tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25740524.post5256456420652079868..comments2024-03-11T13:16:19.098-04:00Comments on Ad Orientem: Fast Food Workers Strike For Better Pay And RightsUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25740524.post-65868483933964993862013-08-01T10:33:48.443-04:002013-08-01T10:33:48.443-04:00Pity nobody asks why is it so expensive to live in...Pity nobody asks why is it so expensive to live in New York. The answer is of course the same thing that brought down Detroit, namely featherbedding, rent-seeking, cronyism, corruption and the unholy alliance of public unions and Democrats. Only New York has the taxes-generating machine of Wall Street to pay for its largesse, whereas Detroit had ultimately nothing.Stephenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12833345391579579562noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25740524.post-84002726473442283872013-07-31T10:14:42.270-04:002013-07-31T10:14:42.270-04:00The incentive at this point is for McDonald's ...<i>The incentive at this point is for McDonald's to pay a few higher-g individuals $15/hour to run the machines which will replace all those $7.25/hr employees.</i><br /><br />Bracketing my skepticism about the existence of "g," I think that this is a perfectly fair response. It would be no tragedy if McDonalds were able to replace fry-cooks with robots. It is hardly a very rewarding and glamorous job.<br /><br />That said, color me skeptical that McDonalds can pull it off. Grocery store chains around the country are <a href="http://www.nbcnews.com/id/43687085/ns/business-retail/t/major-grocer-getting-rid-self-checkout-lanes/#.UfkaAGr-QTQ" rel="nofollow">closing their self-checkout lanes</a>. It turns out that customers prefer interacting with human checkout clerks, and also it is harder to shoplift with a human clerk standing there. I imagine that McDonalds would experience the same downsides if it tried to install self-service kiosks in place of their $7.25/hr-workers.<br /><br />In any event, I think that John is right that the workers' actions are largely unobjectionable. They are not asking the government to raise the minimum wage. They are flexing whatever market-muscle they have to show that they are capable of commanding a higher wage. Like John, I wish them luck.Greg DeLassushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12572157616072184165noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25740524.post-52855137835299369742013-07-30T20:24:58.609-04:002013-07-30T20:24:58.609-04:00I don't see why people should have to run away...I don't see why people should have to run away from their homes if they are being taken advantage of by their employers. I concede that they do have that right. But they also have the right to stay and fight for a fair wage.John (Ad Orientem)https://www.blogger.com/profile/14329907942477160166noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25740524.post-64386125347588158562013-07-30T18:28:05.044-04:002013-07-30T18:28:05.044-04:00Nobody is forcing anyone to live and work in New Y...Nobody is forcing anyone to live and work in New York City. If McDonald's is not paying these people enough, then they can leave and parlay their valuable skills elsewhere. <br /><br />The incentive at this point is for McDonald's to pay a few higher-<i>g</i> individuals $15/hour to run the machines which will replace all those $7.25/hr employees.The Anti-Gnostichttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04386593803225823789noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25740524.post-31088014841354629412013-07-30T17:35:03.332-04:002013-07-30T17:35:03.332-04:00You need to reread my post. I specifically express...You need to reread my post. I specifically expressed doubts about their demand for a $15 hr wage. But I do know that $7.25 hr in NYC is immoral.John (Ad Orientem)https://www.blogger.com/profile/14329907942477160166noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25740524.post-72743847103372709322013-07-30T17:30:32.878-04:002013-07-30T17:30:32.878-04:00You obviously don't understand much about econ...You obviously don't understand much about economics, do you? You think that a skill set that is limited to operating a cash machine or flipping burgers is worth $15?Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08038508116670615703noreply@blogger.com