Two experts debate the potential consequences of raising the minimum wage

Genevieve Wood, Heritage Foundation senior advisor and spokesperson, and Chris Lu, who served as deputy labor secretary during the Obama Administration and is currently a senior fellow at the University of Virginia's Miller Center, join "Squawk Box" to debate the merits of raising the minimum wage at a federal level.

[@danh9676]

Walmart: Raises minimum wage Also Walmart: Has no cashiers

[@quixoticindiscipline9524]

Yep, they're assholes Plut's gonna plut

[@cmfentertainments]

Lmao I’ve been to 6 Walmart’s around me and every single one of them still have cashiers even tho they have self checkout

[@craftygamer2391]

I think the joke was that Walmart, at least the one near me, never has enough cashiers on the cash registers especially when they're busy af

[@mitchellloy4861]

Walmart: half their employees are on welfare

[@cmfentertainments]

@@christinaetl8439 keep bullshitting and blaming the wrong people. Every Walmart that I’ve seen that has self checkout had multiple cashiers too

[@SonceraeLong]

All of these companies are raising prices on goods constantly but I find it hard to believe they can't afford to pay workers a livable raise

[@_SeeYouSpaceCowboy]

Soncerae Long hit the nail on the head

[@iamcosma7065]

Most jobs pay a “livable wage”. Hell I have a friend that delivers pizzas for a living and easily makes $20 hr.

[@ToyotaGuy1971]

@@iamcosma7065 "livable" (barely survivable) that's not living, and that's the whole point.

[@iamcosma7065]

ToyotaGuy1971 what exactly is the point? That you can barely survive on a job that a teenager can do? Oh the horror....

[@bend.7795]

IAmCosma it really is horrifying when you look at the fact that its single parents over 30 years old that are working the jobs.

[@junlee3515]

Nice raise the minimum wage to 15$ a hour so my boss can fire me and get 0$ a hour.

[@MrLRowe1]

I wish that the world was bigger than just the suburbs. What about the vast majority of people. They don't live in the suburbs

[@deydraniadiancecht8298]

You know... These people need to check their facts. In the last 30 years, Federal minimum wage has gone up a total of $3 an hour yet the cost of living has gone way up, the price of gas has increased, rent has more than doubled, the price of the average home has more than doubled, the price of a new car has doubled, and businesses have laid people off and shut themselves down due to the economy. I may only be an biomedical electronics technician instead of an economist, but it seems to me that everything you just mentioned is just fine happening on its very own. What rock have these people been hiding under? I'm genuinely curious... That was not a rhetorical question. I'm actually wondering how big the rock is that was able to hide you from all of this. Every single year, government jobs get cost of living increases, but Minimum Wage does not. Do you know where government paychecks come from? They come from our taxes. So our taxes go up every single year to pay the salaries of everyone from lowly government workers to the military, to the politicians who rake in a higher cost of living increase than anyone in our country. I served 9 years in the Navy repairing the electronic systems of fighter jets and helicopters. We got our cost of living increases each year. Thanks for paying for that. Raising minimum wage is making fast food joints stop hiring? That's not true. You see... I lived in Seattle long before they went up to $15 an hour and they were already laying people off. The minimum wage hike had nothing to do with that. It was already almost impossible to get a job at one of these places. Hell, I worked at a Wendy's and they made everyone clock out and keep working! Yeah... At Wendy's you worked for free or you found another job. I quit that job and got a job cleaning floors as a contract worker and quit THAT job because my boss would skimp on overtime pay. Raising minimum wage didn't cause that- they already did that there. Seattle is a very crooked and dark place to live. Oh, and raising minimum wage doesn't stop minimum wage jobs from hiring low skilled workers- they have been passing up low skilled workers with no experience in favor of those with years of experience for years. California has the highest cost of living of any state. Hell, people who make $50k a year can't even break even with their rent and often live out of their car. So, if a study is stating that California can't afford $15 an hour in their most expensive counties, that study is fake. It's false. Those counties can afford it. Your study is just flawed. But, you wouldn't be the first person to cite statistics that were skewed in favor of your own political views. Both CNN and Fox news do it every single day! (By the way, I hate them both) Restaurants are the worst business to start and run. They are the riskiest. They fail all the time even without raising minimum wage. Very few actually make it very far. You cannot design a statistic based on the riskiest business model out there. "Completely oblivious to what it does to local economies." You're completely oblivious to what an economy really is. You don't even know what any of this means. I will state this one more time in this comment- The cost of living to minimum wage ratio is through the roof today compared to what it was 30 years ago. Raising minimum wage wouldn't bankrupt the United States. Let me help you understand what an economy really is- more money spent equals more money in each business. If a company rakes in $30,000 in a single day and pays out $200 in pay, then $29,800 has been lost from the economy. If a company rakes in $30,000 in a single day and pays out $15,000, then only $15,000 has been taken from the economy. That's a simplification of economics, but I didn't want to overload your right-wing brain. Okay let me try and explain it to you in even more detail- If the cost of living in 1990 was so much lower (and it was) and the federal minimum wage was pretty much the same as it is now (and it is), then by your very own words, our country should have been in a serious fucking depression with no jobs and no money for any working family, BUT IT WASN'T! According to you, the closer the cost of living is to the federal minimum wage, the more bankrupt our country is. That's been your viewpoint through your entire video. But where was our depression in 1990? In 1980? in 1970? Minimum wage and the cost of living were VERY close together back then yet we still had a thriving economy! This is verbatim the exact nonsense that every conservative spews out when it comes to this topic. It's so easy to debunk and it's all been debunked a hundred times, yet your speech never changes. Do you all go through a training seminar on how to be a conservative? You know, I wouldn't mind having a discussion on this subject if one of you would come up with some genuine beliefs or data on this, but it's all the exact same recycled stuff from the last few years.

[@Aristocratic13]

John Smith Jesus Christ, this post made me so happy right now. I know it has been a month but if you like to talk just reply back

[@eyen91]

Higher minimum wage results in less hours and less job growth. According to the National Bureau of Economic Research, since the introduction of $15 minimum wage in Seattle (2014) entry level jobs in the city started to fall behind the state in job growth by approximately 10%. The video posted below also makes a strong case that minimum wage is not the answer. Plus, its common sense. What happens to the mom and pop shops that are barely making ends meet do when $15 minimum comes around? They would not being employing that second or third employee. Big businesses, such as McDonalds will be better able to handle the minimum hike by manipulating hours or even automating away those cashiers with self service kiosks. kzbin.info/www/bejne/d2GVlJyPe9-Hftk

[@OakQueso]

I wish I had the patience to argue with all the bullshit you’re spewing

[@ahpahcheirevolucian9623]

It needs to be calculated thats y you have problems .stop calling it minimum wage .it's LIVING wage.

[@fulccrum2324]

Huh, good argue and counterarguments

[@philochristos]

Wait a minute. Did he says there's millions of American workers who have gone nine years without a raise? That has to be false. He's assuming that the same people who started out at minimum wage STAYED at minimum wage. Most people don't work minimum wage jobs for 9 years straight.

[@SgtJoeSmith]

and if they do its cause thats all they are worth

[@LAkadian]

​@@SgtJoeSmith Or they're stuck in a crappy "blink and you miss it" town with nothing for miles except a Walmart and a McDonalds, and a BP gas station, like thousands of towns across the USA.

[@I77AGIC]

The last argument she made at the end was that hardly anyone is making the minimum wage, and also that so many people are making minimum wage and there will be mass job losses. Which one is it?

[@alandirigo2196]

Both of those claims are possible - a proposed $15 minimum wage puts pressure on employers with employees making up to $15. So, if few people make the current minimum wage ($7.25) but a lot make between that and $15, then a $15 minimum wage could result in massive job losses.

[@alandirigo2196]

​@El Trollo I think it's possible to convince some people about the adverse effects of the minimum wage ... some people have just never heard any "everyday Joe's" oppose it. I think it's easy for many to take the minimum wage for granted because it's been around for so long and has good surface-level intentions. For anyone unfamiliar with the arguments AGAINST the minimum wage, I'd highly recommend looking for minimum wage interviews of Milton Friedman (Nobel Prize winner in economics) and Thomas Sowell (another PhD economist).

[@mrsophistifated1]

I did make $10-11 an hour for 10 years.... Until i moved out the inner city where there were more JOB opportunities..... People have to have opportunities available, and then they need the skills to be able to take advantage of those skills. After getting BETTER employment, I went back to college, and now earn 50k. There is opportunity now, but if JOBS are lost, these people can't move up.

[@tobyrucker]

That's awesome man! That's how it's supposed to be! You took control of your own destiny rather than waiting for the government to take care of you. You rock!

[@mrsophistifated1]

@@tobyrucker thanks, l learned in life that if you want different results you have to do something different. A lot of people are conditioned to do what they see, that doesn't work for everyone. It's often a old fashioned way of thinking that worked for your parents or grandparents before it every ten years or so things change. If we don't evolve we'll get left behind. You have to want it and be willing to get out of your comfort zzone.Success dosen't just happen.

[@tobyrucker]

@@mrsophistifated1 you are a thousand percent correct. Too many people think the world owes them success just because they are special and unique. It's utter nonsense. We are owed nothing. We get what we earn.

[@OpiumBride]

Supply and demand, there is an overabundance of lower skill workers and because of this...companies dont have to raise their wages due to too much "supply of workers" willing to work the min wage. Or you can go to college and graduate in finance like me and have people break your door down trying to hire you.

[@hammypie]

Finally someone using their brain 👌👌👌

[@davidpostl5641]

minimum wage was created and calculated to support an average family. not for teenagers working at mcdonald’s. and her argument “that most jobs don’t pay minimum wage anyway” 1. bullshit 2. if it wasn’t bullshit then raising minimum wage would have no effect on economy since most don’t pay minimum wage ANYWAY.

[@erickessler7105]

@david postl massachusetts min wage is 13.50 hr which is almost 15 hr. from what shepard smith reports on his show on cnbc the news. also small business owners said it would hurt them raise 15 hr. also south carolina it is 10 bucks hr. also companies pay more. also there is factory jobs that pay 15 hr. also learn trade going truck driving school. heard on my siriusxm radio. that walmart will pay 87k yr if u have 2 yrs of driving exiperence. trade as driving truck or being plumber. or join union. also average pay for working local post office is 72k yr. my aunt works for post office good job.

[@carrieamoreno]

"We can't sit at 7.25 for another year!" video posted 1 year ago

[@erickessler7105]

@carrie morena well as cnbc reported today on shepard smith show. there are states with higher min wage then current wage of 7.25 it is 13.5o hr in masschuttess. also i google min wage for other states. it is 10 dollars hr in south carolina. when i was out today. dunkin has 11 dollars hr. also 13 dollars hr at sheetz. so lady in this video is right companies are paying more then fed min wage of 7.25. it is 15 dollars an hr in seattle. also it is 13.50 an hr in ma. also agree with lady in this debate when she said raising min wage would hurt small business.

[@kennygiang7282]

Seattle minimum wage increase 18.39 last month

[@kio9906]

@@erickessler7105 Mississippi still at 7.25

[@ShadowVille2770]

@@erickessler7105 however, there are families of 2+ livin under minimum wage in many states. about half of the states are at 7.25. if u get paid that ur in poverty and cant afford healthcare.

[@paranoiawilldestroyya3238]

1:30: It does not mean millions of American workers have gone without a pay increase. It means AT MOST that the entry level wage has not changed. If you've been working at the same place for five years and haven't gotten a raise, maybe you're in the wrong job. Stop distorting the facts.

[@laman012]

If your business model requires paying slave wages, you either need a new business model or should go out of business.

[@isaacs4050]

If you decide to work for a company that’s paying you “Slavs wages” and your upset by that find another job

[@laman012]

@@isaacs4050 some people live somewhere where there are no other options. They can't move. They have families. Etc. Grow up.

[@isaacs4050]

laman012 you’re using that as an excuse to not move up. Businesses are not a charity they are there to make as much money as possible. And minimum wages are not meant to be careers you raise a family on. You can prevent having a family when you aren’t in a good financial place you can look for more opportunities you can go back to school to get a degree etc.

[@iamcosma7065]

laman012 if someone is living in an area where there is no potential for them to grow in skills and education/training, a high minimum wage will be even more devastating to them. Unless you just want everyone in these areas working at Walmart and McDonald’s.

[@Godzilla010_]

@@laman012 so rather than a poor person having the opportunity to work a low paying job, you want there to be no job at all?

[@LoserBroProductions]

3:20 yo that was a major economic burn lolll

[@abeplus7352]

Not really , paying someone something above slave labour isn't something we should be arguing about . Furthermore , here's the reality every other developed country gets a committee that calculate how much it should be increased yearly and that's that . Instead of waiting every 20-30 years and doubling it . Also , if you own a business that operated on such tight margins that you can't afford to pay people decent wages , then you shouldn't be open . Period

[@alandirigo2196]

@@abeplus7352There's a lot of dangerous logic in your post. "paying someone something above slave labour isn't something we should be arguing about." ---There are good points on both sides. This is a highly controversial topic. Hence the many debate videos on the subject. Any dubious law of such sweeping importance MUST be argued about. "every other developed country does X, so we should do X". ---What if every other developed country jumped off a cliff? "if you own a business that operated on such tight margins that you can't afford to pay people decent wages , then you shouldn't be open". ---why are those people working there in the first place? Nobody's forcing them. Perhaps they get more out of the job than a paycheck - such as skills and something they can put on their resume. Perhaps they would rather gain experience at that specific company than at one that pays triple. If so, then they why shouldn't that business remain open?

[@alandirigo2196]

@@abeplus7352 ... also, comparing someone working a minimum-wage job to a slave is disrespectful to the victims of slavery.

[@blackhawkjohn1]

Best way to fix this is to say, ok we'll raise the minimum wage to $15, BUT, we are never going to bail you out, like with a stimulus check, that will never happen again. So, if you waste your money and don't save, hey, that's all on you. The BEST thing you could do, is have the some of the money put into a savings account for hard times, like this year, or their retirement. So, if you make 15 dollars an hour, 3-4 dollars per hour goes into an emergency fund, in that person's SSN, but it's for emergencies or a separate retirement fund.

[@slimpaco3561]

Do you know what the federal minimum wage is for Doctors ? $7.25. Point is, the min wage does not set the wage, the employer and employee do. The min wage just eliminates all jobs that are worth less then the set level. If a job is worth $10 and the min goes up to $15, that job is gone. It may be replaced with technology or lost forever.

[@jimziemer474]

The most accurate statement I’ve read so far.

[@alandirigo2196]

I agree. I worry that if a $15 minimum wage passes, emboldened politicians might even suggest expanding and complicating the minimum wage law so that there are job-specific and/or education-specific minimum wages. (ex. let's make the minimum wage for doctors $30/hr, the minimum wage for anyone with a bachelor's degree $20/hr, ...). If you give a mouse a cookie...

[@hammypie]

@@alandirigo2196 slippery slope !

[@hammypie]

👏👏👏

[@LuminaireLRP]

Well then you have to also admit that this capitalist society as it is today is broken. This all just reaffirms the nature and consistency of greed when multi billion dollar companies won’t, (not can’t,) pay a livable wage. We, the people who suffer the brunt of this deeply ingrained discrepancy should take action and in a big way. Thanks for this. :)

[@bryanperez2516]

Minimum wage needs to be eradicated

[@farmerfloyd7696]

Why don’t they just cut payroll taxes?would help more people than minimum wage!

[@buckybarns5984]

Look guys you all fail to see that this crisis can all be salved if you just payed these people in trident layers

[@gregorywright9971]

Why do the folk that are against mini wage increase look lazy. Whiles the ones for it look like they read a book while on a tread mill.

[@stevediamond9830]

I never really understood the minimum wage argument. At an individual level (non-market), it is always the seller who determines the prices of a good or service. Why is the government telling me what I can sell my labor for? It is my labor; I own it. If I want to sell it for $100 an hour, why can't I? I won't likely get any buyers at that level because the current perceived value of my skills is not that high. If I want to sell it for $5 an hour, why can't I? It is my labor; I own it. The government should not be telling anyone what they can sell or buy a good or service for unless it is a government good or service that is being bought or sold. They should not be involved in a private transaction in that manner. If you want to sell your labor for $15 an hour, go do it. No one is forcing you to sell your labor at less than you value it. If you want to sell you labor for less than its value based on other circumstances, you should have that right. It is your labor, you own it. What am I missing?

[@michaelhord]

What are you missing? hmmmm..... okay Why don't you tell me how much the minimum wage should be? Zero? $1 ? 3? .50? Lets say that you own a store and an employee. No, you can't own the employee , that would be slavery. Can't do that. Lets assume you need a full time 40 hour week person or even 30 hours if you want. So, lets say you agree to pay $1 an hour. Will anyone do it? Will they do it for $4 an hour? Come on, really, do you think people will work for $5 an hour or $6? Who can afford to work for so little and how many of these people are there. I'll give you a clue. They are usually illegal or have criminal record. Problem solved. You probably have a very unique business or you live in a very over populated place but what about all the other businesses? Let's back up a bit If you dont want to pay a minimum wage, you probably don't care about people very much. This is the attitude of corporations and very small businesses. Small businesses are usually run by people who don't do very well at business. I can say this because I know small business owners. They haven't done very well and they have not grown or they just do well enough to make it . If they were any good they would have expanded and in the business world , most of the time you either grow or you die. Corporations are not out to create jobs and people like taxes are just a cost of doing business. Businesses don't pay taxes, consumers do. If your businesses is so small that you can't absorb the cost of labor and pass it on to the customer then you may as well quit now. This is why small business is going under. You can't compete because you don't have the volume. Mc Donalds and Burger King will have to raise their prices by smaller amounts than Bobs Burger joint. Bob's customers probably won't like paying another 1.50 (now $9 a burger). So what you are missing is that this really isn't about the minimum wage, its really about Bob being put out of business because Bob sucks at business and he can't compete. What is really going on here is Big business manipulating small business with aligator tears. The big corporations enjoy paying their people as little as possible because they have so many employees to spread the cost over. They actually make money from them (this is called a profit) and they make more per employee than Bob ever could from the 5 people that he is dragging down with him. Bob looks at his employees with contempt though he is lucky as hell that they came to work. Burger King can cut hours if business is slow. Bob's people may quit because they are already under paid and can go to work anywhere for what bob is paying them and probably get more hours.

[@alfredsmith7714]

You're missing the fact that inflation raises by about 2.1 percent a year. Doesn't matter what you think all the time, reality is you're earning less every year. Think it through.

[@stevediamond9830]

@@michaelhord I agree with everything you have spelled out here. Larger businesses, starting out with more capital, can make better investments (labor) that have a greater return. The old adage that it takes money to make money is more valid than ever in our current market structure. As for the minimum wage, I don't think one should exist. I should be able to sell my labor for whatever price I choose. In every transaction where a good or service is sold, it is ultimately the seller (the owner of the good or service) that determines the price. Labor is no different - no different. I make no assumptions or judgments on why anyone would sell their labor for higher or lower than market value. There are just too many personal factors of which I am not aware. My argument is that it should be their decision, not the governments. I believe it is their right (freedom) to sell their stuff for what they want. As for me, I have a high school diploma and work in a warehouse. I earn exactly what I want based on my personal factors; otherwise I wouldn't have ever accepted the offer they made. As for earning more? I haven't done what I need to do to raise the value of my skills - again, my decision based on the choices I made.

Again liberal idiots business are not created for people to have a job

[@stevediamond9830]

@Box Top If I wanted to sell my labor for $6.75 an hour, the government would not allow me to do this. I personally would not sell my labor that low. However, there are people who would based on their own personal circumstances. My argument is that they should be allowed to to do so. Maybe they have low skills and minimum wage actually prices them out of competition for selling their labor. Even a little money can help them with their circumstances. McDonald's, like all businesses looking for a good value on purchases, try to get the best value on their investment of labor. All consumers do this - I try to get a good value on the price I pay for painting my house. Why should I be forced to pay a certain price to get my house painted? This would be a private transaction (like all non-governmental offers of employment are) - why can't I negotiate a price without government interference? Why would we force McDonald's to pay more than they want for something? There is something fundamentally wrong with that.

[@markmyjak7739]

Go to a McDonalds, no more 3 to 4 people working there. I remember back in the 80's, there would about 15 people working.

[@joepassineau240]

that's just because most fast food locations fail to take proper care of their employees.

[@koreanninja8794]

Andrew Yang 2020

[@vincentcarfagno3752]

yeet

[@isaacs4050]

Lmao ever heard of the freedom dividend that he wants to implement that would ruin this country

[@curiousfox2429]

@@isaacs4050 how so

[@Fahad-eo7co]

Wait so if a minimal number of jobs are paying minimum wage, them how does a modest increase eliminate millions of jobs?

[@izdatsumcp]

In that case, how does a moderate increase help anyone?

[@antfbi]

it doesn't republican logic

[@2badger2]

They are wanting to go from $7.50 => $15.00 per hour

[@izdatsumcp]

@@2badger2 Yep, you are right. It's not the people who earn minimum wage who are at risk, it is the people who earn from minimum wage to the wage they want to increase it to. Fahad's comment is silly.

[@jimziemer474]

It’s not a minimal number of jobs. There are always going to be more minimum wage jobs.

[@paranoiawilldestroyya3238]

1:40: Do you believe a 16 year old flipping burgers at McDonalds for a few extra bucks should be paid enough to support a family? Do you even know what a minimum wage is?

[@hammypie]

Seriously !

[@teebone2157]

profits over people , the failure of the system and the guy in the blue tie is full of crap like always. He never sides with workers is as 100% in support of corporate profits

[@kekelo_losangelesj1312]

That guy is a true Republican out for big business making profits.

[@michaellyle859]

teebone 21 That’s because you can’t “side with the workers” when discussing matters of business. This isn’t some humanitarian charity, this is about businesses staying afloat so that they can continue to employ their workers so that those workers can support their families. I only had a minimum wage job once in my life, when I got laid off and was desperate to find employment so I could pay my bills. I was only at minimum wage for 7 months before my hard work earned me a promotion to assistant management. Everyone screaming for the wage to increase need to learn that wages are not given. They’re earned. If you work hard and prove yourself an asset to your employer, they will take care of you because they don’t want to lose a valuable worker.

[@death24314]

@@michaellyle859 you live in a fantasy land. not everyone gets a pay raise for hard work. some people been working the same job for years and still haven't gotten a raise. explain that

[@michaellyle859]

death24314 It’s because people grow complacent. My brother graduated high school and entered the work force just as the 2008 recession was going full force. As a result, his workplace, like mine and many others, enacted a wage freeze which prevented employees from receiving their yearly raises. The difference was that my workplace lifted the freeze a year or two later (sorry, it’s been a while so I don’t remember exactly.) My brother’s employer unfortunately kept the freeze on for several years. He worked for that company for 8 years and was still making less than $9/hr. He finally quit after finding out they were hiring new workers starting at a higher rate that him when he’d worked hard and loyally for them for almost a decade. But that’s where complacency comes in. My brother and I were raised old fashioned to work hard at our job without constantly worrying about what we or our coworkers were making. We felt gratitude just for having the job. My brother had it worse because he worked for the kitchen department of a health & rehab center (basically an old age home.) His loyalty was not only to the employer, but also the elderly residents he helped feed. He would even sleep over at the job on site and work doubles when there was reports of inclement weather because as he always would say, “The people have to eat.” And I believe that’s why he went without a raise for so long. The employer preyed on his decency and knew he was too nice to just leave. My brother shouldn’t have stayed with that company. He should have left with the years of experience he’d gained there and found a new employer who was willing to pay him more like we both have done now. We don’t need the government to provide a rising minimum wage that puts all employees new and old on the same level. That takes the power away from the worker. When I was working my fast food management position, I once got a whole dollar/hr raise just by threatening to give my two weeks notice. If you are a valuable employee, you can negotiate higher wages with your employer if you need a raise.

[@michaellyle859]

treydarling a wage like that truly would implode every company, be it a small business or large corporation. Labor cost would push the price per unit of their goods well past manageable levels. As a result, they’d have to raise prices tremendously, which would anger their customers. Those customers would stop buying those goods, leading to even worse numbers. Business is a world that the government needs to stay out of, for one wrench thrown into the inner workings can cause catastrophic consequences. People really should take accounting and financing courses. It helps you to see past the naïveté of humanitarian dreams like “people deserve more” and start focusing on what is realistically possible.

[@aksmith5139]

Good luck getting the dollar menu at McDonald's.

[@ToyotaGuy1971]

Who wants to support terrorism against Palestine by eating that cancer-causing crap anyway? Not I.

[@tyrongeorgetown6378]

Dollar menus exist because you can push low cost food items at a higher rate because of the price, the point is when people can afford something the demand for it increases high demand balances out prices, which is the perfect argument for a higher wage

[@PalmSandsRanch]

I’m sorry minimum wage was never designed to support a family of any size. If you need more money, work your way up or get an education.

[@jessecunningham4283]

*Coronavirus enters chat* Coronavirus: so now that I exist how does "work your way up or get an education." Work when im now around?

[@nthperson]

Here is a fundamental problem with increasing the wages of all workers to at least $15. That problem is that market forces will result in an increase in the cost of rental housing owned by private investors and real estate companies. There is already a serious shortage of affordable rental housing in the United States. Increase the ability to pay by tenants (i.e., a demand side increase in disposable income) without a significant increase in the supply of affordable housing, and the increases will in just a few years end up in the pockets of the owners of rental housing. Communities need to invest in the construction of affordable housing. Millions of new units are needed.

[@MrLandonweber]

I totally agree with you, it's like using a bucket to get the water out of a sinking ship. Eventually, the boat is going to sink regardless of the small amount of water that is removed with the bucket. That being said the minimum wage increase is probably the best (imperfect) solution to reducing the decline in purchasing power these workers are facing, but you are right that the fundamental problems with the economy are not going to be fixed by minimum wage increases. The other question is are we adjusting middle class wages as well while we are increasing the minimum wage. I can tell you that in many cases the answer is not as much as we should be, and there will be no government legislation to address this problem. So what you get when you mandate a minimum wage increase is workers making a bit more, the wealthy raising prices, and the middle class absorbing the majority of the costs through price increases.

[@nthperson]

@@MrLandonweber The economics is driven by the simple fact that gains by rent-seeking behavior (i.e., taking without producing) are higher than returned by the production of goods or delivery of services. All societies of laws of which permit private property in nature (i.e., the factor of production "land") are plagued by hoarding and speculation. This I learned from studying the writings of Henry George many years ago.

[@gabrielserrano5054]

They need to lower the minimum wage and it would create more entry level jobs.

[@favray]

Tf?

[@ken123432]

A $15 over the given time frame wont matter. The inflation (that we are in) will increase the real prices of labor higher then that anyway. So the real affect will be nothing. Of course government should not interfere , but this one doesn't matter this time.

[@voluntarism335]

"experts" no all you need is to know basic economics

[@TheOpinionSports]

Trump well if you raise minimum wage to 15 then prices on everything else goes up

[@BiscuitZombies]

@@TheOpinionSports Precisely. It’s textbook inflation.

[@carloconopio5994]

@@BiscuitZombies so for you what is the best solution?

[@tedphillips2501]

Raising the minimum wage encourages more illegal immigration. As illegals don't show in Department of Labor data, employers are rewarded for not hiring citizen Blacks. Just look at who is doing the "menial" work in, say, San Jose.

[@kaosaechao56]

Minimum wage jobs are suppose to help kick start your life not support it entirely.

[@SaltyBoiJohns]

but they dont

[@kaosaechao56]

@@SaltyBoiJohns they don’t what? Make you rich?

[@americanidyut7030]

Those jobs might be entry level jobs BUT they are supposed to support a minimum cost of living if worked at full time hours. That is what FDR expected of the law when it was passed in 1938.

[@kaosaechao56]

@@americanidyut7030 read what I said again in its entirety.

[@americanidyut7030]

@@kaosaechao56 I did and I disagree with you saying minimum wage was not meant to support someone's life entirely. It was meant to support all of a person's minimum living expenses, but when they are younger and unskilled. Perhaps you meant the entirety of their life? The context then would mean their entire life and I could agree with that.

[@collin571]

As a minimum wage worker a 15 dollar minimum wage would solve alot of my problems. I wouldn't have to live paycheck to paycheck and I could potentially afford to go back to school and better my living conditions. As it stands right now I make 11/hour and life kind of sucks not gonna lie

[@kvothe7729]

Fair mate, but let's humour the libertarian economist here... Where do you work, how old are you, how long have you worked there? Are you still there & still only earning 11/hour? No judgement, just interested!

[@collin571]

@@kvothe7729 no job atm

[@ericrobles3004]

@@collin571 what’s your story my friend. What schools interest you?

[@collin571]

Good question good question. I never finished my associates at community college. Had about a year and a half finished with decent grades

[@LuminaireLRP]

Exactly. I don’t have the money or the time to go back to school or do any number of things that require training and money to elevate my circumstances. And it damn sure isn’t for lack of trying really hard. All these people with aaalll their excuses and fears that lead them to keep the working class down are operating out of their own experiences and applying it to others. This is a real problem that has not been fixed. This isn’t about overspending. I actually cannot afford a roof over my head with just one job and after that there is no time and no energy. I don’t have mommy, daddy, or any number of other people to give me handouts so I can pursue something better. It’s not right economically or morally to keep minimum wage down.

[@Shozb0t]

If a person is in favor of the minimum wage (especially doubling it) I can’t grant them the title of “expert.”

[@dapfitz5]

Its funny to listen to them speculate and discuss their theories on something most people without a masters degree find out before they are 30 yrs old when you get a job at 16 r 18 as a grocery bagger ,deli clerk ,fry cook or sweeping the floors at a factory its not fare that you make the same as the managers ,butchers ,machinist mechanic and that took them years to learn a skilled trade and as they learned they became more valuable which in turn got pay increases based on their determination and work ethic ...no its not a new thing its been around since before our grandfather's fathers look it up its called (work ethic) my point is your not supposed to get a job as a fry cook and say this is as good as it gets and spend the rest of life doing that and being envious of every one that makes more than you.

[@jessecunningham4283]

Crazy thing is there are essential workers such as myself making the same salary as those in non essential jobs..how does that add up? 🤷🏾‍♂️

[@walmartramen]

The whole town would make higher wages. Spending what they earn hire more cashers to get more money in your store. Or nothing helps more than children waged adults that can't afford job skills! What happened the last times the wages went up we all died and got reincarnated!

[@Noone-wt5rx]

I find it really funny the people debating raising minimum wage from 7:25 to $15 an hour they're making a heck of a lot more than minimum wage. Whether it's 7:25 or $15

[@mad1478]

Well let’s see, let’s say McDonald’s raises minimum wage to $15, it’s extremely likely that McDonald’s will raise food prices, they raise food prices, every other wage whether it be minimum or maximum will raise. It’s common sense

[@lasgloveboxburrito4398]

@@mad1478 Nope, that's not "common sense"... While it might seem that it would work that way, it absolutely doesn't work that way and there are plenty of studies that prove this. Consider the fact that minimum wage in France is $11.40 per hour (In US dollars) and the cost of a Big Mac in France is roughly 7 cents more than the cost of a Big Mac in the US with our minimum wage being $7.25 per hour. So they get $4.15 per hour more working at a McDonald's in France vs working at a McDonald's in the US and they only charge 7 cents more for a Big Mac. That's not a notable enough price hike to even worry about. Also, if we want our middle class to get back on track here in the US, the wages of the jobs that exist in the middle, skilled labor, etc, need to be hiked up as well.

[@mad1478]

@@lasgloveboxburrito4398 ok buddy you have fun with that Information let’s see what you do with it

[@sophieseverson8465]

We need to raise wages across the board. Not just for entry level workers. Where's the incentive to get a higher education if you can live decently off a job flipping burgers? Does my hard work to get a college education with a meaningful degree in a meaningful field not count as much, if not proportionately more than someone who only gets a high school diploma (and in many cases, not even a GED)? Not to mention the fact that many people who are not financially secure then decide to bring children into this world, knowing (or should know) they cannot adequately provide for them? People need to be more responsible and accountable for the life decisions they make.

[@paul-hn5rd]

A big point on min wage is missing here. Its not about paying people more, its about what is the job worth? Amazon is able to pay more because it only has skilled jobs available. They dont have any jobs worth $7.25 hr. Just like In and Out burger. Its fast food, but those employee are trained well, skilled and hard working. You can see why they make more then McDonald's. A good video is minimum wage vs Honda Civic, search it.

[@alfredsmith7714]

Takes lots of skills to drive and deliver packages. ....

[@hippieJOSH420]

Four kiosks actually eliminate more than four jobs because there are multiple people that work that position through the day

[@PS2Damon]

notice how the asian guy always blinks 6 times in one second, he is nervous and he knows his argument sucks

[@margaleemusic]

People are so quick to let corporations off the hook while making the poorest of us pay for the consequences.

[@margaleemusic]

Just because some jobs go away doesn't mean new jobs aren't created every year.

[@richardledger3182]

If you want to work hard and get dirty we will pay you 15 with no experience 24 hour a day call! I have done it for 25 years I started below what minimum wage is now! I succeeded make a good living stop crying and make your way! This world doesn't meet anyone halfway!

[@christophervang2773]

$15 per hour won't touch the elderly, homeless people, unemployment people, people who care for their small children, and people who help their parents because their parents are sick.etc...That is why Andrew Yang's Freedom Dividend is better and in general it will raise the minimum wage to like $15 per hour. Plus if Minimum wage to $15 per hour...It will crippled small businesses in your local communities.

[@davidferrer5709]

Let state decide and watch AI take over. We are seeing what higher wages cause inflation. People today had 4 percent increase in wages but 5 percent inflation in the last year. Just work hard and smart, minimum wage will be only the start of a career.

[@NelsonGuzmanGarcia]

Ah the Heritage Foundation, the motherload of bad ideas.

[@АнтонПреображенский-ю3и]

There are doughnut shops that raised their minimum wage to $15 in USA and other places too.

[@coolbuddydude1]

Get these minimum wage workers...real jobs.

[@debbierhodes9744]

Why is there a Minimum wage and not a Maximum wage???? Can anyone answer that?

[@BigRigPullUp]

Yeah only for unemployment!

[@GargamelTheGreat]

Why should a business exist if it can't pay it's full time workers a wage they can actually live on?

[@tardisrider25]

Well friend to break it down, first not all jobs in a business are necessarily entry level. some may be living wage if you've moved up in the company. second small businesses can provide needed entry level jobs for people starting out who need experience to get the living wage jobs. Third small businesses while maybe not always able to afford the highest wage will usually provide a living wage for the owner and their family. I mean that's at least one person making a living wage that should matter to you too, right? Small businesses that thrive keep huge corporations in check. this is why big companies like McDonalds and amazon seem to support minimum wage increases to box out smaller business. Finally, it is not and has never been the purpose of anyone or any business to provide you or anyone else with what you need in life. it is not the purpose of a business to provide a living wage or healthcare to anyone. A business exists to generate income. It is not a charity. A business does not justify its existence by the wage it offers but by the services it provides and the profit it makes. It is your job not your employers to make sure you can provide for yourself and your family. If you've bothered to read this far thank you for considering the whole thing.

[@bane3991]

Because businesses aren't responsible for what you live on and same way you aren't responsible for them. It is YOUR job to support yourself. If you don't want to get paid those wages than gain a skill. Don't take jobs that are meant for kids.

[@GargamelTheGreat]

@@bane3991 Right, would you be fine with a business that employs slaves?

[@bane3991]

@@GargamelTheGreat Slavery is by force, these people choose to work there.

[@Lalalolllipop]

Why should you expect to live off of “minimum” pay. Acquire some more skills bro

[@illitera.te_weeb]

The fact that this woman thinks the economy is doing great baffles me 😭

[@therealRustyShackleford]

Let's see...minimum wage goes up and businesses have a profit margin they maintain so prices go up on products so now that $15/hr. is back to being proportionately the same as it was before and now everyone is paying more and those minimum wage earners are back to square one.

[@samuelbehrendt6291]

Enter inflation.. you can change the rationally usable denotion of the numerical standard for the unit of currency in question, sure... but can you change the value of the base unit of currency in regard to the service or product being offered or sold WITHOUT changing the value of that same unit of currency? Absolutely not. The people who think that raising the minimum wage to 15$ an hour will solve the poverty issue are incapable of viewing the bigger picture. It actually seems that some value is LOST during inflation.. the dollar continually has less "buying power" as inflation occurs.. so the question to ask is not "Where are these dollars going?" But rather "Where is the wealth 'congregating'?" Or "Where is the value of our citizens' time being harvested?"

[@samuelbehrendt6291]

@Rusty Shackleford .. you hit it on the head mate. Thanks for seeing reasonably and rationally.

[@samuelbehrendt6291]

Also, I'm dumbfounded as to how few people see this.. does the phrase "checks and balances" mean nothing to our modern society? Why is common sense so uncommon? How do most not see the economical effects of the proposal of a minimum wage hike?

[@samuelbehrendt6291]

And if anyone with sense is reading my comments and rationally understands them yet, still, disagrees with my views... then I'm open to correction..

[@jasonmcg31]

@@samuelbehrendt6291 People are naive, you know this lol

[@ronaldreagan-ik6hz]

Living wage fools over paying for merit. Lol

[@iskandar4661]

Lower your taxes.

[@damionsherbert8305]

If you're 30 and still working a minimum wage idk what you're doing.

[@lindsayschutz]

Damion Sherbert I'll be 29 in April and I currently work in a low wage retail job (albeit not minimum wage) because there just weren't any entry level jobs in my degree field (political science/advocacy) that weren't either unpaid internships or temporary campaign work that offered no benefits (which would be ok because I get my health insurance through the health care exchange) and no stability. So I went back into retail, which I had busted my butt in college to study my way out of because it paid the same amount (if not a little more with overtime and bonuses) as I would make at an entry level job in my field but at least I would have a stable job with a steady (granted, small) weekly paycheck and benefits like dental insurance, vision insurance (both important to me because I have a history of periodontal disease which requires cleanings/check-ups twice a year as well as a history of vision problems ranging from strabismus to chronic dry eye - heck, I had to get new glasses last year because my stigmatism had gotten so pronounced that it was necessary), paid time off, a 401k (a rarity in retail), a steep employee discount, etc. All of those things that I just listed above plus the fact that I love my coworkers and customers are the reasons that I've stuck with working at my current job (oh and the fact that my schedule is somewhat in flux, making it difficult for me to schedule things like job interviews for jobs in my actual degree field), but I would appreciate being paid a lot more than I currently make because I live in a crazy expensive area and it's hard for me to pay bills on what I make right now - luckily my parents have very generously allowed me to live with them in exchange for "rent" that goes towards household expenses but is significantly less than what I'd pay if I was living on my own because otherwise, I'd be either struggling to keep a roof over my head or dealing with homelessness because there's no way I could pay the average rent in my area (and I live in the "low income" part of my county) and still have enough left to pay for utilities, phone, and groceries every month without running a budget deficit.

[@frankswan100]

Mabe you should of picked a different field of study then.. The college degree has greatly decreased in value, everyone has one now. Maybe look into the trades. Electrical, Plumbing, HVAC.. The job growth there far surpasses any sort of business Or psychological degree

[@coolbuddydude1]

@@lindsayschutz You can join the military as an officer and make bank with your degree.

[@exaucemayunga22]

They don't even talk about inflation

[@kekelo_losangelesj1312]

That lady is with the Heritage Foundation. OK🤔

[@axisapex]

SHE IS STRAIGHT UP SELLING NONSENSE THE IGNORANCE IS STRONG IN HER . On the front lines War on the table Burger King vs McDonalds , lol yes lol service industry lol Cause manufacturing went overseas with globalization free trade . No i get it but 15 dollars THAT'S THE WRONG ROUTE . It will raise the price of everything because you will only be pushing up the wage on everyone S WAGE which Companies take as expenditure to cost on route . SO YOU WONT DEAL WITH THE REAL ISSUE AND ONLY HURT YOURSELF IN THE PROCESS WITH NO GAINS.ONLY A BIGGER LOSS. What the Working Poor NEED and i Am Amazed at how politicians ignore the Working Poor But will tax them up when tax goes up. and only talk about poverty or the poor ,but not the [WORKING POOR] . ONLY TO talk about the RICH and say just tax em more and THAT'S THE JOKE UNTELL YOUR POLITICIANS TALK ABOUT THE [ WORKING POOR ] YOU HAVE NO REPRESENTATION. because the wealthy dont pay income tax they are in very different BRACKETS . LIKE THEY RAE NOT EMPLOYEES. < < UNDERSTAND AND ITS ALL BECAUSE OF ( INCOME TAX ) YOU HAVE TO EARN A WAGE TO PAY IT SO YOU NEED A JOB UNDERSTAND. !!!!! SO THE ONLY REAL ANSWER WOULD BE TO ( NOT TAX PEOPLE [ INCOME TAX ] ABOVE A ACCEPTABLE LEVEL ) SAY ONE INDIVIDUAL AS ( 30 GRAND) 30G AND UNDER NO FEDERAL TAXES AND LOWER STATE TAXES. THAT'S THE ONLY WAY !!!!!! THAT'S THE only REAL ANSWER . TELL ME I'M WRONG i am willing to learn

[@Dieguito507]

What about retirees? Do we also raise their minimum wage ? Are the cost Going to be passed on to consumers ? The point is a minimum raise Is ok , but a massive Raise is gonna affect us more than you think, you heard of inflation?

[@zse4cft6bhu8mko0]

Frankly I don't care where she's from, if she's making better points then I'm on her side

[@nicholas_gurr]

zse4cft6bhu8mko0 Finally. Someone in the comment section with a working brain

[@kellypatterson9456]

You all assume the workers work full time. No minimum wage worker works full time!

[@doubleirishdutchsandwich4740]

A meta study of 137 instances of minimum wage increases showed that there is no job loss.

[@FletchforFreedom]

@Dublelrish DutchSandwich Of course, in the real world, the three most comprehensive reviews of the literature covering literally hundreds of studies (US Minimum Study Commission; Brown, Gilroy & Kohen; Neumark & Wascher) along with the vast majority of the empirical research show that the disemployment effect is material. The study you reference is not a meta-study, but a single study covering multiple instances by an author (Dube) and a source(ERLE) whose methodology has already been called into serious question on more than one occasion. The facts don't support your desired outcome.

[@doubleirishdutchsandwich4740]

@@FletchforFreedom Thanks for the substantive reply. I will look into those.

[@MrLRowe1]

When was the last time we as a country had a across the board cost of living raise.

[@MrLRowe1]

The some of the state's have taken action to help the vast majority of people make a wage that can take care of their family and not have to work 2 and even 3 jods to make ends meet. To the small business owners most of your employees are not buying your product on a scale that will keep your business open or even turn a profit. So as a country we need to increase the minimum wage to help everyone grow.

[@painexotic3757]

there is no such thing as a living wage. Anyone with common sense can deduce your argument and debunk it.

[@dhrich147]

Lmao I'm excited to see it all burn down 🤣

[@edgarmares8752]

We need to reaise it year by year

[@paranoiawilldestroyya3238]

4:00: $7.25 to $15.00 is not a modest increase, it's more than double. Has this guy ever worked for an hourly wage? Has he ever worked period?

[@ledzepandhabs]

Here in Ontario, the minimum wage was raised by a few bucks instantaneously, the economy is booming and the retail Armageddon never happened. The people that tell you that raising it is negative are lying to you, the real world say's it's good.

[@taylorunderwood-theoriginal]

That sounds great and all but the big corporations are probably able to keep up with that cost since it's just that area. If everyone goes it everything goes up if an area fluctuates the company can counter it from what they're getting everywhere else

[@nathanieldardar4295]

A few bucks? Maybe that could work. But people are trying to instantly DOUBLE it.

[@taylorunderwood-theoriginal]

@@nathanieldardar4295 you're right man, idk why but people want to double it like they're actually gonna make more money because they change it. Dont get me wrong I'm not wealthy nor am I in a position to make alot of money but I dont want to be working my ass off to make that money then right as soon as I go for the top dollar after gaining experience and knowledge and get fucked by the gov with them raising the pay and screwing my chances of actually getting a job. When you've worked hard to better your situation and the gov screws you over because people dont want to better themselves. Man it really hurts

[@thejustinlin4740]

I believe in a higher minimum wage but they need to slowly increase it rather than smack it in the face of potential employers. That will stabilize everything instead of a huge shift. Just makes more sense.😌

[@OdawaTraveler]

15 dollars is a few bucks

[@Keith-uu4iu]

The only reason why Walmart and Amazon are advocates in increasing minimum wage is because it would eliminate their competition, small brick and mortar stores. If you’re coming out of high school, how can you make a case that you’re worth $15/hour with no experience or skills? You can’t make that justification, which is why you get priced out of the market. Look at the data, 19 years having jobs has been on a decline for some time and is still trending that way, so it’s not 2008, it’s minimum wage increases.

[@bend.7795]

The only problem with everything you said is that most minimum wage workers arent teenagers

[@jimziemer474]

That’s the real issue. The problem isn’t minimum wage. The problem is bringing jobs back to the United States. Raising minimum wage isn’t going to increase buying power for long. The prices will adjust as they always do when minimum wage is increased.

[@yeshuaisisaiah9650]

Common Sense. If you own a lemonade stand with part time college and high school kids working for you. You pay $1000 monthly for lease at your stand. You pay the employees $8 an hour. A large lemonade is $3 At $15 hr A large lemonade will now cost $6 $1000 lease You're going to lose business because of having to raise cost, which means you can't afford two employees at a time, but can only afford one, doing twice the work. $15 an hour will cause MORE unemployment and hurt economy Common sense

[@antioneberry5278]

dear mas that was a outrageous and ridiculous statement!

[@coolbuddydude1]

If minimum wage is raised to 15$/h...will other jobs get a raise too ? back to square one.

[@charlesbennington9951]

#1 MOST COMPANIES ARE ALREADY PAYING OVER THE MIN WAGE BECAUSE OF SKILL SET AND MARKET DEMAND. #2 WHERE DO MIN WAGE EMPLOYEES WORK ?? GROCERY STORES, GAS STATIONS, ? #3 AS SOON AS YOU RAISE MIN WAGE, NEED BASED COMMODITIES WILL GO UP IN PRICE AND MAYBE NOT PROPORTIONALLY.

[@jeffgraham6451]

Ya know hearing some of the conservatives speak about minimum wage really shows me how little they know about the quality of life being on minimum wage. There is no quality, it's terrible, also people dont choose to make that kind of salary. You can throw smoke in the air by saying "oh well minimum wage is for younger people, it's not met for supporting a family on." But when the smoke settles down, people a having to do just that, and raise kids on 7.50 an hour, and it's just not right at all. My last job which was a job that required a degree, started me at 7.50 the first 6 months they said it's almost like a trial period and after the M 6 months they will give me a very decent raise. But it was a lie, 6 months their "raise" was one dollar. So of course I quit. I should've known it was a dumb idea but when your a recent college grad and you get offered a position in your line of work, I was happy at first just to be doing what I have been studying to do for the past 4 years, little did I know I was about to waste 7 months of my life when I could've been making way more money working at Costco, (which is a great company to work for) Life on minimum wage is no joke, it sucks, its damn near slavery I couldn't imagine taking care of multiple kids on that kind of income.

[@iamcosma7065]

Jeff Graham most states are higher than 7.50 an hour. I call bull that a job would require a degree and only pay 7.50, you were smart to leave that job and most people would. I was making more than that when I was 16 and that was before the last federal increase. Also, people aren’t raising families on the federal minimum. Many people who work minimum wage jobs are doing it as a part time, secondary income.

[@jimziemer474]

It’s not about quality of life, it’s about economics. If you have any special skills or knowledge and are working for minimum wage, that’s your problem.

[@alandirigo2196]

Until one has a good-paying job, it would be irresponsible for them to start a family. There are people who through no fault of their own are put in such situations, but for them, I would think child welfare programs would be a more suitable solution than a minimum wage increase. A minimum wage increase will help some people in need, put some people in need out of work, and make it more difficult for unskilled teenagers among others to gain entry. Why not keep the minimum wage low and properly fund child welfare programs instead?

[@gamblingjack2573]

What the hell is a entry level job?

[@bane3991]

Something like a supermarket or fast food place. 1 that requires no skill pretty much.

[@newax_productions2069]

The guy on the right says that raising minimum wage doesn't show job loss lol wtf in 2009 we lost 1.4 million jobs because of the minimum wage increase 😆

[@moppypuppy781]

"Two experts debate the potential consequences of catching up with the rest of the developed world."

[@alandirigo2196]

Which country is the most prosperous in the history of the world (barring edge cases such as Monaco and Saudi Arabia)? In matters of economics, the USA isn't catching up with the rest of the developed world - the rest of the developed world is catching up with the USA. In fact, I believe the USA will quickly be overtaken if we strip away any more of the freedom in our markets.

[@moppypuppy781]

@@alandirigo2196 The United States leads in wealth, military strength, and prison population per capita. It doesn't even score top 10 in healthcare, education, infrastructure, quality of life, and in some cases, it gets dead last in categories such as maternity leave. America being the most wealthy nation just makes it more shameful that it scores so low in so many metrics. You seriously still think the United States is the greatest nation in the world?

[@alandirigo2196]

@@moppypuppy781 I never said greatest - I said most prosperous, and I meant economically prosperous. Healthcare, education, etc. are separate issues. We're talking about minimum wage here, and the economic effects of it. The main reason for the unprecedented aggregate wealth of the United States is its long-standing free-market system, which regulations such as minimum wage threatens.

[@moppypuppy781]

@@alandirigo2196 All of that is a lie, and it isn't even a very good one. The main reason for the unprecedented aggregate wealth of the United States is its people don't get paid enough to live? By this logic, you'd get rid of child labor laws if the economy would improve 0.1% from it. *Regulation prevents the exploitation of the American working class.* The other lie is the free-market, the government bailing out companies that would otherwise fail and propping up the stock market is not a free-market system. What the United States has is socialism for the rich, capitalism for the poor. You have a very warped sense of priorities, pretending there isn't an obvious problem when the nation's people are suffering just as long as the nation's wealth is really big. _"We can't fix our nation's infrastructure because that would threaten our aggregate wealth!"_ You should know that isn't true with just a few seconds of thinking.

[@alandirigo2196]

@@moppypuppy781 ... also, I never said "We can't fix our nation's infrastructure because that would threaten our aggregate wealth!" You're putting words in my mouth. Try doing less of that and reading my words more carefully.

[@magicone9327]

Increase wage=increase in your taxes! Increase in wage= pushes you out of the bracket for various help via social programs, with that and the increased taxes you are going to have a loss of income to below what you were making! This is all about getting more tax revenue to bolster federal programs that are failing from no tax money coming in to balance the money going out, ex. social Security!

[@frankmortensen7651]

This guy supporting the raise of minimum wage is suspiciously spitting out all the politically popular phrases. Referring to single moms living in poverty several times. There is a balance that can not be denied. Min wage increases, demand increases supply dwindles and price increases until there is balance. The cost of living will increase, and the ones who lose are those in skilled labor, who got experience and or education but did not get an increase in pay. And guess where most single moms actually work?

[@connecticutcollectibles8164]

Jobs are getting outsourced on a massive scale. I have mixed emotions about it.

[@kevinouellette5316]

But business wants to force workers to work for their low wages so they are pushing an end to unemployment benefits

[@farmerfloyd7696]

Raise minimum wage and it’s going raise prices for everything! We will be in the same boat but in a bigger storm!

[@nathanholmquist6077]

The grass is not always greener on the other side of the fence. That said , you better think it out before you stick your neck out might not better leave good enough alone. Better more research needs to be done!!!!

[@IAmWhatICreate1999]

I hate the people that just assume that you will move up and get a new job if you start at a minimum wage job. That’s not how it works. You can be the best worker in the world and you will still to be working in the same position for years. Not because you’re not a good worker but just because the employers will not promote you. It’s better that all employers be required to pay their employees $15 an hour because a lot of employers whether people want to believe it or not you’re so lazy that they do not Value their best workers. Just because employers are supposed to have you move up does not mean we are going to. Everyone is entitled to a livable wage because most of the time moving up in a position is not an option. Don’t complain about people wanting a higher minimum-wage, complain about all the employers who are not doing their jobs.

[@austinfoley7894]

IAmWhatICreate1999 If you’re not being promoted or receiving raises, find another job that will provide that. People want everything handed to them and aren’t willing to do what it takes to make things happen for themselves. If you work for 7 years at minimum wage without any raise or promotion, that’s on you not the employer.

[@rebeccajourdan3868]

No!! Everyone is not entitled!!! That is what is wrong with the world today... the younger generation feels they are entitled. Minimum wage jobs are starter jobs. They are entry level jobs. No one should be making a career out of flipping burgers ect. If you have ambition and the will you will better yourself, educate yourself, and make a better life for yourself!!! I went to college as a single mom of four after my divorce. I now have an amazing job making damn good money. If you are still at a minimum wage job after several yrs that is your bad and your lack of enthusiasm to do better and better yourself!!! You do not deserve $15 an hr working at McDonalds or a retail store. You have every opportunity in the world, living in this country, to make an amazing life and build an amazing career for yourself!! I don't want to hear y'alls whining and moaning about how you were dealt a bad hand in life and can't do any better!!! I had a pretty rough life to start (a lot because of my poor choices) but I picked myself up and worked hard to get where I am at today!!! I don't care if you have to work 3 jobs and go to college and get by on 3 hrs of sleep each day. If you wanted to succeed and make good money and have an easier life you would sacrifice and work hard for it!!! Many of the Drs I have worked with didn't get free ride and worked several jobs to help get themselves through medical school and went years on very little sleep. So... I don't want to hear that "woe is me bullshit"!!!

[@iamcosma7065]

IAmWhatICreate1999 Why exactly are you entitled to other people’s money? Every job I have ever had, I had to agree to the wage they were offering with an understanding of what my job duties would be. It’s not a matter of working hard, it’s a matter of making yourself more valuable to an employer. If you make yourself more valuable and your employer doesn’t compensate you for it, somebody else will. It may take time to search out that better opportunity but you’ll be better off in the long run than having the government force a higher wage for you, which more often than not will just mean you get scheduled less hours or have any benefits you had taken away.

[@danielpalos]

Shedding jobs for the short term bottom is not the same as a long term equilibrium where higher paid Labor creates more demand and generate about five times more in federal income tax at fifteen dollars an hour minimum wage. Capital morality sheds jobs for the least wealthy not dividends for the most wealthy.

[@Viodoxy]

Its not just the job losses. Its the lack of new jobs. It massively hurts the lower and middle income earners. Someone making 16 an before the wage increase is already struggling not you just destroyed them

[@troytaylor1913]

Wages don't come out of the business owners pocket. Wages come out of the consumers pocket from the price of all the pizza and gadgets we buy. Expect to pay more for stuff so wages can go up.

[@vinyllpreviews9462]

Cost of living will go up, $15 an hour will no longer be a living wage.

[@troytaylor1913]

​@@vinyllpreviews9462 exactly

[@nic_a_bic6780]

@@vinyllpreviews9462 cost of living is already going on actually. 40% increase in rent prices since the last minimum wage increase in 2009. People before profit everytime

[@vinyllpreviews9462]

@@nic_a_bic6780 without profits there are no jobs. Do you think employers hire people out of the goodness of their hearts?

[@nic_a_bic6780]

@@vinyllpreviews9462 no I'm not talking about the entire profit, I'm talking about the extra profit that is going from the low-wage worker to the pockets of the business owner. Studies have shown that increasing the minimum wage to 15$ is not going to cause job loss. (reference below) Plus if you can't afford to pay people a living wage you should not have employees full stop References SAGE Journals. 2021. Do Minimum Wages Lead to Job Losses? Evidence from OECD Countries on Low-Skilled and Youth Employment - Simon Sturn, 2018. [online] Available at: [Accessed 11 April 2021].

[@jamielunes1841]

15 is for a single person no children and living in affordiable housing

[@7adventcloud7]

Lower the price of housing, and property taxes, seems like the problem is simple, but our leaders are greedy raising minimum wage means more money they get back in taxes.

[@jonathanjenson2421]

Sorry, if minimum goes up, vendors don't put pennies on the dollar to make up the difference?

[@MrGruffteddybear]

Experts don't have a clue. Raising the minimum wage doesn't help anyone. Businesses raise prices to match the increase so those that were at poverty wage are still at poverty wage. Making the minimum 15.00 makes it the poverty wage, not a decent wage as it was before. It hurts those that were making 15.00 because most companies won't raise their wages to match the increase so they are now back at minimum and their purchasing power is decreased.

[@jimziemer474]

Yeah, the prices will adjust as always. The numbers will be higher but the buying power will be the same. Raising minimum wage won’t do anything. Bring jobs back to the United States will. Shipping jobs overseas should have been stopped 30 years ago.

[@MrGruffteddybear]

@@jimziemer474 If they would start taxing the profits of these companies at a higher rate, it would encourage companies to pay their workers more rather than sucking the profits out for themselves and shareholders.

[@edmarmartinez9668]

Certain jobs are harder in certain companies like in the restaurants. Cooks have a harder job

[@OdawaTraveler]

People would be spending more which would help out small businesses, if people had more money they wouldn't shop at wal-mart.

[@alandirigo2196]

On aggregate, people will always look for the best deal - especially the people who would benefit from a minimum wage increase, i.e. the people making less than $15/hr who don't get fired when the $15 minimum wage takes effect. As both debaters said, larger companies will see their margins move less with a minimum wage hike than small businesses. So, the result is that prices at small business increase more so than the prices at wal-mart. Put these two things together, and a minimum wage hurts small businesses more than the wal-marts of the world.

[@mtnbikr107]

Hiking the minimum wage by 100% will absolutely lead to job losses. Most companies do not want the optics of passing costs to the consumer in order to sustain profitability. Despite the perception that all businesses are rich, many actually operate on relatively thin margins and cannot afford a substantial wage hike.

[@bon2yan88]

he reminds me of the scientist from lost

[@NewLevel1-nl8tu]

I guess the government should not have stopped slavery too!!

[@tln694]

How can u raise minimum wage went thousands of illegal immigrants are coming in taking jobs of lower income American s by competing for lower wage...

[@teebone2157]

tell this rich white men to stop hiring them. CASE CLOSED

[@death24314]

@alexdapostman I was with until you said God bless Donald Trump. Your an imbecile

[@markrodriguez4879]

We as a country should not have to support the employees of the largest employers on public assistance.

[@300zxster]

Michael, which city do you work at? And what is the name of the company?

[@mrsophistifated1]

I'm employed by the Clayton County Public School district and I teach History. I also have a master's degree.

[@lvl3472]

we just got the increase for this year

[@travispinkerton9916]

Ok in Arizona it’s 11.50 in January it’s going to be 12 flat. I have heard that raising it will bring tax up and make stuff cost more, but no it hasn’t people are still making more after increases then before

[@matt2.052]

If you go 7 years not making more money then you deserve to stay were you are at the more skills you have and more you better yourself and the more you benefit society the more money you make its that simple so if you been working at a 7 doller hr job for 7 years what are you doing with your life is the real question there

[@erickessler7105]

@johnathan lemnard also it will hurt small business. it is fine as lady on here said for big companies walmart. local business owner can not afford 15 dollar hr. libertarian siriusxm host andrew wilkow talked about job loses in seattle. when they raise there min wage 15 hr in 2014. andrew wilkow said small music store had to close down. 15 min wage hr in seattle hurt alot small business owners. also i see ton of self checkout kioskis in giant eagle walmart. also sheetz taco bell mcdonald's. which i did not see 15 yrs ago. raise the min wage 15 hr business will be hurt. alot places will replace workers with self checkouts.

[@matt2.052]

@@erickessler7105 head on the nail, all good points and basic economics the Libs ignore for there emotional social crusade on the economy

[@erickessler7105]

@@matt2.052 yeah i see it in my every day life. when i go to giant eagle walmart. or taco bell or sheetz. they have self checkouts. andrew wilkow who is libertarian host on siriusxm talk about 15 min wage in seattle. how it hurt small business owners in seattle.

[@erickessler7105]

@@matt2.052 plus there are better paying jobs like a few of my friends who are truck drivers who have familes who make upper middle class. which drivers make 82k yr. also post office which starting pay is 72k yr. also there is trade schools. where u can learn trade make good money as truck driver plumber or electrian. or go college become school teacher. as i have friends who are truck drivers also bankers also teachers. who make decent good money.

[@erickessler7105]

@@matt2.052 also most min wage jobs at local grocery store has young people in there high school college age. gives them exiperence. also i see ton self checkouts. i did not see 15 yrs ago in 2006. even in taco bell mcdonald. andrew wilkow on seattle 15 min wage a few yrs. after they pass it in 2014. small business owners suffer.