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A Week in the Life of a McDonald’s Cashier

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Re: A Week in the Life of a McDonald’s Cashier

#231

Post by Scoundreller »

stickfigure wrote: post #157
Aloha wrote: post #118

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think people without any real background in the difficulties of automating purely human tasks (particularly manual ones), consistently underestimate the cost, difficulty and expense of maintenance for said automation. I used to work in a kitchen, so maintaining food service grade of cleanliness on robots, sounds frighteningly expensive to me.

On the other hand, you can walk into a Krispy Kreme and watch the machine work. There's no reason that machine couldn't make french fries with a few changes. Maybe everything won't be automated all at once, but if the economic incentive is there, it will happen. Pizza making robots are already a thing. There's no reason the shake machine can't measure its output to the cup instead of pulling a lever; drink machines i…

McDonalds already has those.

French fry hoppers automatically filling baskets from a frozen mini-closet. Out comes fresh fries.

Same for the cups that they can use in drive-throughs.

I think it’s up to the franchises to buy/install them. Depends on volume/space whether its worthwhile/possible.

Or they just push it to the customer to do it.

Re: A Week in the Life of a McDonald’s Cashier

#233

Post by oh_sigh »

TurkishPoptart wrote: post #138
oh_sigh wrote: post #46

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I just put her stats into the healthcare.gov calculator. She can get a bronze plan for $370/month, and she qualifies for a $370/month premium tax credit - meaning she can get a bronze level plan for $0/month. Seems affordable. What am I missing here?

How do the tax credits work? As in, you get the money back on your tax refund? This woman makes about $500 a month. And those plans are typically $8000+ deductible, basically shit plans. In most states, people qualify for Medicaid when they make less than $1,200 a month. Which is completely free care.

You can take the tax credit and apply it to your taxes at EOY, or you can have advanced payment where the tax credits are paid out monthly to your insurance company to help cover your premiums. Using the latter method, she basically just gets free health care - she doesn't need to wait a full year to recoup her $370*12

Re: A Week in the Life of a McDonald’s Cashier

#234

Post by excalibur »

whack wrote: post #215
excalibur wrote: post #133

Everybody seems to be latching on to the McDonald's part of her story, the author included. But it's the hospital part I find mortifying. McDonald's is pinching pennies left and right, it's their key to success. The hospital is not. How much would you guess they're charging per day for the average patient to stay there? I bet it's enough money to cover full-time employment and benefits for their food service workers.

I find it very interesting that most people assume it should be the employer's responsibility to provide for the employee's wellbeing. Call me naive, but I think it should be society's responsibility. What about Hedge Funds, Technology companies, Law Firms and every other company that hires primarily 6-figure white collar employees. Should they be completely off the hook, just because their business model only requir…

Yes, it should be society's responsibility, but until we all accept it as a group the onus remains on employers.

I haven't qualified for the Earned Income Credit in quite a few years, but I have nonetheless claimed it a number of times. I experienced none of the magical properties you seem to think it has.

Re: A Week in the Life of a McDonald’s Cashier

#235

Post by k-godwin »

whack wrote: post #215
excalibur wrote: post #133

Everybody seems to be latching on to the McDonald's part of her story, the author included. But it's the hospital part I find mortifying. McDonald's is pinching pennies left and right, it's their key to success. The hospital is not. How much would you guess they're charging per day for the average patient to stay there? I bet it's enough money to cover full-time employment and benefits for their food service workers.

I find it very interesting that most people assume it should be the employer's responsibility to provide for the employee's wellbeing. Call me naive, but I think it should be society's responsibility. What about Hedge Funds, Technology companies, Law Firms and every other company that hires primarily 6-figure white collar employees. Should they be completely off the hook, just because their business model only requir…

> Should we be completely immune from minimum wage increases just because we can afford to pay for the finer things in life?

You aren't immune.

Minimum wage laws impact the supply chain that feeds Whole Foods and nice restaurants by increasing the cost of rural labor.

https://www.indeed.com/salaries/farm-worker-Salaries

A quick google will show you that farm workers are well below the $15/hour goal most progressives are touting.

The argument that "society should carry the cost" is based on your opinion that is in error. Society carries the cost of minimum wage increases because we all have to eat. We all have to patronize low margin businesses to some degree (even if it is indirect).

You can argue the EITC is a better "solution" than a minimum wage but if you are trying to ensure $15/hour for people paid $10/hour, you are really talking a negative income tax or UBI. At which point, you are probably better off supporting those proposals instead of pushing the EITC.

Personally, I'm not a fan of subsidizing low margin businesses that from a Capitalist perspective should probably be allowed to die if their workers can't afford to live on what they pay.

Re: A Week in the Life of a McDonald’s Cashier

#238

Post by dba7dba »

codedokode wrote: post #10

> The bus stops running at 10 p.m. on Sunday, but McDonald's asked me to stay until close at 1 a.m. They asked me to stay because they need my help. I know it’s going to be rough to find a way home, but I need the money so I said yes. Cannot she ask them to pay for a taxi then? Also I didn't understand why she lives so far away from work.

Your comment has been down voted into invisible state to the point I had to really try to read it. But no, that's now how capitalism works.

Re: A Week in the Life of a McDonald’s Cashier

#239

Post by Ottolay »

ska wrote: post #184
tj-teej wrote: post #111

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It is not a UBI as it is not U. The McDonalds cashier is likely getting subsidized housing and food stamp benefits. Yang's plan would require that the cashier has to choose between the "UBI" or her existing benefits. I asked his campaign why they designed it this way and they did not have an answer, I was told to ask the candidate directly, which was disappointing.

FWIW, the article says she has no benefits like that.

I hate how well off people assume poor people are getting large benefits.

Most people under the poverty line do not receive over $1k in means tested benefits.

Also, millions of Americans living in poverty receive no benefits at all.[1]

[1] https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/13-million-p...

Re: A Week in the Life of a McDonald’s Cashier

#240

Post by pugio »

zentiggr wrote: post #77
pugio wrote: post #21

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Fixing healthcare would (by definition, IMO) alter health system incentives. If the government were responsible for all citizen's health, AND it wasn't too heavily influenced by lobby groups, it would make a lot more sense to focus on prophylactic measures, such an promoting healthy eating. Doctors should be paid for how healthy their patients are, not for continuing treatments of the chronically ill.

> not for continuing treatments of the chronically ill So my rheumatologist gets nothing for continuing to monitor and advise and prescribe treatment for my arthritis? Which isn't exactly something I can willpower away... I don't like you.

Sorry, typed that first bit out on my phone and ended up with a truncated thought. I was mostly referring to the way current financial incentives focus on _treatment_ versus prevention or cure.

In truth the change I was hoping for would happen at a slightly higher level than an individual doctor. More "health system" or municipal healthcare group.

I wasn't suggesting "willpower", nor making claims about your particular situation. I have observed cases where doctors are more willing to prescribe ongoing medications for chronic conditions, rather than investigating more holistic solutions to help alleviate symptoms. Arthritis symptoms can often be greatly reduced by diet or lifestyle changes. If your doctor helps you test and implement those – great! I've seen many cases where they don't, and my point is that they're not incentivized to do so.

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