Raise minimum wage?

[YoungGun21]

Should we raise the minimum wage? I have seen a lot of people discussing an even further increase.

Personally, I think the minimum wage is what forced many companies to move operations to countries overseas.

 

[Throckmorton]

It would make sense to say minimum wage is what forced companies to move operations overseas, IF you think wages would be 3 cents an hour without the minimum.

 

[Daedalus685]

I have not had a job that payed minimum wage since I worked as a stock boy at the age of 16.

I assure you that Grocery stores and McDonalds are not leaving town for Mexico any time soon. I am not aware of many other places in Canada that pay minimum wage for much else. Sure if you double minimum wage it might hurt some bottom lines but I don't see many companies that are paying minimum leaving, it is those that are historically pay much much more that take off elsewhere. Frankly, who in their right mind would do grueling factory work for even close to minimum wage here when they could stock a shelf at wal mart.

It is a complicated economical problem that forces a company to move elsewhere. It likely does involve government laws, but I doubt minimum wage is anywhere near the top of the list when compared to a legally beaten down populous that will gladly work for a pittance of food and a government that allows you to pay next to no tax and dump waste wherever you want while being next to the exploitable resource of desire.

 

[YoungGun21]

I have not had a job that payed minimum wage since I worked as a stock boy at the age of 16.

I assure you that Grocery stores and McDonalds are not leaving town for Mexico any time soon.

It is a complicated economical problem that forces a company to move elsewhere. It likely does involve government laws, but I doubt minimum wage is anywhere near the top of the list when compared to a legally beaten down populous that will gladly work for a pittance of food and a government that allows you to pay next to no tax and dump waste wherever you want while being next to the exploitable resource of desire.

But you know what they are doing? Raising prices.

 

[glenn1]

Raise the minimum wage for what purpose? So that fast food places will have to pay the teenagers working the fry station a bit more, or because you prefer lower wage jobs to be even more increasingly replaced by automation (e.g. self-checkout machines, ATMs, etc)? The left's fantasy idea that everyone can get a job receiving a "living wage" is false because for many workers, the value proposition they offer to an employer isn't worth it and thus they won't get hired at all.

 

[Matt1970]

High School kids will rejoice around the country.

 

[Craig234]

Yes, raise it. I'd say 'cue the right wing false myths' but they are already started.

 

[manimal]

Have you looked at the people working fast food lately? Many in their 30s with kids and families have moved into the jobs that are available. I actually had someone at a Chipotle spark up a conversation with me about Jung recently after a comment I made to my wife.

Raising the minimum wage has impacted the bottom line of some companies over the years but the net effect on the poor wanting to be middle class has been substantial. Manufacturing jobs that have left have not left due to minimum wage. Most of those workers if given the chance at the time to lose the job or drop to minimum wage would have taken the unemployment.

Even if you live very frugally 10 dollars an hour barely gets food on the table if your single in most cities. If you have a family forget about it...

 

[Matt1970]

Have you looked at the people working fast food lately? Many in their 30s with kids and families have moved into the jobs that are available.

What f-ed up town do you live in?

 

[xj0hnx]

Yes, raise it. I'd say 'cue the right wing false myths' but they are already started.

LOL, right on time. Honestly, if you can manage that, how many people do you know that work for minimum wage? Do any of them support themselves outside of their mommy's basement?

 

[manimal]

What f-ed up town do you live in?

Carmel Indiana right outside Indianapolis.


http://www.bestplaces.net/city/indiana/carmel



median household income 246K....

 

[Mr. Pedantic]

I would hope that most people support themselves on more than minimum wage, but would it still not make sense to raise minimum wage in keeping with inflation? Because if you don't, then isn't that effectively just devaluing the employees' jobs?

 

[xj0hnx]

Even if you live very frugally 10 dollars an hour barely gets food on the table if your single in most cities. If you have a family forget about it...

Exactly, so what again would raising minimum wage do, since it isn't even $10. Businesses can't afford to pay everyone $50 an hour, and those that can, generally do if the person is worth it.

 

[manimal]

Exactly, so what again would raising minimum wage do, since it isn't even $10. Businesses can't afford to pay everyone $50 an hour, and those that can, generally do if the person is worth it.

Higher minimum wages put upward pressure on lower middle class jobs like retail sales and entry level clerical.


Do you know anyone that works in retail?


Those people have been HAMMERED the last two years wage wise..

 

[wuliheron]

Should we raise the minimum wage? I have seen a lot of people discussing an even further increase.

Personally, I think the minimum wage is what forced many companies to move operations to countries overseas.

Fuck the minimum wage. Congress went for 40 years without raising the minimum wage. So long that many states have enacted their own "living wage" laws. Now we have 13 million illegal immigrants driving wages down, the lowest unionization in the developed world, outrageous debt, outrageous unemployment, jobs moving overseas, an aging population, and an infrastructure that is falling apart. At best band aids doled by the privileged few will only slow down real change. Raise the minimum wage and watch just how many more illegal aliens enter the country.

 

[xj0hnx]

Higher minimum wages put upward pressure on lower middle class jobs like retail sales and entry level clerical.


Do you know anyone that works in retail?


Those people have been HAMMERED the last two years wage wise..

"Upward pressure" isn't necessarily going to translate to better lower middle class pay, could even have a negative effect on it.

 

[JimW1949]

Don't you think that a working person should be paid a livable wage? I am not saying everyone should be paid enough to buy a mansion on the hill, but they should be able to afford a decent place to live. I am not saying everyone should be able to afford a Mercedes, but they should be able to afford a decent car. In my opinion, working people should be paid enough so that they can live a decent life.

 

[wuliheron]

Don't you think that a working person should be paid a livable wage? I am not saying everyone should be paid enough to buy a mansion on the hill, but they should be able to afford a decent place to live. I am not saying everyone should be able to afford a Mercedes, but they should be able to afford a decent car. In my opinion, working people should be paid enough so that they can live a decent life.

It doesn't matter what people think. It only matters what congress does and it is pretty obvious they don't give a shit so long as they can keep the peasants from taking their heads off.

 

[manimal]

"Upward pressure" isn't necessarily going to translate to better lower middle class pay, could even have a negative effect on it.

say there is a job that pays the fictional minimum wage of 10 dollars and hour doing something very low stress and repetitive. Now take a 13 dollar an hour job where you are stressed and help to horrible sales standards selling stupid ass protection plans on washer and driers....that 13 dollar and hour job will soon be high enough to warrant the additional stress and responsibility.

 

[xj0hnx]

Don't you think that a working person should be paid a livable wage? I am not saying everyone should be paid enough to buy a mansion on the hill, but they should be able to afford a decent place to live. I am not saying everyone should be able to afford a Mercedes, but they should be able to afford a decent car. In my opinion, working people should be paid enough so that they can live a decent life.

A lot of those working people would be making a livable wage if they made better choices.

 

[xj0hnx]

say there is a job that pays the fictional minimum wage of 10 dollars and hour doing something very low stress and repetitive. Now take a 13 dollar an hour job where you are stressed and help to horrible sales standards selling stupid ass protection plans on washer and driers....that 13 dollar and hour job will soon be high enough to warrant the additional stress and responsibility.

Maybe, but more than likely the person doing it will leave, and someone else will come in and do it for the $13 an hour.

 

[manimal]

A lot of those working people would be making a livable wage if they made better choices.

If the economy was in better shape and unemployment was under 6 percent and underemployed part time numbers were ANYWHERE near sane levels you would be partially right...

 

[HAL9000]

I think if you guys need to do anything about the minimum wage is sort out the mental system you guys have that allows employers to pay less than minimum wage if the employees can earn a tip.

 

[xj0hnx]

If the economy was in better shape and unemployment was under 6 percent and underemployed part time numbers were ANYWHERE near sane levels you would be partially right...

A lot of those problems are because people made those bad choices. People did try to buy more house, or car than they could afford, ate out all the time, and bought useless trinkets. Obviously there was a lot of the straight up criminal behavior like Countrywide's BS, but in reality no one put a gun to those people's heads and forced them to get a mortgage they couldn't afford.

 

[xj0hnx]

I think if you guys need to do anything about the minimum wage is sort out the mental system you guys have that allows employers to pay less than minimum wage if the employees can earn a tip.

Why? A lot of those jobs make a hell of a lot more than minimum wage. I used to love waiting and bartending, made a grip in tips.