What’s Killing the American Dream? | 5 Minute Video
The American Dream is real, but it may not be for much longer. What exactly is the American Dream? And why is it in danger? Elaine Parker of Job Creators Network explains.
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Script:
What do you call it when people have a great idea and risk everything they have — time, money, energy — to make that idea a reality?
I call it the American Dream.
Ritu Shah-Burnham had an idea. She dreamed of opening a pizza franchise in Seattle, Washington. It wasn’t easy – it never is – but she made it happen.
Richard Clark had an idea. Office buildings in fast growing Northern Florida needed janitorial services. He was bound and determined to see that they got it. He grew his business to over 200 employees.
Kenneth Jarosch oversees a bakery in Chicago started in 1959 by his father and grandfather. The neighborhood has seen a lot of changes over the decades, but there’s always been one thing you could count on: delicious bread and pastries fresh from the Jarosch ovens.
Ritu’s, Richard’s, and Kenneth’s stories are played out every day across America: a million variations on the same theme — starting a business, running a business, keeping a business going.
In fact, America leads the world in small business creation, with over 28 million small businesses. They generate over 64% of all new private sector jobs. And, let’s not miss the obvious: every big business with thousands of employees started out as a small business. Bernie Marcus opened two hardware stores in Georgia and Phil Knight sold running shoes out of the back of his car in Oregon.
Thus were The Home Depot and Nike born.
Given the importance of small businesses to the American economy, you would think the government on all levels — city, state and federal — would do everything it could to encourage their formation and growth.
In other words, you’d think the government’s attitude would be, “How can we help you?”
But, sadly, this is not the case. In fact, it’s the opposite. The government is killing small businesses — killing them with excessive taxes, over-regulation and complicated compliance.
One such burden is the current push to hike federal, state and city minimum wage rates from about $7.25 an hour to as much as $15.
Ritu Shah-Burnham found this out the hard way. So did her employees. When the city of Seattle raised their minimum wage to $15 an hour, all the profit went out of Ritu’s pizza parlor. She couldn’t raise prices high enough to cover her new costs. She lost her business and her employees lost their jobs. Instead of their wages going up to $15, they went down to zero.
Then there’s the Affordable Care Act, which requires businesses with at least 50 full-time employees to provide health insurance for all of them. The law’s definition of “full-time”? Just 30 hours a week. To survive all the added costs, many small companies have reduced their workers’ hours to below 30 per week. They’ve also become wary of expanding beyond 50 full time employees.
For the complete script, visit https://www.prageru.com/videos/whats-killing-american-dream
source
The American dream is dead, and Democrats killed it.
Prayer U is not a university but is a radical right-wing propaganda mill. Minimum wages should be triple what they are now so people have a living wage. Low wage workers require government aid to survive. People should be able to earn enough to not only survive but thrive!
The greed of the capitalist will not allow the american worker to have a decent wage to make a decent living. Compare the salary of a CEO in the 60s compared to what it is now and compare that to workers' wages. Workers of the left and right are talking more like Marx every day. The song Rich men north of Richmond has become a rally cry even at the Rethuglicans debate. Listen to the lyrics. Beware people are woking up.SOLIDARITY
Democrat voters could care less they all want communism asap
TRUTH, and the root of the problem is the irrational interpretation of the Constitution adopted via a New Deal SCOTUS case in 1936. The fed gov has been expanding beyond it's proper boundaries in size and scope ever since. Sadly, the mindless Collectivists in both major political parties are at fault.
Governments goal is to kill the goose that lays the golden egg. Government only knows how to tax and over regulate a business out of existence. Elections have consequences so vote wisely.
This is so true. People need to be encouraged to start new businesses . I feel so bad for those who start small businesses. This is so sad. The government is an absolute travesty
It's called the American dream because you gotta be asleep to believe it.
Next part is adressed to potential immigrants and immigrants (if you're US-born ignore the next part)
You save up for years, you go to apply for the lottery every year, you keep dreaming about a (semi-fictional) place where all your problems are gone or easy to solve, you keep telling your kids (if you have them) that one day you're gonna go to live the American dream. Suddenly you and a few others were picked by the lottery and that means you're gonna soon be taken to the US. Necessary vaccines, fingerprints, passports from your home country, all the necessary procedures. You eventually get your visa approved and you go to the US. At 1st everything seems good until you realise that at your new job, your boss only pays you the legal minimum so he can save up on labour (all while your US-born collegues get a lot more), you only get 3 sick days (yes only 3, not everytime you're sick), if you're a non-Christian be aware that some white evangelical freak will tell you that you're going to hell, oh and the healthcare, it's way way overpriced, if you become a waiter you are payed way less than the normal $7.25/hour (which itself is not a lot) you are only payed $2/hour and you have to rely on tips to live and most tips are 5%-10% only. If you come from a culture that uses a lot of seasoning on food, beware cuz some Americans are gonna be annoyed at you and make fun of you for it. And when they hear you speaking to your mom or dad they're gonna tell you stuff like "this is American speak American" (yeah American isn't a language). In short, if you move to the US, it's at your own risk. Also, (I'm gonna repeat myself again but…) the healthcare is expensive, $10000 only for one birth. Imagine other medical emergencies.
short story dont immigrate to this shit hole country you will be screwed oh and she didn't even talk about the health care system which is so expensive that even bill gates wont be able to afford it ( well he can I am just being sarcastic )
The American dream is a cynical deceptive lie.
I don't even have to watch this. It's easy………………….Liberalism (Democrats).
The United States of America is the land of opportunity. The fine print is that the opportunity only caters to specific personality types. If you are a risk taker, ambitious, extremely hard worker, and a savvy investor, the doors of opportunity will open themselves onto you. However, if you are cautious, a regular employee, not into investing, emotional, and family oriented, then eventually you will be left behind. USA caters to a very specific personality type. The rest will be left behind. If you do not have a personality type compatible with US economic system, I strongly suggest immigrating to Europe or other regions where people of different personality traits can have a decent life.
Most (80%<) of jobs are provided by large businesses (more than 500 employees) though.
You Yankees just need to accept the European Dream as something better.
this will certainly fall on deaf ears but imma say it anyway.
7,25 is no longer a living wage. even if you work full 40 hour work weeks it is still not enough as rent can cost a thousand a month. mind that the total only comes down to 1200!
''Then just work more!'' the fact people may need 2 or 3 jobs just to SURVIVE should set off all kinds of alarmbells. but instead it is shown as some moral good? wages havent kept up with inflation for decades now and with prices rapidly increasing and automization at an all time high it simply isnt sustainable how we are doing things. and if you think busenissowners need more tax breaks while their workers nearly starve in an overpriced 1 room apartment, then by my count you have lost sight what the american dream was truly founded on. not on extortion, it is exactly what the founding fathers were fighting against! they wanted all to have a fair shot at happiness, yet through the ages conservatives have made themselves belief that you must lift yourself up while everyone pushes you down or you simply deserve misery! and why? just because it benefits those already at the top for nobody else to rise! if most are only 1 bad choice or medical incident away from homelessness they will be willing to work for whatever is offered. gen Z is starting to realize the raw deal handed out and seek to change it. society has always been changing throughout history, and now it is once again. either accept it or stay behind in the past!
Where’s the freedom?
$15 is nothing per hour. A lawyer is $350 to $450 an hour. No one can pay, if they too, do not make $600 an hour..
This video is BS!
It's not free enterprise capitalism that's create corporatist oligarch, it's the federal reserve and monopolistic policies from the government that are responsible for creating them.
The government, and the collectivists and globalists within the government.