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In reply to the discussion: In 1981, I was a full time stock clerk at an Ohio Big Bear grocery store making 12.60 an hour [View all]hunter
(38,417 posts)96. 1984 my rent was a little over $300 a month and gasoline was essentially free.
I was making $8.50 an hour and sharing a house with a bunch of guys, one of the guys whose parents owned the house but they didn't trust their kid as a manager or landlord.
It was insanely weird. The chief house guy worked for Fed-Ex and I think he got a discount on rent for looking after their son.
Fools like me looking for a place to sleep and keep our stuff were side jobs.
That was the year I began to seriously rethink my life.
I did have my own bedroom.
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In 1981, I was a full time stock clerk at an Ohio Big Bear grocery store making 12.60 an hour [View all]
maxrandb
Sep 2023
OP
This is the pattern of private equity - they have already destroyed 2 hospitals for low-income
Stargazer99
Sep 2023
#49
I retired 15 years ago and was looking for something to kill time. That was before I joined the
3Hotdogs
Sep 2023
#3
My teachers' union was powerful. When I retired, we were the second highest paid district in the
3Hotdogs
Oct 2023
#138
That store was on High around 6th. Unfortunately the ride was not mine.
Floyd R. Turbo
Sep 2023
#118
Yes I know. The democratic house. The senate went republican for part of the 8 years.
jimfields33
Sep 2023
#31
Current wealth/income disparity is unsustainable. Let's resolve it peaceably by taxing the ultrarich
Bernardo de La Paz
Sep 2023
#19
Every solid college degree ought to come with a good trade job as a backup superpower.
hunter
Sep 2023
#116
Just this morning, I read an article about concerns over the falling birth rate
Attilatheblond
Sep 2023
#107
Could not compete my a**. Private Equity bought Big Bear and loaded them with debt and then sold the
Stargazer99
Sep 2023
#59
Really good post, Max. You are quite intelligent enough to have stated the basic problem.
PatrickforB
Sep 2023
#40
Republicans have forced through policies that have hollowed out the American middle class. 50 years
Martin68
Sep 2023
#54
Granted, they were the days of high inflation, and everything was costing more and more, but...
BobTheSubgenius
Sep 2023
#72
'this country has been valuing wealth over labor for the better part of 4 decades now.'
elleng
Sep 2023
#89
Excellent post. I received union scale (teamsters) wages in 1975 and was thrilled (9.93 an hour).
Evolve Dammit
Sep 2023
#92
There's no reason for top executives to make 300 or 400 times what they pay their workers
dlk
Sep 2023
#129
In the summer of '66 I worked as an apprentice electrician earning $2.75/hr. I was able to
flashman13
Sep 2023
#110
I worked at a union grocery store through high school & college as a part time cashier
dflprincess
Sep 2023
#127