Because you'd just be making more people try to live off of the minimum wage and you'd be eroding the purchasing power of those in the middle. On top of that, you'd be pricing certain employees out of a job entirely because there are certain products that cannot afford to raise their price significantly or even at all without losing market share, in those instances, the company goes out of business and the employees whine about no longer having a job. The fact that you never increase purchasing power when you jack up the minimum wage is the reason why the amount of money we consider to be insufficient to survive keeps on rising every time we raise the minimum wage. You could make the minimum wage 150K a year and that would then become below the poverty line. You'll never increase purchasing power with a minimum wage increase and if you don't increase purchasing power then you're wasting your time.
WHen you are a slave you are provided clothing, shelter and food. A 0 dollar wage doesn't provide you that.
That's good to know. I'd wonder what % of Wal Mart employees are on govt assistance compared to HEB or Krogers.
My point is that when you support businesses who pay their employees minimum wage, you are putting your money behind those who don't support a "living wage". Why do you do so?
Why is it so hard to understand that when money floods the market, prices go up. Do you really think if we double minimum wage, housing price will stay the same? A $500.00 rent turns into a $800.00 rent. The guy who was making $17.00 an hour and paying $800.00 a month for housing will see his rent go up a couple hundred dollars. Do you think the $17.00 an hour wage is going to get an auto increase in pay? I think not.
There are plenty of people leaving collage for jobs that pay 30-40k a year. Just FYI, 30-40k is barely a livable wage. Why is it that you think a person at mcdonalds shoveling fries all day should make the same wage as the person who just spent four years at college? Min. wage jobs are meant for those who are in high school to earn a little extra cash or put them through some school, not a life long career. Quit being foolish.
You need to end that with 'in theory'. But guess what. We actually have documented history and documented history tells us that the majority of minimum wage increases resulted in decreased inflation, not increased inflation.
You're right. Lets raise minimum wage to $75.00 an hour and we should have even a greater decrease in inflation than ever.
I have no problem with part time high schoolers being paid 7 bucks an hour. I am not okay with someone working full time, as a career, and not earn a livable wage.
Ah the classic slippery slope fallacy. Nice try, but no. No one is arguing to raise the minimum wage to 75$. Minimum wage should be pegged to inflation, not to some number you pull out of your ass.
Then you should be against those who accept careers that only pay minimum wage. Never in my life have I accepted a job at the minimum wage, even in high school. Why the hell would someone accept that kind of a job as an adult? Edit: I forgot that I did have a job at the minimum wage for a while when I was 15 and worked at a grocery store. After that point, I never accepted a job at the minimum wage ever again.
You just moved goal posts across the planet. At first - 'raising the minimum wage increases inflation and that's an objective fact!' Now that I show emperical evidence that shows that statement is entirely pure conjecture and speculation you beat up a strawman. Congrats. You suck at debating. The evidence I stated proves your claim is without merit or any historical backing. That's it.
Owner: I made 1 Billion in Profits last year. Owner : My Payroll was 50 million with an average cost of 8$ and Hour. Owner: If I double my Payroll . . . then me profits will drop . .. by an additional 50 million . . . . . .So I would only get 950 Million Owner: Since That is against nature and god and country . . .. I will be raising our prices by 30% . . . I will now make 1.5 Billion in profits this coming year Owner: I have no choice. . since I had to raise wages. The People: F*CKING GREEDY EMPLOYEES . . . WANTING TO DOUBLE THEIR SALARIES!!! BASTARDS!! Rocket River
Yeah and since you know that's how it happens, you realize that by raising the minimum wage does nothing positive for the employees and only puts more money in the pockets of the owners.
Are states with higher minimum wage (NY, CA, MA, WA, etc.) really suffering economically compared to those with lower minimum wage? It may sound like "common sense" to some people, but is the "common sense" reflected in actual data?
I dont understand your point. First and foremost, its about markets/MSA's, not states. All of those states have some really impoverished regions, especially WA. Second, we are not talking about economical viability. There are those who want to raise federal minimum wage to $15.00 as if that is going to solve our nations poverty problems. $15.00 an hour in some rural southern impoverished town gets you further than $40.00 an hour in NYC. Even in high school, I still made a couple coins over minimum wage. Its not that hard to find a job paying 50% over minimum wage if you're willing to work for it. I understand its a lot easier to shovel fries at McDonalds than doing construction work, but there is a reason why one pays a bit better than the other.
Bobby gave an answer, you went into assumption first. I asked to know what people think. I don't have any strong opinion about raising min wage - actually i tend to lend against raising it, but within reason. A federal level that apply equally to all doesn't make sense, and i think there are probably much better ways to achieve the goal of "a decent livable wage".