Senate to Vote on Minimum Wage

[NoCalMike 0]

2 Bedroom apartments in Sacramento cost on average $750-$850 depending on location, and whether it comes with any perks or not, such as washing machine and dryer in each unit. If you travel a mile westward towards the Bay Area, oh man, I am afraid to look up the prices......ugh.

[Damaramu 0]

Well you guys are living in places with a higher concentration of people. Yeah there's a lot of people in OKC but the city is nowhere near as big as other capitals nor does it have as many people.

I rather like not having to be stuck in traffic all the time.

[The Czech Republic 0]

Yeah it's definitely cheaper to live in Oklahoma than the bigger states. 400 a month is about regular for a 2 bedroom here.

But I mean I can't work full time b/c of school so I still can't afford to get out on my own.

Not that that has anything to do with minimum wage since I make above minimum.

I think Oklahoma actually has the lowest cost of living in the lower 48 states

[The Czech Republic 0]

Well you guys are living in places with a higher concentration of people. Yeah there's a lot of people in OKC but the city is nowhere near as big as other capitals nor does it have as many people.

I rather like not having to be stuck in traffic all the time.

Actually I believe Oklahoma City is one of the three largest cities in terms of area, behind Jacksonville and maybe Anchorage.

[MarvinisaLunatic 0]

I noticed a couple weeks back that Maryland was considering hiking its min. wage, so obviously single states can raise their own min wage and thats probably the best way to do minimum wage. $5.15 might be fine for the middle of nowhere but in a larger city it might need to be higher.

[The Amazing Rando 0]

Marvin...I think MD minimum wage is 5.25 right now. Though most places I've heard start people out at 5.50 or more.

[kkktookmybabyaway 0]

Not quite a minimum-wage story, but I think it's a somewhat fitting angle.

 

Just heard on my local RIGHT-WING RADIO station that Shittsburgh Parking Authority union workers are threatening to go on strike.

 

We need UNION WORKERS to work at a PARKING GARAGE? I don't even want to know how much they make. And people wonder why the city's broke.

 

Oh, yeah. Regarding cost of living: Four-bedroom, two bathroom house for $1000/month, which includes taxes and insurance...

[Slayer 0]

Well you guys are living in places with a higher concentration of people. Yeah there's a lot of people in OKC but the city is nowhere near as big as other capitals nor does it have as many people.

I rather like not having to be stuck in traffic all the time.

Actually I believe Oklahoma City is one of the three largest cities in terms of area, behind Jacksonville and maybe Anchorage.

I did not believe this until I looked up the census data... and sure enough, Czech is right. It sure doesn't feel like it though, since I can drive through on I-35 in about 20-30 minutes in good traffic

 

In case anyone's curious:

 

Top 10 largest US cities by square milage

Anchorage

Jacksonville

OKC

Houston

Nashville

LA

Phoenix

Indianapolis

Dallas

Chesapeake, VA

 

Having driven through Jax, Houston and Dallas I can believe those. Still can't believe OKC though.

[Big Ol' Smitty 0]

Lexington, KY:

 

My share of the rent in a 2BR/2BA apartment is $290/month.

[kkktookmybabyaway 0]

How many people "share" this apartment?...

[MarvinisaLunatic 0]

Marvin...I think MD minimum wage is 5.25 right now. Though most places I've heard start people out at 5.50 or more.

This was in the local paper last week:

 

article

 

ANNAPOLIS -- The Senate voted 30-16 Thursday to raise the minimum wage from $5.15 to $6.15 an hour, an increase supporters said is needed to catch up with inflation.

 

If the proposal wins final approval, it would raise the salary for a full-time worker earning minimum wage from the current $10,712 a year to $12,792.

 

"This is a modest increase, but it will make a difference in Maryland," said Tom Hucker, executive director of Progressive Maryland.

 

But opponents say raising the minimum wage would harm business, and while the measure has the support of the Senate president and House speaker, it could face a veto by Gov. Robert Ehrlich.

 

"The governor is never enthusiastic about proposals that could potentially force employers to lay off employees," said Ehrlich spokesman Henry Fawell.

 

Ehrlich last year vetoed a so-called "living wage" bill that would have required workers under state-government contract be paid at least $10.50 an hour. While this bill is less ambitious than the living wage bill, Fawell said the governor is "not inclined" to support it, either.

 

Maybe he'll support it if they iron out the slots issue finally after 3 years. They could probably get him to drop his pants and bare his ass in the Circle in Annapolis if they get the slots bill passed.

[Damaramu 0]

Well it's big in terms of area but is it in terms of people?

And the downtown area isn't that big as opposed to a downtown Dallas or something like that. And OKC is different than most cities in that it stretches far and aside from really Moore which is a suburb they don't name any of there other suburbs something else. It's all considered OKC.

I dunno it's weird how they have it laid out. Rather than the downtown area and some of the surrounding area they have the downtown area and miles and miles of houses and buildings and what not all as part of the city.

Angelslayed you're probably just thinking of driving through the downtown area. If you actually scout around the city has a huge area. But the actual downtown area which I was referring to earlier is pretty small.

 

And while I'm on it why does this place have the lowest cost of living? I think it's the lack of population and lack of actual entertainment. They've been working on that downtown though. But I mean there's still not as much to do here than other places.

[CanadianChris 0]

And while I'm on it why does this place have the lowest cost of living? I think it's the lack of population and lack of actual entertainment. They've been working on that downtown though. But I mean there's still not as much to do here than other places.

Low cost of living is normally directly related to low average income. Oklahoma City is quite a bit below the national average in average wages.

[Damaramu 0]

And while I'm on it why does this place have the lowest cost of living? I think it's the lack of population and lack of actual entertainment. They've been working on that downtown though. But I mean there's still not as much to do here than other places.

Low cost of living is normally directly related to low average income. Oklahoma City is quite a bit below the national average in average wages.

Hmm.....well I mean I haven't made minimum since I was in High School. So I dunno. I guess other people have it tougher.

[Big Ol' Smitty 0]

How many people "share" this apartment?...

2.

[The Czech Republic 0]

Well it's big in terms of area but is it in terms of people?

 

And while I'm on it why does this place have the lowest cost of living?

1. Isn't it around 1.2 million for the greater metropolitan?

 

2. Because nobody wants to live in Oklahoma Fucking City.

[Damaramu 0]

Well it's big in terms of area but is it in terms of people?

 

And while I'm on it why does this place have the lowest cost of living?

1. Isn't it around 1.2 million for the greater metropolitan?

 

2. Because nobody wants to live in Oklahoma Fucking City.

I sure as hell don't. I rather like Moore. And Norman is better as well. Hell I'd rather live in Edmond.

I will say though that I do like it in this state and I'm not one of those kids that wants to get the hell out of here b/c it's the "cool" thing to do. I do like where I live. I'll probably only ever move if a job demands it.

[The Czech Republic 0]

Oklahoma can't be that great if that's where the government decided the Native American Dumping Ground would be. People have been fleeing the state for greener pastures since the 1920s. It's not the "cool" thing to do. It's the established thing to do. Do the kids that depart call it "pulling a Joad"?

[Damaramu 0]

No. Most of the kids in California wanted to go to California b/c "TV says it's cool" or some bullshit like that. California is #1 on the list of places I'd never live.

I think the only places I would willingly move from OKC to(as in not b/c a job made me) are Dallas and NYC.

Yeah it did become the native american dumping ground. And you know what that means? Indian Casinos. EVERYWHERE. And reservations with good beer and fireworks year round.

[Guest Agent of Oblivion]

The one thing Oklahoma did right was the land race. They should still do that shit, because I'd be good at it.

[Perfxion 0]

If people want to talk about prices of wage not being shit, here in Stamford 10 an hour is nothing. Because the cheapest in town of a one bedroom is 1250. And good that they are moving the price up, because min wage means you need 2 or 3 jobs to just pay the rent.

[Damaramu 0]

The one thing Oklahoma did right was the land race. They should still do that shit, because I'd be good at it.

Yeah and then we named our biggest college after a bunch of criminals from the Land Run.

 

We did a fake land run in elementary where we had to stake out a place on the playground to eat lunch. I tried to sneak out of class and jump the gun but got caught.

[Ripper 0]

Actually I can think of plenty of good reasons to move to California. i can't think of one to move to OK.

 

The cost of living is always connected to the chance of prosperity.

 

 

Atlanta is a great city because the cost of living is relatively low and the opportunity is relatively high.

 

 

GO ATLANTA AND YOUR MIDDLE GROUNDNESS!!!

[Damaramu 0]

Actually I can think of plenty of good reasons to move to California.  i can't think of one to move to OK. 

That's you. Not me.

I would maybe move to Northern California or so. But I can't think of any other good reasons to move there. I've lived here my whole life and I like it so I can think of plenty of reasons to stay. Plus anywhere I go in the country I'm going complete with OU gear so I'll automatically be the enemy.

 

The majority of people on this board I've seen know realtively little about Oklahoma and what life in the state is like. They just overgeneralize with stereotypes enforced by Jim Ross and TV.

[Your Paragon of Virtue 0]

I'd live anywhere in the south, because I hate Canadian winter. Seriously, once I get a degree or someting I'm moving to the Southern US or something. The only thing is up here we hear so many stories about bad racism is there, although I'm willing to believe that there's no outright racism, maybe just ignorance on the part of people who only know black people from MTV or something. Even then, it's probably a small minority.

 

I'd love to live in California, especially around that muscle beach place. It's like living on a nice island, without the lepers.

[Ripper 0]

Well technical jobs for one, film industry jobs shit...JOBS. Those are reasons that you can't deny would be valid, even if you wouldn't want to go.

 

 

I am taking exception more to the "Most of the kids in California wanted to go to California b/c "TV says it's cool" or some bullshit like that." when there are obviously loads of reason to go to Cali besides "tv".

[kkktookmybabyaway 0]

California has great weather, but that's about it for me. No way I'd want to live there, although I wouldn't mind visiting (calling NoCal/JOTW). Not sure if I'd want to live in OK. I think it might depend on if I was offered a good job where I could buy a big house and live away from everyone. Aren't there a lot of tornados in OK?...

[Damaramu 0]

Yes there are a lot of tornados. I almost got hit by the May 3rd one that was the worst in recorded history and then I did get hit by a huge one like 3 years later. Which wound me up on Survivor so it wasn't all bad.

 

And the weather is kind of erratic. They say you know you live in OK if you have used your heater and AC in the same day.

 

But I would move to California if there was a job for me. But if I had to pick anywhere in the US to move just for the hell of it then California would be the last place I'd want to go. Meanwhile NYC would be #1 for me. I've been to NYC and I loved it.

 

Now ripper I'm not saying all kids are like that. But the majority of people I talked to in HS(about 98%) always said they wanted to move to Cali b/c according to TV it's where all the parties and cool people are and then they'd complain that OK sucks b/c it isn't some big publicized state. This is a fact that I heard with my own ears ALL throughout HS. I never once heard the reason "i could get a great job".

 

Also there are a lot of stereotypes about the south on TV that aren't true. A girl moved to my HS from San Diego and she told me that she thought she'd have to learn to ride a horse. She added to that by saying she thought she'd need an outhouse and that cowboys and indians would be fighting each other in the streets. Then she said "but now that i'm here it's just like everywhere else in america". So yeah there area lot of stereotypes that TV doesn't exactly dispel. Especially when every reality show finds some hick job to put on TV rather than a normal person. B/c those country people that appear on TV are in the minority. I mean come on. We produced Goldberg.....errr.....nevermind.

 

And pargon I have never run into real racism anywhere in my life thus far. I'm actually sitting in the computer lab at OU right now and I count more latinos and african americans than I do white people. So it's not like you walk down the street in the south and people go "A BLACK PERSON! WOW! JUST LIKE ON TV!"

[Guest Vitamin X]

Actually I can think of plenty of good reasons to move to California.  i can't think of one to move to OK. 

That's you. Not me.

I would maybe move to Northern California or so. But I can't think of any other good reasons to move there. I've lived here my whole life and I like it so I can think of plenty of reasons to stay. Plus anywhere I go in the country I'm going complete with OU gear so I'll automatically be the enemy.

 

The majority of people on this board I've seen know realtively little about Oklahoma and what life in the state is like. They just overgeneralize with stereotypes enforced by Jim Ross and TV.

That's awfully hypocritical of you to mention, seeing as how you probably have no fucking clue what life in SoCal is like if the only thing you can associate California (or Los Angeles in particular) is the entertainment industry. There is soooooo much more to it than that.

 

My best friend, who I grew up with in L.A., now lives on Tinker AFB, just outside of Oklahoma City and he's tried to have as much a positive view of it as he can. He says he really enjoys New Year's Eve in the downtown area there, and is utterly frustrated at the lack of art and the like there. I've told you about that before though. But he has to come home at least every 4-6 months or so to keep him sane, or so he says.

[Guest Vitamin X]

Also Miami is getting the "party city" rep now, and trust me when I say this that unless you're hispanic or are at least prepared to deal with people who don't speak English, shitty traffic with awful drivers, as well as utter self-righteousness and ignorance all day, don't come here to live.