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Old 07-11-2015, 13:39   #106
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Re: Stupid, Ridiculous Prices for Stuff

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It's funny that you can go back thru his (OP) other posts and one gets the distinct impression he makes a good portion of his income off Section 8 housing and is wife is certainly in some Union profession based on the "high healthcare cost" her job pays for the 8 or so months a year she's apparently there.

I take that back, it's not that funny.......
FWY... We don't own any section 8 housing, nor do we own any apartments other than the one we live in. But, we are completely surrounded by section 8 housing here in Whoville, so I consider myself a bit of a expert as to what goes on in and around the neighborhood having lived here for ten years.

I work at a local nursing home which I affectionately sometimes prefer to as "the nut house,". Hardly a high wage Union job, in fact.... When I read my friend Mike's comment about raising the minimum wage up to $22 bucks and hour, I was thinking... That's getting pretty close to what I make...
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Old 07-11-2015, 13:58   #107
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Re: Stupid, Ridiculous Prices for Stuff

Well rognvald, I said "democratic-socialist", but only in the USA, and only with a small subset of your population, is "socialist" considered some sort of insult. But regardless, I'm not clear what you are saying. All those counties I listed (and there a lot more) are successful, wealthy societies. They mostly and consistently score higher on metrics that measure quality of life for ALL of its citizens. This is bad . Yes, most of these places have higher taxes than the US. You know ... more like the rates the USA used to have during its most successful economic period of the 50s through the early 70s.

I will agree with you that America seems saddled with dysfunctional federal governments. Little wonder since they are mostly in the pockets of the rich and large multinationals.

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I work at a local nursing home which I affectionately sometimes prefer to as "the nut house,". Hardly a high wage Union job, in fact.... When I read my friend Mike's comment about raising the minimum wage up to $22 bucks and hour, I was thinking... That's getting pretty close to what I make...
Yes, and you my friend should be making a lot more than that. And you would be if the benefits of the increased productivity your country has generated over the last 40 years had been shared equally amongst all your people. It has not ... and not b/c this is some sort of inevitable fact of a market economy. It is due to clear policy and legislative changes made by successive governments.
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Old 07-11-2015, 14:03   #108
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Re: Stupid, Ridiculous Prices for Stuff

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FWY... We don't own any section 8 housing, nor do we own any apartments other than the one we live in. But, we are completely surrounded by section 8 housing here in Whoville, so I consider myself a bit of a expert as to what goes on in and around the neighborhood having lived here for ten years.

I work at a local nursing home which I affectionately sometimes prefer to as "the nut house,". Hardly a high wage Union job, in fact.... When I read my friend Mike's comment about raising the minimum wage up to $22 bucks and hour, I was thinking... That's getting pretty close to what I make...
RNs in Alberta make an average of 42.60/hr to a top rate of 52.89. Most work a .6 FTE, as if they are asked to work OT, they get 2x regular. Many I know make over $100K even though they are not fulltime FTE.

ALIS OCCinfo: Occupations and Educational Programs

US/CDN FX - $1.00/1.33

Florida, my other home seems to me higher than your reference.

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Old 07-11-2015, 14:09   #109
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Re: Stupid, Ridiculous Prices for Stuff

Mike,

If everyone received the same mandated raise in wages.... Wouldn't prices just rise up the same amount effectively putting everything back as it was? Just like it is in Denmark, were everyone earns more, but the hamburger now costs $32.

Ok everyone.... Let's get the thread back on topic. Anyone have any examples of outrageously priced stuff like my teeth cleaning to share.

Let's keep it fun.
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Old 07-11-2015, 14:15   #110
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Re: Stupid, Ridiculous Prices for Stuff

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RNs in Alberta make an average of 42.60/hr to a top rate of 52.89. Most work a .6 FTE, as if they are asked to work OT, they get 2x regular. Many I know make over $100K even though they are not fulltime FTE.

ALIS OCCinfo: Occupations and Educational Programs

US/CDN FX - $1.00/1.33

Florida, my other home seems to me higher than your reference.

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Hey, you could sail your boat over and stay onboard
I looked up my registered nursing wage and compared it to the current Massachusetts average a month ago, and found out I was in the bottom ten percent... that hurt. But it's the price I must pay in order to work per diem and take off six months per year to cruise in the Med., unfortunately, a better paying job wouldn't allow it.

New nursing graduates make $20 per hour where I work. I have six years in the field with five years of hospital experience, so I make a little more.
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Old 07-11-2015, 14:17   #111
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Re: Stupid, Ridiculous Prices for Stuff

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Ok everyone.... Let's get the thread back on topic.
Well, you DID post this in the "Off-Topic" forum…

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Old 07-11-2015, 14:21   #112
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Re: Stupid, Ridiculous Prices for Stuff

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Well, you DID post this in the "Off-Topic" forum…

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You're right... Let's keep it of topic
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Old 07-11-2015, 14:29   #113
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Re: Stupid, Ridiculous Prices for Stuff

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If everyone received the same mandated raise in wages.... Wouldn't prices just rise up the same amount effectively putting everything back as it was? Just like it is in Denmark, were everyone earns more, but the hamburger now costs $32.
Perhaps, but the point is that the vast middle and lower classes have not kept pace with the increases in productivity and the related inflation rate. So people like you and me (and most of the people here) have fallen behind.

But yes, enough of this serious stuff. Bank charges! I'm currently travelling by motorcycle along the west coast of the USA -- amazing land! But holy crow am I getting killed by bank charges just to get access to my own money. So there's my current example of outrageous prices.
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Old 07-11-2015, 14:35   #114
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Re: Stupid, Ridiculous Prices for Stuff

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Perhaps, but the point is that the vast middle and lower classes have not kept pace with the increases in productivity and the related inflation.

But yes, enough of this serious stuff. Bank charges! I'm currently travelling by motorcycle along the west coast of the USA -- amazing land! But holy crow am I getting killed by bank charges just to get access to my own money. So there's my current example of outrageous prices.
Are you also getting clobbered by the currency exchange rate. Some banks will also add in a fee to change your money on top of the ATM fee.

So now I've gone from being wealthy earlier on this thread, to now being in the "lower class"and needed a leg up wage wise. That didn't take long.

It was fun while it lasted.
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Old 07-11-2015, 14:48   #115
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Re: Stupid, Ridiculous Prices for Stuff

Where I live (NZ) socialist is not an insult

My sister lives in California. On her last visit we tried to compare and see which society was better off.
We accepted that different taxes have different names and are collected by different agencies in different countries, but we focussed on the end result.
We pay about the same in taxes. But she then had to pay again for health care and education which in NZ are paid out of taxation. The reason her country couldn't do that was its massive military budget.

I won.
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Old 07-11-2015, 14:55   #116
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Re: Stupid, Ridiculous Prices for Stuff

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Where I live (NZ) socialist is not an insult

My sister lives in California. On her last visit we tried to compare and see which society was better off.
We accepted that different taxes have different names and are collected by different agencies in different countries, but we focussed on the end result.
We pay about the same in taxes. But she then had to pay again for health care and education which in NZ are paid out of taxation. The reason her country couldn't do that was its massive military budget.

I won.

That's all fine and dandy, but from what I've heard NZ built the Trump wall years ago and won't let us undesirables in! BTW I'm jealous as I've heard NZ is the absolute cats ass.


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Old 07-11-2015, 15:00   #117
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Re: Stupid, Ridiculous Prices for Stuff

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Are you also getting clobbered by the currency exchange rate. Some banks will also add in a fee to change your money on top of the ATM fee.
Yup ... I withdrew $360 USD at an ATM yesterday. My lovely credit union translated this to $489 CND with all fees in. Doesn't help the $CND has made like a lemming and plunged off the cliff, but the additional fees are just ridiculous. I have a CC that doesn't charge a currency conversion fee (most Canadian cards do), but it's still ridiculously expensive. Ah well, Cannon Beach's Haystack Rock is still stunning.

Other thing which is killing me is the cost of good craft beer. I can buy this bubbly water that claims to be beer for next to nothing. But buying something that actually has taste just kills my pocket book.

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So now I've gone from being wealthy earlier on this thread, to now being in the "lower class"and needed a leg up wage wise. That didn't take long.
Hey folks, lets pass the virtual hat for our impoverished friend .
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Old 07-11-2015, 15:04   #118
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Re: Stupid, Ridiculous Prices for Stuff

My old boss used to say he'd charge what the market would bear. If the thing costs $1, and the market would bear $100, then he'd take the $99 profit, no quibbles.

This is mostly the case, anywhere you live. So, the reason they can charge $xxx in the US is because people will pay it. But, if you consider a country like Costa Rica, with a population that makes around $8K annually, you know they can't pay their dentist $270, at least not very often. So, they don't, and neither do the sizable number of Americans who fly down there for treatments. They say the competence level and the facilities are top notch too. So, if you've got a toothache, and are sailing in the area...

A woman claimed to have gotten a procedure done for $3000, after her US doctor gave her an estimate of $22,000. I suppose you have to have faith in their capabilities, but wow - it's worth a little trip, IYAM.
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Old 07-11-2015, 15:23   #119
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Re: Stupid, Ridiculous Prices for Stuff

Hi smj - I believe we are quite liberal about who we let in these days.

While in the shower I was musing on some of the posts in this thread and this question popped up: how many USAians (what is the correct collective noun - I know the Mexicans don't like calling you lot Americans??) Anyway, how many USAians would cheerfully ride a bicycle if it were a direct trade off for healthcare and education?
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Old 07-11-2015, 15:40   #120
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Re: Stupid, Ridiculous Prices for Stuff

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question popped up: how many USAians (what is the correct collective noun - I know the Mexicans don't like calling you lot Americans??)
Merkins or Septics seem to work quite well!
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