Jobless in Seattle

[Cthulhu 2020]

Keynesian economics works, who would thought?

[Felya]

it's very simple to test what conservatives claim. look at the several dozen other countries with a higher minimum wage than the USA. have they collapses into anarchy? are all of their economies pure shit?

of course not. on average their citizens have a higher standard of living than americans.

No need to look other countries, look at other cities in US. Seattle unemployment is lower than national avarage. The 8 cities that beat us according to Forbes, none have even half the population of Seattle. The OP is taking a small sample size of business, distorts why they are going out of business, to form a conclusion that distorts reality.

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Keynesian economics works, who would thought?

At least he knows it's a lie, which is why even in the OP Vyxn said he won't be replying.

[Rukh]

The worst and most disgusting part of this whole article is that: it is not only that nothing in the article actually supports the idea that the higher minimum wage is responsible for the problems these restaurants are having, it actually details all the existing problems OTHER than wage issues that are plaguing these restaurants.

The conclusion drawn by the author is complete and utter crap, and not at all supported by the article. And the fact that the OP tried to pass this off as news reflects very badly on him.

Its a right-wing piece that takes its information directly from a right-wing thinktank. You can't really be surprised.

[Felya]

Its a right-wing piece that takes its information directly from a right-wing thinktank. You can't really be surprised.

Further proof that helping the country is further from their agenda than propogating their nerative.

[Aori]

i live in New jersey the minimum wage is $8.35 and rightfully so, When i worked a min wage job i barley got by but i did.. Did i think i was entitled to more? No absolutely not. When you work at the minimum living requirements you can't expect much. To the person who said you can't live off 25k your are soooo wrong i can't even.

If you're referring to me, I said I could easily live off of 25k a year and be comfortable by my standards. I said the problem is I can't even get a job or jobs to even earn 25k a year. Most jobs in my area are offering no more than 16 hours a week at minimum wage and I'm "overqualified" or to "old" for most.

[Theinquisition]

Keynesian economics works, who would thought?

If done correctly its a sound theory.

During times of bust you prop up spending my increasing Gov't purchases. During times of boom you pay down that debt with the increased revenue.

PRoblem is that we never really pay down that debt. We get more money, and we just spend it.

[Beery Swine]

Had a long rant prepared accompanying this article along the lines of "told you so" and "how many on the left consequences don't matter" but like most anything that shows the left as wrong it quickly gets labeled as only an attempt to cause strife and anger. so Im going to just leave this here to stand alone for discussion, and doubt I will be making any replies. I think the article sums up everything I have said before about minimum wage hikes

Dozens of low-wage workers. WOW, just WOW, not a few, but DOZENS! This has to be a typo, otherwise it wouldn't be news. Dozens, lololololololololOLOLOLOLOLOL!

[Torgent]

Dozens of low-wage workers. WOW, just WOW, not a few, but DOZENS! This has to be a typo, otherwise it wouldn't be news. Dozens, lololololololololOLOLOLOLOLOL!

It's not news. It's conservative news! There doesn't have to be facts or significance. As long as it can be misinterpreted to make a democrat look bad, they will report on it.

[lockedout]

i live in New jersey the minimum wage is $8.35 and rightfully so, When i worked a min wage job i barley got by but i did.. Did i think i was entitled to more? No absolutely not. When you work at the minimum living requirements you can't expect much. To the person who said you can't live off 25k your are soooo wrong i can't even.

So you lived in New Jersey and lived off of $8.35 an hour? Did you rent an apartment? Did you live alone or with room mates? Did you have a car and car insurance? Cell phone? I'm just curious what your bills were that you were able to pay. I also live in NJ.

[arandomuser]

http://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-...owners-say-no/

Seattletimes did an investigation, and the OPs link os anything less than loaded and full of bullshit.


No wage increases have occurred yet in Seattle; they begin, incrementally over seven years, in April. The Seattle Magazine article itself notes that “none of our local departing/transitioning restaurateurs who announced their plans last month have elaborated on the issue.”

'Renee Erickson is closing Boat Street Cafe, her first restaurant, but she runs three others and is in the process of opening two more. Asked in an email about the closure being associated with $15, she replied: “That’s weird, ha. No, that’s not why I’m closing Boat Street. Would have said so.”

Erickson continued, “I’m totally on board with the $15 min. It’s the right thing to do … Opening more businesses would not be smart if I felt it was going to hinder my success.”

Little Uncle proprietors Poncharee Kounpungchart (who goes by PK) and Wiley Frank are closing one location, having found the space unsuitable after two years, while remaining open on Capitol Hill and considering new opportunities.

“We were never interviewed for these articles and we did not close our … location due to the new minimum wage,” Kounpungchart and Frank said in an email. “We do not know what our colleagues are doing to prepare themselves for the onset of the new law, but pre-emptively closing a restaurant seven years before the full effect of the law takes place seems preposterous to us.”

rank went so far as to send a note to the author of the Washington Policy Center post saying: “Our business model is conducive to the changing times and we would appreciate it if you did not make assumptions about our business to promote your political values.”

Shanik proprietor Meeru Dhalwala, who is also mentioned by Seattle Magazine, said in a Facebook message, “My closure is strictly due to location — nothing to do with wages.”

Sharon Fillingim, the owner of Grub, the final restaurant referenced, said on Facebook that Grub was “a huge success.” In fact, the restaurant was sold and is reopening imminently under new ownership as Bounty Kitchen.
Just two prominent closures in Seattle in February could be interpreted as a sign of restaurant industry health. Indeed, 27 new bars and restaurants opened on Capitol Hill alone in 2014.

"When it comes to the impact the $15 wage will have on restaurants, University of Washington researchers, University of California, Berkeley, researchers and an owner of seven local Subways agree that restaurants will have to raise their prices about 4 to 5 percent — meaning an additional nickel per dollar on Seattle restaurant checks."



They interviewed every restaurent owners closing, and every single one of them said that they weren't closing due to minimum wage, and in fact 2 of them weren't even closing at all. And despite closers 27 New restaurents opened in 2014, the article the OP linked, didnt seem to mention that for some reason.