Minimum wage is no longer just a wage for teenagers. Many people are supporting families on one or more minimum wage jobs. As college costs soar and the ability to pay for postsecondary education wanes, more people get stuck in low wage jobs with little advancement opportunity.

 

I'm not sure raising the minimum wage is the answer. But to act like there is no problem is adding to the problem. If we want people to look at social aid programs as a last resort instead of a permanent way of life, there needs to be a wage that can feed, house and provide the means to support a family.

 

I totally agree there are problems. I just don't think an arbitrary and politically motivated increase in minimum wage - essentially government controls - is the answer. I believe more cost-practical educational opportunities and support for parents would be better investments. In fact, I believe the higher minimum wage is inflationary and will raise the barriers to personal development and value of education that already exist even more.

Thank you for the respectful and non-offensive response, I would still like to know your plan for evening the income gap though. Could you please provide some insight into that?

 

Thirty eight years ago, I instituted a plan to narrow the income gap because I was not happy with my $3.00 per hour job. I (as did my wife) attended night classes while working full-time for both undergraduate and graduate programs and paid for it any way we could. We worked hard we took risks, some worked, some didn't, and now we are not in the 1%, but above the mid-point by far.

 

This was my plan, and it worked, and now I have shared it. Feel free to distribute.

 

Plan B by the way is to ask Ashley Judd and Matt Damon and all the other hollywood liberals to work for free so the studios can then donate their profits to those who make less. Then maybe movies won't cost $12 or so.

I totally agree there are problems. I just don't think an arbitrary and politically motivated increase in minimum wage - essentially government controls - is the answer. I believe more cost-practical educational opportunities and support for parents would be better investments. In fact, I believe the higher minimum wage is inflationary and will raise the barriers to personal development and value of education that already exist even more.

 

I completely agree with this, to a point. We now have entered a period wherein a college degree is barely more valuable than a high school diploma.

I completely agree with this, to a point. We now have entered a period wherein a college degree is barely more valuable than a high school diploma.

 

Agreed, and they cost too much, AND one, take schoolteachers for example, has to have a Masters degree to even stay employed.

The earnings gap between high school and college is getting wider though.

Nice posts by those of you above, but I still don't see the reason to punish the poor and let them keep getting poorer.

Nice posts by those of you above, but I still don't see the reason to punish the poor and let them keep getting poorer.

 

How is the poor being punished? If minimum wage workers want a better life, here is a novel idea... Be the best fry guy and soda filler you can be. When you do a great job, they will promote you to burger flipper and give you a raise. Be the best burger flipper you can be. When you do a great job, you will be promoted to crew leader and get a raise. Be the best crew leader you can be. When you do a great job, you will be promoted to Assistant manager and get a raise. Be the best Assistant manager you can be. When you do a great job, you will be promoted to manager.

 

Guess what? You don't make minimum wage anymore.

Edited May 9, 201412 yr by Builder1214

Nice posts by those of you above, but I still don't see the reason to punish the poor and let them keep getting poorer.

 

Believe it or not, it's not really the poor that are working minimum wage jobs. Most minimum wage workers are either teenagers, spouses working jobs to provide a second income, or folks just entering the job force, the vast majority of which don't classify as being "poor". As minimum wage increases, this group would further squeeze out workers with fewer skills, making it tougher to find a job. Really, the poor remain poor as minimum wage increases. The truth is there are very few people that would be considered poor that are even working in minimum wage jobs.

Believe it or not, it's not really the poor that are working minimum wage jobs. Most minimum wage workers are either teenagers, spouses working jobs to provide a second income, or folks just entering the job force, the vast majority of which don't classify as being "poor". As minimum wage increases, this group would further squeeze out workers with fewer skills, making it tougher to find a job. Really, the poor remain poor as minimum wage increases. The truth is there are very few people that would be considered poor that are even working in minimum wage jobs.

 

I just saw an article about this recently, I'll see if I can find it.

I owned a business where most of the workers started out worked minimum wage, but could also earn from the tip pool. As the people would gain experience, they would earn increased wages. So, if people stayed more than a few months they were practically all earning more sometimes considerably more than minimum wage. Many of these people also had made mistakes and were starting over their lives whether from drug and/or legal issues. I would not accept people with violent histories.

 

An increase in the minimum wage crushes the incentive of the business to take a risk on people, and it crushes the incentive of the individual for self-development. I had some very good people work in my business, and it is a source of pride for me that I helped them get back on their feet. Many did not finish high school, and I always pushed them to complete their educations and a few did.

 

I also had some people that once they had enough money to pay their rent, buy junk food and cigarettes were pretty much done for the week. They didn't want more hours and more pay, even if the could have saved the money. It just wasn't a priority. For these people, an increase in minimum wage means they will just have to work less hours (assuming no inflation) to meet their "basic" needs.

 

I was intimate with these realities for the past seven years.

I owned a business where most of the workers started out worked minimum wage, but could also earn from the tip pool. As the people would gain experience, they would earn increased wages. So, if people stayed more than a few months they were practically all earning more sometimes considerably more than minimum wage. Many of these people also had made mistakes and were starting over their lives whether from drug and/or legal issues. I would not accept people with violent histories.

 

An increase in the minimum wage crushes the incentive of the business to take a risk on people, and it crushes the incentive of the individual for self-development. I had some very good people work in my business, and it is a source of pride for me that I helped them get back on their feet. Many did not finish high school, and I always pushed them to complete their educations and a few did.

 

I also had some people that once they had enough money to pay their rent, buy junk food and cigarettes were pretty much done for the week. They didn't want more hours and more pay, even if the could have saved the money. It just wasn't a priority. For these people, an increase in minimum wage means they will just have to work less hours (assuming no inflation) to meet their "basic" needs.

 

I was intimate with these realities for the past seven years.

 

I have clients in the restaurant and construction industries where this is a constant challenge.

I completely agree with this, to a point. We now have entered a period wherein a college degree is barely more valuable than a high school diploma.

 

This morning 84 WHAS was talking about how so many students today are going to college getting degrees that really don't give one all that much more market skills. They were focusing on degrees in the humanities an that probably is the most of the degrees where once you graduate, what do you do with this degree now?? While I want to give the freedom to people to major in whatever they want but I do think Freshman year the do need to be sat down and told, "If you want major in this field fine but most people with these majors never find jobs in this field, the generally wait tables or tend bar. Just make sure you think about that before taking on a six figure debt for a major that won't pay for that debt"

Trade schools are a forgotten treasure.

I just saw an article about this recently, I'll see if I can find it.

 

There are quite a few of them available. I don't need an article though to know my statement is true. I worked in retail for a almost 17 years. The vast majority of my minimum wage employees were teenagers (who's parents were typically middle to upper middle class), Mom's looking to provide additional income for their family (or just to have something to do during the day) or those already working who were looking to pick up additional income. It wasn't single mom's, or uneducated or unskilled. It's a real misconception that only the poor, unskilled worker is working minimum wage jobs. Think about, these jobs are located in the burbs and shopping areas as they are retail/food service jobs. Not many of these jobs exist in the inner city.

There are quite a few of them available. I don't need an article though to know my statement is true. I worked in retail for a almost 17 years. The vast majority of my minimum wage employees were teenagers (who's parents were typically middle to upper middle class), Mom's looking to provide additional income for their family (or just to have something to do during the day) or those already working who were looking to pick up additional income. It wasn't single mom's, or uneducated or unskilled. It's a real misconception that only the poor, unskilled worker is working minimum wage jobs. Think about, these jobs are located in the burbs and shopping areas as they are retail/food service jobs. Not many of these jobs exist in the inner city.

 

Thanks, makes sense but still surprises a lot of people, I know I was.