What is the market value of a fast food worker?

St. Louis Post-Dispatch ^ | 7/30/2013 | St. Louis Post-Dispatch

[FrankR]

I wonder where Guam-tipper Hank Johnson thinks he exudes so much influence...he’s the laughing stock of the country, and dumb as a rock.

[Cyclone59]

Doneshia needs to look around at her co-workers. The average age is not that of a high school or college age kid, it is more of a 30 to 40 something who didn’t value education. I had to explain that to my students who were complaining that there are no jobs out there for them. She also needs to realize that raising siblings is not her responsibility - although I praise her for stepping up and doing the best she can.

[EBH]

At “Burger King” these people don’t even have to know when to flip the burger, all they need to know is how to place them on a conveyor belt. But those who assemble the burgers have to know how to read just a little in order to put the correct items on the burger that the customer asked for.

I don't even think reading is required anymore. I was recently at a Mr. Hero and they had picto-graphs posted of each sandwich and how to assemble them!

[from occupied ga]

Seriously, he drags down the average I.Q. of the protestors.

I dunno. He's the elected representative of the black gerrymandered Democratic district mostly in DeKalb county because he DOES represent the views and intelligence of the majority of the voters there.

[Soul of the South]

The wealthiest person in my community owns several McDonalds franchises. He also owns the largest house and interests in other local businesses. He started working for McDonalds part time when he was 16 years old and full time when he was 18. Through hard work he moved up to store manager, saved his money, and bought a franchise. As additional franchises became available he bought them with the cash flow he saved from the original store. He is married and has a beautiful family with model children. He is admired by his white neighbors.

This man is African American and he grew up in a poor family in a bad neighborhood. He could not afford to go to college. His entire story demonstrates the progressive story line about minorities is a lie:

1) Hard work can pay off.
2) There can be a future and decent living in fast food for those who apply themselves and produce.
3) It isn’t necessary to be a college graduate to be successful in America.
4) Poor black people can work their way out of the ghetto without affirmative action. In fact they can do it on their own.
5) Behavior does make a difference.
6) A positive attitude instead of a victim mentality is everything
7) Whites are not inherently racist.

[ßuddaßudd]

Its sad that these people werent taught much about vaulue and what an education could mean from their parent(s)...

[muir_redwoods]

With reasonable respect for libery and individual freedom, what do you imagine would be the mechanism for keeping those jobs here?

[from occupied ga]

he’s the laughing stock of the country

Only those with an IQ over 80. Those who voted for 0bama don't think he's an idiot.

[HiTech RedNeck]

Socialism’s failures should have showed everyone that such arbitrary numbers games in the market just clogged it up and made it unable to deliver consistently. Why do they think the surrounding realities differ any more here? They’re buying lies, including apparently the lie that it isn’t worth digging a bit to get the truth.

[babygene]

Thanks for your post Bert...

[cdcdawg]

I have a feeling that the income of Doneshia and her sister isn’t what’s really paying the bills for that family. Just going with my gut on this. I’d also bet that there’s a game console and flat screen tv in the home, and that nobody is suffering from malnourishment, or anything close to it. That said, I do commend her for at least being employed, though she’s complaining about it.

[monocle]

Punish success. The left knows with absolute certainty that all businesses are created with the sole goal of paying all employees $50/hr. regardless of what they contribute.

[IbJensen]

I went on to school after High School, but many of my classmates went directly into the job market. They were far more advanced in learning than those that tumble out of government schools today.

After all, they could read, write and had a great understanding of their history.

[Sir Napsalot]

Please don't take this lightly, or think and argue like sane persons.

Think Progress came up with the "An extra 68 cents per Big Mac at McDonald's will double the wages and benefits for all its workers including the manager." calculation. ..... "according to a new report by the University of Kansas."(source)

How can we not solve the dire economic plights of these poor people by a simple 68 cents?

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[PGR88]

At some point relatively soon, 90% of these jobs will be done by computers and robots.

The irony is that greater productivity and use of robots and computers will mean a greater ability of society to support more inefficiency in other areas, such as a larger unemployed, unproductive, uneducated class.

On a different but related topic, it also means a larger state sector - more production means that taxes can grow and the FED can print more money. The average worker will not see the benefits of productivity in terms of higher real wages - that will be siphoned off to support a larger state sector.

[wbill]

i’d close, and notify all employees that i am closing until 100% of them....

That happened some time ago back home with a fairly large trucking company called Fox and Ginn.

Their truckers (who were doing pretty darn well at the time, if memory serves) threatened to strike. Company owner said "If you go on strike, I close down the business."

Truckers said "You don't have the (guts)." and struck. Owner shut the company's doors, that day. Kaput. Tout Finis.

Interestingly, I just googled "Fox and Ginn" and they're now a moving company. Looks like they're based in the same location. Can't be the same owners; they'd be long since retired (or passed away).....wonder if its their kids?

[silverleaf]

LOL! Doneisha is 19 and hasn’t begun her senior year of high school?

I guess $15 an hour is what one would expect for 14 years of educashun

[11th Commandment]

The guy who runs despair.com has a video in which employees at the call center are complaining about the working conditions. So instead of fixing the problems, he conveniently lays out brochures on outsourcing to India. The employees get worried and shut up. So, if I owned a fast food restaurant, I would conveniently place in the break-room brochures on Chinese Robots making burgers and Taco.

[carlo3b]

Excellent advice, and valuable, only you will have to reduce the message into a slogan of less than 20 words or the effort will not reach their short attention span..

[wbill]

Excellent post. However, I'd guess that Donesha, the protesting 19-year old H.S. rising senior quoted in the article wouldn't get past "The manager, he needs to be giving me mo' money."

At that age, I worked all manner of menial jobs. Taught me responsibility, how to move up in the world, how to deal with people - particularly those I didn't like. Most of all, it taught me that it's better to work with your mind, than work with your back.