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With higher minimum wage comes higher prices. I left Seattle in 2003. I moved to Miami and then where I am now. The prices in Miami were much lower than they were in Seattle. I was able to get a decent apartment on the beach, in a nice area, for a few hundred LESS than I would get for a pig sty hole in the wall apartment in Seattle. The food was cheaper, gas was cheaper, electric was cheaper (even with my a/c on 24/7), cable was cheaper, car registration was cheaper, (way cheaper). The only thing that was not cheaper was car insurance, (and it was about even), and going out...but, it's Miami. Of course going out to a club will be more expensive.
Now I am where I am and it's 10 years after I left Seattle. The prices of EVERYTHING (except gas...gas was not over $3 a gallon back in 2003), are still LOWER than the prices when I lived in Seattle. Seattle had a high minimum wage then, they still have a high minimum wage.
You all say, "We need the higher minimum wage to live in Seattle, you can't live here without x dollars" GUESS WHY! Because their fricken minimum wage is a good deal higher than almost every other place in the country. When the min wage goes up, your prices go up. Yah, raise it to $15 an hour...and watch all the prices rise, and you are EXACTLY WHERE YOU WERE BEFORE, financially. How do you people not get this?
No, the bottom rung needs to be more accessible, not higher. What are you, an elitist?
Also, it doesn't matter the wage. I used 40/hr because I've argued this at 100/hr and people just stop debating because they think that there's a magic barrier where minimum wage can be raised to and it'll work and suddenly the argument is an "apples to oranges" argument if it's just a penny higher.
The higher the minimum wage, the more exclusive it becomes. Raising minimum wage is not the answer, getting people advancement in their careers is.
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Originally Posted by David G
Let me break it down Urbanlife...the higher the minimum wage, the more skewed the economy becomes, more outsourcing, more automation, less jobs, less opportunities.
Look at Norway, the minimum wage is about 25 kronos (close to $30/hr). Have you looked at the cost to buy goods in Norway? The entire economy-ecology is messed up in Norway, leading to extortionate prices in the market.
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Originally Posted by David G
Let me break down this quote. You're saying its not necessary. Necessary for who? For minimum wage recipients. Would any company pay a 17 year old 40/hr to flip burgers at McD's? No. Would they pay that same person 100/hr for the same tasks? Most likely also no. What you're looking at is what minimum wage earners need, and not looking at what employers are willing to provide. An employer would look at your statement and say, "That's the opposite of nice!" Therefore, you are taking only one perspective to this issue.
Oh well then we should make minimum wage a dollar a day, or better yet, get rid of minimum wage and all the regulations so we could basically have slave labor factories in the US, I am sure people would be cheering for that.
The bottom rung IS enough to survive on if someone doesn't expect to buy a house, feed a bunch of dependents, have cable TV, a cell phone, and other luxuries people want. If you want to live beyond your means increase your means, don't expect the government to make up the difference.
A couple making minimum wage in Washington would gross over $38,000 / year. You really think that isn't enough for them to survive on?
If someone want to do more than survive they need to gain skill and earn more than minimum wage.
??? WTF??? What couple making minimum wage? People making minimum wage usually aren't coupled. Something about making minimum wage makes you undesirable to potential partners.
With higher minimum wage comes higher prices. I left Seattle in 2003. I moved to Miami and then where I am now. The prices in Miami were much lower than they were in Seattle. I was able to get a decent apartment on the beach, in a nice area, for a few hundred LESS than I would get for a pig sty hole in the wall apartment in Seattle. The food was cheaper, gas was cheaper, electric was cheaper (even with my a/c on 24/7), cable was cheaper, car registration was cheaper, (way cheaper). The only thing that was not cheaper was car insurance, (and it was about even), and going out...but, it's Miami. Of course going out to a club will be more expensive.
Now I am where I am and it's 10 years after I left Seattle. The prices of EVERYTHING (except gas...gas was not over $3 a gallon back in 2003), are still LOWER than the prices when I lived in Seattle. Seattle had a high minimum wage then, they still have a high minimum wage.
You all say, "We need the higher minimum wage to live in Seattle, you can't live here without x dollars" GUESS WHY! Because their fricken minimum wage is a good deal higher than almost every other place in the country. When the min wage goes up, your prices go up. Yah, raise it to $15 an hour...and watch all the prices rise, and you are EXACTLY WHERE YOU WERE BEFORE, financially. How do you people not get this?
Miami doesn't sound as cheap as you make it out to be, but the real question is do you actually live IN Miami or do you live outside of Miami where that is cheaper, much like it is cheaper to live outside of Seattle than it is in Seattle.
Oh well then we should make minimum wage a dollar a day, or better yet, get rid of minimum wage and all the regulations so we could basically have slave labor factories in the US
If not for the minimum wage we would have slave labor factories? You really believe that?
Putting something on a ballot doesn't make anyone a nimrod. The voters will vote how they want.
Quite frankly, it's the fault of the businesses at the airport for not treating their employees better. If they weren't paying minimum wage and forcing people into part time jobs relying on the state to subsidize people then they wouldn't have this mess.
This would bring pay at the airport in line with other major West coast airports.
Quote:
With higher minimum wage comes higher prices. I left Seattle in 2003. I moved to Miami and then where I am now. The prices in Miami were much lower than they were in Seattle. I was able to get a decent apartment on the beach, in a nice area, for a few hundred LESS than I would get for a pig sty hole in the wall apartment in Seattle. The food was cheaper, gas was cheaper, electric was cheaper (even with my a/c on 24/7), cable was cheaper, car registration was cheaper, (way cheaper). The only thing that was not cheaper was car insurance, (and it was about even), and going out...but, it's Miami. Of course going out to a club will be more expensive.
I've spent a lot of time in both cities and you get what you pay for. Seattle does have a high cost of living as do most in demand cities. There's a reason why educated, well paid people with choices still flock here. For low income people another state might be a good option, but there's a benefit of living in a city with great parks, no real ghettos, lower crime levels and the ability to live without being glued to a car. You sort of forgot to mention all of that.
If not for the minimum wage we would have slave labor factories? You really believe that?
Actually during the recession, we would have seen employers trying to pay people much lower than minimum wage if there weren't laws to prevent that. Heck, many companies that pay minimum wage pay the minimum because they are required to, they would pay much lower if they could.
Therein lies the capitalist's argument for the minimum wage.
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