How to make companies raise their wages to a living wage

[litlbilly]

If anyone works for any company and that person needs any kind of government assistance, make the company pay at least 90% as a fine. Don't know if any type of federal bill like that could pass but it just felt good to point it out It might bring $15 an hour minimum wage front and center.

[Warpy]

1. It would also help to tie wages to executive pay packages

as a percentage. That means the low man on the totem pole who makes the bottom wage at the company would make 4%-5% of the top executive's pay package. If executives want raises, they have to lift everyone else up at the same time.

Another means is to raise the minimum wage to its 1966 purchasing power with the same market basket of goods and services, not the Greenspanned one of hamburger instead of a weekly roast. Also change the poverty level formula by making food a more realistic 1/6 of the family budget that it is now.

We also need to bring back the progressive tax structure to give a powerful disincentive to greed. Throw in a Wall Street and commodities market transaction tax just because this country is such a mess after 40 years of depressed wages and starving the government.

Shoot, we might even be able to afford single payer.