Quick Reality Check Articles

Quick Reality Check – Min Wage

November 19, 2009 on 1:38 am | In Energy | No Comments

In 1960, the minimum wage was $1.00 and the average wage was about $2.32 per hour.
A 24 ounce loaf of bread costs $0.21 and requires 13 minutes of work to earn.
A pound of ground beef costs $0.33 and requires 20 minutes of work to earn.
10 pounds of potatoes cost $0.49 which requires 29 minutes of work to earn.

In 2009 the minimum wage is now $7.25.
A 24 ounce loaf of bread costs $1.49 and requires 12 minutes of work to earn.
A pound of ground beef costs $3.49 and requires 29 minutes of work to earn.
10 pounds of potatoes cost $4.99, which requires 41 minutes of work to purchase.

In 2009 more people earn minimum wage as the better paying factory jobs have disappeared and minimum wage now buys less than it ever has!

We must create more jobs which can pay higher wages. One way of doing this is outlined as follows:

Individual consumers must demand quality products which are durable and reliable and which can be repaired in locals depots and not thrown away and replaced.

This would enable communities to look at converting local natural resources into the finished products to create the products we need and to reduce the environmental and economic burdens of shipping natural resource materials around the world and then bringing back finished goods.

This would also create employment in repairing and maintaining the products made and sold in the community.

Individuals must demand locally grown food produced by sustainable means without the use of pesticides, herbicides, and oil intensive means. This will enable sustainable distributed agricultural production which may require more labor and create more jobs while reducing our dependence on oil.

Individuals must demand energy independence and embrace emerging new technologies such as solar and wind power which can offer paybacks of four years or less for products with an operating life of 20 years or more.

Future blogs will provide additional details on how individuals can enhance the sustainability of our society and our planet.