Congress Approves Minimum-Wage Increase

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rlg94086

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This was a war-funding hitchhiker…
WASHINGTON (AP) - America’s lowest-paid workers won a $2.10 raise Thursday, with Congress approving the first increase in the federal minimum wage in almost a decade.
President Bush was expected to sign the bill quickly, and workers who now make $5.15 an hour will see their paychecks go up by 70 cents per hour before the end of the summer. Another 70 cents will be added next year, and by summer 2009, all minimum-wage jobs will pay no less than $7.25 an hour.
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This guy has a funny idea of what constitutes “middle class:”
“This is a great day for America’s middle class,” said Rep. George Miller, D-Calif., chairman of the House Education and Labor Committee. “America’s workers have been waiting for a raise for a long time.”
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And, I hope this doesn’t come true…
According to the National Restaurant Association, the last minimum wage increase cost the restaurant industry more than 146,000 jobs and restaurant owners put off plans to hire an additional 106,000 employees.
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I gather that “trickle down” economics no longer applies. Every bit of this increase will be passed along.
Personally, I’d rather tax the obscenely wealthy.

John
 
john1863 said:
I gather that “trickle down” economics no longer applies. Every bit of this increase will be passed along.
Personally, I’d rather tax the obscenely wealthy.

John
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No. A minimum wage increase is not “trickle down.” The increase may not necessarily be passed up, but some people on the lower rungs may lose their jobs. Taxing the obscenely wealthy doesn’t do much for the minimum wage earner either.
 
I don’t recall saying passed up. Plus, if some lose their jobs the businesses were sucking for air to begin with.

The real savior of the middle class (1950s) was the unions, before they overplayed their hands.

John
 
john1863 said:
I don’t recall saying passed up.
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Sorry. What did you mean by “passed along” then?
Plus, if some lose their jobs the businesses were sucking for air to begin with.
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Not the most compassionate of positions to take toward people who will lose their jobs, but okay…
 
Not the most compassionate of positions to take toward people who will lose their jobs, but okay…
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I just love how you extrapolate. My comment had nothing to do with feelings…it was an observation. I’ll assume you understand the difference, but I am beginning to wonder.

John
 
john1863 said:
I just love how you extrapolate. My comment had nothing to do with feelings…it was an observation. I’ll assume you understand the difference, but I am beginning to wonder.

John
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John,

I said people will lose their jobs.

You said - those businesses are probably “sucking air” anyway.

It wasn’t extrapolation on my part. It was a comment on the fact that your only response to people losing their jobs was that the businesses weren’t that strong…not even a “that is terrible” comment. To me, that showed an absolutely crass response to the plight of people losing their jobs. It is basically the equivalent of “let them eat cake.”

Just my observation…

Robert
 
Robert,

I can be a bit of a “let them eat cake” guy at times. So…I apologize if I overstepped.

John
 
john1863 said:
Robert,

I can be a bit of a “let them eat cake” guy at times. So…I apologize if I overstepped.

John
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I am also sharp-penned at times, so I apologize if I rubbed you the wrong way. We all have our stumble blocks. :o
 
rlg94086 said:
No. A minimum wage increase is not “trickle down.” The increase may not necessarily be passed up, but some people on the lower rungs may lose their jobs. Taxing the obscenely wealthy doesn’t do much for the minimum wage earner either.
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Speaking as a business man the minimum wage will now be high enough that I will be able to hire retired workers(who wouldnt work for us for 5:15 an hour) for part time work when crunch time hits. Of course that means the High school students we used to hire to work after school will be out of luck but you get a lot better work ethic from older people.
 
estesbob said:
Speaking as a business man the minimum wage will now be high enough that I will be able to hire retired workers(who wouldnt work for us for 5:15 an hour) for part time work when crunch time hits. Of course that means the High school students we used to hire to work after school will be out of luck but you get a lot better work ethic from older people.
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See, that’s what I was thinking…that a business can now hire retired workers, who generally need the money more badly than 16-17 year olds. All in all, I think this increase is a good thing.
 
estesbob said:
Speaking as a business man the minimum wage will now be high enough that I will be able to hire retired workers(who wouldnt work for us for 5:15 an hour) for part time work when crunch time hits. Of course that means the High school students we used to hire to work after school will be out of luck but you get a lot better work ethic from older people.
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As you know from previous very long threads, I am not wholly opposed to minimum wages. I am not an enthusiast of federal minimum wages, but this one has passed. Hopefully, the best comes out of it, and not some of the gloom & doom.
 
Business could always hire at higher wages then the law demands. So this can not be used as a benefit of higher wages.😉 Now if it means that more older people will be hired IMHO this is a good thing. I am tired of doing the work I am assigned and the work of the two 19/20 somethings that don’t do their jobs.😃
 
estesbob said:
Speaking as a business man the minimum wage will now be high enough that I will be able to hire retired workers(who wouldnt work for us for 5:15 an hour) for part time work when crunch time hits. Of course that means the High school students we used to hire to work after school will be out of luck but you get a lot better work ethic from older people.
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This doesn’t make sense to me. What prevented you from hiring the older workers at a higher wage before minimum wage was increased by law? I know very few businesses that pay minimum wage in my area. They have to pay higher because the market demands such.

When minimum wage was increased in my area last November, I almost immediately got notices that other rates were increasing due to the minimum wage increase. Those increasing the rates were not paying minimum wage to begin with but it was a great excuse to increase rates.
 
rlg94086 said:
No. A minimum wage increase is not “trickle down.” The increase may not necessarily be passed up, but some people on the lower rungs may lose their jobs. Taxing the obscenely wealthy doesn’t do much for the minimum wage earner either.
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No, the minimum wage will trickle up. It will benefit union workers because many of them get a percentage above the minimum wage–there pay will go up. And who is to decide what is “obscenely rich?” It is not the poor folks who provide the jobs.
 
Why not just do it all at once. Forget this minimum wage stuff and quarantee every adult a salary of $75,000 a year! There goes poverty!!!👍
 
A person deserves a fair days pay for a fair days work, and if those restaurants and fast-food outlets say the recent increase in the minimum wage will mean they have to close down, then so be it. I take their statements with a pinch of salt…

It is very troubling in today’s society that men and women work hard all week at dead-end ( not entry level ) jobs and yet cannot support themselves or their family. In days gone by, one person working could keep the other at home and their family had enough to live on.

Part of the problem lies in the disappearance of manufacturing jobs to China, leaving the low paid service jobs the only alternative.

In Canada we are aiming at a minimum wage in Ontario of $10, we haven’t achieved it yet. Even that is not enough if you live in Toronto. Of course the Harris, (Conservative) Provincial Government cut the welfare benefits by 21.5% and they haven’t changed since under a Liberal government.
 
Minimum-wage is not meant to raise a family off of. It was started for high school and college age students. I am insulted by the insulting of younger workers who “don’t need the money.” I am 21. I work full-time will going to school full-time. I need this money because I don’t live with my parents. I pay my bills and rent. I am one of the hardest working employees of the large department store where I worlk. The older people don’t work as hard as the younger people because they know they can get away with it. Plus, hiring a person because he is older than someone is age discrimination.
 
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