Why pay a living wage when welfare exists?

[tecelote]

Walmart pays X dollars in wages yet people need X+ to live. So they apply for welfare and get the extra money they need to live.

That's why Walmart sees no need to pay a living wage because they know our tax dollars will cover the difference in the form of welfare.

Therefore, our tax dollars go directly to Walmart profit.

Corporate Welfare. This is the problem. The problem is not entitlements.

People want to work and be proud to support themselves and their family. Enough of this entitlement bullshit. People that work deserve a living wage.

No more corporate welfare. Walmart can afford it. We can't.

[Mosby]

1. what about the companies who sell at walmart

Do they have some responsibility?

Say like apple, the factory in China that makes the IPhone X uses child labor, who work 11 hour days. All the other employees live on starvation wages, even after they put in 70 hours per week.

Last time I checked, walmart makes in the neighborhood of 2.85 % net profit, while apple makes over 30% net. So who is really screwing the American worker? It's not just apple, it's unilever, colgate-palmolive, nabisco, coke, Pepsi, McNeal labs, etc, etc.

[maxsolomon]

2. What "welfare" are you talking about?

SNAP benefits?

There's no "Dole" left in America.

SNAP
TANF
SSI/Disability
Section 8 Rent Subsidies
Utility assistance

That's it.

[tazkcmo]

4. Yep.

"The welfare" is no more.

[tecelote]

7. I'm not talking about "dole".

Government assistance.

These costs are a result of low wages in many cases.

Either Walmart pays or we do through taxes.

[maxsolomon]

13. I asked

WHAT government assistance are you talking about, specifically?

SNAP? Section 8?

[tazkcmo]

3. Where I live

Walmart starts hourly employees at $11.00/hour. I was able to save over $3k in 7 months making $10/hour. It wasn't easy and I live alone with minimal expenses. Not a fan of Walmart but there are certainly many places that pay less.

[demmiblue]

11. How is that even possible?!

[Doremus]

5. There is no welfare as you refer to it.

There is assistance with food (snap) and some other help with women with children but that's it.

Having some government entity make up the difference between what you make at Walmart and a living wage is nonexistent.

[tecelote]

8. Many people need assistance from the government because they do not earn enough.

I used welfare instead of government assistance.

Still, who do you think should pay for it?

[rampartc]

6. do you think that WHEN what passes for a safety net is abolished wal mart will raise wages?

[tecelote]

9. Not until their bottom line is affected.

It has to be through legislation.

[rampartc]

10. occupational standards have to be legislated, and enforced

or companies who comply with "voluntary" standards will be less competitive, and will soon be bought by companies who will exploit their employees.

[tecelote]

12. Well said.

[csziggy]

14. For those who don't get it "corporate welfare" is when giant companies get tax breaks and subsidies

To induce them to locate their operations in certain places.

In a lot of places Walmart get millions in reduced taxes - but that means that the people who are actually paying the taxes subsidize the low wages Walmart pays by providing assistance to the Walmart workers who cannot live on those wages.

The owners of Walmart are making huge bucks while average people are paying to keep their stores open by helping minimum wage workers survive.