Biden seeking a $15 an hour minimum wage in his Covid relief proposal (1 Viewer)

Users who are viewing this thread

    Incumbent

    Well-known member
    Joined
    Oct 7, 2019
    Messages
    497
    Reaction score
    1,225
    Location
    United States
    Offline
    If there’s already a Biden economy thread, I can add this there. It could have gone in the Covid thread, but the impact of this would extend well beyond that topic.

    Well past time to raise the minimum wage, which hasn’t been increased since 2009.

     
    One unintended consequence with doing that will be putting the last of the small farmers out of business.
     
    I don't think this is a good idea.

    California has a 13/hr min wage going up to 14 (depending on business size). NY is going up to 12.50/hr. Only DC is at 15/hr.

    A lot of states have been working to correct their min wage issues and have it on a step program. This would trample all over it, even though it will be phased in over 4 years. Even Florida has finally set an increase in the min age up to 10/hr.

    I'd rather the federal government just find a happy spot to make the floor. Maybe 9-10/hr. I think states sitting at 7.25/hr is just too low.

    Until we do minimum wage on a per diem zip code basis, you'll cost things out of control in rural America.

    Also, not to be selfish, but white collar workers like me need some sort of protections to guarantee some level of a business profit goes to wage increase. I'd rather see ways to life everyone. I'd rather find ways to force or encourage wage growth for all wage levels.
     
    One unintended consequence with doing that will be putting the last of the small farmers out of business.
    I would think that the small farmers can then charge a bit more and also we would then have a population that can afford to eat healthier. That would bring demand up.

    It is ungodly expensive to eat healthy opposed to processed stuff.

    Seattle did this a long time ago and yes then you have a boom in spending because people are not so go damn broke.

    I would think of it like Henry ford did. He invented the middle class by doubling the wage of his workers then made them his customer base because they now have capital and weekends off.

    I don't want to hear that nonsense the minimum wage should go up the exact same rate as inflation every year actually because the cost of living goes up that yearly.
     
    I don't think this is a good idea.

    California has a 13/hr min wage going up to 14 (depending on business size). NY is going up to 12.50/hr. Only DC is at 15/hr.

    A lot of states have been working to correct their min wage issues and have it on a step program. This would trample all over it, even though it will be phased in over 4 years. Even Florida has finally set an increase in the min age up to 10/hr.

    I'd rather the federal government just find a happy spot to make the floor. Maybe 9-10/hr. I think states sitting at 7.25/hr is just too low.

    Until we do minimum wage on a per diem zip code basis, you'll cost things out of control in rural America.

    Also, not to be selfish, but white collar workers like me need some sort of protections to guarantee some level of a business profit goes to wage increase. I'd rather see ways to life everyone. I'd rather find ways to force or encourage wage growth for all wage levels.

    Can't say I agree. We've seen what happens when we leave it up to the states, especially those run by the GOP. Hell, IIRC, some states even prevented their urban cities (all cities at that) from raising wages unless the state did. And some will claim that $15/hr is still to low for states such as CA and NY.
     
    I don't think this is a good idea.

    California has a 13/hr min wage going up to 14 (depending on business size). NY is going up to 12.50/hr. Only DC is at 15/hr.

    A lot of states have been working to correct their min wage issues and have it on a step program. This would trample all over it, even though it will be phased in over 4 years. Even Florida has finally set an increase in the min age up to 10/hr.

    I'd rather the federal government just find a happy spot to make the floor. Maybe 9-10/hr. I think states sitting at 7.25/hr is just too low.

    Until we do minimum wage on a per diem zip code basis, you'll cost things out of control in rural America.

    Also, not to be selfish, but white collar workers like me need some sort of protections to guarantee some level of a business profit goes to wage increase. I'd rather see ways to life everyone. I'd rather find ways to force or encourage wage growth for all wage levels.

    I think seeking $15 is necessary, whether the actual amount is politically and economically a viable idea.

    Politically, it's a way for Biden to acknowledge the more aggressive economic platform that is important to the progressive wing, and will hopefully be part of an ambitious effort to address health care, college costs, child care, housing, and other factors that are an ever increasing strain on lower and middle income earners.

    To your point about states and their own efforts to address this, I think it's unlikely $15 is going to pass, so it amplifies an important debate about the economy for many wage earners, and would hopefully inspire the input of ideas from members of congress who might think there is a better way forward. Debating the federal minimum wage is one of the few occasions that the plight of the working poor gets the attention of many elected officials.

    Personally, I'd like to see a minimum wage law that implements an automatic increase on some interval, so that low wage earners aren't forgotten about for more than a decade.

    Economically, we know that low wage earners spend what they bring in, so with consideration to apocalyptic stories about how a minimum wage increase is going to wreck the economy, it does redistribute money to low earners, which I happen to think is critically important.

    And the reason I think that is critically important is because there aren't really organic forces to raise minimum wage, which is why some level of government is left to intervene. Forget the morality involved, it's financially understandable why any business owner might prefer to pay an employee, who they view as easily replaceable, as little as possible.

    I think the net effect of Biden's push might very well result in what you're hoping for, anyway; compromise on a federal minimum that is hopefully combined with invigorated state efforts to increase wages where $9 or $10 an hour still isn't enough, but the increase from the current minimum would still help people in states where there isn't the governmental will to take on the issue.
     
    Last edited:
    And some will claim that $15/hr is still to low for states such as CA and NY.

    The minimum wage would be $24 if wages kept up with productivity since 1968. The $15 dollar minimum wage is supported by over 60% of Americans. There is no reason to go lower on something that is widely popular.
     
    The $7.25 minimum wage passed in 2009 adjusted for inflation would be $8.75 today. While $10 in 2009 would be $12 today. I think a federal baseline near $10 would be fine. States and cities are being proactive addressing different costs of living and there aren’t the job losses some feared. We currently lag most developed nations in min wage to median income.

    I would tie the federal wage to inflation and take this out of national politics.
     
    $15/hr @ 40hrs a week would only be $31,200 a year. That is really still bare-minimum territory in my opinion

    And that’s at 40 hours. How many minimum wage employees are getting a guaranteed 40?
     
    For everyone pushing for $15/hr minimum wage, I invite you to visit the McDonalds on St Charles....if they get your order 75% correct, that is considered a win.

    J/K...I get that people need a living wage and perhaps worker attitudes would change if given more than the scraps they're given but it just feels like to me that there should be more to it than just saying 15/hr to everyone....what more? IDK, but there has to be another way.
     
    For everyone pushing for $15/hr minimum wage, I invite you to visit the McDonalds on St Charles....if they get your order 75% correct, that is considered a win.



    You’re 39 yrs old and you still go to McDonalds ? Not to be all ‘elitist’ or whatever, but i dont know how anyone over 30 can stomach it.

    That said, when i was a kid i thought that particular McDonalds location was the coolest one ever, i actually remember when it first opened.
     
    For everyone pushing for $15/hr minimum wage, I invite you to visit the McDonalds on St Charles....if they get your order 75% correct, that is considered a win.

    J/K...I get that people need a living wage and perhaps worker attitudes would change if given more than the scraps they're given but it just feels like to me that there should be more to it than just saying 15/hr to everyone....what more? IDK, but there has to be another way.

    McDonald's isn't the only place paying minimum wage. Hell, I would hope this plan also adjust the wage for tipped workers as well.
     

    Create an account or login to comment

    You must be a member in order to leave a comment

    Create account

    Create an account on our community. It's easy!

    Log in

    Already have an account? Log in here.

    Advertisement

    General News Feed

    Fact Checkers News Feed

    Sponsored

    Back
    Top Bottom