Wow, Australia's minimum wage is $16.88/hour!

[bettilimbroke999]

Jesus Christ Im applying to work at McDs Down Under!

How much is a Big Mac there like 12 bucks?

[JayLA]

How much are the taxes?

[Sam Odom]

Cost of living is... ?

If raising the min wage was the answer... Just raise it to 100.00 hr

[bettilimbroke999]

How much are the taxes?

First off they got an 18200 income tax-free threshold...so lets say you work 40 hours a week at McDs for 18 an hour (that's avg McDs pay down there compared to under 8 here ) 720 X52 = 37440 at their 19% tax rate on the excess over 18200 which leaves 19240 you would owe 3660 in taxes for a net income of around 34k a year for flippin burgers...they also have universal health care

Fuk college go burger flippin mate!

[bettilimbroke999]

Cost of living is... ?

If raising the min wage was the answer... Just raise it to 100.00 hr

Comparable to NYC where you flip burgers for 8/hour

[JayLA]

First off they got an 18200 income tax-free threshold...so lets say you work 40 hours a week at McDs for 18 an hour (that's avg McDs pay down there compared to under 8 here ) 720 X52 = 37440 at their 19% tax rate on the excess over 18200 which leaves 19240 you would owe 3660 in taxes for a net income of around 34k a year for flippin burgers...they also have universal health care

Fuk college go burger flippin mate!

thanks for the tip! but I'd go to Austrailia for the women and beaches before I go to work for minimum wage

[Gee]

And a shitty steak at a pub and a pint of beer is going to cost you minimum $40.00 over here.

Fuel costs $1.50 per litre, which is $5.70 per gallon.

McDonalds' prices is a good measure of the relative cost of living of any Western economy. High cost of living = high wagers.

[ACoochy]

You yanks need to get with the times.

Why you wanna systematically punish those that work hard to service your daily needs??

If all things were equal you'd be looking up to the Big corps and asking why they pay so little when they are raking in billions by taking more from those who can afford it the least ie minimum wage workers...

Real smart..

[Sam Odom]

What is your point... ?

Let's say $ = $

If McD's in location A pays $18 min wage

And

McD's in location B pays $6 min wage

Do you think a Big Mac hamburger in both locations would cost the consumer the same amount $

[ACoochy]

What is your point... ?

Let's say $ = $

If McD's in location A pays $18 min wage

And

McD's in location B pays $6 min wage

Do you think a Big Mac hamburger in both locations would cost the consumer the same amount $

Sammy, last time i checked a normal size big mac meal over here was like $7.50.

NOw, take into account that wages here are roughly 250% more than where you are for the same job, yet id wager that the difference in price for the same meal wouldnt be anywhere close to 250% (that would be the equivalent of a big mac meal in the US costing less than $3). Am i right?

[Sam Odom]

Honestly... I'm not sure where "over here" is...

But apparently you are using some strange math UNLESS you are speaking of some sort of central government control

[ChalkyDog]

Take from the bottom, not from the top. It's capitalism people. If you want to change things for yourself - work harder.

[ACoochy]

Take from the bottom, not from the top. It's capitalism people. If you want to change things for yourself - work harder.

Hows that fiscal cliff looking chalky?

[ACoochy]

Honestly... I'm not sure where "over here" is...

But apparently you are using some strange math UNLESS you are speaking of some sort of central government control

Hey comrade Odom, not all of us can live in TRULY the luckiest country of them all...

Comrade sammy i hope youve been memorising and reciting every subsection of the patriot act every night before Obama tucks you in...

[Dr.Gonzo]

Australia is an island, America has what is essentially an open border with Mexico.

Of course there are other significant differences but that is the biggest.

If the Mexico border was always secure the minimum wage in America would be much higher.

[ChalkyDog]

Hows that fiscal cliff looking chalky?

Like a load of shit.

I am most likely on your side on this issue, but just think how lucky we are that money is the medium of trade.

Clearly, it's not the root of all evil.

[iifold]

funnel web spiders... PASS

[I/O]

funnel web spiders... PASS

Prison island

PASS

[Bbr]

These yanks are not even straight up. No logical reasoning. America, Typically atypical.

Money talks, economy walks.

[bettilimbroke999]

These yanks are not even straight up. No logical reasoning. America, Typically atypical.

Money talks, economy walks.

A reminder not to do meth while watching Breaking Bad kids

[Optional]

I live in Sydney and have to say the cost of living in this city has got out of hand.

But I honestly don't mind having to pay more for everything to prop up the base line of the society in general.

For one thing it means we have very little incidence of slums or 'bad areas' where people are afraid to go. No one has to stop and decide if they can afford to go the doctor or buy any sort of medication they need. There is enough employment for everyone who wants to work, even in the bad times.

You might 'resent' other people getting anything for 'free' for some reason. But it's just cutting off your nose to spite your face to act all Ayn Rand gung ho and demand everyone looks after themselves.

What do you want your govt to do with your tax that would produce any of the outcomes we have in Australia?

[I/O]

I live in Sydney and have to say the cost of living in this city has got out of hand.

But I honestly don't mind having to pay more for everything to prop up the base line of the society in general.

For one thing it means we have very little incidence of slums or 'bad areas' where people are afraid to go. No one has to stop and decide if they can afford to go the doctor or buy any sort of medication they need. There is enough employment for everyone who wants to work, even in the bad times.

You might 'resent' other people getting anything for 'free' for some reason. But it's just cutting off your nose to spite your face to act all Ayn Rand gung ho and demand everyone looks after themselves.

What do you want your govt to do with your tax that would produce any of the outcomes we have in Australia?

GL with your Utopia

You can keep it

[rkelly110]

I like Optional's utopia. That's how a society is suppose to work.

Corporate greed is really getting out of hand here in the US. Anyway they can to screw the people who made them.
Throw them in the street amass, re hire at minimum part time wage with no benefits and the real kicker, automation.

Soon, we will see people living at factories, like ants and bees instead of individual homes, like China.

[TheGoldenGoose]

Corporate Greed...

[I/O]

I like Optional's utopia. That's how a society is suppose to work.

Corporate greed is really getting out of hand here in the US. Anyway they can to screw the people who made them.
Throw them in the street amass, re hire at minimum part time wage with no benefits and the real kicker, automation.

Soon, we will see people living at factories, like ants and bees instead of individual homes, like China.

You only live once.

Move to the prison island. Come back in 20 years let us know how Utopia is working out.

[Optional]

You only live once.

Move to the prison island. Come back in 20 years let us know how Utopia is working out.

I didn't say it was better or eutopia, you did.

I guess you are bereft of ideas about how your govt should spend your tax to achieve any of those ends eh?

[shari91]

Cheaper to live in the US. More relevant to live in the US. You'll get a much better house/apartment in say your top 30 cities minus the first 5 than you would here. Simply because Australia doesn't even have 30 top cities. So for our top 2: Sydney and Melbourne, we're winning the polls of most expensive English speaking cities to live in. Woohoooooo!!!

High wages come with a high trade off. Utopia doesn't exist.

[I/O]

I didn't say it was better or eutopia, you did.

I guess you are bereft of ideas about how your govt should spend your tax to achieve any of those ends eh?

Hello. It doesn't exist.

No need to try to achieve something THAT DOESN'T EXIST. Never has. Never will.

Yes. Bust outs and hippies will have TO WORK for their living sooner or later.

[Optional]

Hello. It doesn't exist.

No need to try to achieve something THAT DOESN'T EXIST. Never has. Never will.

Yes. Bust outs and hippies will have TO WORK for their living sooner or later.

If you could stop obsessing over the hippies or layabouts who enjoy a lazy life on the welfare system you would see they make up almost nothing in terms of overall expenditure.

And then you might be able to see some benefit to social welfare to the rest of society.

I think around 80% of Australians receive some sort of social welfare payment. Right across society. The place hasn't fallen apart with no one pulling their weight.

[guitarjosh]

Their minimum wage is also tierd by age, so it would be very difficult for an adult to get a job as a minimum wage worker when the business could hire a teen for much less.

[statnerds]

minimum wage jobs are not intended for adults or mothers or fathers.

it is for teenagers and low skilled workers. what those folks do with their education and self improvement determines how far away they will move from minimum wage jobs. pretty simple.

[shari91]

If you could stop obsessing over the hippies or layabouts who enjoy a lazy life on the welfare system you would see they make up almost nothing in terms of overall expenditure.

And then you might be able to see some benefit to social welfare to the rest of society.

I think around 80% of Australians receive some sort of social welfare payment. Right across society. The place hasn't fallen apart with no one pulling their weight.

I was going to question that 80% figure until I remembered HECS, Family Tax A, School Kids Bonus, Child Care Rebate, etc... Throw in AuStudy - which is massive - and 80% is probably spot on. Crazy how some forget that though.

[shari91]

minimum wage jobs are not intended for adults or mothers or fathers.

it is for teenagers and low skilled workers. what those folks do with their education and self improvement determines how far away they will move from minimum wage jobs. pretty simple.

That's actually incorrect. There are two levels of min wage here. The one Opti is referring to is the adult one. There is also another payment level for what we'd call juniors in N. America. Completely different.

[Optional]

I was going to question that 80% figure until I remembered HECS, Family Tax A, School Kids Bonus, Child Care Rebate, etc... Throw in AuStudy - which is massive - and 80% is probably spot on. Crazy how some forget that though.

Family benefit alone prob goes to more than 50% and covers so many people who are closer to rich than poor.

Have to admit it feels crazy how many handouts and rebates we have had the last few years. But I remind myself we have been through a financial crisis and if there ever is a time for the govt to make it rain money its now.

Be interesting to see the effects when Liberals wind a lot of it back fast.

[I/O]

If you could stop obsessing over the hippies or layabouts who enjoy a lazy life on the welfare system you would see they make up almost nothing in terms of overall expenditure.

And then you might be able to see some benefit to social welfare to the rest of society.

I think around 80% of Australians receive some sort of social welfare payment. Right across society. The place hasn't fallen apart with no one pulling their weight.

Not interested in getting deep into the weeds with big government types telling me how THEY are going to TAKE and SPEND my hard worked money on what THEY think is right.

I leave this. The story is on a million websites, I grabbed one I came across.

http://www.ijreview.com/2013/08/72396-unbelievable-u2s-bono-says-capitalism-quickest-way-to-prosperity/

Later