Thread: SENATOR BERNIE SANDERS (I-VT) “WHY SHOULD TAXPAYERS SUBSIDIZE STARVATION WAGES?”

Should Bernie just be going after Walmart? Or, should he be going after all the companies that are employing illegal immigrants and doing the same thing? Perhaps just going after Walmart is the political agenda and letting other big companies that work illegals gets a political pass.

SENATOR BERNIE SANDERS (I-VT) “WHY SHOULD TAXPAYERS SUBSIDIZE STARVATION WAGES?”

22 hours ago | US | Posted by Sonya Sandage

• January 18, 2014

During a Congressional panel discussion on Thursday, Indpendent Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont blasted the Walton family for what he sees as their tax-subsidized fortune. He contends that they maintain their status as some of the wealthiest people in the world by paying poverty wages to their 1.4 Million US employees. He states the taxpayers are left paying for the rest for the workers and their families with taxpayer subsidized Medicaid, food stamps, housing, and other government benefits.

Sanders was calling into question whether its morally or ethically right for a massively wealthy and profitable company to have such high rates of full times employees on government assistance. He says the discussion about income inequality inside the Beltway are divorced from reality, and that the lobbyists and representatives for these large corporations are getting rich off fighting for corporations that hoard the earnings of the labor for just the executives and board of directors, as well as shareholders. Sanders said in the 1950’s the average working class wage was (today’s equivalent of) $37/hour.

He said today the average wage is $8.80, with the net result of exploding rates of poverty and workers needing help just to pay their bills and raise their children.

Sanders said there are more people living in poverty today than in the history of the US. This is likely due to big boxes stores and mega-corporations running the small mom & pops stores out of business, the ones that populated every neighborhood into the 1970’s, where wealth stayed in the town. Now with mega-corporations, the labor is extracted from a town the benefits don’t go right back reinvested into the neighborhood, they get moved out to the shareholders that are in other parts of the country, or other parts of the world. Sanders nearly edges into the idea that shareholders at the mega-corporations that exploit workers are similar to a modernized slave owner. The shareholder and executives of the corporation own the labor whereas the laborer just barely subsists for their 40 hours per week.

Sanders goes on to say between 2009 and 2012, 95% of all new income generated went to the 1%. He also says the top 1% owns 38% of the nation’s wealth.

The bottom 60% of people own 2.3% of the entire nation’s wealth. He asks the panel if this makes moral or economic sense. He asks is it okay that one family (The Waltons) own more wealth than the bottom 40% of the American people. He also says the Walton family is the wealthiest family in America, and yet they are the biggest recipient of welfare in the US due to the taxpayer covering the gap on their employees needs.

The Walton’s are reportedly worth $100 Billion. They are the largest employer in America.

Senator Sanders posted his panel discussion to YouTube. There is much more in the less than 7 minute clip, check it out here and tell us what you think and feel about the issue.

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http://benswann.com/senator-bernie-sanders-i-vt-why-should-taxpayers-subsidize-starvation-wages/

This should apply across the board to all business, taxpayers have enough burden as is without adding millions more so the business community can have cheap/slave labor and continue to sell poor quality products at inflated prices while the top of the pyramid makes a fortune those of us in the middle and bottom suffer, enough is enough.

If sanders is so "pro American worker" they why the heck does he keep supporting every amnesty bill that comes up?

He does make a good point, but that is part of what happens with a free market economy.

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He does make a good point, but that is part of what happens with a free market economy.

Sadly we do no have a free market economy mostly it's rigged to produce money for the wealthy, please don't misunderstand I'm a firm believer in capitalism but it must be governed/ruled with morals, and love of country many business people no longer follow that thinking, and if they continue with the idea of profit at any cost to country then you shove the working class into socialism or communism as we see happening now, it's only a matter of time if we continue on our current path. Daily we become weaker in world power much in part due to greedy business/government leaders shipping jobs around the world while importing every third world person they can find, simply makes no sense other then to believe they want a rich/poor society.

Originally Posted by oldguy

Sadly we do no have a free market economy mostly it's rigged to produce money for the wealthy, please don't misunderstand I'm a firm believer in capitalism but it must be governed/ruled with morals, and love of country many business people no longer follow that thinking, and if they continue with the idea of profit at any cost to country then you shove the working class into socialism or communism as we see happening now, it's only a matter of time if we continue on our current path. Daily we become weaker in world power much in part due to greedy business/government leaders shipping jobs around the world while importing every third world person they can find, simply makes no sense other then to believe they want a rich/poor society.

Very good point also I am along the lines of that thinking. It is ironic to the masses can be led to socialism though and elect a disgrace like Obama.

Walmarts fortune is not based on min wage laws because they pay crap wages. Its due to how much market they have along with all their goods are made overseas for slave wages.

Min wage pays crap though which is true. But those who fill min wage jobs historically are the failures of society who drop out of HS, don't plan for their financial future, and don't even think first. Min wage workers do NOT deserve more, they are their own failures. However its the governments fault for letting all the better jobs go overseas which push middle class and lower class workers into min wage jobs. That's again not walmarts fault but a failed government. You can't blame a business for wanting to make money or higher profits, you blame the government who's supposed to stand above in the middle between the worker and the business protecting both equally.

Further raising min wage doesn't do a damn thing but make it worse. Everytime min wage increases the cost of goods increases more then min wage which just means min wage workers have less spending power. Prices will always stay just barely affordable for min wage workers for basics and to high for luxuries (sadly many luxuries are called basics today as well). The way to fix it is more jobs for advancement of those working in min wage jobs for those who can excel and show they are better then the dead bottom of the barrel. That means bringing jobs back and putting forth things like tariffs once more on foreign goods made in labor abuse countries to even the playing field. NOT by raising min wage or punishing business's.

I think the larger point is that the immigration reform being pushed, amnesty and an increase in work visas to meet the supposed shortage of STEM workers, courtesy of Mark Zuckerberg, is that large businesses want to import cheap labor. Their claim is that there are not enough American workers to fill the jobs. What they mean is they don't want to pay a living wage to American workers. By importing cheap labor through amnesty and a generous work visa program, wages will be driven to rock bottom. Our Congress and our President are supporting and facilitating the US race to the bottom.

It seems to me to be part of a larger scheme originally initiated by President Cllinton. He signed NAFTA into law and now some members of Congress and the White House are working on fast tracking the TPP (Trans Pacific Partnership). That "partnership" along with amnesty will be the nails in the coffins of US workers. The TPP will be "NAFTA on steroids." Both the TPP and amnesty need to be stopped by the American public. They are two sides of the same coin. Multi-national corporations want to send American jobs overseas and import cheap labor for the jobs that remain. I call and email my representatives in the House and the Senate incessantly. I don't know if it has any impact, but I am not willing to lie down and play dead to the Mark Zuckerbergs and La Raza members pushing their agendas. I will fight back.

Multi-national corporations want to send American jobs overseas and import cheap labor for the jobs that remain. I call and email my representatives in the House and the Senate incessantly. I don't know if it has any impact, but I am not willing to lie down and play dead to the Mark Zuckerbergs and La Raza members pushing their agendas. I will fight back.

The above is true one reason in a sense a 4 year degree will produce little in today's market, sadly if everyone today had a degree it would simply mean Walmart/Lowe's/Home Depot/McDonald's would have a better educated workforce anyone remaining without a degree would be on welfare. Our systems is simply rigged via government and wealthy business owners to cut out the middle class worker. Until those in power admit or recognize that the middle class is doomed.