Democrats want to raise the minimum wage

[kat8585]

10 years is a long time to wait to raise minimum wage. In those last 10 years, apartment rent has gone up, energy prices have risen, the cost of education has gone up, new vehicles are about $5000.00 more expensive than they were 10 years ago. The only thing that has gone down in those 10 years is our taxes, thanks to President Bush. What is wrong with raising minimum wage to a sustainable rate? It certainly sounds like you are saying that the government is discouraging mediocrity by keeping minimum wage low, but I would have to argue that it isn't the government's job to encourage prosperity. In the mean time, our overworked and underpaid workers are struggling to make ends meet and while they may well be trying to improve on their life, they certainly could use a little more help and a dollar or two more per hour, which is about 40.00 more a week, would probably help them, at least it'd buy them a tank of gas a week.

Three points.

1. AS I said in my first post, raising the minimum wage will raise prices for everyone, so we'll be back where we started from. It's also a job killer. Small business ownere know what I'm talking about.

2. Say you make $10 an hour. Sounds pretty good. But if the minimum wage goes up to $7 an hour, it doesn't sound so good, does it? And it's NOT as good, your buying power just went dow

3. $7.00 an hour isn't a living wage, either. We'd have to raise it to about $15 or more. How much would prices go up then??? They will go up proportionately no matter how much it is, so what's the point?

[JustinM]

[forrestkc]

Three points.

1. AS I said in my first post, raising the minimum wage will raise prices for everyone, so we'll be back where we started from. It's also a job killer. Small business ownere know what I'm talking about.

2. Say you make $10 an hour. Sounds pretty good. But if the minimum wage goes up to $7 an hour, it doesn't sound so good, does it? And it's NOT as good, your buying power just went dow

3. $7.00 an hour isn't a living wage, either. We'd have to raise it to about $15 or more. How much would prices go up then??? They will go up proportionately no matter how much it is, so what's the point?

Where is the empiracle evidence to back up your assertions?

For example, why is there no correlation between any past minimum wages increases over the last 60 years, and an increase in the core inflation rate?

Why is there no correlation between any past minimum wages increases over the last 60 years, and a decrease in employment?

The minimum wage has been in place for over 60 years. During that time there have been dozens of increases, yet it never lead to any of this doom and gloom you are predicting. Why is it that?

This is a moral issue. If you want to own and operate a business in the richest country in the history of civilization, then as a society we have decided that there is a bare minimum that you will pay your employees. In exchange for paying your employees that bare minimum wage, you get to live and operate a business in the greatest business climate on earth. If you cannot afford to pay your employees that bare minimum wage that as a society we have decided is a moral obligation, then obviously your business is not efficient and productive enough to survive the American marketplace, and the resources that you are consuming (in this case labor) is best freed up for more efficient and productive businesses.

[Marnie]

Where is the empiracle evidence to back up your assertions?

For example, why is there no correlation between any past minimum wages increases over the last 60 years, and an increase in the core inflation rate?

Why is there no correlation between any past minimum wages increases over the last 60 years, and a decrease in employment?

The minimum wage has been in place for over 60 years. During that time there have been dozens of increases, yet it never lead to any of this doom and gloom you are predicting. Why is it that?

This is a moral issue. If you want to own and operate a business in the richest country in the history of civilization, then as a society we have decided that there is a bare minimum that you will pay your employees. In exchange for paying your employees that bare minimum wage, you get to live and operate a business in the greatest business climate on earth. If you cannot afford to pay your employees that bare minimum wage that as a society we have decided is a moral obligation, then obviously your business is not efficient and productive enough to survive the American marketplace, and the resources that you are consuming (in this case labor) is best freed up for more efficient and productive businesses.

Let me address your last point first. It is an economic issue, not a moral issue. When you work, you exchange your time for your employers money; there is no moral component in that exchange. If a person feels they are underpaid, the can leave and find another job. Having said that, it is a wise employer indeed who has figured out that a happy employee is a productive employee, but the government should never be raised to the level of a moral arbiter. Do you seriously want the government to impose their morals on society?

Your first point is baffling. Of course, there are quack doctors so it figures there are quack economists as well. There is a ton of evidence that points out the fact the the minumum wage is most definitely a job killer. Just Google it; I did and got dozens of reputable sites with graphs, history, etc.

Nobody is predicting the end of America if the minimum wage is raised; our economy has survived hurricanes and Democrats, so it will survive a hike in the minumum wage.

[Hypathia]

Maybe the government should stop aiding and abedding corporate theft (ENRON) and corporate welfare.....and do something about the trade agreements.

It's a lot harder to find a decent paying job today than it used to be. Back in the 40s and 50s a man could head up north to the car plants or the steel mills for a year or two just to get back on his feet. You can't do that anymore but hey, all these CEO make huge donations to goverment officials so they can keep getting elected to "public" office. Greed is a moral issue.

Raise the minimum wage; it's about time.

Edited December 19, 2006 by Hypathia

[Matthitjah]

Grace to you,

I have a question if $7.00 an hour is acceptbale for now, yet will eventually have to be raised higher. As will happen next Election when votes are up for purchase. Why not just go ahead and make it $15.00 an hour or maybe $20.00?

If $7.00 isn't enough why not $20.00?

I've got better idea since these greedy Businesses don't have any morals. Why doesn't the Government just take them over and set some Bureaucrats over their Boards to insure fairness?

Oh' wait a minute. Isn't that what Chavez just did in Venezuala?

I think I've carried this thing a little too far.

Viva La Revolucion!

Peace,

Dave

[Hypathia]

I keep hearing about what great shape the economy is in. I've been hearing for over 20 yrs that the "trickle down affect" works. SO, if the economy is doing good then that prosperity should trickle down, right? So the minimum wage should reflect this great prosperity now and in the future if the economy continues to prosper the way the govt keeps saying it is.

Keep in mind when it comes to buying votes CEOs donate millions to buy them. There does need to be some oversight on wall street and big companies where people's pensions are tied to the company.

Edited December 19, 2006 by Hypathia

[Matthitjah]

Grace to you,

Hyapathia,

Do you fill up with Chevron to help the poor oppressed masses?

Peace,

Dave

[JustinM]

Do we really need to resort to cheap shots?

The only problem I have with the Democrats proposal to raise minimum wage, is that the democrats are also trying to raise taxes and interest rates. If all 3 happen, sure the government will become wealthy, but the economy will stall. But, if we do one out of the 3, (raise minimum wage) I don't think there will be any long lasting devastating effects on the economy.

Look, when people oppose raising the minimum wage for low-income, low skilled employees, you enforce the liberal's opinion that republicans and conservatives are capitalist pigs that stomp on the little people. Based on some of your arguments against minimum wage, I can't find much to disagree with the liberals for.

I am a conservative and traditionalist. I want hard work to pay off, equal and fair treatment of all people, respect, love and embracing life and sustaining the moral foundations on society, but I have to leave the my base in the argument against minimum wage.

There has been a lot of capitalist reforms in the past. Child labor laws, overtime pay, unions (which were great at one time, but now I don't see the point of having them) OSHA standards, etc. The government needs to step in from time to time in order to protect its citizens from these huge companies exploitation of them. I am not saying to raise minimum wage by 50% or more, but I do believe it should be fluid enough to at least keep up with inflation. If the American dollar inflates 2% in one year, raise minimum wage 2%. If it inflates .33% another year, then raise minimum wage .33%.

The military receives pay raises every year to match the inflation rate of our dollar. It gets more and more expensive to live in America every year and the minimum wage earners are having to get by with less and less money in their accounts every year. Most people are not satisfied to work 60 hrs/wk and be paid minimum wage, they want to prosper and find better jobs, but how can a single parent find ways to prosper when they can barely afford to live and have to constantly work more and more hours a week in order to stay afloat? That doesn't leave much money for improvement. They need our help. If they are willing to help themselves aka by working a job, then we need to pay them well enough so they won't have to spend more time and work and less time with family. People are human beings not machines, they cannot survive of chicken feed alone. Raise minimum wage.

[Hypathia]

Grace to you,

Hyapathia,

Do you fill up with Chevron to help the poor oppressed masses?

Peace,

Dave

I usually fill up at the nearest gas station because I usually wait until my tank is on empty and the little light is blinking. Then I'm digging around in my purse for enough change to buy my kids a coke cola and a candy bar too.

"Peace" after that cheap shot and eye roll?

Thanks Justin, good post.

Edited December 19, 2006 by Hypathia