work Week Enough to Afford a Two-Bedroom Apartment [View all] xchrom May 2012 OP

The answer is twofold. PDJane May 2012 #1

tax the renters? mopinko May 2012 #2

Renters pay tax. It's in the cost of the rent. SharonAnn May 2012 #11

That's right, it's an old RW lie they toss to divide people. freshwest May 2012 #129

Theoretically Coyote_Bandit May 2012 #157

Wow. Meanwhile, make sure the landlords don't have to kestrel91316 May 2012 #13

We already pay property taxes through out rents, thanks n/t Occulus May 2012 #26

The renters, not the rentees.......the property owner. And make sure he pays it, not the rentee. PDJane May 2012 #48

The landlord passes the costs through to the tenants. n/t lumberjack_jeff May 2012 #64

And you do this..... how? oldernwiser May 2012 #77

No, increasing the minimum wage does NOT increase costs of goods and services. Zoeisright May 2012 #112

Then were does the money to pay the increased wages come from? GreenStormCloud May 2012 #116

cuts in the profits a little bit. gejohnston May 2012 #122

Increases in minimum wage get spent, then spent again. The money multiplies almost like magic. tclambert May 2012 #124

The secret is to simultaneously increase income taxes, on investment income especially ArcticFox May 2012 #144

No one else see it because you are using kindergarten level economics MattBaggins May 2012 #155

1998 was my first year in Russia, they asked me about the US, I asked them about Russia HereSince1628 May 2012 #3

50% minimum OVERPAID01 May 2012 #125

Yahoo! Welcome to DU buckeroo. HereSince1628 May 2012 #133

More like chervilant May 2012 #154

Why would 1 wage earner need 2 bedrooms? Nuclear Unicorn May 2012 #4

Single parent of PotatoChip May 2012 #5

That's required by some landlords. freshwest May 2012 #130

Single mother. nt TBF May 2012 #6

That I'll mea culpa Nuclear Unicorn May 2012 #14

Yes - I thought of my sister right away. TBF May 2012 #37

Because in the US it's typical not to have everyone in a household sleep in the same room. HereSince1628 May 2012 #7

Thank you. JDPriestly May 2012 #19

Gulp..... dixiegrrrrl May 2012 #20

+1 stockholmer May 2012 #61

and because children are forever, while life-circumstances are always subject to change SoCalDem May 2012 #153

*facepalm* LeftyMom May 2012 #8

Perhaps that person has accumulated possessions? Egalitarian Thug May 2012 #10

Children. SharonAnn May 2012 #12

Let's see laundry_queen May 2012 #15

Storage and archives. Trillo May 2012 #16

Because the wage-earner has an invalid mother or a teenaged son. JDPriestly May 2012 #17

don't forget about couples with only one wage earner fizzgig May 2012 #53

One bedroom to sleep in, and another as a shrine to military heroes DisgustipatedinCA May 2012 #67

... quinnox May 2012 #145

Their sacrifice made it all possible! JVS May 2012 #146

I'm not sure a person can afford a two bedroom rent by themselves with a college degree. dkf May 2012 #9

The government props up housing values for the same reason it subsidizes JDPriestly May 2012 #21

The government does offer subsidized housing or public housing. Selatius May 2012 #44

Rather instead that government stopped depressing wage earnings which are still insufficient.. Fumesucker May 2012 #22

How does government "depress" wages? dkf May 2012 #33

By allowing the velocity of money through the financial system to drop too low.. Fumesucker May 2012 #110

I can't even afford a ONE bedroom apartment in New York smirkymonkey May 2012 #60

Yes. It's ridiculous. dkf May 2012 #85

Minimum wagers never get to work full time longship May 2012 #18

No. jeff47 May 2012 #23

Depends on your classification nowdays. dixiegrrrrl May 2012 #24

no, you are correct dana_b May 2012 #40

Sorry to point out the glaring facts, but: Indydem May 2012 #25

My rent for a 2 bedroom apartment in a very old house (no grounded outlets!) is $615. Occulus May 2012 #27

There are a lot of factors that play into rent. Indydem May 2012 #29

more than 10 years ago is my guess... We renters are all downsizing now to smaller places, paying m robinlynne May 2012 #32

I rented from 2004-2007 Indydem May 2012 #56

Could you please elaborate a bit on those factors? davidthegnome May 2012 #38

Rents in rural ME are VERY affordable--of course, the jobs are few and far between. nt MADem May 2012 #148

more than 20 years ago is my guess pscot May 2012 #42

My rent for a two bedroom one bath in a home built in 1927 abelenkpe May 2012 #49

Just Hold On A Minute YOHABLO May 2012 #31

No, I didn't. Indydem May 2012 #35

food for 30.00 a week for oe person is impossible, even sticking to spaghetti and eggs. robinlynne May 2012 #104

IF those are options Daalalou May 2012 #158

?? your calculations are off dana_b May 2012 #45

They can't. nt abelenkpe May 2012 #50

I used the OP Indydem May 2012 #55

No. PotatoChip May 2012 #70

where I live, in los angeles, a one bedroom is a lot more than 1200! I ahve rent control, and they a robinlynne May 2012 #105

Might want to factor in childcare costs (among other things) PotatoChip May 2012 #69

You really should have read more carefully, as you completely missed the facts Egalitarian Thug May 2012 #73

The graphic is wrong Indydem May 2012 #82

This came out over a month ago (apparently it didn't find it's way here) and I have. Egalitarian Thug May 2012 #87

The numbers are bullshit. Indydem May 2012 #90

If you have no interest in learning, but merely want to argue, Egalitarian Thug May 2012 #92

Those numbers are from your links. Indydem May 2012 #94

Good gravy, the median income of all renters has no implied relationship to Bluenorthwest May 2012 #102

If you have 2 bedrooms, don't you have 2 wage earners? Either spouses with kids, or roommates? Honeycombe8 May 2012 #111

No, sometimes you're a single wage earner with kids. Zoeisright May 2012 #113

It's a long wait to get Sec 8 housing, like 2 years. Honeycombe8 Jun 2012 #161

You are a (unprintable) (unprintable). Who are you.... Mitt Romney's mouthpiece? TalkingDog May 2012 #150

I left Boston because of that Warpy May 2012 #28

Word! pscot May 2012 #43

of course. robinlynne May 2012 #30

a new world awaits you in the offworld colonies datasuspect May 2012 #34

Was it ever? n/t JHB May 2012 #36

Old new is old Harmony Blue May 2012 #39

A solution to the housing problem is what I did. RebelOne May 2012 #41

You are in a smaller town, perhaps? dixiegrrrrl May 2012 #51

I am just northwest of Atlanta and my town is considered RebelOne May 2012 #75

Does a student's first job have to be enough for him to get a 2BR apt? thesquanderer May 2012 #46

Not all minimum wage workers are 2/4-year degree students that just graduated. haele May 2012 #58

True, not all minimum wage earners are people starting out, but... thesquanderer May 2012 #131

Expecting it? Nope. davidthegnome May 2012 #59

the point thesquanderer May 2012 #132

Republicans WIN!.... Evasporque May 2012 #47

Repubs see no problem in that n2doc May 2012 #52

Has there ever been a time when minimum wage was sufficient to rent a 2-bedroom apartment everywhere slackmaster May 2012 #54

30 Days: Minimum Wage dana_b May 2012 #57

I loved Spurlock and this series. flvegan May 2012 #121

But if we get rid of the minimum wage, businesses will add jobs, and everyone AllyCat May 2012 #62

Think of the jobs that people will get evicting people who can't pay the rent. JVS May 2012 #147

What I want to know is why isn't housing Mairead May 2012 #63

Because the Kings of Europe were granted ownership of the earth, by God Himself, Egalitarian Thug May 2012 #74

How many, d'you reckon, think that's a good enough reason? Mairead May 2012 #86

I can only guess that not enough have thought it through, or if they have, Egalitarian Thug May 2012 #91

IMO, not all jobs should earn living wages. OneTenthofOnePercent May 2012 #65

You're either very old or have been living under that rock for too long. Egalitarian Thug May 2012 #76

That's not what I said. The point I am stating is... OneTenthofOnePercent May 2012 #101

Then those jobs don't really need doing.. Fumesucker May 2012 #118

Try reading this book. Egalitarian Thug May 2012 #120

Excellent suggestion. Everyone should read that book. PotatoChip May 2012 #149

Be clear initially and people won't jump on you for making an.... MindMover May 2012 #128

"The value of labor a person provides....." Tsiyu May 2012 #138

Yeah. I've heard that argument before. Iris May 2012 #84

I have no problem with raising minimum wage... employees rights should be protected. OneTenthofOnePercent May 2012 #97

and therein lies the crux of the problem oldernwiser May 2012 #88

Bingo - yours might be the most succinct description of the problem I've ever heard: OneTenthofOnePercent May 2012 #100

In Europe Harmony Blue May 2012 #93

Yeah ... and how are some of those countries doing (fiscally) nowadays? OneTenthofOnePercent May 2012 #99

That has to be the dumbest post I've read on this board in years. Zoeisright May 2012 #114

What do you suggest, oh wise one? OneTenthofOnePercent May 2012 #115

Point well made oldernwiser May 2012 #119

Wow... (nt) harmonicon May 2012 #139

This can be worked around Daalalou May 2012 #159

Interesting and progressive work around to this problem... I like it. OneTenthofOnePercent May 2012 #160

Wages are not keeping up with the cost of living. lumberjack_jeff May 2012 #66

yep lovuian May 2012 #71

I think the basic point was lost in the rent vs. wages discussion. lumberjack_jeff May 2012 #72

That's not to say that rents aren't too high. harmonicon May 2012 #142

He was wrong. harmonicon May 2012 #140

k&r n/t RainDog May 2012 #68

I must be missing something: 40hrs x $7.25 x 4 = $1160 aikoaiko May 2012 #78

you know that was the title of the article -- so why you said xchrom -- well, i can guess. xchrom May 2012 #79

That's not even their take home pay. After taxes, they'd take home roughly $940/month. smokey nj May 2012 #80

+1 sarcasmo May 2012 #126

I agree, that 40 hours a week is not enough to live on for very long (did you not read that?). aikoaiko May 2012 #81

Yes you are. The poster put up the graphic for a two-bedroom, not a one. Egalitarian Thug May 2012 #89

Yep and it's been that way for some time. Iris May 2012 #83

What percentage of households are making minimum wage, with single earners? geek_sabre May 2012 #95

Mine is now. I was earning 40 or 50,000 per year (gross) 8 years ago. robinlynne May 2012 #106

Next time you go to a restaurant, Curmudgeoness May 2012 #108

Me. I have a child and part-time $7.50/hr work. CottonBear May 2012 #152

Dr Ehrenreich exposed that shortfall Mairead May 2012 #96

K & R !!! WillyT May 2012 #98

They need to stop calling it "minimum wage" and call it what it really is: Brooklyn Dame May 2012 #103

I think it's below what someone can subsist on. (nt) harmonicon May 2012 #143

That is why so many families have two bread winners. McCamy Taylor May 2012 #107

Duh. Everyone knows that. It only happens in the movies. valerief May 2012 #109

The Rent Is Too Damn High! DotGone May 2012 #117

The best example of why so many twenty and thirty somethings are still living at home. sarcasmo May 2012 #123

Too true. n/t HCE SuiGeneris May 2012 #136

I was a college grad working as a consultant and couln't afford a 2bd taught_me_patience May 2012 #127

Making UNION wages in California, I could just afford a studio REP May 2012 #134

And so it goes, HCE SuiGeneris May 2012 #135

Western MA here... I pay $500 a month for 1/6th of a house. Fearless May 2012 #137

Slave labor is not a very well kept secret. Try arguing a livable wage and see what it gets you. lonestarnot May 2012 #141

Most jobs these days are considered "full time" with 30-35 hours IF you can get that many SoCalDem May 2012 #151

Sadly, this has been true for some time dash_bannon May 2012 #156