21 replies to this topic

[Cript]

The federal minimum wage is likely to be raised shortly to $7.25 or so (after 3 separate steps over a 2-year period) and I thought we'd debate it. Businesses will be given $8 billion in tax breaks to "compensate." They say republicans give tax breaks...pft.

Reasons I think it's a bad idea.

1. Companies willing to pay someone $5.25 will not be willing to pay them $7.25 and will simply let them go or eliminate the position.
2. Those currently making at or near $7.25 get screwed worse than anyone.
3. More money in the economy will yield higher inflation and reduced buying power for everyone.
4. Companies will seek more outsourcing for min wage jobs.
5. People this is supposed to help, minorities and young people (part-time workers,) will likely not be able to find jobs as easily since companies will seek full-time people if they have to pay them $7.25/hr.
6. It's relatively easy, given the initiative, to find a job that pays more than $5.25.
7. To me, making minimum wage shows a lack of initiative and willingness to improve the education/skill set of oneself...this rewards that.

Reasons I think it's a good idea.

1. Increased ability to sustain oneself on minimum wage.
2. The opportunity to laugh at democrats once this backfires.
3. I might be misunderstanding the economy and this may cause a ripple effect increasing everyone's salary.

Reasons I can't see straight.

1. I'm a white upper-class individual who has never had to work at or near minimum wage.
2. I've never had to deal with only having minimum-wage jobs available to me.

Looking forward to all of your input.

Edited by Cript, 11 January 2007 - 08:47 AM.

[Noitidart]

I think we definately should there are so many poor people even though they work multiple jobs. Especially in LA I think cali should up there's too to keep with the econ

[Vegas]

I guess will be seeing more mexicans drivin in cadillacs.

On a serious note man you did raise some very good points. Most of them though dont affect me cept the availabilty of part time jobs and the wage to help young kids but a job not really 2 important to me right now since school is enough shit already.

Stay in school kiddies.

[Alicia]

Missouri has done this, and it's affected my small town negatively. We have three resturants here- a Sonic and two diner-style resturants. One(Brownsville-ok food, cheap) is now closing at 2:00 pm, since they do most of their business in the morning, and can't handle the increase in wages. The majority of the afternoon/evening workers are highschoolers, and our highschool doesn't get out until 3:05 pm. This hurts our community, because jobs for anyone in highschool are hard to come by(at least not ones that you don't have to drive 15-20 min to another town). In urban area's, I don't think this would be as much of a problem, but here it is.

I can't really complain though, because I worked for my mom's work over christmas break, and made $8 an hour being a temp(filing, answering phones, etc.). I also work 2-3 hours about twice a month on weekends cleaning there with a friend, and we get $25 apiece.

Edited by Äli, 11 January 2007 - 05:29 PM.

[Ilya]

lol all the prices for everything will go up...

[Vegas]

and yes spade, more mexicans would be driving in cadillacs cuz 7.25$/hour is a fortune

pssssst I was kidding.

[cooldude]

Minimum wage in Ohio was raised to $6.85 in this last election. Employment has stayed around the same where i live and isnt to hard to get a job cant speak for all off the places in Ohio though.

[Grizzly]

People don't realize most full-time workers do not work at minimum wage
And yeah minimum wage in New Jersey was raised by over a dollar last year and not much has changed because of that.

[AznLN]

mmm, I guess it would have good and bad outcomes...
the inflation would go up a tad, but I doubt it'd be super extreme.
in any case, we'll just have to wait and see what happens =]

[Nick]

Inflation is always on the rise, we just have to keep up.

[Wicked]

It matters to me. I may be in a middle class family but my family believes in hard equals success. I wouldn't mind it to go up a couple of dollars.

[Cript]

It matters to me. I may be in a middle class family but my family believes in hard equals success. I wouldn't mind it to go up a couple of dollars.

Middle-class will be the ones most screwed by this because they're typically the ones making over min-wage but not way-over it...All of a sudden the low-class making min-wage gets a 40% raise...but you can't expect middle-wage jobs to go up...bull crap economics by the democrats.

People don't realize most full-time workers do not work at minimum wage
And yeah minimum wage in New Jersey was raised by over a dollar last year and not much has changed because of that.

WI raised ours too...hasn't effected much but it has definitely made min-wage jobs more competitive, which in turn raises unemployment and welfare claims

[Jewbert]

Hmmm yeah I already make $7 an hour part - time. And that's with a dollar raise!
It would be good for Chris though......

[Cript]

Hmmm yeah I already make $7 an hour part - time. And that's with a dollar raise!
It would be good for Chris though......

You're exactly the person who should be the most pissed off. Your bosses will have to give people (if there are any) 7.25 an hour and you at least a .25 raise...the question is, will they decide to give you a huge raise to keep you above min-wage, probably not...Perhaps they only employ people at 7/hr or above...in which case, now you get paid what people who work at mc donalds do...isn't this bull shit?

[Jewbert]

You're exactly the person who should be the most pissed off. Your bosses will have to give people (if there are any) 7.25 an hour and you at least a .25 raise...the question is, will they decide to give you a huge raise to keep you above min-wage, probably not...Perhaps they only employ people at 7/hr or above...in which case, now you get paid what people who work at mc donalds do...isn't this bull shit?

Yes! It totally is.
The starting rate at where I work is 6 bucks. I only got a raise because I became a keyholder. So, I doubt that if they raise the minimum wage our company would pay someone under me only .25 cents less...

[Tim]

Raise in minimum wage = raise in cost of living.

[Cript]

Raise in minimum wage = raise in cost of living.

Correct...thus it becomes an unfair change because the minimum wage people get more money but not middle-class people...talk about a screw job.

[/Max]

Making businesses pay more does not put more money into the economy at all. It just makes businesses temporarily lose more money, yet when lower class has more money, they buy more, helping businesses.

[Cript]

Making businesses pay more does not put more money into the economy at all. It just makes businesses temporarily lose more money, yet when lower class has more money, they buy more, helping businesses.

But if businesses lose money, they are forced to lay people off, thus reducing the money and increasing the unemployed...this is a circle that doesn't end well. When the government screws with business, it ruins it for everyone.

[Ives]

The main good/bad is that on the bright side, it gives workers incentive to work more and earn more money, but on the bad side, it also results in laziness like you said, and when it's too heightened it barely helps at all. I think what we really need to do is create mid-level paying jobs which require hard work, and that way we'll be able to keep the laws as they are while companies can do what they need.

[Cript]

The main good/bad is that on the bright side, it gives workers incentive to work more and earn more money

Technically though, it doesn't. It gives people incentive to go find minimum wage jobs that don't require special skills or hard work...