Minimum wage increase from $7.25 to $9.00 per hour

[DC Al Fine]

A guaranteed minimum income (a basic subsistence level one)+no minimum wage would be far more effective.

[DC Al Fine]

Why do you assume your wage will be permanently frozen at $7.25 or whatever the prevailing minimum wage is?

Because generally it is. My mom has been working as a secretary for 10+ years at just over minimum wage and has not gotten a raise in 5 years.

Economic stats>An anectdote

[DC Al Fine]

Economic stats>An anectdote

That's a pretty rude thing to say.

Worse yet it is inaccurate.  In fact most people stay stuck at low-wage jobs their entire lives, and a 'raise' is almost unheard of in the new economy.  The only exciting 'change' one can look forward to is being laid off entirely.

Cite?

Edit: 20RP12, if anecdotal evidence and "that's not nice" are the best arguments you have, you may want to rethink your position.

[DC Al Fine]

Economic stats>An anectdote

That's a pretty rude thing to say.

Worse yet it is inaccurate.  In fact most people stay stuck at low-wage jobs their entire lives, and a 'raise' is almost unheard of in the new economy.  The only exciting 'change' one can look forward to is being laid off entirely.

Cite?

Come on, DC, surely you jest?  What I mentioned was common knowledge.  And after all, why would anyone give a worker a raise unless they had too?  All the major employers - WalMart, McDonalds, etc, top out at about $8/hour.

If it's common knowledge, I'm sure you can find some evidence for this alleged lack of income mobility..

[DC Al Fine]

Why in God's name would you pay someone $15 or $20/hour to flip burgers?

Why in God's name would you not? All labor deserves dignity, and no job in this country should pay less than what is necessary to be able to live on. Businesses that can't adapt to that reality should go the way of the dinosaurs.

Really? I know plenty of people who can live quite comfortably by themselves on $7.25/hour at 35 or 40 hours/week.

As someone who makes $8.70 an hour and has to spend every bit of his paycheck on gasoline and food, I highly doubt that's the case for most people making $7.25 an hour.

Essentials covered. Be thankful.

What's there to be thankful for if you have no money to save for the future?

It can always get worse...

If you want to save, following this guy's example would definitely help.

[DC Al Fine]

Probably slightly on the side of not enough, however; the transition to that or higher could be just as damaging to the poor and unlike Opebo, I am not out for revenge or something of that sort especially when it comes at the expense of the very people it aims to help.

I probably lean towards supporting the proposal then.

There's no evidence that a higher minimum wage causes unemployment.

No, just higher prices.

So sorry that you'll have to pay an extra nickel for a cheeseburger so that someone else can eat.

I hope they can find affordable food, because after implementing your $20 minimum wage, grocery shopping will become a very expensive proposition for everyone.

Nah, they'll just lay off as many clerks as possible and start using machines for everything.

[DC Al Fine]

For the millionth time, non minimum wage plus guaranteed minimum income is the way to go.

[DC Al Fine]

For the millionth time, non minimum wage plus guaranteed minimum income is the way to go.

That's a lot more socialist sounding than having a $9.00/h minimum wage.

My objection to the minimum wage is based on the economic distortions it creates. Besides, my blue avatar is due to my reactionary social conservatism, not my fiscal views.

[DC Al Fine]

For the millionth time, non minimum wage plus guaranteed minimum income is the way to go.

That's a lot more socialist sounding than having a $9.00/h minimum wage.

My objection to the minimum wage is based on the economic distortions it creates.

So why do you propose an alternative (guaranteed minimum income) that is enormously more distorting economically?

Point taken.

[DC Al Fine]

The problem with Snowguy's analysis is that it assumes that productivity for minimum wage workers tracks overall productivity. There's ample evidence that it doesn't.

Could you link some evidence please?