House Democrats to tackle minimum wage

[RMNIXON]

Originally Posted by DosEquis

Raising minimum wage affects very, very little. It will not increase unemployment because it affects very little. It will not increase the cost of living, because it affects very little.

Wow, any data to back that up?

[DosEquis]

Originally Posted by RMNIXON

Wow, any data to back that up?

According the the Bureau of labor statistics (in 2004 anyway), 2.7% of all hourly paid employees made minimum wage. There are further stats that show 25% of these workers are 16-19 years old, and that a good percentage of those jobs were also part timers.

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[smokie700]

I think where it will affect most people is at the consumer goods side. If you think about the types of jobs that pay minimum wage, they are mostly fast food, grocery stores, arcades, movies etc. These companies will have to raise the price of goods in order to pay the employees the new wages. Personally I do not want to pay a buck more for my value meal so the people at mickyd's can make more money while having no usable skills beyond flipping burgers.

P.S. I have worked these type of jobs and had to while supporting just myself. I didn't like the pay or the job so I made something of myself.

[Ardentfrost]

Originally Posted by Thorgrim

3.95

I guarantee I was making minimum wage when it went up and those were my wages.... $4.25 was min wage before the hike.

[ballz2wallz]

Originally Posted by DosEquis

.

This is all the more reason why we don't need to raise minimum wage. It's part-time high school students that will either benefit (or be fired) from this. It pretty much destroys anybody's argument for increasing minimum wage.

Thanks Dos!!!

[DosEquis]

Originally Posted by smokie700

I think where it will affect most people is at the consumer goods side. If you think about the types of jobs that pay minimum wage, they are mostly fast food, grocery stores, arcades, movies etc. These companies will have to raise the price of goods in order to pay the employees the new wages. Personally I do not want to pay a buck more for my value meal so the people at mickyd's can make more money while having no usable skills beyond flipping burgers.

P.S. I have worked these type of jobs and had to while supporting just myself. I didn't like the pay or the job so I made something of myself.

In nebraska most mcdonalds and BK employees make ATLEAST 6.75 and usually 7.00+. By the time 2 years is up to phase this in.. they would be at 7.25 anyway

I guarentee in Hawaii they are probably already making $10.00 just because of the cost of living there... thus this wage bill probably affects next to zero jobs in hawaii.

[DosEquis]

Originally Posted by ballz2wallz

This is all the more reason why we don't need to raise minimum wage. It's part-time high school students that will either benefit (or be fired) from this. It pretty much destroys anybody's argument for increasing minimum wage.

Thanks Dos!!!

It destroys any reason to be complaining about raising it to 7.25 too. I said along time ago in the thread this was meaningless feel good legislation.

We should bump it to $8.50 so we can have a real debate.

[smokie700]

MickyD's in hawaii makes about 6.50 the burger king on base makes about 7.50 the walmart and kmarts make about 7.00 to 8.00

the only people that get good money for cost of living is the military here. The way most families survive here is by having more than one generation of a family living under the same roof.

[smokie700]

Originally Posted by Ardentfrost

I guarantee I was making minimum wage when it went up and those were my wages.... $4.25 was min wage before the hike.

I remember working for 4.25 and thought it was da bomb when it was rasied.

[ballz2wallz]

Originally Posted by DosEquis

It destroys any reason to be complaining about raising it to 7.25 too.

We should bump it to $8.50 so we can have a real debate.

Except most people hiring someone as a first-timer to sweep their floors probably would prefer to just make someone else do it. That money adds up, especially considering there's probably a higher turnover rate amongst new employees. The reason people get a raise after they've been there for a while is because they are deemed trustworthy, hard-working, dependable, and competent. Who wants to pay 40% more for someone who possibly sucks? Why not just fire the minimum wage earners and get someone to earn a little more by working a little extra?

[ballz2wallz]

Originally Posted by DosEquis

It destroys any reason to be complaining about raising it to 7.25 too. I said along time ago in the thread this was meaningless feel good legislation.

We should bump it to $8.50 so we can have a real debate.

Why not bump it to $20/hr so 'people working for min. wage can raise their families'?

[nbiggershaft]

Originally Posted by Ardentfrost

I guarantee I was making minimum wage when it went up and those were my wages.... $4.25 was min wage before the hike.

state min wage?

[Pro Street]

Originally Posted by ballz2wallz

Why not bump it to $20/hr so 'people working for min. wage can raise their families'?

fuck it, let's just remove it. That way it can drop down to 2.30/hr

[smokie700]

Originally Posted by Pro Street

fuck it, let's just remove it. That way it can drop down to 2.30/hr

I'm for that. It might actually give the dollar back some value.

[Pro Street]

Originally Posted by smokie700

I'm for that. It might actually give the dollar back some value.

yep, as long as YOU don't have to work for those wages, no problem.

[ballz2wallz]

Originally Posted by Pro Street

fuck it, let's just remove it. That way it can drop down to 2.30/hr

But that's the funny thing...it won't.

Does McDonalds need high school students to work for them and make their burgers? OF COURSE!!! In that case, they better have competitive wages!!!! Do movie theaters need high school student min. wage earners to take the customers' tickets? OF COURSE!!! In that case, they better have competitive wages!!!! If you don't have competitive pay, you don't have employees, cause guess what!! Nobody forces these people to work for these companies. We're far beyond the days of sweat shops and the need for unions.

In fact, it's very possible that min wage would increase through competition; like companies compete for better PhDs with pay increases, so may min wage earners be competed for!!! But having that min wage sets a standard. It basically sets an expectation for min wage earners, and allows employers to settle on that limit. There is no room for competitive min wages, and therefore it's not expected. But take it away, and suddenly competition, capitalism at its finest, steps in!!!!

Wild concept eh?

[Kytro]

Is there any idea of just how much impact this will have, and how that impact will work alongside other economic impacts?

[Pro Street]

Originally Posted by ballz2wallz

But that's the funny thing...it won't.

Does McDonalds need high school students to work for them and make their burgers? OF COURSE!!! In that case, they better have competitive wages!!!! Do movie theaters need high school student min. wage earners to take the customers' tickets? OF COURSE!!! In that case, they better have competitive wages!!!! If you don't have competitive pay, you don't have employees, cause guess what!! Nobody forces these people to work for these companies. We're far beyond the days of sweat shops and the need for unions.

In fact, it's very possible that min wage would increase through competition; like companies compete for better PhDs with pay increases, so may min wage earners be competed for!!! But having that min wage sets a standard. It basically sets an expectation for min wage earners, and allows employers to settle on that limit. There is no room for competitive min wages, and therefore it's not expected. But take it away, and suddenly competition, capitalism at its finest, steps in!!!!

Wild concept eh?

no, for those positions there are plenty to work for that wage.. if competition drove wages up there wouldn't be any pay at the minimum wage right now.

See, your logic is faulty.. you feel that if a minimum wage was removed that the wages would suddenly go up.

if that was the case, why haven't they now?

no sir, if the minimum wage was removed it would drop. it would drop hard.


Not all minimum wage jobs, or jobs below 7.25/h are teenagers. many jobs pay just $7.00.. hell even $6.50/h.. these are laborer jobs, state pay for janitorial/custodial positions, etc. these are the CAREERS of many.

I'm an adult, but worked for minimum wage while going back to school. That's because it's the average pay here. minimum wage with no raise and no health benefits.


You seem to think that businesses pass savings on to the employees..

If competition between businesses really will compete and keep the wages at an acceptable level, again why are there people makign the same wages as 12 years ago while CoL and inflation increased? The median income has increased, so what does that do? It forms a larger class seperation.


It's so easy to say that they're kids, or that they're uneducated and "just go to college and get a better paying job." So easy to say that from a perspective of one who likely has been able to do those things straight out of school, through the support of family.

I'd love to see anyone quit thier job, go to work at McDonalds, and try and hold a living from it. Even as a single person.

[ballz2wallz]

Originally Posted by Pro Street

See, your logic is faulty.. you feel that if a minimum wage was removed that the wages would suddenly go up.

It's a lot like healthcare; the government sets the standard of what insurance companies have to pay, because they themselves have medicare. Everytime medicare cuts back on what they are willing to pay, the rest of the insurance companies follow suit. If the government sets that standard, why should they have to worry about competitive rates, capitalism, etc.? This is one of the HUGE problems with healtcare as it is...it's too regulated. What would happen if the government did not set that standard? Healthcare would improve, prices would drop, etc., in large because the insurance companies would then be in competition with each other, not to their customers, but to the doctors that accept them! If doctors don't accept them, they don't get customers! If they don't get customers, they don't get money!!! So they would start paying more to the doctors, doctors would then lower their prices because they're actually getting paid, and customers would pay less at the doctor's office. See how this works?

Likewise, wages are too regulated. A similar response would occur if you removed the minimum wage standard.

[Kytro]

Originally Posted by ballz2wallz