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House Dems Move to Boost Minimum Wage »
Posted by: TechnologyExpert 2 years, 5 months agoFlexing their muscle, House Democrats powered toward passage Wednesday of a boost in the federal minimum wage that would increase paychecks for hundreds of thousands of janitors, fast food clerks and other workers at the bottom of the income scale.
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TechnologyExpert
I am Editor-in-Chief at Alice Hill's RealTechNews (http://www.realtechnews.com). I also have my own blog (Tech-Ex) at http://TechnologyExpert.Blogspot.com. Finally ...
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Comments: 331
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TechnologyExpert
Jan. 10, 2007, 11:05 a.m.The statement is always made that increasing the minimum wage will hurt the economy. Why, at least, do we not adjust this for inflation? Since prices are going up anyway, doesn't that mean those getting revenue for higher priced goods are getting more $$$ (or at least, the same amount based on inflation) while those making the mininum get less every year based on inflation?
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krayzdrayzor
Jan. 10, 2007, 8:22 p.m.And it should not, stagflation 1973-1980 was the begining of the end for working people making a living wage. 3 or 4 yrs. ago the minimun wage adjusted for inflation, cost of living(haha), etc. should have been $14.75/hr.
The average rent one payed was proportional to one week's wages not two and one half or more.
Everything is skewed against the working class. Hence, the disparity between the have's and have not's. Greed for immorally high profit margins is the rule for today.
It wasn't always that way. But the days of employee loyalty are long gone because the companies broke the social contract- an honest day's wage for an honest day's work.
I firmly believe that the only immediate to the worsening economic conditions is to return to the fundamental union philosophy before corruption set in.
God bless Samuel Gompers!
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IcCaRus
Jan. 11, 2007, 9:11 a.m.thats right, everyone who isnt rich is just lazy and lacking ambition... ppssttt, the REAL world is over there --->
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LordyLordy
Jan. 10, 2007, 6:50 p.m.At first glance the minimum wage laws sound like a good idea, but they are not. While it is true it raises the wages of some, farm workers and restaurant workers are exempt from being paid the minimum wage. Not only that but the MINIMUM WAGE only benefits large companies and even larger corporations. They can always afford to pay the minimum wage and feel no justification for raises since they simply need to replace their workers.
Not to misunderstand. I feel for the person who tries to survive on either the minimum wage or even below, but passing laws like this is not the solution. It is indexing, which means you will never break out of the cycle unless you figure out how to get away from a job that is defined and covered by the minium wage. Ask anyone on welfare. The system tries to and often makes you a slave to it. You're trapped.
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JNP8907
Jan. 11, 2007, 12:24 a.m.Adjusting for this inflation would just cause more inflation, and soon enough those who were making minimum wage before will be making, in effect, the same amount as they were before. As the minimum wage rises more and more people would fall into making minimum wage.
For those of you who are thinking that only those with minimum wages would be affected, think of this. Let's say there is a man who has been working at Wal*Mart for 5 years now and is making $8.00/hour (I stretched it a lot, but stick with me) and there's a new guy who makes $5.15 an hour. The minimum wage is risen and then the new guy has to make $8.00/hour by law. What happens to the senior employee's wages? Do they rise or stay the same
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maxdiputs2
Jan. 11, 2007, 12:56 a.m.I always wondered why congress always resorts to temporary fixes to the issue by raising the minimum wage rather than a more permanent solution of indexing it to something (such as the cpi or inflation rate). But then again they are politicians, not problem solvers.
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jordan11
Jan. 10, 2007, 3:39 p.m.It won't hurt the economy. It will go back into the economy. What hurts the economy is having to pay medical care for people who can't afford to go to the DR.
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TechnologyExpert
Jan. 10, 2007, 5:26 p.m.I agree that it won't hurt the economy. But that's the argument always given.
And yep, that's another reason for universal health care, eh?
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delingo
Jan. 10, 2007, 4 p.m.After watching those who live in Ivory towers dictate to the back bone of America what we should be earning is like the ice dictating to the Sun how hot it should be .It remains a fact that a product is sold on merit,even if a glut exists it will remain on the market even if at a lower $ ammt or even be a loss leader.Marketing power and strategies keep an honest company afloat and the more that is sold over time gives that company the ability to pay steady employees more !We need to keep the Govt. OUT of Business in America and let competetiveness make the balance.
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Beau7890
Jan. 10, 2007, 4:53 p.m.There's a HUGE difference between giving that company "the ability," as you say, to pay steady employeees more and making that company pay steady employees more. Most companies won't do it on their own.
Don't even start with the free-market "competitiveness." If Congress hadn't started passing anti-trust legislation early in the 20th century, corporations would set both wages and prices however they wanted, and millions would starve. The welfare of the people would not be protected.
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lovermanComment has been removed: User banned.
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bigG
Jan. 11, 2007, 8:50 a.m.If you want government out of business then that also should go for subsidizing anything, giving preferential tax breaks, etc. Guess we ought to throw tariffs in there as well. Hey, then we could get rid of all the corporate/business lobbyists on K street!
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IcCaRus
Jan. 10, 2007, 4:26 p.m.in fairness to workers the minimum wage should get yearly COLAs (Cost of Living Adjustments) tied to inflation.... and it should be rate of inflation PLUS an additional increase...
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TechnologyExpert
Jan. 10, 2007, 5:27 p.m.Exactly what I said. If you want to be fair, why not? Those of us not at the minimum wage level would get really upset if we didn't get a raise.
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pattif
Jan. 10, 2007, 4:35 p.m.How many of you that have responded so far actually make min wage? It is very hard to live in so many places of this country that are decent on mininum wage, downright impossible. It is usually the people doing the worst jobs that are not being paid fairly.
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Beau7890
Jan. 10, 2007, 4:55 p.m.Chances are, if we were making minimum wage, we'd be too busy to have this conversation. How many minimum wage workers spend the day behind computers, with unlimited Internet access?
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TechnologyExpert
Jan. 10, 2007, 5:34 p.m.I agree. There's no way a min. wage working person can live in CA without killing him / herself working > 1 job.
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walden3
Jan. 10, 2007, 4:41 p.m.the dems are at work. good job!! and this time the repubs didn't tie it to more tax breaks for the unneedy.
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random1734
Jan. 10, 2007, 6:50 p.m.I think you missed the part where bush is for it as long as there are tax breaks included.
I saw that part and I thought that maybe it is time to see how many will really vote for this and lets see if we can get enough of the repubs to overide a veto on board.
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mabombardier
Jan. 10, 2007, 4:45 p.m.Hmmmm so the companies that pay their employees minimum wage, with negligible raises or benefits should continue to get richer; while those same poor employees have to work 2 or 3 jobs just to get by?
I'm not talking about them working that many jobs to be able to afford a nice new car, or a vacation once a year, or high end clothes; I'm talking about just getting by. About being able to go to bed and know their house payment is made, that their electric isn't going to be shut off in the morning, and feeding their kids instead of telling them that there isn't anything to eat.
The minimum wage needs to be raised. It won't cure a whole lot, but it will help some. There should be some sort of cap on inflation. These companies that have CEO's retiring with billion dollar packages are ridiculous. There is really no one in my opinion worth that much.
Greed is the great evil. When is enough, enough?
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myopnion
Jan. 10, 2007, 4:53 p.m.This country was built on the free enterprise system. Don't the american people realize that when the cost of labor goes up, then what they pay for the product does the same. Business does not and cannot absorb the added expense. An increase is multiplied several times before reaching the consumer. Its based on supply and demand. Good economy- lower unemployment- higher wages to find qualified employees. Is it not better to work at a lower wage than be unemployed? At least till a better job with higher pay can be found. If the consumer is willing to pay higher prices for the things they purchase, then employers could pass that added profit on to thier employees, in wages and benefits. However we continue to make our purchases based on price not quality of service or product. No wonder we rely so heavily on imported products made with cheaper labor cost that increases the trade deficit. Keep government out of business and let the system work the way our forefathers designed it to work.
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walden3
Jan. 10, 2007, 6:45 p.m.myop-
it's funny your talk about the free markets. the markets are not free.
do you own a house? do you take the mortgage interest deduction? own a business? do you write off expenses? have a 401K? do you defer paying taxes until you retire?
you see there are all kinds of policies tax or otherwise that make people engage in or refrain from certain behavior.
so it's kind of odd to take advantage of some government intervention that benefits you but yet begrudge the lowest paid among us a small raise.
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Sandokan
Jan. 10, 2007, 8:42 p.m.Hi myopinon ... I run a successful business, have all the pertinent degrees and then some. Your statement just ran the entire gambit from Adam Smith to Karl Marx. Basically you have mentioned situational truths. IMHO one of the drivers in our economy is the profit margin. That is the quintessence of the problems of Capitalism ... the bottom line. The need for a minimum wage is required when businesses do not freely pay the workers a fair wage for the job (productivity). It's a Catch 22 actually, on one hand you have a product (retail) that costs so many "moolas", and you have a worker that gets paid so many "moolas". If that product is a basic deficiency need item (according to Maslow Hierarchy of Needs) and the worker can't afford it, this will lead to many different scenarios - all bad. However, if the worker is paid too much (manufacturing side of the house) ...then the producton cost rise. But STOP! Who says the costs have to go up? Right, [to be continued]
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Sandokan
Jan. 10, 2007, 8:51 p.m.This is the Catch 22, productions costs go up, retail goes up, wages go up. so then production costs soar, ad infinitum....
In real life we see the following models: lets take the pharamaceutical industry, with the R&D costs as the true variables... costs of chemicals, reasearchers, techical equipment costs ... even though these are always quoted as increasing, in reality they do not. The costs that really drive the products or keep their products high are the dividents being paid out on their stocks! And the excess profit margins being demanded by the stockholders, executive boards, etc...
Yes, it's the fair profit menatality that needs to be reined in!!! Like in sports, where NFL & NBA Players saleries are just ridiculous... and they will continue to get those saleries until the customers - we the people, change our minds. It is not an impossible task, but we all have to want it. That starts in our educational system.
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krayzdrayzor
Jan. 10, 2007, 10:37 p.m."Don't the american people realize that when the cost of labor goes up, then what they pay for the product does the same".
According to your statement then,if we labor for $0 everything would be free?
"Is it not better to work at a lower wage than be unemployed"? I beg you to provide a rational way this could be so. I've never had the chance to tell my landlord, "hey uh I just don't make that much how about lowering the rent."
You seem to live in a world that lacks the consequences of not having enough money for living. Although I don't wish your suffering the experience, I do wish you'd experience it long enough to gain empathy.
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bigG
Jan. 11, 2007, 8:58 a.m.myopinion,
Are you as vehement about government intervention when it comes to subsidies, or other tax breaks for big business?
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nomorespam
Jan. 10, 2007, 4:59 p.m.my concern is that increasing the minimum wage without a fair market basis is just going to move more jobs out of the country. This would make more unemployed on welfare. It is ridiculous for people who make what they make to be deciding what a minimum wage is.
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bubba2
Jan. 10, 2007, 5:55 p.m.Do some research on the states that have adopted their OWN living wage, like Arizona.
That old right-wing myth of 'job loss' is just that - a MYTH. The economy IMPROVES. Why? Because MORE people have MORE money to spend. When they earn more money, they have more to spend which goes right back INTO the economy.
It is DEFINITELY a big issue, corporations moving factories and jobs overseas. They are not slowing that down just because the minimum wage has NOT been increased. They will do that ANYWAY until the government stops them.
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Sandokan
Jan. 10, 2007, 8:55 p.m.It can also become a positive shot in the arm for the economy, as the amount of personal income increases so too will there be more disposable income available for the market.
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NelsonR
Jan. 10, 2007, 5:15 p.m.MINIMUM WAGE - It is down right abnoxious to see the fat cat Repulicans against this increase. If I had my way I would put those angered Republicans in a turnip field picking turnips. I would then take a photo of their expression on their face when they receive their wages.
As a middle class American I find it abhorent that any person could be that greedy and uncaring. This also includes the fact they have raised their own wages and benefits since the nineties numerous times.
Most Republicans really suck, can't find a better adjective.God, republicans get a life and feel for other humans without your constant greed and corruption.
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random1734
Jan. 10, 2007, 6:57 p.m.Congresses pay should depend on how the country is doing. If things are bad, they get a pay cut. If they want a raise they have to ask the american people. After all, if I want a raise I have to ask my boss!
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progressive-bum
Jan. 10, 2007, 6:25 p.m.Geez, democrats have had the majority bor a whole week and accomplished more than the republican congress did in 6 years.
You might wanna look into taking your head out of your a**
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walden3
Jan. 10, 2007, 6:40 p.m.thisisfact-
show me one democrat who ran on getting the troops home "right away."
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kctrixter
Jan. 10, 2007, 6:44 p.m.Iraq may be the only thing some people heard, but this was part the 100hr plan. I don't think any reasonable person expected the dems to fix Iraq and have the troops home in the first 2 weeks in power.
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NelsonR
Jan. 10, 2007, 5:46 p.m.Thisisfact = Yeah right, you are one of those abnoxious, greedy and uncaring humans. Your life is sustained by the acquiring of more and more to the detriment of your fellow man.
Conversely, a sickening thought, a Republican with the goal of making a more meaninful way of life for the average man.
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samsara15
Jan. 10, 2007, 5:54 p.m.Increasing the minimum wage indirectly benefits the entire society. We as a society are no stronger than our weakest links. These are the working poor, so the Republicans, as defenders of capitalism, should be rushing to their defense.
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Beau7890
Jan. 10, 2007, 7:46 p.m.The thing I always think is, if you don't pay them enough, how are they going to buy your products?
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Ghost25
Jan. 10, 2007, 5:57 p.m.Thisisfat, I don't understand what you're saying, so the dems didn't magically lift us out of Iraq seconds after they stepped into office, so now you're going to vote for the people who put us into Iraq from the first place, the bigger liers than the dems?
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IcCaRus
Jan. 11, 2007, 9:55 a.m.Ghost, some people are blinded by ideology and simply dont want to be bothered with those pesky little details
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Razor
Jan. 10, 2007, 6:12 p.m.I'm all for making more money. However all this does is raise the cost of goods altogether....the poor don't really benifit from this because their basic goods cost increases to eat up the wage increase. All increasing the minimum does is con the bottom end into voting for the con-artists who propomote such tactics.....everybody looses. Start at the bottom and improve for more money. Don't help inflation along, it does not need any help!
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kctrixter
Jan. 10, 2007, 7:50 p.m.I work for a very large company we laid off thousands of people, off shored all the jobs we could, gave our CEO a $55,000,000.00 bonus, raised our profit margin 13%, and didn't give the consumer 1 cent off our price. I don't think giving the few employees who make less then proposed minimum wage a few dollars more is going to change that one bit
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jordan11
Jan. 10, 2007, 7:50 p.m.'m all for making more money. However all this does is raise the cost of goods altogether>>>>>
Then buy less. Better that kids have food on their table.
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Razor
Jan. 10, 2007, 6:26 p.m.Ok,NelsonR; then when the new minimum goes up 50% your telling me that your burgers are going to stay at the same price....I don't think so... and the manufacturing labor for the shampoo, or the milk production for the minimum wage earner's kids won't increase due to higher production costs...What school did you go to...ONLINE U...PUN INTENDED.
Oh, and by the way, what happned to all those illegal workers that do the jobs that Americans just won't do...that supposedly keeps the labor costs down....guess that ploy looses its push too......
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amazed
Jan. 10, 2007, 6:31 p.m.On one hand, it may not make much of a difference. In CT, (whose economy is very weak, btw) minimum wage is 7.68 (more than the proposed fed min wage). No one can hire anyone for that amount. Retail and fast food places generally start at $8 - $9 /hour. I expect that's true throughout the country, though I know, when my son was going to school in FL last year, he was only making about $7.50 as a cashier in a grocery store.
On the other hand, we are watching our manufacturing base, as well as our service base (especially high-tech service) move overseas -- and everyone is rightly upset about it. So the solution is to make US labor even MORE expensive? That doesn't quite seem like it will work to me.
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amazed
Jan. 10, 2007, 6:31 p.m.The high cost of US labor is directly responsible for the large trade deficit which in turn is directly responsible for the devaluation of the dollar (just like in the late 70's) which, this time has the Euro poised to replace it as the world's currency (not an option during the last major dollar devaluation). Just something to think about....
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kctrixter
Jan. 10, 2007, 7:19 p.m.I don't see how this bill would affect the off shoring of high tech jobs one way or the other
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newsquew
Jan. 10, 2007, 6:48 p.m."In view of what minimum wage laws actually do, their often uncritical acceptance as a major weapon in the war on poverty stands as one of the supreme ironies of modern politics. If a minimum wage set $.50 above the prevailing wage helps the working poor with no ill effects, WHY NOT ELIMINATE POVERTY COMPLETELY BY SIMPLY LEGISLATING A MINIMUM WAGE OF $10.00? The PROBLEM, of course, IS THAT PRICING PEOPLE OUT OF A JOB DOES NOT REDUCE POVERTY. Neither does skewing compensation packages toward money wages and away from training, or encouraging employers to substitute skilled workers for unskilled workers, part-time jobs for full-time jobs, foreign labor for domestic labor, and machines for people. Minimum wage laws do all of these things and, in the process, almost surely do the disadvantaged more harm than good."
Author: Linda Gorman, a Senior Fellow with the Independence Institute, She was previously an economics professor at the Naval Postgraduate School
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kctrixter
Jan. 10, 2007, 6:51 p.m."We are going to pass this bill clean," said House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, D-Md.
This is the way all bills should be passed. If you want to give special Tax breaks to business then introduce a bill for that, then maybe the voting record would actually tell us something
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kctrixter
Jan. 10, 2007, 7:23 p.m.thisisfact- If the ? was to me, this is a quote from the article about the riders GW wanted put on the bill
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