Cuomo: let's make NY the 1st state with a $15 minimum wage

[Blue3]

Cuomo and Biden announced the proposal together today:
http://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/joe-biden-join-gov-cuomo-minimum-wage-announcement-article-1.2354369

http://www.cnbc.com/2015/09/10/gov-cuomo-is-right-about-15-minimum-wage-commentary.html

[Stand With Israel. Crush Hamas]

It's ridiculous and unsustainable at this point in time, but I can't help but like Cuomo taking one of De Blasio's talking points and stealing it, weakening him yet again. 

[○∙◄☻¥tπ[╪AV┼cVê└]

So even Cuomo (and Biden as well) are well to Hillary's left now?

[Antonio the Sixth]

Flip-flopper gonna filp-flpp... Still, good thing it's in the right direction.

Of course, the only thing that matters is if he will actively seek to bribe/arm-twist the Republicans Senators into passing it.

[Bigby]

Freedom in theory, horrible theory in practice.

[Intell]

A broken clock is right once a day, or what is it?

[Mr. Smith]

Excellent news.

[Murica!]

A broken clock is right once a day, or what is it?

Twice*

[windjammer]

Well,
Thank you Cuomo if he indeed implements that.

[Zioneer]

Excellent news.

Especially in New York, where they actually need a minimum wage that high.

[Cory]

A broken clock is right once a day, or what is it?

Twice*

I think he was making a Rick Perry joke.

[Simfan34]

A broken clock is right once a day, or what is it?

This is not one of those times.

RIP Upstate!

[Hatman 🍁]

whoa, where did this come from?

[Sprouts Farmers Market ✘]

Wow, Andrew Cuomo really is the absolute worst. This can work, but New York State might be literally the worst possible place to attempt this

[Torie]

This is another example of a proposal that would not make much difference, or do much economic damage, in the NYC orbit, while potentially doing a lot of damage in largely economically comatose and population losing upstate NY.

[politicallefty]

I think it's a solid proposal. I'm totally on board with the idea of a national $15 minimum wage just yet. I think the national minimum wage should be about $12.50/hour. However, I'm a bit to the left of most for major cities with very high standards of living. I think cities like San Francisco should be about $20/hour (the same with Manhattan, if we're going to differentiate by borough). I do stand by $12.50 for the national, but I think we should be looking at cities and metropolises with high costs of living and adjusting that number up accordingly. I believe that anyone that works full time has a right to a real living wage.

[muon2]

In 2013 Obama advocated a $9 minimum wage and in 2014 it was up to $10.10. Based on OMB data in 2014, $9 would be the point nationally where the job losses in economically poor areas would outweigh the wage gains for workers at the bottom. Economic growth would not have changed those numbers much. These were also number consistent with keeping up with inflation for the last 50 years.

Some states have had better recoveries and they are probably in good position to raise minimums to $10 or even $11. It's hard to see how a diverse state could push to $15 without causing significant dislocations to workers in some areas.

Then there is the problem of equity. Suppose a company is starting workers at $12/hour, better than minimum because they want to attract and retain good workers. Now consider an employee who has worked 5 years and is making $15/hour (a generous 4.5% per year). Suddenly that 5-year employee is back at minimum wage. The company already has to raise the minimum wage employees, so either equity is lost by the veteran employee or they have to give everyone raises to maintain equity. A large jump to $15/hour has a big compounding effect to labor costs. A smaller jump to $9.50/hour with future adjustments for inflation would have relatively little equity impact.

[PJ]

whoa, where did this come from?

Cuomo's not a legitimate conservative so much as he is a power hungry opportunist. It's an obvious attempt to steal De Blasio's thunder, but as someone who couldn't care less about De Blasio's political prospects, it's a freedom move from an HP.

[🦀🎂🦀🎂]

Yes, terrible people often find a good populist message. Still doesn't make him a good person, anymore than Juan Peron or Thaskin Shinawatra are awesome people.

[The Mikado]

Welp...I have this vision of waves of service workers in places like Rochester and Buffalo getting laid off. I think $15 an hour would be a perfectly fine municipal minimum wage for NYC. I'm not sure if this is tenable at all in the Rust Belt-y areas of NYS.

[Kingpoleon]

Voted FP.

Great in theory. I'll check New York's minimum wage, but, IMO, for a state as large as New York, he should raise it about $2.20 every six years or so. Tight money from the State Fed combined with a statewide economic stimulus particularly helping New York would be a sound way to get his state's economy booming again.

Until he gets this passed, the State Fed ought to enact easy money flexibly so it can change quickly. This allows those who are about to get laid off to save money that becomes worth a lot more when the State Fed enacts tight money giving the poor working class making below $15.00 an economical advantage while attempting to find a new job or keep their old one at a higher wage.