increased min wage...

[BytheRules]

http://www.cnn.com/2007/POLITICS/01/10/minimum.wage.ap/index.html

 

[Fitch]

great, now the cost of my cheeseburger went up...

 

[USMC the Almighty]

Most pointless piece of legislation ever passed. Who the hell makes minimum wage anyway?

 

[Fitch]

i think our congress should focus on more important matters at the moment

 

[USMC the Almighty]

i think our congress should focus on more important matters at the moment

Of course. But the Democrats, now being in power, actually have to do stuff other than simply criticize every measure passed by Republicans and President Bush. Their only idea, the only platform they ran on was raising minimum wage. Whoopty do.

 

[Walter]

Who the hell makes minimum wage anyway?

most high school students

 

[USMC the Almighty]

most high school students

Fair enough. I was going to say that anyone who works for more than a few months typically gets a raise that puts them well above the minimum wage mark.

 

[MarkVI]

When I started my job in March '06 I was above the California minimum wage, but now with this increase it bumped me up to the higher $7.50. I am now at minimum wage, which sounds bad to me, but I still got that raise.

I'm a college student and need the flexiblity in hours, which this job provides me with. It's not a job for life, but it'll do for now.

Perhaps more effective and fair unions would do more than a minimum wage for the workers, what are your views?

 

[USMC the Almighty]

When I started my job in March '06 I was above the California minimum wage, but now with this increase it bumped me up to the higher $7.50. I am now at minimum wage, which sounds bad to me, but I still got that raise.

I'm a college student and need the flexiblity in hours, which this job provides me with. It's not a job for life, but it'll do for now.

Perhaps more effective and fair unions would do more than a minimum wage for the workers, what are your views?

Or no unions at all -- people get raises based on their performance, dedication, and time spent on the job.

In case you couldn't tell, I'm a laissez-faire free market capitalist.

 

[Walter]

The thing is, there's no need for a minimum wage because the market will do that for us. The supply and demand of labor will create a market equilibrium wage where both the employers and the employees will be content.

 

[USMC the Almighty]

The thing is, there's no need for a minimum wage because the market will do that for us. The supply and demand of labor will create a market equilibrium wage where both the employers and the employees will be content.

Bingo. The employers need people to do the jobs, and if no one is willing to take the jobs at the advertised pay, then they have no choice but to raise pay. It's laissez-faire at its best.

 

[saggyjones]

Instead of a minimum wage increase the government should force big companies like Wal-Mart to give health insurance to their employees. That would really help the poor and wouldn't hurt the economy much. It would also force Wal-Mart to compete, which is the backbone of capitalism, instead of setting low prices while not providing benefits for its workers. Making companies provide health care wouldn't hurt small business either because most of them already give employees insurance.

 

[MarkVI]

Those are interesting points.

What about the situation with outsourcing jobs? It could be said that American workers are competing with low-wage workers in China/India/pick-a-country where labor laws aren't as strict as here in the States.

American corporations can't find people to do the jobs at a certain wage they can go to China or Vietnam to get the low-wage workers.

I'm against that for a couple reasons:

First, the American workers are losing jobs (our steel industry, for one, has been mostly sent to China)
Second, the labor practices of some of these countries aren't very humane in my opinion. Long hours, low pay, etc...

Laissez-faire is good when there are labor protections set up to keep the workforce's opportunity's equal that are fair for the businesses.

 

[USMC the Almighty]

Instead of a minimum wage increase the government should force big companies like Wal-Mart to give health insurance to their employees.

No, they souldn't. Employers are not responsible for your personal health. This country was founded on the ideals of leaders like Franklin and Hamilton -- both self-made men who came from nothing to make something of their lives. Throughout our history, this idea has been carried through from Andrew Jackson, to Frederick Douglass to Abraham Lincoln to Andrew Carnegie to Oprah Winfrey.

Self-responsbility is the backbone of this country, not relying on other people to take care of you. If you want Socialism -- go to Europe (though with all of the Muslims coming flooding the EU it's only a matter of time before they come under Sharia law).

 

[saggyjones]

Those are interesting points.

What about the situation with outsourcing jobs? It could be said that American workers are competing with low-wage workers in China/India/pick-a-country where labor laws aren't as strict as here in the States.

American corporations can't find people to do the jobs at a certain wage they can go to China or Vietnam to get the low-wage workers.

I'm against that for a couple reasons:

First, the American workers are losing jobs (our steel industry, for one, has been mostly sent to China)
Second, the labor practices of some of these countries aren't very humane in my opinion. Long hours, low pay, etc...

Laissez-faire is good when there are labor protections set up to keep the workforce's opportunity's equal that are fair for the businesses.

I completely agree. Outsourcing is a bad idea and if we don't raise the minimum wage it wouldn't happen as much.