At the time of this quote, a “job” was still very different from what it is now. For starters, you could almost certainly live off of it while not going into poverty.
A “job” now will require as much time and effort, and often hugely inflated education requirements, while paying peanuts.
Also, fuck Ronald Reagan in the afterlife. I hope he gets rimmed by a sentient cactus for all eternity in his own personal hell.
The minimum wage in 1981 when Reagan took office was $3.35 or $6,867.50 per year. In today’s dollars, that would be $11.27 or $23,103.50 per year. When he left office at the end of 1988, it was $3.35, which in today’s dollars would be $8.66 or $17,753 per year.
In 1981, the poverty level for a family of four was $9,287, or 35% more than the minimum wage. By 1988, the poverty level had risen to $12,090, or 76% more than the minimum wage.
So you’re right, at the time Reagan was sworn in, the minimum wage was higher than it is today, but by the time he left office its value had dropped significantly. At no point during his presidency was a job guaranteed to provide a living wage, and he was the first two-term president to not raise the minimum wage at all.
Yeah I often talk with my wife how when I was young only freshly minted teenagers made minimum wage and if you came in on time and sober for your shifts you quickly got a token raise and continued to get one usually like less than a year timeframe. It would be like a nickle after maybe first big quarter one but it was there. Then like the shift manager of a fast food place was an adult who could afford an apartment of their own and a beater car. I was so unappreciative of the amount I got paid in high school in terms of eggs per hour.
At the time of this quote, a “job” was still very different from what it is now. For starters, you could almost certainly live off of it while not going into poverty.
A “job” now will require as much time and effort, and often hugely inflated education requirements, while paying peanuts.
Also, fuck Ronald Reagan in the afterlife. I hope he gets rimmed by a sentient cactus for all eternity in his own personal hell.
The minimum wage in 1981 when Reagan took office was $3.35 or $6,867.50 per year. In today’s dollars, that would be $11.27 or $23,103.50 per year. When he left office at the end of 1988, it was $3.35, which in today’s dollars would be $8.66 or $17,753 per year.
In 1981, the poverty level for a family of four was $9,287, or 35% more than the minimum wage. By 1988, the poverty level had risen to $12,090, or 76% more than the minimum wage.
So you’re right, at the time Reagan was sworn in, the minimum wage was higher than it is today, but by the time he left office its value had dropped significantly. At no point during his presidency was a job guaranteed to provide a living wage, and he was the first two-term president to not raise the minimum wage at all.
He was a bad President and a bad person.
Why would you want to torture a cactus like that? At least let the cactus be ignorant.
In my headcanon, the cactus is happy à la Sisyphus.
Yeah I often talk with my wife how when I was young only freshly minted teenagers made minimum wage and if you came in on time and sober for your shifts you quickly got a token raise and continued to get one usually like less than a year timeframe. It would be like a nickle after maybe first big quarter one but it was there. Then like the shift manager of a fast food place was an adult who could afford an apartment of their own and a beater car. I was so unappreciative of the amount I got paid in high school in terms of eggs per hour.