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Hitchhiker
Rear Admiral
Joined: 11 Aug 2004
Posts: 3514
Location: Ontario, Canada
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 Wed Jul 19, 2006 1:28 am Democrats backing state-by-state min. wage hikes |
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| Associated Press wrote: | Fresh from losing another effort to hike the minimum wage on a national scale, Democrats are looking to do it one state at a time.
The party's new push is to get statewide minimum wage increase on ballots this November. Nevada and Montana voters will already decide the issue. Signatures are being gathered in Colorado, Arizona, Missouri and Ohio to try to get it on ballots there.... (more) |
I recently read an article about this in TIME magazine that intrigued me. They compared it to the gay marriage ban issue that was on the ballots last election, saying that this was the Democrats' push to get their voters out.
In Ontario, general minimum wage is $7.75/hour ($8.00/hour next year). You can see a breakdown of minimum wages by year and type here. I gather that minimum wage is lower in the United States (although the U.S. dollar is stronger).
What are your opinions on raising the minimum wage?
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Republican_Man
STV's Premier Conservative
Joined: 26 Mar 2004
Posts: 14823
Location: Classified
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| Wed Jul 19, 2006 1:49 am |
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I disagree with the raising of the minimum wage not only because it hurts businesses, particularly small businesses, but another raise would only make people want more and more raises. Anyways, that's my tired argument. I disagree with minimum wage raises, and I'm off to bed.
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"Rights are only as good as the willingness of some to exercise responsibility for those rights- Fmr. Colorado Senate Pres. John Andrews
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ILoveHarry
Admiral
Joined: 14 Jan 2004
Posts: 7909
Location: Houston
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| Wed Jul 19, 2006 11:31 am |
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The price of living keeps increasing, so should minimum wage. It's been stuck at the shockingly low $5.15 since 1997!!! That's practiclly ten years. We have people trying to support families on a wage that isn't even livable.
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IntrepidIsMe
Pimp Handed
Joined: 14 Jun 2002
Posts: 13057
Location: New York
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| Wed Jul 19, 2006 11:48 am |
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If you increase minimum wage, then stores like supermarkets and everywhere else where employees make minimum wage have to increase the price of their products to compensate. It isn't actually that big of a picture to have to look at. The only way that this would benefit people is if you're a teenager, and therefore don't have to buy necessities.
-------signature-------
"Nelly, I am Heathcliff! He's always, always in my mind: not as a pleasure, any more than I am always a pleasure to myself, but as my own being."
-Wuthering Heights
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ILoveHarry
Admiral
Joined: 14 Jan 2004
Posts: 7909
Location: Houston
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| Wed Jul 19, 2006 12:13 pm |
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No. It's b/c the cost of living IS going up that we NEED to increase minimum wage. $5.15 is fine for kids but we have single parent's raising an entire family on this! These families are barely scrapping by.
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IntrepidIsMe
Pimp Handed
Joined: 14 Jun 2002
Posts: 13057
Location: New York
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| Wed Jul 19, 2006 12:24 pm |
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Yes, and increasing minimum wage will only cause another increase in the cost of living. It cancels out.
-------signature-------
"Nelly, I am Heathcliff! He's always, always in my mind: not as a pleasure, any more than I am always a pleasure to myself, but as my own being."
-Wuthering Heights
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Republican_Man
STV's Premier Conservative
Joined: 26 Mar 2004
Posts: 14823
Location: Classified
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| Wed Jul 19, 2006 12:25 pm |
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| IntrepidIsMe wrote: | | Yes, and increasing minimum wage will only cause another increase in the cost of living. It cancels out. |
Exactly. It does no good to increase the minimum wage, no good at all.
-------signature-------
"Rights are only as good as the willingness of some to exercise responsibility for those rights- Fmr. Colorado Senate Pres. John Andrews
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ILoveHarry
Admiral
Joined: 14 Jan 2004
Posts: 7909
Location: Houston
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| Wed Jul 19, 2006 2:10 pm |
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Bottom line: It is not a livable wage.
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Lord Borg
Fleet Admiral
Joined: 27 May 2003
Posts: 11214
Location: Vulcan Capital City, Vulcan
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| Wed Jul 19, 2006 2:13 pm |
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No, Actually, things like rising fuel prices is what makes the need for a rise in minimum wages. My father owns his own company, it hurts him when this happens, but when he gets over his initial anger and we discus it in a calm, rational manner, he DOES realize the rising price in things, such as fuel, and other sorts. Sure, it might ADD to the rise in prices, but no, it is not the sole reason for the rising prices.
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La Forge
Bajoran Colonel
Joined: 16 Feb 2006
Posts: 2125
Location: Babylon 5
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| Wed Jul 19, 2006 2:48 pm |
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Inflation is crazy as of late, whether or not people are making more or not. Things cost more, whether or not if people are making more. Therefore, I say, this is a good idea. Not a drastic change, but, a nice little boost could help. I'm sorry, but, not everyone is rich, like Republicans believe. Actually, Republicans acknowledge the fact that poor people and middle class people exist, however, they refuse to help them. Tax cuts for rich people! That's Bush's motto.
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You'll never hear me say this again in my life, but...
Go Red Sox!
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IntrepidIsMe
Pimp Handed
Joined: 14 Jun 2002
Posts: 13057
Location: New York
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| Wed Jul 19, 2006 4:24 pm |
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Mmmm. I'll bet even the poor republicans and conservatives think everybody's rich, too, then.
And nobody is saying that a minimum wage increase is the sole cause of the raise in the cost of living, as of late. Merely that it won't make much of a difference in the long run.
-------signature-------
"Nelly, I am Heathcliff! He's always, always in my mind: not as a pleasure, any more than I am always a pleasure to myself, but as my own being."
-Wuthering Heights
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teya
Commander
Joined: 02 Feb 2005
Posts: 423
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| Wed Jul 19, 2006 5:50 pm |
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| IntrepidIsMe wrote: | | And nobody is saying that a minimum wage increase is the sole cause of the raise in the cost of living, as of late. |
Um, since there has been no increase in the minimum wage, it can't be the cause of inflation *at all*.
| Quote: | | Merely that it won't make much of a difference in the long run. |
Tell that to people who have to live on that wage. A few cents an hour can be the difference between eating or not.
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Republican_Man
STV's Premier Conservative
Joined: 26 Mar 2004
Posts: 14823
Location: Classified
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| Wed Jul 19, 2006 6:11 pm |
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| teya wrote: | | IntrepidIsMe wrote: | | And nobody is saying that a minimum wage increase is the sole cause of the raise in the cost of living, as of late. |
Um, since there has been no increase in the minimum wage, it can't be the cause of inflation *at all*. |
Hm, that's funny. I didn't see the word "inflation" at all in that sentence. Odd. All I saw was discussion of the cost of living, which is more than just inflation. But maybe I'm reading wrong 
-------signature-------
"Rights are only as good as the willingness of some to exercise responsibility for those rights- Fmr. Colorado Senate Pres. John Andrews
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teya
Commander
Joined: 02 Feb 2005
Posts: 423
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| Wed Jul 19, 2006 6:40 pm |
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Sorry, my bad.
However, the same point stands.
Since there has been NO raise in the minimum wage, a raise in the minimum wage can't have contributed to an increase in the cost of living.
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Republican_Man
STV's Premier Conservative
Joined: 26 Mar 2004
Posts: 14823
Location: Classified
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| Wed Jul 19, 2006 7:40 pm |
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It can't have in recent days, yes, but if it does happen, the cost of living will increase.
-------signature-------
"Rights are only as good as the willingness of some to exercise responsibility for those rights- Fmr. Colorado Senate Pres. John Andrews
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Hitchhiker
Rear Admiral
Joined: 11 Aug 2004
Posts: 3514
Location: Ontario, Canada
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| Wed Jul 19, 2006 8:39 pm |
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The cost of living will increase regardless. It has been increasing for a long, long time now, and shows no time of stopping. While minimum wage increases may contribute, I don't see that as a reason to not increase the minimum wage.
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Puck
The Texan
Joined: 05 Jan 2004
Posts: 5596
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| Wed Jul 19, 2006 10:19 pm |
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I lack any real knowledge concerning this issue, so please don't take my statement too seriously. My general feeling though, considering what I do know, is that it is time minimum wage be raised.
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TrekkieMage
Office Junkie
Joined: 17 Oct 2004
Posts: 5335
Location: Hiding
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| Wed Jul 19, 2006 11:31 pm |
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Constantly raising minimum wage can be a bad thing. But it's been more than ten years- economiclly that's a huge gap of time.
A reasonable increase in wages is long past due at this point. When people on minumum wage have difficulty buying that really nice new living room set, there really isn't any issue with the wage. In that case minimum wage shouldn't be touched. When people living on minumum wage can't afford to feed their families you have a problem. A big one.
We're having the issue of people not being able to feed their families.
Minimum wage needs to be reasonable.
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LightningBoy
Commodore
Joined: 09 Mar 2003
Posts: 1446
Location: Minnesota, U.S.A.
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| Thu Jul 20, 2006 12:07 am |
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Hmmm...
Government: People want to work for less than we think is acceptable... Let's forbid them for making that descision for themselves.
Minimum Wage needs to be abolished.
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Republican_Man
STV's Premier Conservative
Joined: 26 Mar 2004
Posts: 14823
Location: Classified
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| Thu Jul 20, 2006 12:10 am |
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| TrekkieMage wrote: | | Constantly raising minimum wage can be a bad thing. But it's been more than ten years- economiclly that's a huge gap of time. |
Actually, that is incorrect. It has been 9 years since the minimum wage was increased, with the last increase in 1997.
-------signature-------
"Rights are only as good as the willingness of some to exercise responsibility for those rights- Fmr. Colorado Senate Pres. John Andrews
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jonathan95
Delta Prime
Joined: 29 Oct 2002
Posts: 1544
Location: UK Newcastle
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| Thu Jul 20, 2006 6:22 am |
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| LightningBoy wrote: | Hmmm...
Government: People want to work for less than we think is acceptable... Let's forbid them for making that descision for themselves.
Minimum Wage needs to be abolished. |
I thought the minimum wage was set to protect people who work to at least have a set standard at which the boss's are ment to pay, if there was no minimul wage then worker's could be paid a lot less then you'd have a real problem on your hands,
here in england our minimal wage isnt too bad to live of if your a single person, but when your a working family on minimal wage you can get by just but your scraping by, expecialy if your a young family,
its hard for young people to get good paying jobs and keep them for any length of time,
but in the same right everything costs more these days, and so we have to pay people more, which ends up making things cost more so you have this circle that goes on and on.
But really all econimies need or should really stop and think how they can stop falking out a few 1000 to people who do sports like footballer's, or why the owner of a company can drive around in a sports cars when the lowest worker of his company strugles each week to keep there household going.
but I think the minimal wage definatly needs increasing, to match the cost of living
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LightningBoy
Commodore
Joined: 09 Mar 2003
Posts: 1446
Location: Minnesota, U.S.A.
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| Thu Jul 20, 2006 5:29 pm |
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If workers are not paid enough, they will quit their job and find somthing better. Minimum Wage laws force companies to pay teenagers more for menial tasks, costing money that could be put toward more meaningful jobs.
I've never worked for minimum wage, and I have no special training, and I don't see how ANYONE can't get a job for more than $7-$8 an hour.
The government shouldn't be telling people the minimum wage they can accept. If I want to work for $4/hour, I should be able to choose that job.
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TrekkieMage
Office Junkie
Joined: 17 Oct 2004
Posts: 5335
Location: Hiding
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| Fri Jul 21, 2006 4:39 pm |
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| Republican_Man wrote: | | TrekkieMage wrote: | | Constantly raising minimum wage can be a bad thing. But it's been more than ten years- economiclly that's a huge gap of time. |
Actually, that is incorrect. It has been 9 years since the minimum wage was increased, with the last increase in 1997. |
Sorry, for some reason I thought it was 1995. My mistake. Doesn't change the point of my post though 
LB- Some people can't get jobs that pay $7-8/hr for various reasons - population v. availability and such. I know that where I live it can be tough to get a reasonable job because it's so densely populated. Sometimes people are as eloquent in the way they talk, or get really nervous in interviews and can't land a decent job because of it. I don't know. There are dozens of reasons.
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Lord Borg
Fleet Admiral
Joined: 27 May 2003
Posts: 11214
Location: Vulcan Capital City, Vulcan
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| Fri Jul 21, 2006 4:43 pm |
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Four dollars an hour? Wow... you'd want to choose at 4 an hour? yeah, I guess it's under the better then nothing rule of thumb, but at four an hour, your not gonna do very well, not much better then nothing, I suppose if you mean the only thing you gotta worry about is gas and a car payment, but in fact, even then...
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borgslayer
Rear Admiral
Joined: 27 Aug 2003
Posts: 2646
Location: Las Vegas
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| Fri Jul 21, 2006 8:15 pm |
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Restaurants rely on cheap labor to keep running. With minimum wage increase tons of small restaurants will go out of buisiness because paying workers would be too much especially if you don't get many customers eating.
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