cbo report on raising the minimum wage

[berryberry]

Originally Posted by yinzerpgh

If everyone does this, who is going to clean the restrooms and hand you your precious burger and fries through the drive-thru window?

First off, not everyone is going to do this. Some people don't have the drive to improve themselves

Second, there are lots of teenagers, kids working in the summer thru college, retirees working part time to stay busy, etc around to hand out your burger and fries. Takes ZERO skill set and absolutely not worth $15 an hour

[berryberry]

Originally Posted by El-mo

Intended? No private sector job is “intended” to do anything but help create revenue for the owner. No one “creates” a job to give a kid a few extra bucks. They hire someone because the business needs someone to do that work.

So what happens when you start paying $15 to snot nose high school kids to work at your favorite fast food joint. I guess you support the cost of your food doubling in price? Do you think the money to pay these higher wages grows on some magical money tree?

A business owner IS in business to make a profit. If the owner's costs go up because of some ridiculous government mandate, the owner is going to raise their prices. Simple economics.

Plus if you start paying unskilled labor $15 an hour - what happens to those skilled laborers earning $20 or more? Do you not think they are going to say they earn more than some 17 year old snot nosed kid who's job it is is to ask "Do you want fires with that"

[berryberry]

Originally Posted by swpa1706

You act like there is an unlimited supply of well-paying jobs out there, and that everyone has the means to better themselves enough to qualify for them. $7 an hour is a fucking joke, no one can live on that. I’m sick of people parroting this crap, the whole “fuck you, I got mine” attitude. Get over yourself, wake up and see how things are in the real world. You asshole conservatives are doing your damndest to keep us stuck in the 50’s... move on.

You have no clue about basic economics. No clue about supply and demand. You are like most liberals who think there is some magical money tree out there and don't understand that the people who own a business do so to make a living too.

No one puts a gun to anyone's head to take a specific job. Pay is based on the marketplace and supply and demand. If people didn't feel what they were being paid is acceptable, they don't have to accept that job and can go find another that fits their skillset

[Jacuzzme]

Nobody is forcing a person into taking a low paying job, it is their own choice. And who made the rule that every job is one that someone can “live off of”? It comes down to who’s more qualified to set terms of employment, the market or the government. I’m going with the market every time, the government’s got a lousy track record in pretty much everything.

[swpa1706]

Originally Posted by berryberry

You have no clue about basic economics. No clue about supply and demand. You are like most liberals who think there is some magical money tree out there and don't understand that the people who own a business do so to make a living too.

No one puts a gun to anyone's head to take a specific job. Pay is based on the marketplace and supply and demand. If people didn't feel what they were being paid is acceptable, they don't have to accept that job and can go find another that fits their skillset

Nice assumption but I’m not a liberal. That’s another thing, you only see in black and white. Sad really.

[DrivesAllDay]

Just wondering.... Will employers raise their pay rate to compensate? I doubt they will, and if they dont then what incentive is there for higher education? Humans always take the path of least resistance if given a choice.

[El-mo]

Originally Posted by DrivesAllDay

Just wondering.... Will employers raise their pay rate to compensate? I doubt they will, and if they dont then what incentive is there for higher education? Humans always take the path of least resistance if given a choice.

If you could do your job for for what you’re currently making, or scrub toilets for 15/hr, which would you do?

[DrivesAllDay]

Originally Posted by El-mo

If you could do your job for for what you’re currently making, or scrub toilets for 15/hr, which would you do?

Why just scrub toilets? Why not wash dishes? Flip burgers, work at a gas station, work retail.
And hospital staff already make that scrubbing toilets. I have a buddy who does janitorial at Conemaugh Med Center. He makes more than that. I got a friend who works as security. She's making that just for sitting & staring at monitors all day. Plus its a Union job.



Hell, $15/hr to wash dishes? I wish I made that when I was doing the college thing! I rarely ever had to scrub toilets. That was a job for the high schoolers (they hated sorting silverware). I bused tables, stocked the fridge/freezer, helped the prep cooks, mopped floors, cleaned the parking lot, refilled the drink machines, stocked the front line, scrubbed floors.... all for $8. The day I quit a lot of people quit because the guy who did most of the work left. BTW- you'd be surprised how many people would rather scrub toilets than spend hours in class & studying.

[berryberry]

Originally Posted by swpa1706

Nice assumption but I’m not a liberal. That’s another thing, you only see in black and white. Sad really.

I never said you were - read what I wrote. I said you were like most liberals who don't understand basic economics

You are like most liberals who think there is some magical money tree out there and don't understand that the people who own a business do so to make a living too.

No one puts a gun to anyone's head to take a specific job. Pay is based on the marketplace and supply and demand.

[berryberry]

Originally Posted by El-mo

If you could do your job for for what you’re currently making, or scrub toilets for 15/hr, which would you do?

What do you have against janitors who scrub toilets? You seem to like to use them as an example. Yet they earn more than $15 now in many places.

But let's say you have some manual laborers making $15 an hour - perhaps landscapers or warehouse workers. Hard backbreaking work, heavy lifting, out in the elements or a non climate controlled warehouse. If they could make the same amount of money in an easier job in an air conditioned store working retail, many would likely jump at the chance.

The market sets salary rates based on supply and demand - as it should.

[paintedbynumbers]

Case and point. In NY when they raised their minimum raise the prices at fast food restaurants sky rocketed. I took my child to McDonald's and it was double the price it would be here all because the workers got an extra $1.50 or so an hr. People that clamor for a higher minimum raise need to realize that in doing so the prices of almost everything will also increase not only making the minimum raise increase meaningless but also pissing off the people making $2-$3 more than the minimum raise, because now they are going to want more $$ and deservingly so.

[El-mo]

Originally Posted by paintedbynumbers

Case and point. In NY when they raised their minimum raise the prices at fast food restaurants sky rocketed. I took my child to McDonald's and it was double the price it would be here all because the workers got an extra $1.50 or so an hr. People that clamor for a higher minimum raise need to realize that in doing so the prices of almost everything will also increase not only making the minimum raise increase meaningless but also pissing off the people making $2-$3 more than the minimum raise, because now they are going to want more $$ and deservingly so.

A Big Mac costs 3.99 in Manhattan.

https://www.menuwithprice.com/menu/m...ew-york/88791/

New York City has a minimum wage of $15 an hour. The Taco Bell Bean burrito costs $1.89.

https://www.politifact.com/factcheck...th-38-burrito/

Yes, an increase to the minimum wage would cause an increase in the price of some consumer goods. The increases wouldn’t be nearly as substantial as you’re suggesting because people who are already being compensated fairly for their work won’t see dramatic pay increases. For prices to double, all the costs would have to double, not just the low end labor costs. Energy costs will remain roughly the same. Real estate costs won’t change because the price of a sandwich went up.

[zip2121]

Its great to see you all arguing over a non-issue. Well, its a very important issue, but isnt it great how your ruling class D's and R's got you to argue over how to better ignore congresses spending problem? They tax and spend more, which drives down GDP, which drives up inflation.

Dollar is worth less, market cant pick up every drop, and soon you all are arguing over who's going to pay for the quick fix, and not about who's going to stop the massive leak in the dam.

[chizzy]

Originally Posted by zip2121

Its great to see you all arguing over a non-issue. Well, its a very important issue, but isnt it great how your ruling class D's and R's got you to argue over how to better ignore congresses spending problem? They tax and spend more, which drives down GDP, which drives up inflation.

Dollar is worth less, market cant pick up every drop, and soon you all are arguing over who's going to pay for the quick fix, and not about who's going to stop the massive leak in the dam.

Probably the best post in awhile

I'll throw another one out there
Everytime they pass a stimulus or spending bill, sooo much pork projects are included. The last stimulus bill put forward by polusi was 5900 pages long and Congress was given 6 hours to read it
They dont want people to know what they are doing with our tax dollars

[El-mo]

Originally Posted by zip2121

Its great to see you all arguing over a non-issue. Well, its a very important issue, but isnt it great how your ruling class D's and R's got you to argue over how to better ignore congresses spending problem? They tax and spend more, which drives down GDP, which drives up inflation.

Dollar is worth less, market cant pick up every drop, and soon you all are arguing over who's going to pay for the quick fix, and not about who's going to stop the massive leak in the dam.

Nothing in this reply is true. Taxation and spending does not drive down GDP. Falling GDP does not cause inflation. In fact, rising GDP causes inflation. This is nothing but a series of right wing talking points with no basis in actual economics. Government spending is, in fact good. It’s only possible with taxation. Funny how no one seems to have complaints about the government spending when the Republicans hold the purse strings.