Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I'm for A minimum wage increase, but not THIS increase. $15 just sounds too high of a jump, and probably will cause issues in the long run. I think we need one, but one that is up to about $10 or $10.50, slowly raised to the over the next few years like the other minimums were implemented. Our minimum wage is lacking, especially compared to other first world nations, but people are getting greedy, and I think this $15 will only bite us in the ass.
What *might* help is if we instituted a policy of enforcing hourly salary minimums as a percentage of profits in relation to number of employees. Force companies to use a higher percentage of their profits as wage payments. That wouldn't necessarily bring the minimum up to $15, but it would bring it up some, and bring it up in such a way that inflation wouldn't necessarily compensate. However, enforcing it would require a lot of oversight, and probably cause other problems....
Yes, like a complete breakdown of our economic system. Unless that's what you have in mind...?
In the Portland area (my domain) rent is out of control high. When landlords see a 50% increase in the minimum wage I would suppose this will spike rents. I wonder if this will cause a demand for rent controls and that fight might entail.
Another thought... what about the people currently making $15 - 18 per hour. Since inflation will spike, their cost of living takes a hard hit as their pay isn't increasing under law. They may suffer the most.
I doubt it. Most houses for rent don't actually intend raising rents as the rent is already so high its hard to find people to rent it. Minimum wage folks are stuck in apartments-NOT houses. Those might go up too, but they will be limited to some degree by housing folks, and the folks above minimum wage. So you will be protected from too much of a rent raise by the fact that the upper end of incomes wont be going up, and that will provide a cost container.
BTW-Historically inflation hasn't spiked after minimum wage increases.
I'm for A minimum wage increase, but not THIS increase. $15 just sounds too high of a jump, and probably will cause issues in the long run. I think we need one, but one that is up to about $10 or $10.50, slowly raised to the over the next few years like the other minimums were implemented. Our minimum wage is lacking, especially compared to other first world nations, but people are getting greedy, and I think this $15 will only bite us in the ass.
The president tried for $10.10, and Republicans pretty much stomped the idea into paste. Now they're dealing with the push back.
$11/hr and tie it to inflation. Done. But no, instead there seems to be a need to build the outrage until the pushback puts it higher.
Many cities/states are moving to a jump to $15 per hour as a minimum wage.
The general arguments for are that we need to move on from the original intent of it being a pay for a second income, high school part time job, low skilled work... and make it a full living wage job where an individual can fully support themselves.
The pros are that it makes every job a full living wage one and will cut back on the need for public assistance, allow anyone to possibly buy a house...
The main cons are that it could cause some forms of inflation sparks, unemploy people as it may force small businesses to raise the costs if goods and services to cover salaries...
How think ye?
I think it's ultimately a good thing. $15 sounds high, but they're making it that high to make up for the many years of NO increase in those wages. Think of all the businesses who have been paying the SAME WAGE RATES for decades.
This will cost jobs. And it SHOULD. Any business that can't afford to pay American wages shouldn't be in busines, should it? It's not a viable business, if it survives only because it pays wages so low that people can't live on them.
There's another thing. Employees who get those wages get paid so little that they qualify for food stamp and other welfare programs. So, in effect, the businesses are shifting part of the responsibility of paying their employees onto the taxpayers.
Someone getting paid $15/hr will hopefully be able to get off government assistance, which will save taxpayers money. The burden of the pay should go where it belongs: to the businesses who hire them.
I sympathize with small businesses. This will hit them hard. But like I said, if they rely on sub-par wages to make their business survive, they don't really have a successful business in the first place.
What makes people think that businesses that mostly employ minimum wage workers can afford a 50% increase in their personnel costs? I'm thinking of businesses like fast food, pizza, grocery stores, etc. I hate to break it to you but profit margins on food are pretty low.
I doubt it. Most houses for rent don't actually intend raising rents as the rent is already so high its hard to find people to rent it. Minimum wage folks are stuck in apartments-NOT houses. Those might go up too, but they will be limited to some degree by housing folks, and the folks above minimum wage. So you will be protected from too much of a rent raise by the fact that the upper end of incomes wont be going up, and that will provide a cost container.
BTW-Historically inflation hasn't spiked after minimum wage increases.
Yeah, I meant apartments and not houses. I should have made that more clear.
As to local inflation tied to min wage increases, I think this is true. But I wonder if we have ever seen such a sharp increase in pay for so many before.
Last edited by BLAZER PROPHET; 07-23-2015 at 05:36 PM..
The president tried for $10.10, and Republicans pretty much stomped the idea into paste. Now they're dealing with the push back.
$11/hr and tie it to inflation. Done. But no, instead there seems to be a need to build the outrage until the pushback puts it higher.
So cities and states who raise it to $15/hr is the fault of the republicans? The democrats raise it but the republicans are to blame? Please help me, how does that work again?
This will cost jobs. And it SHOULD. Any business that can't afford to pay American wages shouldn't be in busines, should it? It's not a viable business, if it survives only because it pays wages so low that people can't live on them.
There's another thing. Employees who get those wages get paid so little that they qualify for food stamp and other welfare programs. So, in effect, the businesses are shifting part of the responsibility of paying their employees onto the taxpayers.
Someone getting paid $15/hr will hopefully be able to get off government assistance, which will save taxpayers money. The burden of the pay should go where it belongs: to the businesses who hire them.
I sympathize with small businesses. This will hit them hard. But like I said, if they rely on sub-par wages to make their business survive, they don't really have a successful business in the first place.
Sounds good in theory, but imagine your neighborhood with 30-50% fewer options in the food service industry. Boarded up shops, all those employees now with NO job instead of a low paying one. How is that going to save us taxpayers on funding social services again?
I think it's ultimately a good thing. $15 sounds high, but they're making it that high to make up for the many years of NO increase in those wages. Think of all the businesses who have been paying the SAME WAGE RATES for decades.
This will cost jobs. And it SHOULD. Any business that can't afford to pay American wages shouldn't be in busines, should it? It's not a viable business, if it survives only because it pays wages so low that people can't live on them.
There's another thing. Employees who get those wages get paid so little that they qualify for food stamp and other welfare programs. So, in effect, the businesses are shifting part of the responsibility of paying their employees onto the taxpayers.
Someone getting paid $15/hr will hopefully be able to get off government assistance, which will save taxpayers money. The burden of the pay should go where it belongs: to the businesses who hire them.
I sympathize with small businesses. This will hit them hard. But like I said, if they rely on sub-par wages to make their business survive, they don't really have a successful business in the first place.
Questions for you...
What is an "american wage"? Is the minimum wage one wherein a person can have a car, house, food, heathcare...? To be free of any need for assistance such as food stamps, child care...?
What is the purpose of a minimum wage? Should every single job from babysitting on up use this minimum wage?
Your post, aside from looking like a union first ad, did intrigue me and I was hoping you would expand your thoughts.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
