SENATE BILL: Right Wages for the Right Regions Act (On the President's Desk)

[HagridOfTheDeep]

I think there should be some minimum wage exemptions for small businesses that can't afford it, but I don't see how large corporations like McDonalds are negatively impacted by it.  I will not support the bill in its current form.

I'm also a bit surprised at how Marokai is proposing all this right-wing legislation, but I digress.

I agree. (To the left of Marokai on something! Amazing )
An amendment regarding this should be introduced.

I will, however, support thos legislation whether or not it passes, as it is fundamentally a good idea.

I appreciate the sentiment of providing exemptions for small businesses, but I think the logistics are too complicated. If you have different-sized companies offering different minimum wages, wouldn't people be more likely to apply to a place like McDonald's (with the higher minimum wage) than to places like a small Ma-and-Pa diner? If we're to believe your assertion that big companies would not really be negatively impacted by the high minimum wage, we'd have to assume that hiring rates would remain steady. So now you've got a bunch of people who want to work at McDonald's instead of a small business. So in a sense, we'd almost be encouraging workers to participate in the McDonaldization of our economy.

I get that raising minimum wages would negatively impact small business... but as it stands, these companies have had time to adjust to the $12 standard. Lowering the wage across the board will help businesses grow and allow them to give their employees more advancement opportunities into higher wage categories.

[HagridOfTheDeep]

Two-thirds of minimum wage workers already work for large corporations, so I don't think there will be a significant change in terms of business size linked to the proposal.

Also, I don't know if it changes anyone's opinion, but I thought this article was kind of interesting..

Only because people are at the point now where they'll take any job they can get. That could change if we ever get back to full employment. That's when you could actually small businesses needing workers that are busy at McDonald's.

I mean, obviously this isn't some huge terrible problem. But an uneven minimum wage just creates strange circumstances.

[HagridOfTheDeep]

I'm not formally objecting. I'm not fond of it, but if I did object, it would still pass anyway. And then my options would either be to vote against the bill and against the minimum wage reduction (which I don't want to do), or to vote for the bill and accept this amendment, which would make me look stupid for objecting to it in the first place.

You people are sneaky buggers.

[HagridOfTheDeep]

I object.

Theoretically speaking, this new text could potentially come as an $8/hr wage hike. For employers who've been running their restaurants with less wage-related expenditures, this hike could mean serious restructuring.

[HagridOfTheDeep]

Nay

[HagridOfTheDeep]

Maybe. I can't support the bill in its current form either.

[HagridOfTheDeep]

Yeah, I'd have no problem with that. Assuming the president wouldn't just veto the final bill anyway.

[HagridOfTheDeep]

I prefer the first option. Much simpler.

[HagridOfTheDeep]

It'll have my support.

[HagridOfTheDeep]

Nix brings up an interesting point about how the minimum wage decrease could increase burdens on the safety net... but I still think it boils down to the basic principle of "jobs." This bill will create more of them. That by itself would reduce some of the burden.

Though, like Redalgo, I'll admit that I'm coming into this with less knowledge on previous Atlasian law than I should probably have.

[HagridOfTheDeep]

Sorry for my absence from the senate. I've had tons to do, so I've only really been able to get on here for election news.

Anyhow, Yankee pretty much said what I wanted to say. From a brief google search, I actually can't really find any instance where the minimum wage has been lowered. That being said, our current wage looks quite high compared to the minimum wages in other countries, such that I do not believe a decrease would be a substantial blow to members of the workforce. On the other hand, I do believe that the money saved would be a good hiring incentive. Sorry I can't offer you anything more substantial, but I believe strongly enough in the principle to have faith in this measure.

[HagridOfTheDeep]

Aye

[HagridOfTheDeep]

Simfan, this isn't an argument. It's President Napoleon.