Company that set a minimum wage of $70,000/year facing some unexpected consequences

August 03, 2015

WRITER

The left championed Gravity Payments CEO Dan Price as a hero in the war against income inequality, but a few months after setting a minimum wage of $70k his business has encountered some unexpected problems. Well, unexpected if you don’t have any comprehension as to why socialist principles have categorically failed throughout history. It turns out that if you give the least skilled people at your company a huge pay raise, the highly skilled employees who carry the burden of getting the work done won’t be too happy to get nothing.

Start listening at 1 hour 23 minutes into today's podcast:

Below is a rush transcript of this segment, it may contain errors:

STU: Someone else who had a pretty good business was Dan Price. Dan Price is 31 years old. CEO of a company. This is a company that does like internet transactions as far as like, you know, you're paying for things.

JEFFY: Online purchases.

STU: Like a PayPal type of thing. So he decided because he believes in what the left says about income inequality. Decided to change the structure of his company. He's CEO. Making a billion bucks a year. A bunch of people were making way less than that. Is that right? He says no. So he took a giant pay cut and brought himself down to $70,000 a year. He also at the same time decided to pay all of his employees at least $70,000 a year because, you know, income inequality. It's not about the job you're doing or how well you're doing it. Just everything needs to be income no matter what.

JEFFY: Right.

STU: So this was a big story. The New York Times picked it up. It was a -- it was a cause of the left for a couple of weeks. Now, what doesn't happen with those causes of the left is no one ever follows up on them. This time we'll give credit to FoxNews.com for doing so. They decided to call up Dan Price a few weeks later and say, hey, Dan, you had that company doing well and you decided to turn it into an example of socialism. How is that going for you? Working out well? Everything going great? Is that what we would expect? Well, he says, I'm working as hard as I ever worked to make it work. I'm renting out my house right now to make ends meet myself. This is with -- he's talking about the difficult struggle. However, the problem is, a lot of the good employees have left.

JEFFY: Yeah, they were kind of pissed, which is what we said.

STU: See, the new employees who were not doing as much work or not as high level in the company are making the same now as the people who have been there for a while and have built the company, which is kind of crazy.

He gives raises to people who have the least skills and are the least equipped to do the job. And the ones who were taking on the most didn't get much of a salary bump. This is from the financial manager. Mazy McCaster. She's 26. She said when she talked to Price about it, he treated her as if she was being selfish and only thinking about herself. That really hurt me, she said. I was talking about not only me, but everyone in my position. Approaching burnout, she quit.

Grant Morgan, 29, also quit saying the new pay scale was disconcerting. Now the people who were just clocking in and out were making the same as me. It shackles high performers to less motivated team members.

Price, now, this is the guy who is the boss, said both of these guys -- and also Rush Limbaugh and other talk show hosts who were critical of this, were not wrong. There's no perfect way to do this and to handle complex work issues that doesn't have any downsides or tradeoffs.

So he's now losing his good employees. He's keeping the old employees at inflated rates, and he's having major problems with his company. And there's a reason for that. Socialism doesn't work. It's not a system that ever worked.

JEFFY: He lost some of his clients as well over this transition. Some employees were wound up that if they were willing to do that, then maybe something else was wrong and they weren't going to get the service that they had been getting in the future.

Now he claims to have gotten new clients because of this. But that has not paid off yet.

STU: No, because those clients are like, you know what, we don't think it's right for us to be paying for these services. They should be free to everyone. We won't send in any payments. But they're new clients.

JEFFY: He's really struggling. And he's struggling with his brother who helped him start the business. Now he's phased out the brother. And the brother is like, I'm worth a little bit more than 70,000-dollar thing. I need a piece of the pie.

STU: Yeah, you'll notice that this doesn't happen in the businesses that liberals usually run. I'll give Dan Price a lot of credit here. You know, he's actually implementing these policies that you normally only see implemented by someone named Jong-il.

JEFFY: He seemed to think -- he didn't do it -- according to the story, when I read the latest catch-up story, he didn't do it, he claimed, because of the il factor. He just, you know, felt like he saw something that somebody was struggling. He heard one of his employees struggling about some sort of school or something. Gosh darn it.

STU: He did address the income inequality part of it though. Look, there's nothing wrong with believing that. This guy actually put it into practice. The left -- for example, Obama complains about women not being paid the same and then doesn't pay women as much as men in his own administration. Hillary Clinton, the same thing in the campaigns. We've see this over and over and over again. And it's really annoying. At least this guy is trying. The best that can happen -- is why we like federalism is that you can do these things. Test them out. We can all watch someone else fail at them. And then we can decide to do the right thing. That's what's good about this country. I'm all for this guy giving this a whirl. There's a lot of companies that try crazy things like that and they usually don't work. Everyone wants to come up with a new way of running the business. Because everyone else is so stupid. And they don't understand. And they're stodgy. And stuck in their old ways. A lot of those old ways work and they do something. That doesn't mean you constantly go on with the exact same process forever.

JEFFY: But we watch other companies grow and succeed and fail. And that's the way we learn. I mean, we learn that children should not put signs in front of their house to sell worms. It's illegal. Don't do it. Don't try to sell your product with a sign, kid.

'Rage against the dying of the light': Charlie Kirk lived that mandate

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Kirk’s tragic death challenges us to rise above fear and anger, to rebuild bridges where others build walls, and to fight for the America he believed in.

I’ve only felt this weight once before. It was 2001, just as my radio show was about to begin. The World Trade Center fell, and I was called to speak immediately. I spent the day and night by my bedside, praying for words that could meet the moment.

Yesterday, I found myself in the same position. September 11, 2025. The assassination of Charlie Kirk. A friend. A warrior for truth.

Out of this tragedy, the tyrant dies, but the martyr’s influence begins.

Moments like this make words feel inadequate. Yet sometimes, words from another time speak directly to our own. In 1947, Dylan Thomas, watching his father slip toward death, penned lines that now resonate far beyond his own grief:

Do not go gentle into that good night. / Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

Thomas was pleading for his father to resist the impending darkness of death. But those words have become a mandate for all of us: Do not surrender. Do not bow to shadows. Even when the battle feels unwinnable.

Charlie Kirk lived that mandate. He knew the cost of speaking unpopular truths. He knew the fury of those who sought to silence him. And yet he pressed on. In his life, he embodied a defiance rooted not in anger, but in principle.

Picking up his torch

Washington, Jefferson, Adams — our history was started by men who raged against an empire, knowing the gallows might await. Lincoln raged against slavery. Martin Luther King Jr. raged against segregation. Every generation faces a call to resist surrender.

It is our turn. Charlie’s violent death feels like a knockout punch. Yet if his life meant anything, it means this: Silence in the face of darkness is not an option.

He did not go gently. He spoke. He challenged. He stood. And now, the mantle falls to us. To me. To you. To every American.

We cannot drift into the shadows. We cannot sit quietly while freedom fades. This is our moment to rage — not with hatred, not with vengeance, but with courage. Rage against lies, against apathy, against the despair that tells us to do nothing. Because there is always something you can do.

Even small acts — defiance, faith, kindness — are light in the darkness. Reaching out to those who mourn. Speaking truth in a world drowning in deceit. These are the flames that hold back the night. Charlie carried that torch. He laid it down yesterday. It is ours to pick up.

The light may dim, but it always does before dawn. Commit today: I will not sleep as freedom fades. I will not retreat as darkness encroaches. I will not be silent as evil forces claim dominion. I have no king but Christ. And I know whom I serve, as did Charlie.

Two turning points, decades apart

On Wednesday, the world changed again. Two tragedies, separated by decades, bound by the same question: Who are we? Is this worth saving? What kind of people will we choose to be?

Imagine a world where more of us choose to be peacemakers. Not passive, not silent, but builders of bridges where others erect walls. Respect and listening transform even the bitterest of foes. Charlie Kirk embodied this principle.

He did not strike the weak; he challenged the powerful. He reached across divides of politics, culture, and faith. He changed hearts. He sparked healing. And healing is what our nation needs.

At the center of all this is one truth: Every person is a child of God, deserving of dignity. Change will not happen in Washington or on social media. It begins at home, where loneliness and isolation threaten our souls. Family is the antidote. Imperfect, yes — but still the strongest source of stability and meaning.

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Forgiveness, fidelity, faithfulness, and honor are not dusty words. They are the foundation of civilization. Strong families produce strong citizens. And today, Charlie’s family mourns. They must become our family too. We must stand as guardians of his legacy, shining examples of the courage he lived by.

A time for courage

I knew Charlie. I know how he would want us to respond: Multiply his courage. Out of this tragedy, the tyrant dies, but the martyr’s influence begins. Out of darkness, great and glorious things will sprout — but we must be worthy of them.

Charlie Kirk lived defiantly. He stood in truth. He changed the world. And now, his torch is in our hands. Rage, not in violence, but in unwavering pursuit of truth and goodness. Rage against the dying of the light.

This article originally appeared on TheBlaze.com.

Glenn Beck resurrects the 9-12 Project to support Charlie Kirk's family

Glenn Beck is once again calling on his loyal listeners and viewers to come together and channel the same unity and purpose that defined the historic 9-12 Project. That movement, born in the wake of national challenges, brought millions together to revive core values of faith, hope, and charity.

Glenn created the original 9-12 Project in early 2009 to bring Americans back to where they were in the wake of the 9/11 attacks. In those moments, we weren't Democrats and Republicans, conservative or liberal, Red States or Blue States, we were united as one, as America. The original 9-12 Project aimed to root America back in the founding principles of this country that united us during those darkest of days.

This new initiative draws directly from that legacy, focusing on supporting the family of Charlie Kirk in these dark days following his tragic murder.

The revival of the 9-12 Project aims to secure the long-term well-being of Charlie Kirk's wife and children. All donations will go straight to meeting their immediate and future needs. If the family deems the funds surplus to their requirements, Charlie's wife has the option to redirect them toward the vital work of Turning Point USA.

This campaign is more than just financial support—it's a profound gesture of appreciation for Kirk's tireless dedication to the cause of liberty. It embodies the unbreakable bond of our community, proving that when we stand united, we can make a real difference.
Glenn Beck invites you to join this effort. Show your solidarity by donating today and honoring Charlie Kirk and his family in this meaningful way.

You can learn more about the 9-12 Project and donate HERE

The critical difference: Rights from the Creator, not the state

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When politicians claim that rights flow from the state, they pave the way for tyranny.

Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) recently delivered a lecture that should alarm every American. During a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing, he argued that believing rights come from a Creator rather than government is the same belief held by Iran’s theocratic regime.

Kaine claimed that the principles underpinning Iran’s dictatorship — the same regime that persecutes Sunnis, Jews, Christians, and other minorities — are also the principles enshrined in our Declaration of Independence.

In America, rights belong to the individual. In Iran, rights serve the state.

That claim exposes either a profound misunderstanding or a reckless indifference to America’s founding. Rights do not come from government. They never did. They come from the Creator, as the Declaration of Independence proclaims without qualification. Jefferson didn’t hedge. Rights are unalienable — built into every human being.

This foundation stands worlds apart from Iran. Its leaders invoke God but grant rights only through clerical interpretation. Freedom of speech, property, religion, and even life itself depend on obedience to the ruling clerics. Step outside their dictates, and those so-called rights vanish.

This is not a trivial difference. It is the essence of liberty versus tyranny. In America, rights belong to the individual. The government’s role is to secure them, not define them. In Iran, rights serve the state. They empower rulers, not the people.

From Muhammad to Marx

The same confusion applies to Marxist regimes. The Soviet Union’s constitutions promised citizens rights — work, health care, education, freedom of speech — but always with fine print. If you spoke out against the party, those rights evaporated. If you practiced religion openly, you were charged with treason. Property and voting were allowed as long as they were filtered and controlled by the state — and could be revoked at any moment. Rights were conditional, granted through obedience.

Kaine seems to be advocating a similar approach — whether consciously or not. By claiming that natural rights are somehow comparable to sharia law, he ignores the critical distinction between inherent rights and conditional privileges. He dismisses the very principle that made America a beacon of freedom.

Jefferson and the founders understood this clearly. “We are endowed by our Creator with certain unalienable rights,” they wrote. No government, no cleric, no king can revoke them. They exist by virtue of humanity itself. The government exists to protect them, not ration them.

This is not a theological quibble. It is the entire basis of our government. Confuse the source of rights, and tyranny hides behind piety or ideology. The people are disempowered. Clerics, bureaucrats, or politicians become arbiters of what rights citizens may enjoy.

John Greim / Contributor | Getty Images

Gifts from God, not the state

Kaine’s statement reflects either a profound ignorance of this principle or an ideological bias that favors state power over individual liberty. Either way, Americans must recognize the danger. Understanding the origin of rights is not academic — it is the difference between freedom and submission, between the American experiment and theocratic or totalitarian rule.

Rights are not gifts from the state. They are gifts from God, secured by reason, protected by law, and defended by the people. Every American must understand this. Because when rights come from government instead of the Creator, freedom disappears.

This article originally appeared on TheBlaze.com.

POLL: Is America’s next generation trading freedom for equity?

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A recent poll conducted by Justin Haskins, a long-time friend of the show, has uncovered alarming trends among young Americans aged 18-39, revealing a generation grappling with deep frustrations over economic hardships, housing affordability, and a perceived rigged system that favors the wealthy, corporations, and older generations. While nearly half of these likely voters approve of President Trump, seeing him as an anti-establishment figure, over 70% support nationalizing major industries, such as healthcare, energy, and big tech, to promote "equity." Shockingly, 53% want a democratic socialist to win the 2028 presidential election, including a third of Trump voters and conservatives in this age group. Many cite skyrocketing housing costs, unfair taxation on the middle class, and a sense of being "stuck" or in crisis as driving forces, with 62% believing the economy is tilted against them and 55% backing laws to confiscate "excess wealth" like second homes or luxury items to help first-time buyers.

This blend of Trump support and socialist leanings suggests a volatile mix: admiration for disruptors who challenge the status quo, coupled with a desire for radical redistribution to address personal struggles. Yet, it raises profound questions about the roots of this discontent—Is it a failure of education on history's lessons about socialism's failures? Media indoctrination? Or genuine systemic barriers? And what does it portend for the nation’s trajectory—greater division, a shift toward authoritarian policies, or an opportunity for renewal through timeless values like hard work and individual responsibility?

Glenn wants to know what YOU think: Where do Gen Z's socialist sympathies come from? What does it mean for the future of America? Make your voice heard in the poll below:

Do you believe the Gen Z support for socialism comes from perceived economic frustrations like unaffordable housing and a rigged system favoring the wealthy and corporations?

Do you believe the Gen Z support for socialism, including many Trump supporters, is due to a lack of education about the historical failures of socialist systems?

Do you think that these poll results indicate a growing generational divide that could lead to more political instability and authoritarian tendencies in America's future?

Do you think that this poll implies that America's long-term stability relies on older generations teaching Gen Z and younger to prioritize self-reliance, free-market ideals, and personal accountability?

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