minimum wage

[LivingAlmostLarge]

Yes eating out where I live is expensive because minimum wage is $15. But that hasn't seemed to hurt the economy instead it's roaring more than ever. That being said I still am not convinced that it needs to be $15 across the country. But I'm curious as to why it can't be tied to inflation? Why do we have to argue about minimum wage? And why hasn't it gone up since 2009? What reason is there? And yes texas there are places in the country paying only $7.25. Which those people haven't gotten a raise since 2009

[Fishindude77]

I think minimum wage is just another one of those things our government doesn't need to be involved in.
Nobody works for $7.25 anyway, do they? Fast food, which has traditionally been the lowest pay around pays much better than that around here. That should be proof enough that we don't need the federal government involved. Entry level jobs are already paying more than the government minimum.

If you want to increase buying power, you need to develop harder working, smarter kids. The discussion on how to get there could get lengthy.
Quickest way to start developing harder working individuals is to shut off the free stuff.

[TexasHusker]

[QUOTE=ua_guy;n724027]

Saying the same thing over and over again doesn't mean its correct.

Really, how would you suggest we increase "buying power"?? [/QUOTE]


Before I can answer "how", I need to know who "we" is.

[TexasHusker]

[QUOTE=LivingAlmostLarge;n724036]Yes eating out where I live is expensive because minimum wage is $15. But that hasn't seemed to hurt the economy instead it's roaring more than ever. That being said I still am not convinced that it needs to be $15 across the country. But I'm curious as to why it can't be tied to inflation? Why do we have to argue about minimum wage? And why hasn't it gone up since 2009? What reason is there? And yes texas there are places in the country paying only $7.25. Which those people haven't gotten a raise since 2009[/QUOTE]

Well, my college son worked from minimum wage all last summer, at a local car dealership. Since he was making $0.00 before the job, $7.25 was a huge raise to him.

Only 1.6 percent of hourly workers in the U.S. are getting paid minimum wage. I would have to assume a lot of them are students similar to my son.

Tying minimum wage to inflation is like saying "Barbara is so popular because everyone likes her." Circular reasoning. We have inflation [I]because[/I] of labor inflation, not the other way around. Burger King raises prices when their labor goes up, in order to keep their margin intact. If they don't, shareholders like you, in your 401K, will have a fit. Prices rise because 1) demand exceeds supply, and 2) increased costs.

As someone said earlier (paraphrase), regardless of *where* you set minimum wage, the markets re-establish their equilibrium quickly, and you're back to where it began. You could make it $100 an hour tomorrow, and within a month, a loaf of bread would cost 50 bucks.

[ua_guy]

[QUOTE=TexasHusker;n724042]

Well, my college son worked from minimum wage all last summer, at a local car dealership. Since he was making $0.00 before the job, $7.25 was a huge raise to him.

Only 1.6 percent of hourly workers in the U.S. are getting paid minimum wage. I would have to assume a lot of them are students similar to my son.

Tying minimum wage to inflation is like saying "Barbara is so popular because everyone likes her." Circular reasoning. We have inflation [I]because[/I] of labor inflation, not the other way around. Burger King raises prices when their labor goes up, in order to keep their margin intact. If they don't, shareholders like you, in your 401K, will have a fit. Prices rise because 1) demand exceeds supply, and 2) increased costs.

As someone said earlier (paraphrase), regardless of *where* you set minimum wage, the markets re-establish their equilibrium quickly, and you're back to where it began. You could make it $100 an hour tomorrow, and within a month, a loaf of bread would cost 50 bucks. [/QUOTE]

Holy smokes. I worked at a car dealership my first year of college. Entry level lot employee / porter. $10/hr plus benefits, and any tips and spiffs I could make. Minimum wage was just south of $7/hr IIRC.

That was in the year 2001.

[LivingAlmostLarge]

[QUOTE=TexasHusker;n724042]

Well, my college son worked from minimum wage all last summer, at a local car dealership. Since he was making $0.00 before the job, $7.25 was a huge raise to him.

Only 1.6 percent of hourly workers in the U.S. are getting paid minimum wage. I would have to assume a lot of them are students similar to my son.

Tying minimum wage to inflation is like saying "Barbara is so popular because everyone likes her." Circular reasoning. We have inflation [I]because[/I] of labor inflation, not the other way around. Burger King raises prices when their labor goes up, in order to keep their margin intact. If they don't, shareholders like you, in your 401K, will have a fit. Prices rise because 1) demand exceeds supply, and 2) increased costs.

As someone said earlier (paraphrase), regardless of *where* you set minimum wage, the markets re-establish their equilibrium quickly, and you're back to where it began. You could make it $100 an hour tomorrow, and within a month, a loaf of bread would cost 50 bucks. [/QUOTE]

How can only 1.6% be paid minimum wage? I'm pretty sure most restaurant workers get paid $2.65 and then tips. They are paid below minimum because of tips. That's another argument of itself about tipping. Again I hate tipping, but that's a different argument.

So only 1.6% of the country works in restaurants? Not more than that? And not more than that work at entry level fastfood or or service jobs? *I'm surprised.

[TexasHusker]

[QUOTE=LivingAlmostLarge;n724050]

How can only 1.6% be paid minimum wage? I'm pretty sure most restaurant workers get paid $2.65 and then tips. They are paid below minimum because of tips. That's another argument of itself about tipping. Again I hate tipping, but that's a different argument.

So only 1.6% of the country works in restaurants? Not more than that? And not more than that work at entry level fastfood or or service jobs? *I'm surprised.[/QUOTE]

My bad. It's 1.9 percent.

[url]https://usafacts.org/articles/minimum-wage-america-how-many-people-are-earning-725-hour/[/url]

[ua_guy]

[QUOTE=LivingAlmostLarge;n724050]

How can only 1.6% be paid minimum wage?[/QUOTE]

That's in reference to [U]federal[/U] minimum wage. About half of states (and most population centers) have a higher minimum wage, and this number does not count those people.

[ua_guy]

Also important to point out, in 1980 when 13% of people were making federal minimum wage, then $3.10/hr, that is $10.64/hr in 2021 dollars. The actual federal minimum wage 41 years later is $7.25, in 2021 dollars.

[TexasHusker]

[QUOTE=ua_guy;n724058]

That's in reference to [U]federal[/U] minimum wage. About half of states (and most population centers) have a higher minimum wage, and this number does not count those people.
[/QUOTE]

Correct. In Washington DC, the minimum wage is $15 per hour, with the mean hourly wage in DC is $36.12.

In Dallas, TX, the minimum wage is $7.25 per hour, with the mean hourly wage $25.87.

So you have more buying power in DC then, right?


Nope. Purchasing power is 37.12% higher in Dallas than DC.

[URL="https://www.numbeo.com/cost-of-living/compare_cities.jsp?country1=United+States&country2=United+States&city1=Washington%2C+DC&city2=Dallas%2C+TX"]https://www.numbeo.com/cost-of-livin...2=Dallas%2C+TX[/URL]


No matter where you set the minimum, you do not increase buying power.

[ua_guy]

[QUOTE=TexasHusker;n724060]

Correct. In Washington DC, the minimum wage is $15 per hour, with the mean hourly wage in DC is $36.12.

In Dallas, TX, the minimum wage is $7.25 per hour, with the mean hourly wage $25.87.

So you have more buying power in DC then, right?


Nope. Purchasing power is 37.12% higher in Dallas than DC.

[URL="https://www.numbeo.com/cost-of-living/compare_cities.jsp?country1=United+States&country2=United+States&city1=Washington%2C+DC&city2=Dallas%2C+TX"]https://www.numbeo.com/cost-of-livin...2=Dallas%2C+TX[/URL]


No matter where you set the minimum, you do not increase buying power.

[/QUOTE]

I'm not even sure what you're comparing.

If the minimum wage in Dallas, TX is increased from 7.25 to 15.00 per hour, those making minimum wage have more buying power. To be clear, we're talking less than 4% of Texans would receive that benefit.

But worth mentioning also, Texas is the leader in wage slavery.

[corn18]

[QUOTE=ua_guy;n724061]

I'm not even sure what you're comparing.

If the minimum wage in Dallas, TX is increased from 7.25 to 15.00 per hour, those making minimum wage have more buying power. To be clear, we're talking less than 4% of Texans would receive that benefit.

But worth mentioning also, Texas is the leader in wage slavery.

[/QUOTE]

What is wage slavery?

[TexasHusker]

[QUOTE=corn18;n724062]

What is wage slavery? [/QUOTE]

That means everyone here is wearing a ball and chain, which is why people are leaving Texas in droves.

It’s just the most awful place you can imagine. Human rights violations everywhere.

Please don’t move here. Stay in CA, NY, and DC. Life is better in those places for sure.

[ua_guy]

[QUOTE=corn18;n724062]

What is wage slavery? [/QUOTE]

Texas is one of the states with the highest number of its residents making minimum wage in the nation.

Wage slavery is the notion that owning people as slaves is now illegal. But it’s not illegal to remove bargaining power and literally make them so poor that leaving a job for another would bankrupt them.

And that doesn’t count the number of undocumented workers they pay less than minimum wage, illegally. Totally aided and abetted by a state government that mostly looks the other way on the issue, so long as those workers have no right to vote, and the government appears tough on immigration- watch what they do, not what they say.

Holding those workers’ immigration status over their heads complicates the idea more.

[LivingAlmostLarge]

[QUOTE=ua_guy;n724059]Also important to point out, in 1980 when 13% of people were making federal minimum wage, then $3.10/hr, that is $10.64/hr in 2021 dollars. The actual federal minimum wage 41 years later is $7.25, in 2021 dollars.

[/QUOTE]

This is ridiculous. Okay fine you can't raise a family on minimum wage. but it's also ridiculous that we expect the minimum wage to be substantially less than if it were tied to inflation