Obama Pushes for Higher Minimum Wage on Plant Tour

[MoFinz]

[LandShark13]

Yeah...If you want to increase it, I much better plan would be to do it slowly over time and not just bump it by $1.75 overnight. Really it should bump up a few cents every year or two. I have worked for less than 7.25 an hour though. My first job I made $50 for an 8 hour day, which is actually above Bahamas minimum wage.

Actually the Federal Minimum wage is $7.25 but the reality of it is it varies from state to state. Washington for example has a min wage of $9.19. So they are already above the proposed $9.00 with several other stats not to far behind.
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that shows Min wage by state.

[Buddy]

Yeah...If you want to increase it, I much better plan would be to do it slowly over time and not just bump it by $1.75 overnight. Really it should bump up a few cents every year or two. I have worked for less than 7.25 an hour though. My first job I made $50 for an 8 hour day, which is actually above Bahamas minimum wage.

I agree with you and think the minimum wage, if we have to have one, should mirror the CPI. Keep pace with inflation, that is it.

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[JamesBW43]

Don't minimum wage earners make up like 2% of the labor force? Are there really any businesses out there that would be forced to raise their prices to cover this?

[Locke]

Don't minimum wage earners make up like 2% of the labor force? Are there really any businesses out there that would be forced to raise their prices to cover this?

Exactly. The minimum wage pushes or exceeds $9.00 per hour in most of the markets as is. I live in one of the poorest states in the country, and our capital already has a minimum wage of $9.00. That and most companies pay more than that as is. Even the McDonald's down the street pays $8.00+, well over the minimum wage. Yet raising it is going to drive us into financial ruin? More partisan junk. If Obama said he found a cure for diabetes and he gave it to everyone, the righties would still blast him for not curing cancer instead...

[Buddy]

Exactly. The minimum wage pushes or exceeds $9.00 per hour in most of the markets as is. I live in one of the poorest states in the country, and our capital already has a minimum wage of $9.00. That and most companies pay more than that as is. Even the McDonald's down the street pays $8.00+, well over the minimum wage. Yet raising it is going to drive us into financial ruin? More partisan junk. If Obama said he found a cure for diabetes and he gave it to everyone, the righties would still blast him for not curing cancer instead...

I don't doubt your statements but wonder why, based on what you are saying, we need a minimum wage at all? Is Obama just posturing on a moot issue to seem like he cares about the little guy? The campaign is over, you won, now do something useful and shut up already! Maybe something stellar like passing a budget?

The states already have their own minimum wage so WTF is the federal government involved for? Let it go up with the CPI and let's move on to issues that really matter. Only a small percentage of workers make true minimum wage and only a small percentage of those actually work full time. Again, moot point.

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[Locke]

I don't doubt your statements but wonder why, based on what you are saying, we need a minimum wage at all? Is Obama just posturing on a moot issue to seem like he cares about the little guy? The campaign is over, you won, now do something useful and shut up already! Maybe something stellar like passing a budget?

The states already have their own minimum wage so WTF is the federal government involved for? Let it go up with the CPI and let's move on to issues that really matter. Only a small percentage of workers make true minimum wage and only a small percentage of those actually work full time. Again, moot point.

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I'd assume it's forcing some of the states who are refusing to pay a fair wage to get with the times. But even those states don't have that many people making the minimum wage, but might have a high number of jobs that are at risk for exploitation. I'd assume things like agriculture and physical labor, but I don't know. But federal law is designed to set up a baseline for states to start their own laws from, isn't it? Makes sense that if the mean minimum wage is higher most everywhere that the federal government would just match it...

[Smith21]

I have a small business and was thinking of hiring a new employee @ minimum wage or 1$ over that.. give the person good training and hopefully he would grow with my company and help me grow so i could afford to get bigger... If minimum wage was 9$ an hour i couldnt afford to hire someone because as an owner. I would want the person to care -it is very hard to find a minimum wage employee to care, and i cant exactly afford 400$ a week right this second. giving someone $8.00 an hour is a little easier than $10.00.. just my 2 cents.

[LandShark13]

I have a small business and was thinking of hiring a new employee @ minimum wage or 1$ over that.. give the person good training and hopefully he would grow with my company and help me grow so i could afford to get bigger... If minimum wage was 9$ an hour i couldnt afford to hire someone because as an owner. I would want the person to care -it is very hard to find a minimum wage employee to care, and i cant exactly afford 400$ a week right this second. giving someone $8.00 an hour is a little easier than $10.00.. just my 2 cents.

Honestly bro I think you're splitting hairs. If you could afford $9.00 an hour i'm sure you could find someone who would be happy to work for you. If you want them to care that's a two way street that's hardly ever just based on money. Treat them well and if they don't seem to care replace them with someone who does.

When/if the new Min wage takes effect deal with it then. If the employee is worth a raise to $10 then by all means do it if not your not obligated to do anything.

[SkapePhin]

Personally, I don't understand the logic behind increasing the minimum wage when businesses are already dealing with a recession and a healthcare bill that will be burdensome to some employers. It's really a heaping a lot of stuff onto businesses, and it won't be the corporate monstrosities that suffer, they will find ways to pass the buck and skim off the most for the ones on top. It's the small businesses that will be hammered.

The road to hell is paved with good intentions.

I think people just need to face the facts that we can't save everyone. There has always been inequity in the world, and there probably always be. As much as we all hope for a utopia, it just ain't possible given the system we inherited. Too many moving parts, too many egocentric motivations.

Competition was the key ingredient for our evolution and for our technological and societal growth. In any competition, there are unfortunately losers and those who were dealt a bad hand. That's just the way this universe was set up, and no amount of pie-in-the-sky idealization will ever change that.