Minimum wage hike passes in House
The House has voted to raise the minimum wage. Next it’s headed for the Senate, where I think it will pass, and off to George W. Bush for a signature. In the end, I think he’ll sign it. He may wait until the Republicans can tack on some sort of “sorry for fucking you, enjoy the fruit basket” condolence prize for small businesses, but he’ll likely sign it.
They want a 3-step increase to $7.25 an hour. $7.25 an hour to flip burgers. $7.25 an hour to wave at people as they walk into Wal-Mart. $7.25 an hour to bag groceries. $7.25 to do the most unskilled jobs in the country. Are these jobs worth $7.25 an hour? I don’t know. You don’t know. The government doesn’t know. The only people who can know what a job is worth are the employer and the employee, when they agree on a wage. A minimum wage says that jobs worth less than the minimum wage should be subsidized by the general public.
Some jobs are not worth $5.15 an hour, let alone $7.25 The proof for this is simple: there is an unusually high number of people hired at the minimum wage (compared to, say, a penny over the minimum wage). It is no coincidence that these people are all making $5.15 an hour… they’ve been rounded up. They’ve been sponsored by the American public.
The main result of the minimum wage hike will be an increase in the unemployment of unskilled workers (i.e. the people who used to be making $5.15-$7.25). These jumps in unemployment have always followed an increase in the Federal minimum wage. The people the minimum wage is supposed to help are the ones who get disproportionately screwed by it. That’s some fucked up idea of social justice.
Try this on for size: $5.15 is better than $0. With me so far? Now this: $3 is better than zero. Any amount greater than zero is better than zero. Here’s my idea of social justice: pay people what they are worth. No more, no less.
What does it take to become an unskilled worker? Do I have to live in a bubble all my life? Everyone has to have some sort of skill. Now if your talking about skill being a degree or some sort of more advanced training in a certain area that’s different.
Although I will admit, anything above 5.50 is too high to be a minimum. Is cost of living alot higher then it was 4 years ago? Why did they increase it in the first place?
My first job like ALOT of Americans was McDonalds and I was excited when I got $5.25 an hour.
Did anybody notice how Speaker Pelosi managed to work in exemptions to businesses in her district?
And what gives the government the right to order a business owner what to pay to their employees?
In my opinion minimum wages hinder the growth of the economy. Wages should be regulated by the market itself. If the wages become lower and lower, unskilled workers maybe will become more creative and realize their own business. So economy will be boosted.
Mark at Tempus Fugit writes about the minimum wage hike that was passed by the House of Representatives: The main result of the minimum wage hike will be an increase in the unemployment of unskilled workers (i.e. the people who used to be making $5.15-$7.25). These jumps in unemployment have always followed an increase in the Federal minimum wage. The
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A spike in the minimum wage screws both the incompetent and the competent person. People who aren’t worth $7.25 will be entirely unemployable, because no company will pay this much for a job poorly done. The guy who could be hired at $4.50 per hour is now left to starve. He’s not the only one who loses, though. The guy who is the best damned burger flipper in the state of Florida is now ineligible for promotion, because his raise has been equally distributed to all of his less deserving co-workers. Raising the minimum wage is just one more step towards a Socialist America, where everyone gets the same piece of the pie no matter his merits. It is a departure from the idea that good works merit reward, and an approach towards general mediocrity. I say down with the minimum wage!
And yes, Mr. Stricklin, I did notice the Pelosi exemption! The only two exemptions to the minimum raise increase was Del Monte (which owns Starkist Tuna) and the island of Samoa, where Starkist employs 85% of the male populace. Smells fishy to me.
It makes all those people who *just* got a raise to $7 feel like jerks.
Unemployment is now 4.5%. Wages must be pretty good the way they are without mucking about with the minimum wage.
Yeah, but Mark, look at it from my perspective in California: It’s jumping from $7.25 to $7.50 an hour. $7.50 an hour. Seriously? That’s ridiculous.
I remember when minimum wage was like $4.50 an hour…
For so many individuals called the “working poor” it is good to see an increase in wages. In our area numerous biz. owners are starved for staff in the service industry who want to flip burgers or manage the telephone. Due to this the employees have actually started to dictate the wages they demand to be paid. For the first time we saw counter staff at Tim Horton/Wendy’s receiving wages from $11.00 to $14.00/hour.
[...] Here’s my idea of social justice: pay people what they are worth. No more, no less. Comments: view commentsComments: view comments Author: Mark Category: Politics Not Safe for Liberals Date Published: [...]
Here in Ontario Canada, they are trying to impose a minimum wage of $10…!??? Is the purpose of ‘min. wage increase’ to make people enjoy staying at the minimum level of their earnings and life?