The $15 minimum wage...

[schwank05]

http://www.ijreview.com/2014/06/1440...-big-fat-told/

I can see the problem easily with $15/hr min wage. But I can also see how difficult it is to get a full time job now, on top of making enough period to be able to live on your own. At my fairly decent job making $11/hr part time, I would not be able to live in an apartment that is not falling apart or bug infested as well as be able to buy food. The only way I get by right now is because my roommate makes more than I do with full time.

Figure my take home wages at about $1100/mo. deficits being utilities at 100, rent at 600, food is 300 at the bare minimum (practically fasting most days), gas at 60 and phone at 40. So starving myself I can barely make enough to cover basic bills, provided nothing happens to my car, gas prices don't raise, I never have to use TP or soap at my house etc. I could save rent money by living in one of the literally roach infested or literally falling apart complexes I found when looking for affordable apartments... but something like that should not be asked of this countries citizens, especially ones with perfect credit and fantastic job history by the age of 25/26. I only live in as much supposed comfort (internet and a small bit of spending money) because of my mate who shares a 650sq/ft 1 bed 1 bath apartment with me.

Honestly my only real opinion is that minimum wage should have a scaling to it based off company income, because we both know walmart can afford to give its employees a touch more than minimum wage, but mom and pops ice cream stand can't. In an ideal world everyone can have a good chance to work full time and be able to support themselves with full time work as well as put a little away for retirement or (god forbid) a little enjoyment of life. How it is now clearly shows that bigger (and even smaller) companies will put as much back into their own pocket as they can get away with, and current version of minimum wage hurts small businesses the most.

I am not certain if my idea would work or not, or how it could be implemented fairly at that. The only thing I do know, is that in the current American society, it is only a matter of time before cost of living has to balance out with personal income or serious problems are going to arise.

Any thoughts on the subject anyone? Or possibly other information to think about?

That rent is twice as high in most college towns around the area, I made 12/hr and worked about 20 hours a week while in college. I bought a house and rented out the other 2 bedrooms and actually lived fairly free around $200.00/mo in bills had to have internet for WOW $100.00/mo. Now I could have easily made the 300/month payment and lived solo but why. 15/hr can do nothing but hurt the already wounded economy. people just need to stop being lazy, and they may have to make sacrafices.

My favorite thing that my Dad and his friends always say is you may have to eat mac n cheese for a while before you can make enough to eat steak.

[Reeve]

I wonder if they had these arguments during emancipation...

"Freeing the slaves will put small farmers out of business!"

I imagine mom and pop farmers couldn't afford slaves.

[skatblast]

Raising minimum wage that high is so dumb. ... it just rewards fast food workers/ people working entry level jobs and hurts college educated workers, because instead of making 15$ when the minimum is 9$, they are going to make the minimum wage and everything else is going up in price. If your a fast food worker you don't deserve that money.


The minimum wage where i live is 7.25$/hr. If they raise it to 15$ my employer better double my pay as well to match it.(hint: they wont) Cool, now i make as much as a highschool dropout with no skills.

[Rukentuts]

Minimum wage hasn't been tied to increases in inflation either.

[Elegiac]

Raising minimum wage that high is so dumb. ... it just rewards fast food workers and hurts college educated workers, because instead of making 15$ when the minimum is 9$, they are going to make the minimum wage and everything else is going up in price. If your a fast food worker you don't deserve that money.

You are aware quite a few fast food workers are college educated, right?

And no, it's mathematically impossible for there not to be an increase in buying power.

- - - Updated - - -

Minimum wage hasn't been tied to increases in inflation either.

Maybe if we repeat the myths enough time they'll come true!

[Tricksterjim]

I am mixed on this and think Seattle will prove at least a decent test sample of the positive and negative ramifications. But it will take a few years. I want to watch the jobless rate, the ages of the unemployed etc. There are a few loop holes in the law, I think we will see more high schoolers hired but I worry about people who would qualify for the $15/hr being replaced by those in the loophole. I also want to see the number of business that close vs open etc.

I am trying to keep an open mind on this.

[Mayhem]

Raising minimum wage that high is so dumb. ... it just rewards fast food workers/ people working entry level jobs and hurts college educated workers, because instead of making 15$ when the minimum is 9$, they are going to make the minimum wage and everything else is going up in price. If your a fast food worker you don't deserve that money.

you´re either saying:

if you were unlucky in life you deserve to suffer
or
you´re supposed to make less and be unhappy

which is it?

[tankbug]

Ya there's been this time tested method to avoiding that, its called getting a better job.

And how do you get a better job?

Well one of the ways is ...you don't become the type of person that walks around convinced you DESERVE $25/hr for flipping burgers.

Said it before, saying it again ...THE MINIMUM WAGE IS NOT A LIVING WAGE AND ITS NOT SUPPOSED TO BE!

So a whole lot of people should suffer until they find a better job, so that rich people can get richer. That makes no sense. Even a simple, full-time job should sustain a simple life.

[Elegiac]

I am mixed on this and think Seattle will prove at least a decent test sample of the positive and negative ramifications. But it will take a few years. I want to watch the jobless rate, the ages of the unemployed etc. There are a few loop holes in the law, I think we will see more high schoolers hired but I worry about people who would qualify for the $15/hr being replaced by those in the loophole. I also want to see the number of business that close vs open etc.

I am trying to keep an open mind on this.

Really? Then face the facts.

Minimum wage increases do not cause unemployment.

Minimum wage increases do not cause a proportional increase in inflation.

Seattle's had a higher than average minimum wage for quite some time now.

[chazus]

Figure my take home wages at about $1100/mo.

So, you work 33 hours a week. Are you going to school, or something that would imply that you can't either do a second job, or side work, or something?

rent at 600... shares a 650sq/ft 1 bed 1 bath apartment with me.

Where on earth do you live where a 650sqft 1bd 1bt apartment is 1200/mo? If you say some skyscraper in new york, your situation does not apply to 99% of the world.

food is 300 at the bare minimum (practically fasting most days)

O_O Bwhu? 300 for you alone a month? I don't think either me and my girlfriend spend that much a month, and we splurge on alcohol. Something aint right there.

The minimum wage thing isn't jumping to 15. It's gradually going there to let economies adjust. But I think the main problem/argument is just complaining.

[skatblast]

you´re either saying:

if you were unlucky in life you deserve to suffer
or
you´re supposed to make less and be unhappy

which is it?

Oh yes, living in America is such a suffering consequence. Yes, you deserve to make less if you work at an entry level job.

[Elegiac]

Oh yes, living in America is such a suffering consequence. Yes, you deserve to make less if you work at an entry level job.

Good. You'll still be making less even after the minimum wage increase, but everyone will be better off.

[Mayhem]

If you say some skyscraper in new york, your situation does not apply to 99% of the world.

that information sure will be of help

[Warlord Booty]

You'd think so, but you'd be wrong.

Considering they just let someone go leads me to believe that I'm right.

[arandomuser]

http://money.cnn.com/2014/05/14/smal...ex.html?iid=EL

But the report from Paychex and IHS, which measured job additions and layoffs at 350,000 small businesses, could dispute that claim. Not only was Washington the strongest state, San Francisco -- with a minimum wage of $10.74, the country's highest -- had the greatest job gains in the past year among cities measured.

n Washington state, small businesses are adding jobs faster than any other state in the country, according to a report from Paychex and IHS. It's also the state where minimum wage, at $9.32 per hour, is the highest

OH hey look at this the states and cities with the highest min wage grow faster in jobs than any others, but im just going to ignore that in live in my poverished oklohama city drinking beer wearing suspenders complaining about stupid plebs on welfare even though red states have the most poverished people than any other 9/10http://www.politifact.com/rhode-island/statements/2014/mar/28/occupy-democrats/pro-democrat-group-says-9-10-poorest-states-are-re/
conservatives lack so much logic and dont understand actual economics, raising the min wage decreases the marginal profits of bigger business and allows smaller retailers to be much more successful because the difference in their ability to sell goods much cheaper than smaller business decreases significcantly

[Elegiac]

Considering they just let someone go leads me to believe that I'm right.

Sounds like a personal problem, in the exact sense of the term. Net employment doesn't drop.

[skatblast]

Good. You'll still be making less even after the minimum wage increase, but everyone will be better off.

No you wont, because other employers wont increase your salary because minimum wage went up. Your bills increase but your income doesn't. All because people have kids when they have no means to provide for them, or because they decided they wanted to buy a macbook pro instead of pay for a modest amount of groceries. People need to learn how to have priorities and not have the government spoon feed them. If your not happy with how much you get paid, then go to college or learn a trade.

[Elegiac]

No you wont, because other employers wont increase your salary because minimum wage went up. Your bills increase but your income doesn't. All because people have kids when they have no means to provide for them, or because they decided they wanted to buy a macbook pro instead of pay for a modest amount of groceries. People need to learn how to have priorities and not have the government spoon feed them. If your not happy with how much you get paid, then go to college or learn a trade.

Aaannnd false.

Minimum wage increases have always lead to an upward push amongst lower and middle class wages simply because they have a better platform to negotiate from.

If your statement were true doctors and lawyers would be making minimum wage at the moment.

[arandomuser]

No you wont, because other employers wont increase your salary because minimum wage went up. Your bills increase but your income doesn't. All because people have kids when they have no means to provide for them, or because they decided they wanted to buy a macbook pro instead of pay for a modest amount of groceries. People need to learn how to have priorities and not have the government spoon feed them. If your not happy with how much you get paid, then go to college or learn a trade.

as a conservative i agree, enacting policies proven to create jobs in practice and bring people out of poverty no longer relying on government assistance dont makes sense, we should instead subsidies wal mart and allow their employes to be on food stamps/welfare/medicaid and then complain the workers are lazy even though most of them do work 2/3 jobs to make ends meet because hey, were conservatives and logic isnt our strong suit

[Tricksterjim]

Really? Then face the facts.

Minimum wage increases do not cause unemployment.

Minimum wage increases do not cause a proportional increase in inflation.

Seattle's had a higher than average minimum wage for quite some time now.

Are you really upset because I want to keep an open mind. Those with closed minds who refuse to review facts and make changes when necessary are the perfect puppets of whatever side they take. The only question is which group those people have chosen to allow to stick their hands up their rear ends and control them.

I will continue to keep an open mind and will come to a conclusion after actual facts are available and not random "facts" that someone has fed you without actual proof.