I don't know a lot about economics, but I see a major problem with increasing the minimum wage country-wide. The problem is that first of all, the jobs that are paying minimum wage are not worth what they're paying in the first place. They are entry level jobs for kids who need to get on their feet in the job market. If these jobs start paying more, they will simply raise prices for products that are already over-priced, and inflate the cost of living as a whole. For middle-class people with middle-class incomes, this is bad news, seeing as the middle-class people will not see raises that cover the same cost of living increase. This is simply going to screw up more than it solves, because the politicians want to have the apperance that they're helping the public, when they're really just destroying our economy. Of course, the general public doesn't see it this way. Correct me if I'm wrong, but from what little I do know of how things work, that's my hypothesis.
It seem this is a tale of two punks. One thinks increasing the minimum wage is the devil sent to bring down America. The other so in love with himself and his pious belief in his rightness, that anyone who doesn't agree with his feelings must want to grind little children into dust after sending them through the sex trade. The minimum wage increase is the end of the world to very few. It probably will impact small businesses and knock them out of competition with the big boys that much faster. As far as I know and I've actually looked into it for various reasons, most of the big retailers are paying there employees more than the minimum wage already. Your local hardware store on the other hand is screwed. In my opinion, the minimum wage job is meant to be what it is. The suckiest job you can get. It's not a career. It's not to pay a living wage. It's to allow people to hopefully move up in society. There are two ways to go from MCD's. Back to unemployed and living on tax payers, or on to education, training, ect. to do something more with themselves. A mandatory wage increase in this area could very well restrict entrance into employment for many people sending them backward towards the first option. Government protection of workers doesn't equate to dictation of wages. The government has many options they have exercised to encourage people to move out of beginning/dead end jobs. Readily available money for education is out there for everyone. I paid my way through college and graduate school. I also worked in some crappy jobs for $4.00/hr. No one that I recall stuck electrodes to my nuts. Is that your experience? If the Dems wanted to help, proposing to educate people of the opportunities available through government assistance is the way to go. I've met far to many people better off than I was financially that either didn't know or didn't believe they could do exactly the same as I did. What politicians have done is draw attention to themselves as the people that care, while making it more attractive for the fewer workers that get jobs with no skills to stagnate where they are. The only people who don't move forward are ones that are told that's the best they can do and that someone else had to get it for them because they were unable to themselves. That's the message. The only people that benefit from this type of government intervention are the mumbling egos in politics. good night JIM
I am often surprised by the profound lack of even the most minute degree of political savy present in general population of the US. They are as politically aware as are the Amish, computer literate. however, what is even more disheartening is that people who profess to be traders and then by default smart, intelligent and knowledgeable, write such rubbish when it coms to economic and politics in general. Those who have studied history are well aware when the US became a country of wealth for the majority of people. Hint ... after the Great Depression when all those "pesky" labor and social laws were written. If it weren't for the minimum wage, Social security,unemployment protection and a host of other services design to provide a social net for the whole population, this country would resemble the capitalists economies of most developing countries today. I wonder how the Scandinavian countries are able to have such a high standard of living, since their minimum wages are much higher and their gov. involvement is also much deeper than anything experienced in te USA.
Perhaps it's the vast reserves of state owned oil. The whole US is dumb/Europe is smart and has a higher standard of living argument. Ah Yes. I'm not impressed.
Snip Wikipedia Norway has obtained one of the highest standards of living in the world from petroleum production. Norway possesses the second highest GDP per-capita and second highest PPP per-capita in the world No offense Saxon but you're rather naive. This was pulled up quickly just to make a simple illustration that perhaps it is you that lacks political savvy.
Duard, Norway is the only scandinavian country that has oil and gas. The standard of living is bout the same in the other countries without the benefit of the black gold.
I've actually lived in Europe and worked with someone from Scandinavia. He was 35-40 years old then I was 24. After our time where we were working he moved back in with his parents in Norway. I have never gone back to my parents. This is not that uncommon adding up most of the people I met in Europe. Most either lived with parents until said parents died. Or had a very small apartment until they could take over the family business and live with their parents. You are welcome to what they have. The great depression/ labor movement actually did some things to revise the laws that surround employment. Not a bad thing. But like most things that are good, humans go to far. Safe work environment and reasonable treatment by employers is one thing. The great depression era social programs, changed people in a couple generations from independent entrepreneurs, into screaming babies wondering what their going to do when they are 80 and why someone else has a giant flat screen and they don't. I'm tired and bored with this. America is and will go down the tubes, like most other great economies. We'll be Europe in 20 -30 years. Adios, JIM
Your story of working for $4.00 per hour through college is truly an inspiration and I'm not ashamed to say it brought a tear to my eye. You my good man are a true American hero. I can understand your disappointment in not having electrodes put your nuts. I don't know how you live with the unfilled expectations of your youth. A cynic might argue that the only reason your crappy job paid you $4.00 per hour is because of the very minimum wage laws you oppose but I disagree, you are indeed a cut above the rest and I'm sure you would of demanded a premium wage regardless of the minimum wage laws at the time. Now please join in with me now in eliminating the overtime laws of our country that are robbing our small and large business owners of their due profit and more importantly control of their business. Although I'm sure if your employed your employer would still pay you overtime pay even if it wasn't required by the federal government.
Tear away! The reason I was paid 4 bucks an hour is that almost every person in the world could do the job I did. Skills and the value to the economy are what we are paid for. There are reasonable laws already in place to protect workers. You don't have to destroy what is great about American opportunity to see that people are treated fairly as to their skill level and drive. Treat people with respect, but don't tell they are worth a million because they are so SPECIAL. Now, no one is going to give me a million dollars yet so I am going to go learn the skills to get there. You are free to wait til your million is legislated to you.
I was playing with you. Just making a point if your all for you getting your time and a half pay then you shouldn't gripe about the people at the bottom of the economic ladder getting a few bucks extra a week (your million dollar remark was cute but false), especially when you benefitted from minimum wage protection at what was then a larger wage than is in effect now (inflation adjusted) . It is a dishonest argument to be against the minimum wage but not be against federally mandated overtime pay and other federally mandated employee protection laws. We disagree about minimum wage laws which is OK , but you and most of the anti-minimum wage folks are not being consistent. They want to keep the laws that protect them but not the laws that protect the poor people. So if you can be against federally mandated overtime pay also then your argument is consistent if not then your only fooling yourself.