minimum wage hikes(follow-up)...not so good

[Galway Eagle]

Wow!

95% of US adults have cell phones
http://www.pewinternet.org/fact-sheet/mobile/

87% Use the internet
http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2016/09/07/some-americans-dont-use-the-internet-who-are-they/

A third of non-internet users (34%) did not go online because they had no interest in doing so or did not think the internet was relevant to their lives. Another 32% of non-internet users said the internet was too difficult to use, including 8% of this group who said they were “too old to learn.” Cost was also a barrier for some adults who were offline – 19% cited the expense of internet service or owning a computer.

Add it up and only 3% of US adults say they don't use the becase they cannot afford it.

And poor people are fatter than rich people
http://www.scholarsstrategynetwork.org/brief/why-poverty-leads-obesity-and-life-long-problems

The average car age in the US is 11.6 years.  So 15 is just a bit longer thant he average
http://www.autonews.com/article/20161122/RETAIL05/161129973/average-age-of-vehicles-on-road-hits-11.6-years

You're wrong on every sob story you made up so that elitist like you can be morally superior.

All that said, there is one area the poor have indeed been falling behind ... social mobility.  Elitist like you push for policies that make inequality worse. 

82 = the real smuggles.

I only want to take on this fatter than wealthy people topic. How often do you go through the west side and see grocery stores that have adequate food selection? How many gyms do you see through there? How many after school sports are parents able to enroll their kids in? The issue isn't gluttony like you insinuate it's lack of proper nutrition and fitness.

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

I only want to take on this fatter than wealthy people topic. How often do you go through the west side and see grocery stores that have adequate food access? How many gyms do you see through there? How many after school sports are parents able to enroll their kids in? The issue isn't gluttony like you insinuate it's lack of proper nutrition and fitness.

Not to mention that I can feed a family on unhealthy crap for a lot cheaper than I can on fresh fruits, veggies, and proteins. And if you rely on soup kitchens or food pantries for food? Forget about it. All they have are highly processed canned food. That's why donating canned goods is at best not helpful and and at worst detrimental. Much better to donate straight cash (homie) so they can buy fresh food for the people they serve.

[Tugg Speedman]

This ain't gonna happen any time soon, if ever.

ATL ... Ford fired its freaking CEO because he was not moving fast enough in this direction!!  So Bill Ford, with his approval of the board of directors, are wrong and the Auto industry business model is not changing? Good luck with this thinking.

A car is a waste of money.  95% of the time it sits unused.  The subscription model*** (zip car on a huge/massive scale) and ride sharing are expected to the majority of car sales in the future.  Dealers will go away and manufactures will sell the rest directly via the Tesla showroom model.

Now before you laugh it off remember that newspapers publishers did the same, retailers did the same, taxi owners did the same.  They are now all poor and bitter.  Don't join them.

*** subscription model = MILLIONS of cars in the network meaning there are multiple cars on every block. All are connected to the net.  You push a button on your phone, it finds the closest car and gives you the unlock code.  You use it and drop it off when done, the GPS records its location for the next use.

Why would you do this?  Here are your options ...

1. $30 to $80k/year for a car, pay nearly a thousand a year for insurance, you pay to fix.  You pay to store (a garage)

2. $300 to $800/month subscription (depending on the class of car you choose) plus a small gas sir charge (say $20/month) (Note, if the car needs gas, you fill it up, the sensors note how much you paid and net that against your subscription.

Which direction you think the world is going ... again, the Ford CEO was changed because of this view of the world.

Man I hope it does. Dealerships are the vestigal effect of a products liability shield legal tactic from the 20s-30s. They serve absolutely no point.

I'll call it here: Once Amazon is done revolutionizing the grocery industry, they'll cut a deal with an automaker and have Prime Auto, click, deliver, no negotiating.

It amazing how so many people have a hard time understanding that basic way they work is going to massively change.  This is why start-ups take their business away.

[Galway Eagle]

Man I hope it does. Dealerships are the vestigal effect of a products liability shield legal tactic from the 20s-30s. They serve absolutely no point.

I'll call it here: Once Amazon is done revolutionizing the grocery industry, they'll cut a deal with an automaker and have Prime Auto, click, deliver, no negotiating.

Why stop at auto? They can do prime real estate

[Silkk the Shaka]

our poor people are the richest poor people in the world.  one of the problems with people who don't earn very much is prioritizing.  living within their means,  there is a lot of peer pressure to have "air jordans" the newest cell phone, expensive designer/pre-ripped jeans, etc.  all the commercials glorifying unnecessary chit.  i call some of these people "dime-store rich"  if you cannot afford something, another child, the new car, you can't have it-don't try to buy it!!

No.

[Tugg Speedman]

Why stop at auto? They can do prime real estate

It's already underway ... AirBnB!!

[StillAWarrior]

Throw in the 3.5 million truck drivers who will lose jobs once automation takes over the semi truck business and we gots some problems ahead of us.  What say you, Heisy, autonomous semi trucks by 2025?  Sooner?

I tend to place myself in the "self driving vehicles are coming sooner than most people think" camp.  Obviously, when this happens, it's going to have a huge impact on those who drive for a living.  However, I would think that they still will have a requirement -- at least for a while -- that a human be present in the vehicle.  Granted, it would be a very low skill job almost akin to a security guard/baby sitter for the truck and cargo.  I would think that the Teamsters (and other organized labor) would impose considerable pressure to ensure that federal regulations require a person to be present in the self-driving vehicle.  Has anyone seen this issue addressed?

[reinko]

Man I hope it does. Dealerships are the vestigal effect of a products liability shield legal tactic from the 20s-30s. They serve absolutely no point.

I'll call it here: Once Amazon is done revolutionizing the grocery industry, they'll cut a deal with an automaker and have Prime Auto, click, deliver, no negotiating.

It's already moving in that direction, CarMax, eBay auto, Truecar, NowCar, Carvana...

[Tugg Speedman]

I tend to place myself in the "self driving vehicles are coming sooner than most people think" camp.  Obviously, when this happens, it's going to have a huge impact on those who drive for a living.  However, I would think that they still will have a requirement -- at least for a while -- that a human be present in the vehicle.  Granted, it would be a very low skill job almost akin to a security guard/baby sitter for the truck and cargo.  I would think that the Teamsters would impose considerable pressure to ensure that federal regulations require a person to be present in the self-driving vehicle.  Has anyone seen this issue addressed?

Yes CA passed a rule that all driverless cars must have a steering wheel and brake.  Tesla has driverless options now and when engaged, the steering wheel vibrates every three minutes.  If the driver does not acknowledge he is still paying attention by grabbing the wheel, it stops.  It is a cultural thing ... that will change over time.

FYI - we already have driverless trucks now.  There are thousands of trucks that can drive themselves on an interstate only.  The problem is the rules say the driver must sit in the driver seat.  Instead, most are in the back sleeping.  So regulators are considering adding seat sensors so the driverless options only works with someone sitting in the front seat.  Again, it is cultural.

(Once semis go fully driverless, some talk that they can only operate on the interstate overnight.  That gets them off the roads during business hours reducing traffic and accidents.  To incentive this, they will allow them to drive at 100mph or more.  That way they can cover almost 1000 miles when everyone is sleeping and traffic is sparse.)

[MUBurrow]

Shaking my head at the economic ignorance here.  What happens when you raise the price of something?  You get less of it!  This is true for labor (minimum wage) and burgers.

You're just letting your fear of being politically incorrect to come out and say what is obviously true ... raising the minimum wage causes the most vulnerable, usually a woman or minority, to lose their job.

Speaking of "just raise the price of burgers to pay higher minimum wages" .... when you rise the price you get less of it!

The Wall Street Journal
May 31, 2017
Diners Are Finding $13 Burgers Hard to Swallow
Number of outlets peddling gourmet toppings has nearly quadrupled since 2005, but sticker-shocked consumers opt for home grilling instead

https://www.wsj.com/articles/diners-are-finding-13-burgers-hard-to-swallow-1496241667

As the number of outlets serving “better” burgers—featuring nontraditional toppings and artisan buns—has skyrocketed over the past decade, so has the average burger tab, turning some customers off.

Brian Cockerline, a 20-year-old Rutgers University student, used to go to Five Guys for a burger once a week in South Plainfield, N.J. With fries and a drink, his tab was about $13.

Now, he is cooking burgers at home instead.

Lunch traffic to quick-serve hamburger restaurants fell 5% last year—the biggest year-over-year decline that market-research firm NPD Group Inc. has recorded.

So what is your point here? That this is representative of a bad trend because it lends to fewer $8/hour jobs at quick-serve hamburger restaurants and a reduction in the stock values of those companies?

Edited to acknowledge that Five Guys is privately-held but that the 5% statistic presumably is derived almost entirely from public company franchises.

[Jay Bee]

Edited to acknowledge that Five Guys is privately-held but that the 5% statistic presumably is derived almost entirely from public company franchises.

Bad (incorrect) presumption.

[MUBurrow]

Bad (incorrect) presumption.

Okay, then ignore it to acknowledge that a lot of the larger companies making inroads in that market remain privately-held. Replacing McDonalds, Wendys, and Burger King with 5 Guys, CKE and In-N-Out really doesn't change the conversation.

[jesmu84]

Yes CA passed a rule that all driverless cars must have a steering wheel and brake.  Tesla has driverless options now and when engaged, the steering wheel vibrates every three minutes.  If the driver does not acknowledge he is still paying attention by grabbing the wheel, it stops.  It is a cultural thing ... that will change over time.

FYI - we already have driverless trucks now.  There are thousands of trucks that can drive themselves on an interstate only.  The problem is the rules say the driver must sit in the driver seat.  Instead, most are in the back sleeping.  So regulators are considering adding seat sensors so the driverless options only works with someone sitting in the front seat.  Again, it is cultural.

(Once semis go fully driverless, some talk that they can only operate on the interstate overnight.  That gets them off the roads during business hours reducing traffic and accidents.  To incentive this, they will allow them to drive at 100mph or more.  That way they can cover almost 1000 miles when everyone is sleeping and traffic is sparse.)

Source?

Another big deal with semis going driverless is that all those truck stops/gas stations/restaurants and all the people working in those areas will lose jobs. When/if semis go without drivers, a HUGE part of the economy and small-town jobs will be blown away

[jficke13]

Source?

Another big deal with semis going driverless is that all those truck stops/gas stations/restaurants and all the people working in those areas will lose jobs. When/if semis go without drivers, a HUGE part of the economy and small-town jobs will be blown away

I hate to be that guy, but Ford did to buggy whips what autonomous will do to truck drivers. Does it suck for those negatively affected? Sure does. Maybe with the benefit of foresight society/economy could do something for those folks that are put out.

Not holding my breath though.

[forgetful]

ATL ... Ford fired its freaking CEO because he was not moving fast enough in this direction!!  So Bill Ford, with his approval of the board of directors, are wrong and the Auto industry business model is not changing? Good luck with this thinking.

A car is a waste of money.  95% of the time it sits unused.  The subscription model*** (zip car on a huge/massive scale) and ride sharing are expected to the majority of car sales in the future.  Dealers will go away and manufactures will sell the rest directly via the Tesla showroom model.

Now before you laugh it off remember that newspapers publishers did the same, retailers did the same, taxi owners did the same.  They are now all poor and bitter.  Don't join them.

*** subscription model = MILLIONS of cars in the network meaning there are multiple cars on every block. All are connected to the net.  You push a button on your phone, it finds the closest car and gives you the unlock code.  You use it and drop it off when done, the GPS records its location for the next use.

Why would you do this?  Here are your options ...

1. $30 to $80k/year for a car, pay nearly a thousand a year for insurance, you pay to fix.  You pay to store (a garage)

2. $300 to $800/month subscription (depending on the class of car you choose) plus a small gas sir charge (say $20/month) (Note, if the car needs gas, you fill it up, the sensors note how much you paid and net that against your subscription.

Which direction you think the world is going ... again, the Ford CEO was changed because of this view of the world.

It amazing how so many people have a hard time understanding that basic way they work is going to massively change.  This is why start-ups take their business away.

Economically it doesn't make sense for the vast majority of americans to go to a subscription car service.  It will cost them more money. 

The cost of the car does not go away.  The cost of repairs/insurance/gas etc., does not go away.  But with subscription car service, the company now also has to pay for space/parking, corporate infrastructure and employees + profit. 

All those costs have to be passed on to the consumer, which means the average cost per mile driven will substantially increase. 

That doesn't mean it will not happen, it will as people increasingly can't afford the upfront costs to buy a vehicle, due to falling wages and a widening income gap.  It will be another example of a "revolution" based on people being increasingly poor, and the wealthy finding new ways to prey on the middle class.

[ATL MU Warrior]

ATL ... Ford fired its freaking CEO because he was not moving fast enough in this direction!!  So Bill Ford, with his approval of the board of directors, are wrong and the Auto industry business model is not changing? Good luck with this thinking.

A car is a waste of money.  95% of the time it sits unused.  The subscription model*** (zip car on a huge/massive scale) and ride sharing are expected to the majority of car sales in the future.  Dealers will go away and manufactures will sell the rest directly via the Tesla showroom model.

Now before you laugh it off remember that newspapers publishers did the same, retailers did the same, taxi owners did the same.  They are now all poor and bitter.  Don't join them.

*** subscription model = MILLIONS of cars in the network meaning there are multiple cars on every block. All are connected to the net.  You push a button on your phone, it finds the closest car and gives you the unlock code.  You use it and drop it off when done, the GPS records its location for the next use.

Why would you do this?  Here are your options ...

1. $30 to $80k/year for a car, pay nearly a thousand a year for insurance, you pay to fix.  You pay to store (a garage)

2. $300 to $800/month subscription (depending on the class of car you choose) plus a small gas sir charge (say $20/month) (Note, if the car needs gas, you fill it up, the sensors note how much you paid and net that against your subscription.

Which direction you think the world is going ... again, the Ford CEO was changed because of this view of the world.

It amazing how so many people have a hard time understanding that basic way they work is going to massively change.  This is why start-ups take their business away.

Ford's CEO was fired because their stock price was down +30% in is tenure.  There are innumerable reasons for that. 

Regarding the transition to a dealer-less distribution model:  This is not really my area of expertise but I'll give it a shot.

Ford Motor Company has roughly 3,400 dealerships in the United States.  Ford has 15% market share (give or take) so they are but a small fraction of total dealerships in the industry.
 
Every single one of those dealerships has signed a Sales & Service Agreement. 

In order to move to the "no-dealer" model, Ford would have to do one of two things: 

1) Buy out every existing dealer they have (massive outlay of $$)
2) Terminate the S&S Agreement of every dealer who didn't take the buyout (Massive outlay of $$ and years and years of litigation)

I don't know about Ford's S&S agreements, but I do know that it is nearly impossible to terminate a dealer at the OEM I work for.  Other OEMs (eg. Nissan) have written their agreements to make it much easier.  Franchisee laws favor the franchisee, not the franchisor, so even assuming they could terminate, the cost would be monumental and it would take years and years to resolve.

These are the realities.  You act like this is a no-brainer and is going to happen overnight.  This is absolutely an unrealistic view.

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

1. $30 to $80k/year for a car, pay nearly a thousand a year for insurance, you pay to fix.  You pay to store (a garage)

2. $300 to $800/month subscription (depending on the class of car you choose) plus a small gas sir charge (say $20/month) (Note, if the car needs gas, you fill it up, the sensors note how much you paid and net that against your subscription.

Not saying that I disagree that subscription cars are the way of the future, but where did you get these numbers? I have never paid close to $30-80K a year for a car. Car payments are in the realm of $4000 a year, I budget $50 a month for gas (which is enough for me, others probably need more) so $600, insurance is in the $1000 a year range, and I pay $550 a year for parking. Registration in Texas is like $80 IIRC (gonna need to do that soon so thanks for the reminder). I know there other other incidental costs like accidents, routine maintenance, car washes, speeding tickets, etc. But not enough to push my ~$7K all the way up to $30K. Plus, I'll have paid my car off in the next year so $4000 of that goes away.

I'm also not sure about the $320 a month for a car subscription. That seems low to me but could absolutely be wrong. I don't lease, but I believe $300ish a month would be about an average cost for a non-luxury lease. But you also need to pay insurance, parking, gas, etc. I assume a car subscription service would push these costs onto their clientele. Did you pull these numbers from somewhere?

[ATL MU Warrior]

Not saying that I disagree that subscription cars are the way of the future, but where did you get these numbers? I have never paid close to $30-80K a year for a car. Car payments are in the realm of $4000 a year, I budget $50 a month for gas (which is enough for me, others probably need more) so $600, insurance is in the $1000 a year range, and I pay $550 a year for parking. Registration in Texas is like $80 IIRC (gonna need to do that soon so thanks for the reminder). I know there other other incidental costs like accidents, routine maintenance, car washes, speeding tickets, etc. But not enough to push my ~$7K all the way up to $30K. Plus, I'll have paid my car off in the next year so $4000 of that goes away.

I'm also not sure about the $320 a month for a car subscription. That seems low to me but could absolutely be wrong. I don't lease, but I believe $300ish a month would be about an average cost for a non-luxury lease. But you also need to pay insurance, parking, gas, etc. I assume a car subscription service would push these costs onto their clientele. Did you pull these numbers from somewhere?

I know where.  I'll give you one guess...it rhymes with "gas".

[StillAWarrior]

FYI - we already have driverless trucks now.  There are thousands of trucks that can drive themselves on an interstate only.  The problem is the rules say the driver must sit in the driver seat.  Instead, most are in the back sleeping.  So regulators are considering adding seat sensors so the driverless options only works with someone sitting in the front seat.

Source?

Yeah, I am wondering about that too.  I simply don't believe that this is true.  There's one of two things going on here:  either you're a time traveler, or you used the wrong verb tense.

I know where.  I'll give you one guess...it rhymes with "gas".

Make that one of three things.

[Spotcheck Billy]

Geez and when we have a time sensitive load we often pay for team drivers so 1 can drive while the other sleeps, need to bid our loads out to the Schneider autonomous trucks I guess. Got a contact for that division?

[Eldon]

Source?

Another big deal with semis going driverless is that all those truck stops/gas stations/restaurants and all the people working in those areas will lose jobs. When/if semis go without drivers, a HUGE part of the economy and small-town jobs will be blown away

And this makes you happy, no?

Good. Burn the whole system down. Get rid of those types of jobs. Force our country to come up with more stable jobs for people or pivot to a different type of social situation (basic income, for example).

[rocket surgeon]

and all this "not so good" news regarding the minimum wage and it hasn't even reached the $15/hour level they are shooting for.  this is a big union and political scam.  unions want it to boost their bottom line and politicians are using it to garner votes.  who the heck wouldn't be for making more per hour without any additional education or responsibility.  they keep frothing these people up with bad info and then blame the businesses

[rocket surgeon]

   "Not to mention that I can feed a family on unhealthy crap for a lot cheaper"

mcdonalds offers salads and apple slices(used to anyway) instead of grease and fries.  i don't think the apple slices went over so well either-big shocker, ayyn'a? 

[Galway Eagle]

   "Not to mention that I can feed a family on unhealthy crap for a lot cheaper"

mcdonalds offers salads and apple slices(used to anyway) instead of grease and fries.  i don't think the apple slices went over so well either-big shocker, ayyn'a? 

The salads are most expensive than the standard burger and fries...

[Tugg Speedman]

Source?

Another big deal with semis going driverless is that all those truck stops/gas stations/restaurants and all the people working in those areas will lose jobs. When/if semis go without drivers, a HUGE part of the economy and small-town jobs will be blown away

2015 story saying driveerless trucks are coming in the summer of 2015
https://www.wired.com/2015/05/worlds-first-self-driving-semi-truck-hits-road/

Uber's first driverless truck delivery took place last fall.  It delivered 50,000 cans of Bud
https://www.wired.com/2016/10/ubers-self-driving-truck-makes-first-delivery-50000-beers/

And yes it will devastate the economy of many jobs.  But it cannot be stopped because it is cheaper than what we have now.  That makes it an unstoppable force.

https://techcrunch.com/2016/04/25/the-driverless-truck-is-coming-and-its-going-to-automate-millions-of-jobs/