You're right and it's not just Harlan. The number of industries paying in that same range, ones requiring skills and high safety concerns, offering $10 -11 an hour, is a joke.
"burger flipping" is a strawman and 'go to' every time in these discussions, for obvious reasons.
It's just used to paint low pay as only affecting a bunch of hs kids or the lazy and unmotivated. Also simply untrue, easily dispelled by looking at national income levels.
Don't get me wrong, I don't believe minimum wage hikes, fix anything. Inflation just matches the increase and some businesses truly can't afford across the board hikes.
It's a greed issue and you simply can't legislate morals.
But I will not pretend it's not a real or hide it behind "burger flipping" examples.
Only 50% hitting the $25,000 mark in a country with our cost of living is ridiculous.
And NO, half of the nation isn't working at a fast food joint or too lazy to want better. Adjust for part time, later advancement, whatever excuse they want. There's still not enough employment paying livable wages for the answer to simply be "lazy", "grab dem bootstraps" and so on.
It's just easier when there's political undertones or we simply would rather not acknowledge the more complicated, reality.
I'll admit, it feels better convincing ourselves that we're part of that 'rare breed' that works hard and that's the real reason for the discrepancy.
Sounds better than explaining why some poor jackass is counting minutes till his break, when he has his 1st opportunity to stop grinding and take more Tylenol.
Yeah, he must be lazy... I'm just working harder. (adjusts chair before making our 20th post on a sports message board). No other explanation. No support, circumstances, opportunities or breaks ever involved obviously, just my boot straps. Yeah, that sounds good.
