Doesn't the worker have any responsibility to get training, education, or experience to earn a living wage?
Only 2.3% of workers make the minimum wage and most of those are under 25 and not the main wage earner in the family. Those are often part-time jobs for high school and college students. They are getting an education so they can earn a good wage and often wait until they have that job before getting married and having children. A worker who quits school and has kids needs a higher income--but the employer is not obligated to give them more money because they made foolish choices.
Not right away. Instead it will incrementally keep going up until it does. You can see that effect here in Arizona where minimum wage is tied to the cost of living index and average wages. The result is the minimum wage in the state goes up some every year. It is now at a point where I question why I should bother going to a fast food restaurant at all. I can go to a sit down one and pay $15 to $20 for a meal whereas at the fast food place a meal now costs $12 to $15. The rising minimum wage is creating a situation where the cost of a service is becoming uncompetitive. I'm sure it won't be the only one either.
Hello T. A. Gardner,
I wasn't referring to any one particular individual, rather I was considering the big picture, talking about the whole nation. All diversity of individuals, not any particular one. Social Security has saved millions from destitution. Regardless of what any one person thinks of it, and you will find views all over the map, in the big picture, the system has been a huge success. Many many individuals are not as fortunate as you. If it were not for their SS check, they'd be starving, or going homeless, or both.
Those who don't really need it are well off, in the upper half that's doing great. It's not like that for everyone. Good thing for the less fortunate they have SS. It makes the difference between dignity and destitution.
Personal Ignore Policy PIP: I like civil discourse. I will give you all the respect in the world if you respect me. Mouth off to me, or express overt racism, you will be PERMANENTLY Ignore Listed. Zero tolerance. No exceptions. I'll never read a word you write, even if quoted by another, nor respond to you, nor participate in your threads. ... Ignore the shallow. Cherish the thoughtful. Long Live Civil Discourse, Mutual Respect, and Good Debate! ps: Feel free to adopt my PIP. It works well.
Hello T. A. Gardner,
I don't know what or how much fast food you order but...
Looks like a Whopper, Fries and a Drink costs $5 in Phoenix to me:
$5 Whopper Meal in Phoenix
Man, if they are already at $15 wage, then it looks like they can still offer low priced food and pay a living wage.
Personal Ignore Policy PIP: I like civil discourse. I will give you all the respect in the world if you respect me. Mouth off to me, or express overt racism, you will be PERMANENTLY Ignore Listed. Zero tolerance. No exceptions. I'll never read a word you write, even if quoted by another, nor respond to you, nor participate in your threads. ... Ignore the shallow. Cherish the thoughtful. Long Live Civil Discourse, Mutual Respect, and Good Debate! ps: Feel free to adopt my PIP. It works well.
Here's the Grubhub Burger King menu for one near me in North Phoenix
https://www.grubhub.com/restaurant/b...phoenix/677766
A Whopper meal starts at $9.86. Virtually every burger on the al la carte menu is hovering close to $6 by itself.
Hello T. A. Gardner,
Grubhub is a meal delivery service. Grubhub just sold for $7.3 Billion. They didn't become that valuable by offering the service for free.
The prices at the restaurant drive up are lower than Grubhub prices. Having someone deliver hot prepared restaurant meals is one of the most expensive ways to eat. It is considered a luxury. The corporation didn't get that rich by paying their workers a living wage. Nobody who delivers meals for Grubhub can afford such a luxury. I wouldn't be surprised if those workers don't even earn minimum wage. They probably call them 'contractors' and pay them less than min, if anything at all. They might even work for nothing more than tips.
Grubhub, how to turn a $5 Whopper meal into a $15 dinner by the time you tip the driver appropriately.
Next time, let's compare apples to apples.
And in the mean time, let's increase the min wage to $15, and watch it propel Social Security toward solvency.
And another thing that would help the Social Security system: Allow more legal immigration from Central America. There are thousands of young workers ready to come work jobs, earn paychecks, become fine upstanding hard working socially-contributing Americans who pay taxes and pay into the Social Security system.
Personal Ignore Policy PIP: I like civil discourse. I will give you all the respect in the world if you respect me. Mouth off to me, or express overt racism, you will be PERMANENTLY Ignore Listed. Zero tolerance. No exceptions. I'll never read a word you write, even if quoted by another, nor respond to you, nor participate in your threads. ... Ignore the shallow. Cherish the thoughtful. Long Live Civil Discourse, Mutual Respect, and Good Debate! ps: Feel free to adopt my PIP. It works well.
A worker making 8 or 9 bucks is not min wage, but it is essentially the same thing. The min sets a bottom. It will elevate higher wages across the country if we raise it. The min has been frozen a long time. That means the poorest paid workers are taking an inflation pay cut year after year.
If we go to 15, the amount of government help needed will drop. There will be less food stamps and welfare. They will buy more things adding to demand. The economy will expand. More taxes will be paid and the govt will have smaller costs.
For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction(s). Increasing minimum wage has consequences. A concept moonbats are incapable of comprehending.
Not that I’m opposed to increasing it because the overall effect would be a wash. E.g., subsequent inflation negating the positive effect of increasing min wage, using more part time employees reducing full timers, etc.
20 states will/have raised their minimum wage in 2021 and only 20 states have the federal minimum $7.25.
Most Americans work for small businesses and 50% of these fail within five years and 2/3 by ten years. Many of these small businesses cannot afford $15 per hour.
Some have said these businesses should not exist, but to take away the income of a large number of Americans is terrible policy. Some states only require the (higher) minimum for businesses with a minimum (15) number of employees which seems like a good compromise to save the smaller businesses.
Government can better afford to pay to help these people than many small businesses.
There is a best number, and if you go below or above that number, you get worse outcomes. Best guess is that best number is about $15. That could be a little low, but because it is so much higher than the current number, it is probably good to be a little low.
Social Security taxes limit is about $140k. So increases in salaries above that make no difference. And unearned income makes no difference. So someone making $140k, is basically paying the same as someone making a salary of a billion dollars... But no one makes a salary of a billion dollars. Realistically, they would usually make a billion in unearned income, and not pay a penny in Social Security.
While someone making minimum wage is paying full Social Security taxes. If you double their income, you double the Social Security taxes they will pay.
If they are already failing, then $15 per hour is not the cause. If they cannot afford to continue, then I guess they cannot afford $15 per hour, but they also cannot afford to continue.
Outside of the pandemic, there was a real problem that businesses could not afford to hire people, but that is separate from minimum wage. The solution is simple, automation can allow people to work fewer hours, and still make more money.
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