…I’m giving this whole thing a deadline.
February 1, 2025.
It will be a red-letter day, the end of the Rott. Enough is enough. I’ve got much better things to do with my time than throw stupid comments out to the empty space. We’ve got to face it: Misha has all but abandoned this thing years ago. Maybe he grew up and finally figured out that he was howling at the moon, and it resonated with a lot of people at the time.
But Misha’s party left him. This isn’t the Reagan/Bush Republican Party he signed onto. It is reflected in his absence from the community he created.
I’ve tried to keep something going here as long as I can, but even This Guy is done.
Unless Misha himself descends upon this site between now and then, I will finally — and mercifully, put it out of its misery.
I have informed Misha via email of my intentions to completely wipe this site and its database out on February 1, 2025.
I will post more details later.
DJ Allyn ITW 2000-2025
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Well done, soldier! Sadly, when wages, etc. stagnate under this Socialism, survival trumps all. Just got to around $17 per hour, and now… that will be minimum wage??? And they break their arms patting themselves on the back???!!! So.. other things to do? Yah.. extra hours and second job… ugh.
$17 an hour in Washington DC doesn’t buy all that much. I suspect that barely covers rent.
$17 an hour in Bismark North Dakota would be quite comfortable.
$17 an hour in Seattle, WA would be almost enough for a studio apartment.
For shits and giggles, I decided I would ask ChatGPT when the minimum wage stopped being a “livable wage” and I got the following answer:
ChatGPT Response:
The concept of a “livable wage” versus the “minimum wage” has been debated for decades, with no universally agreed-upon turning point when the minimum wage ceased to be a livable wage. However, the divergence between the two is closely tied to economic trends, policy decisions, and cost-of-living increases.
Key Historical Context:
1. 1938: Introduction of the Federal Minimum Wage
The Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 established the federal minimum wage in the U.S. at $0.25/hour. At the time, it was designed to ensure a basic standard of living for workers, which aligned with the concept of a livable wage.
In 1968, the federal minimum wage reached its highest purchasing power, equivalent to over $12/hour in 2023 dollars. It was more aligned with living costs, especially for a single adult.
1970s-1980s: Erosion Begins
Inflation outpaced minimum wage increases, and the wage’s value began to decline relative to the cost of living. The rise in housing, healthcare, and education costs contributed to this erosion.
1990s-2000s: Growing Gap
As productivity increased and corporate profits soared, wages, including the minimum wage, stagnated. By this period, it became increasingly difficult for a single minimum wage earner to afford basic needs without additional support.
2010s-Present: Widespread Recognition
Studies, such as those by the Economic Policy Institute, have highlighted the disconnect between minimum wage and a livable wage. Many advocacy groups and policymakers now emphasize raising the minimum wage to reflect the cost of living in different regions.
Factors Contributing to the Gap:
• Inflation: Rising costs of housing, healthcare, childcare, and education outpaced wage growth.
• Stagnation: Minimum wage adjustments have often lagged behind inflation.
• Productivity Disconnect: Worker productivity has risen significantly since the 1970s, but wages have not kept pace.
• Regional Disparities: Living costs vary widely, making a fixed federal minimum wage insufficient in high-cost areas.
While some states and cities have implemented higher minimum wages to approach a livable wage, the federal minimum wage of $7.25/hour (as of 2023) falls far short of livability in most of the U.S., prompting ongoing debates and campaigns for increases.
====================== End of Response ==============================
The idea of a federal minimum wage would only work if all things were equal. They aren’t. Depending on where you live, the cost of living in one area is vastly different in another region of the country. Even here in Washington, in most places outside of the major metropolitan areas you could get by on less. Here in Seattle, I think the minimum wage just went up to $20.76 an hour.
From ChatGPT:
Q: What is the minimum wage in Seattle
As of January 1, 2025, Seattle’s minimum wage is $20.76 per hour for all employers, regardless of size.
CITY OF SEATTLE
This change eliminates previous distinctions between large and small employers, as well as credits for tips and medical benefits. The increase aims to provide workers with wages that better align with the city’s cost of living.
====================== End of Response ==============================
Q: What is the minimum wage for the rest of Washington?
As of January 1, 2025, the state of Washington’s minimum wage is $16.66 per hour, applicable statewide.
Several cities in Washington have established higher local minimum wages to better align with their specific cost of living. Notably:
• Bellingham: $17.66 per hour from January 1 to April 30, 2025; increasing to $18.66 per hour from May 1 to December 31, 2025.
• Burien: $21.16 per hour for employers with more than 500 employees; $20.16 per hour for employers with 21 to 499 employees, effective January 1, 2025.
• Tukwila: $21.10 per hour for large employers (more than 500 employees worldwide) starting January 1, 2025; mid-size employers must increase their minimum wage to $21.10 per hour by July 1, 2025.
• Renton: $18.90 per hour for mid-size employers (15 to 500 employees worldwide or over $2 million of annual gross revenue in Renton) from January 1 to June 30, 2025; increasing to $19.90 per hour from July 1 to December 31, 2025. Large employers (more than 500 employees worldwide) must pay $20.90 per hour starting January 1, 2025.
These local adjustments reflect efforts to address varying living costs across different regions within the state.
====================== End of Response ==============================
The idea that a business would voluntarily raise wages for its employees based on the needs of the employees is not found in any evidence. Often, the business owner is caught in a tough spot and cannot afford to pay higher wages and still turn a profit in some areas. A lot of businesses close because the figures just don’t pencil out.
I have a friend of mine who was a franchise owner of four McDonalds in the Seattle area, and he could barely make $50k income after all of his expenses, fees and taxes. (I would NEVER own a MickeyD franchise)
I’ve heard of schemes where everyone gets a basic needs income that pays for housing, food and clothing. Then any wage you earn after that is your actual income. That could never work in a capitalist society, because prices will always rise to the highest sustainable point based on the amount of money available, in the pockets of the consumer.
I can easily argue that our economy BOOMS when Americans put everything on the credit card, and BUSTS when there is no longer money o in our pockets or credit available to spend.
We are about to get priced WAY out of the ordinary once we start implementing Trump’s tariffs.
So long, and thanks for all the fish
Well, I still have another month to fiddle-fuck around here. February First is the day I will pull the plug on this joint. Let the air out of the old balloon. Drown it like a sack of ferrets.
It’s kind of sad. At one point in its history, this site was clocking about 10,000 hits a day, give or take a couple hundred. The stats you see in the bottom of the page is only since January 1, 2024.
There also were almost 50,000 members here around 2010, so many that we could not allow non-members to post. I used to have a live chat (Instant Bark!) that I would turn on from time-to-time. Misha would post at least once or twice daily.
But after twenty-five years of running this joint, it seems that I’ve out lasted everyone else. Maybe they burned out. Maybe they had an epiphany and decided that this was all wrong for them.
Maybe it was just as simple as “Life Interruptis”