The minimum wage debate

[NiteRunner81]

So California State Rep Barbara Lee wants to increase California's Minimum Wage to $26 an hour.

I see a debate on my FB at least once every few days to raise the NATIONAL minimum wage to $15 an hour.

Most of these debates end with "well, this is ALL I qualify for!" Well, maybe if you had got some education, made better life choices, not got knocked up as a high schooler, not did drugs, just maybe you could qualify for something that pays more. Minimum Skills, Minimum Education, Minimum Qualifications EARNS you MINIMUM WAGE!!!

If we were to raise the minimum wage that high my dad would be out of business within 2 weeks (what it takes for an employee to "draw" off their earnings for the month.)

These same people don't believe that the increase in minimum wage correlates to inflation.

[Duel of Fates]

Why do people keep voting for dip [poo] like this?

When politicians, who do not create, run, nor maintain a businesses, dictate how private enterprises should be run, well, you get stupidity tenfold. Talk about killing the middle class and small business in America.

[11_Panama_]

All I have to say about wages in general is... if you have a full time job and you still qualify for welfare or any other type of assistance to just "make by", there is something wrong. Shame on some of these billion dollar companies like Wal-Mart.. that set out donation bins for they're employees, so they could have a nice Thanksgiving dinner. No one with a full time job should need help from the Government to survive.

[Darth Crater]

So California State Rep Barbara Lee wants to increase California's Minimum Wage to $26 an hour.

That's completely ridiculous at the current time and has no chance of passing. Hopefully she knows that, and it was just hyperbole.

Apparently the minimum wage there is currently $8/hr, though. In my opinion a bit ridiculous in the opposite direction.

Most of these debates end with "well, this is ALL I qualify for!" Well, maybe if you had got some education, made better life choices, not got knocked up as a high schooler, not did drugs, just maybe you could qualify for something that pays more. Minimum Skills, Minimum Education, Minimum Qualifications EARNS you MINIMUM WAGE!!!

Is it fair to punish people for choices that they made at the age of 16-20, when their brains were literally not fully developed yet? Maybe we should try to make it easier for older people to improve their prospects. Anyone know if education loans are currently restricted by age or not?

These same people don't believe that the increase in minimum wage correlates to inflation.

Well, the minimum wage absolutely should correlate to inflation, since it should be based on quality of life rather than on a dollar value. If you're saying that minimum wage increases cause inflation... I'd be interested in seeing the math on that. I don't see how it actually adds more money to the economy, but I'm not dismissing the idea out of hand.

[haasd0gg]

I have a G.E.D. School was a nightmare for me. I made good money selling illegal things, but chose to learn a trade and eventually came to be self employed.
Let me be clear; I am not rich. I'm probably not even "well off", but my kids are clothed, fed, and warm. My bills are paid (mostly). My house is warm.
I had a choice. I think I made the right one, maybe not, but my point is you need to have the drive to better yourself if you want to make more money. Voting to make the government make businesses pay you more for performing a task that literally anyone could do is arrogant and insulting.

[NiteRunner81]

Hell by 27 I made enough credit into Social Security to pay my rent should/when I decide to file for disability. And if I die my husband and children will have a HUGE cushion. My husband will be able to pay for childcare (although I would hope a family member would step up in help) to work the same job and at the same hours and my kids will have a great quality of life.. I did this by starting to learn at the age of 13 to use word processing programs, fax machines and making myself invaluable to my parents business. After a year of proving myself my dad put me on the business payroll. Most of the money I earned went into savings and I started building up my social security benefits. My parents were unable to pay me after the economy tanked but that 14 years was enough to build a good safety net.

I grew up in a small area where you usually earn your breaks if you come from a farm family. And I didn't get my college degree till I was 25. You have to make your opportunities, you have to build your skills, you have to motivate yourself.

And the "mistakes you make when your brain isn't fully developed".. my brain sure wasn't developed at 13 but I seemed to have done okay... I know I'm just a SAHM now but I sure as hell didn't screw around either.

[(SWGO)DesertEagle]

$26/hr ?!?!?!

Are they serious?! I know people who have worked for 10+ years at a company requiring 5 years of education (4 year degree + certificate) who are making about that in CA. Heck, 2 year degree requiring jobs are not even $15/hr in some fields.

If it goes into effect, you are basically looking at a halving of the minimum wage worker population (basically companies are going to get rid of half of their minimum wage employees) or an increase in prices, likely some combination of both.

So now unemployment is going to increase and/or (probably 'and') prices are going to go up, two things we really do not need at this time.

Companies are not just hoarding wealth, they in business to make money. If you want to make more money as an employee, you have to give them a reason to want to pay you more to retain you.

They have already figured out how much their employees are worth to them, so if you increase how much this costs them, they have to cut somewhere else. After all, they do have investors (whom they have promised a reasonable return) to satisfy.

[CommanderOtto]

what the hell are they thinking? That law is just ridiculous. 26 bucks lol... that's like an entry salary in wall street.

[Pootus]

Minimum wage is exactly what it says - the very least amount by law. "Liveable" minimum wage is another made up word
along with "social justice" and "sustainable". In reality this is from Karl Marx....we all get the same wage. Each according to his means, each according to his ability.

People finally deciding that they need to be responsible, and realizing that at some point they must work are not entitled to extra compensation. They see it as unfair, It is not my fault, nor the business owners that now a single parent or person who never took their education seriously should be paid $30,000.00 a year because it is "fair". By most accounts...the glut of minimum wage workers can be viewed as a stunning general life failure of an unemployable generation.

It is fascinating that these same folks never take into consideration of the actual compensation they receive in other state or local aid. Lets face it....our employers love to tell us how much our benefits equate to our income any more; but think about the true low income workers and how many benefits they actually receive.

I submit that any person who wraps and bags my double cheese burger DOES NOT have the right to be paid $15.00 an hour.
If you don't like your station in life...do something about it. Go back to school. Work a second job (I know I did that for 5 years after I got out of the army). Hard work = better life style.

[MATTHEW'S_DAD]

Minimum wage is exactly what it says - the very least amount by law. "Liveable" minimum wage is another made up word
along with "social justice" and "sustainable". In reality this is from Karl Marx....we all get the same wage. Each according to his means, each according to his ability.

People finally deciding that they need to be responsible, and realizing that at some point they must work are not entitled to extra compensation. They see it as unfair, It is not my fault, nor the business owners that now a single parent or person who never took their education seriously should be paid $30,000.00 a year because it is "fair". By most accounts...the glut of minimum wage workers can be viewed as a stunning general life failure of an unemployable generation.

It is fascinating that these same folks never take into consideration of the actual compensation they receive in other state or local aid. Lets face it....our employers love to tell us how much our benefits equate to our income any more; but think about the true low income workers and how many benefits they actually receive.

I submit that any person who wraps and bags my double cheese burger DOES NOT have the right to be paid $15.00 an hour.
If you don't like your station in life...do something about it. Go back to school. Work a second job (I know I did that for 5 years after I got out of the army). Hard work = better life style.