So How's That Whole $15 Minimum Wage Thing Working Out?

[sevlex]

Not exactly the way the Neo-Marxists had planned:

http://www.ijreview.com/2014/06/1440...-big-fat-told/

The Results of a Seattle Suburb’s Minimum Wage Hike Deserve a Big Fat ‘We Told You So’

102,855Shares By Michael Hausam 2 days ago



At the start of the year, the Seattle suburb of SeaTac raised the area’s minimum wage to $15, and the consequences are now starting to be felt. And it’s not just the unions who championed the effort, or those who still have jobs, that are feeling them.

Over the last few months, a few things have happened:
◾Managers have taken more responsibilities on themselves, instead of hiring more workers.
◾Businesses have laid off workers, or eliminated their plans to hire more.
◾Area parking now comes with an added “living-wage surcharge.”
◾Hotels have cut employee benefits, free food, and overtime.

Shocking: when bad ideas are put into place, there are consequences.

The one thing that you won’t read in any of the articles published since the law took effect are stories about businesses hiring more people. Business owners have reported a marked increase in job applications, presumably from those hoping to benefit from the higher minimum wage; but that has not translated into an increase in employment.

This, too, is predictable. Only higher-quality workers will be getting the higher-wage jobs; now that businesses have a higher floor for the wages they pay, those less qualified will not be getting hired.

What would be really fun to see is an experiment that did the opposite: lower the minimum wage to $5 – or even $0. This would allow businesses to pay what labor (the supply) and commerce (the demand) required.

It would also be interesting to see what kind of job creation and economic gains would result. Of course, it is almost impossible to imagine that in a progressive haven like Seattle, but one can always dream…

Editors Note: This article is referencing the minimum wage law implemented in SeaTac (the incorporated area immediately around the Seattle-Tacoma airport); the city of Seattle itself passed a bill yesterday that would raise its minimum wage to $15 an hour as well, making it the highest minimum wage for any major city in the country.

[Phil125]

The government likes to double anything. If its going to cost 1 billion you better budget for 2. If its going to save 2 billion its probably only going to save 1. So when they say its not going to have much of an economic impact well you could probably say it will have an negative. Just watch the obamacare price tag over the next few years.

Since they never really talk about the benefits of the 15/hour hike. I doubt there will be any other than the oooo and ahhh effect of the morons who can't see what is really happening.

[Helen Keller]

gibs me dat

[Gunner1558]

Gov'ts love this sort of thing!

It is what got the price of a McDonald up from .15 cents when they started to the $2.59 they now cost.

It also puts low wage earners into a much higher tax bracket. ( I remember having to pay $3.00 more because of .72 cents reported on my Army pay, even though the Army didnt pay in part dollars, but held the change until it totalled over $1.00)

It is also the right thing to do

[ready]

Cue the commies.

[Cypher]

The saddest thing here is the city is raising minimum wage so they have not learned form their mistakes. Stupid is as stupid does and these people are really stupid.

I think that politicians should have to have some experience in whatever bills they vote on. You can't vote on bills that effect business and the economy unless you have ran or operated a business etc.

[tank_monkey]

He shoots himself in the foot by suggesting that as an experiment the minimum wage be lowered to ZERO. That's moronic. That's working for free and no one would do it. That entire scenario destroys the experiment itself since a wage of ZERO is not a wage, but volunteerism. Not something you do to pay the bills. How about suggesting a lower but more reasonable minimum wage? It makes him look like an idiot when all the other material in his article is compelling.

[FunkyPertwee]

He shoots himself in the foot by suggesting that as an experiment the minimum wage be lowered to ZERO. That's moronic. That's working for free and no one would do it. That entire scenario destroys the experiment itself since a wage of ZERO is not a wage, but volunteerism. Not something you do to pay the bills. How about suggesting a lower but more reasonable minimum wage? It makes him look like an idiot when all the other material in his article is compelling.

Classical economics tells us that a lack of minimum wage leads to a theoretical 0% unemployment.

[LAGC]

Cue the commies.

I think there's a certain inflection point where if you raise the minimum wage too much too quickly it can be counter-productive. For example, a common Libertarian refrain is: "So why not just raise the minimum wage to $50/hour?" Obviously that would be problematic.

But $15/hour really isn't that unreasonable, provided its implemented in stages like Seattle plans to (just a couple bucks an hour one year, then maybe a couple bucks a year a few years down the road, until it eventually reaches $15 years down the road.)

But yeah, doing it one fell swoop like SeaTac is doing might cause some undo hardships on small businesses, considering that businesses in short driving distances away only have to pay $9.52/hour or whatever Washington state has it set to. So that can be tough to compete with.

[weevil]

I think there's a certain inflection point where if you raise the minimum wage too much too quickly it can be counter-productive. For example, a common Libertarian refrain is: "So why not just raise the minimum wage to $50/hour?" Obviously that would be problematic.

But $15/hour really isn't that unreasonable, provided its implemented in stages like Seattle plans to (just a couple bucks an hour one year, then maybe a couple bucks a year a few years down the road, until it eventually reaches $15 years down the road.)

But yeah, doing it one fell swoop like SeaTac is doing might cause some undo hardships on small businesses, considering that businesses in short driving distances away only have to pay $9.52/hour or whatever Washington state has it set to. So that can be tough to compete with.

So if you own a business then it would be in your best interest to move on down the road to a more business friendly area.

If that happens then who exactly is it that's gonna benefit from raising the minimum wage???

The workers will be out of a job unless they move on too and if they do follow the jobs then they won't get $15 an hour, so now they have to spend more time and money to travel to their same $9 an hour job.

The city loses out on the taxes the business paid, property and sales, as well as the money from their wages the now un-employed workers were spending.


So why is this a good idea?

[Oswald Bastable]

But $15/hour really isn't that unreasonable, provided its implemented in stages like Seattle plans to (just a couple bucks an hour one year, then maybe a couple bucks a year a few years down the road, until it eventually reaches $15 years down the road.)

And by the time it's $15 an hour it buys $7.50/hr's worth of goods due to inflation...zero sum game for those on minimum wage, more tax revenue for the gov't in between, businesses and lives disrupted or destroyed in the meantime...great for socialist/commie advancement.

Dumbass.

[LAGC]

And by the time it's $15 an hour it buys $7.50/hr's worth of goods due to inflation...

That's not how it works in reality. There have been studies that have shown that Walmart could pay all it's employees $15/hour and only have to raise prices of their goods 1%. So obviously the workers come out on top in such a scenario.

The biggest benefit of (modestly) raising the minimum wage though is that the more money workers have in their pockets, the more they will spend and circulate back into the local economy.

I think it was Henry Ford who famously said that the reason he supports paying workers a living wage, is so that those workers will be able to afford to buy his cars.

When done modestly and across-the-board, its actually a net boon to business.

[LAGC]

I might also point out that Washington state has the highest minimum wage of any other state, and they also happen to be experiencing strong job growth (above U.S. average) right now.

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-0...with-jobs.html

Food for thought.

[Aggressive Perfector]

Problem: You implement this across the board, those of us who bust ass for that kind of money are most certainly going to want more. It may not hurt a company like Walmart, who dominates retailers across the country by a massive margin. But it doesn't only affect retail giants. It affects every industry. Something you liberals don't get: The rich are rich for a reason: They are greedy, they are ass holes, they are smart. Enough is never enough for them. If they have to pay more to the employees, they are going to up the ante on the prices. The more the government requires them to give, the more they will demand in prices. We always suffer. And since all these Walmart cashiers and Mcburger flippers are making so much, those of us who were making about $15/hr before the raise will now demand $30. Why shouldn't we? Some of us break our fucking backs for that kind of money. And still some others went to school and learned skills required to do better than these McFuck Sticks that opted to drop out.

[Oswald Bastable]

That's not how it works in reality.

It is when you take years to implement it (disregarding any immediate impact on the job market).

By the time it gets to $15/hr. inflation will have eaten the lion's share of it, and the workers at min wage will be just as poor as they are today.

The impact of implementing it all at once is fewer jobs, businesses move or close, buyers travel a bit farther to buy goods and services somewhere where they're cheaper to avoid that cost increase.

[Ruskiegunlover]

You know, as a teacher in a public high school, I make about the equivalent of 17-19 bucks per hour? After TAXES for you disgusting shithead socialists, I make barely over $14 an hour you stupid fuck. WHY IN THE FUCK do I want to work as a teacher, working in reality closer to 70 hours a week for a job that VERY FEW PEOPLE IN THIS COUNTRY RESPECT, when I can just say screw it, and work at a fast food place making MORE MONEY? Are you this fucking stupid?

Granted, I love my job. But why in the hell you worthless piece of shit should a guy who works at a Wendys make as much as I do, when I put years and a lot of money into learning my skill? When he can't even give me back the right fucking CHANGE? WHY? You really think fast food workers should make $15 an hour? Really? Know why?

Because you are worthless. You have no skills. You CAN'T do anything. You are a FAILURE at life, a known criminal, who has contributed NOTHING to this world but your 'glorious' 'new' ideas, which in reality are known failures from recent history. You suck, you simply cannot be a success, so all you have to fall back on are unions and laws FORCING people to value you when you are IN FACT worth NOTHING.

[Ruskiegunlover]

Really, you piece of shit, why should I continue at my job? WHY put years of study and hard work into it? You do not think I deserve to make more than a fucking fast food worker........so why should I work?


Again, to be clear, I worship my job. I thank GOD that I was able to get where I am at. I love it. I am just trying to make a point to the disgusting, leaches we allow on this board. I know, I am doing the impossible: talking morality and common sense to someone who simply doesn't have it.


Oh, I'd also point out that because of people like lagsocialist, I am NOT ALLOWED to make more money as a teacher than my peers. Because of unions. I bust my ass, I mentor my kids, spend countless hours with them because I LOVE them, and want to help them. I can tell you I work with people who don't give a shit, who are too lazy to make a ppt for a lecture. People who come in DRUNK or hung over in the mornings several times a year. And know what? I CAN'T MAKE MORE THAN THEM, or be paid for my efforts. Because of people like HIM. Because, in reality, he and his ilk are too stupid and lazy to do shit.


We are watching this nation come apart at the seems. Because of people like him.

[LAGC]

And still some others went to school and learned skills required to do better than these McFuck Sticks that opted to drop out.

The problem is, many of the people taking these types of jobs are college grads who can't find work in their field. We're talking about people with several tens of thousands of dollars in student loan debt, so naturally they are going to fight for a living wage.

That's why the unemployment rate is so high amongst teenagers (15-17) right now, because adults are taking many of those jobs as a last resort.

[LAGC]

WHY IN THE FUCK do I want to work as a teacher, working in reality closer to 70 hours a week for a job that VERY FEW PEOPLE IN THIS COUNTRY RESPECT, when I can just say screw it, and work at a fast food place making MORE MONEY?

I think you answered your own question. I sure as fuck would rather work as a teacher than toiling day after day in a hot, sweaty environment, doing a monotonous, stressful job. Far fewer people respect fast-food workers than teachers, that's for sure.

Granted, I love my job. But why in the hell you worthless piece of shit should a guy who works at a Wendys make as much as I do

See, I don't get this jealousy aspect. So what if fast-food workers are making almost as much as you? That's more people who can afford to buy houses and contribute in property taxes, which in turn could help boost your pay as well.

[Silentkilla01]

You know, as a teacher in a public high school, I make about the equivalent of 17-19 bucks per hour? After TAXES for you disgusting shithead socialists, I make barely over $14 an hour you stupid fuck. WHY IN THE FUCK do I want to work as a teacher, working in reality closer to 70 hours a week for a job that VERY FEW PEOPLE IN THIS COUNTRY RESPECT, when I can just say screw it, and work at a fast food place making MORE MONEY.

I work roughly 70 and have had to work more than 100 hours in a week in the sun.i weld pipe for a living it's not cut out for many people. In the sun all day on pipe lines. Is what I love. Good money. But surly not cut out for a fry cook believe me