Minimum wage hiked to $6.55

[Stretch]

So the second of three consecutive min wage increases went into effect on Thursday. It had been $5.15 from 1997 until last year, going to $5.85, $6.55, and finally $7.25 next year.

That's a pretty hefty increase to ask small business owners to eat in just three years -- you're basically looking at an extra ~$4.5k a year in additional salary / payroll taxes per FTE in just three years.

Then again, I have no idea how anyone can possibly live on minimum wage, especially with how prices have been going up lately.

[LMingrone]

A minimum wage increase is a great excuse to ask for a salary increase. I read this in the paper this morning and I'll be asking for a raise on Monday. I believe Connecticut's MW is already above $6.55, but everytime gas or MW goes up $.25 I ask for a raise that matches. Luckily I work for a small family owned business and it works.

[Some Rogue]

It's already over 7 in Illinois and yes, even though we don't pay minimum wage at any of our locations, we have to bump up everyone else's wages across the board. Couple that with the cost of fuel and everything else going up, we raise prices and anyone making minimum wage is no better off than they were before.

[crb]

Most MW workers aren't fulltime anyways. On the news or for propaganda purposes they'll always show the unwed mother of 3 working for minimum wage full time, but mostly you have people earning it in a secondary job, part time job, etc. IE, not supporting their family on it.

There are so many above minimum wage jobs out there that require no experience if you, you know, work hard and aren't a complete moron. Even many fast food places would start you above minimum wage.

[thefarmer]

Most MW workers aren't fulltime anyways. On the news or for propaganda purposes they'll always show the unwed mother of 3 working for minimum wage full time, but mostly you have people earning it in a secondary job, part time job, etc. IE, not supporting their family on it.

There are so many above minimum wage jobs out there that require no experience if you, you know, work hard and aren't a complete moron. Even many fast food places would start you above minimum wage.

Source?

[Parkbandit]

Source?


Source for what? That many fast food places start off at more than minimum wage? Visit their websites and go apply for a job.

People think that raising the minimum wage helps.. but it doesn't. It forces businesses to either lay people off and/or increase the cost of their product or service... thus negating any artificial bump in salary.

[Sean of the Thread]

Or it forces them to be responsible with their money. Just saying.


We never paid our employees min wage and I honestly don't know of anyone working for min wage around here. Like PB said fast food pays more.. in some cases a lot more. I see some adverts for $7 but that's about it.

My friend in Canada told me the McDonalds where he's at pays $18 an hour to start out. Granted it's in the boons but still.

[LMingrone]

Yeah, it sucks for the business owners even more than the employees right now. Just as an example: I work for a sign company owned by a husband and wife. I make alright money, ehhhh. Every thing we make and install is made of plastic (oil). I drive around in a big ass van (oil). And they have to pay all of us more because our expenses are going up (oil, food, everything else).

My point being, every business I've done work for has there expenses going up, and they can't charge customers more because the customers have less money to spend.

I still don't understand why anyone with half a brain can't find a job making at LEAST $15/hr. That is enough to afford an apartment, modest entertainment, a decent car, and food. In Connecticut at least, which is not a cheap place to live. The Xbox, booze, and dope GSIII gear, etc. might require a little harder work though.

They're taking our JORRRRBS.

[Stanley Burrell]

I'm just not cut out to say a word jaerb :(

[LMingrone]

So Stanley, when do you want that wood-paneling vinyl put on your car?

[Stanley Burrell]

Anytime!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[thefarmer]

Source for what? That many fast food places start off at more than minimum wage? Visit their websites and go apply for a job.

I was asking for a source for the this part.


Most MW workers aren't fulltime anyways. ... but mostly you have people earning it in a secondary job, part time job, etc. IE, not supporting their family on it.

[thefarmer]

I still don't understand why anyone with half a brain can't find a job making at LEAST $15/hr.

Lack of skill training, education, relevant experience, physically unqualified*, are a few reasons that don't have to involve them having less than half a brain.

*Not everyone can go do manual labor at a construction site/plant/etc and make 15/hr.

[Sean of the Thread]

but mostly you have people earning it in a secondary job, part time job, etc. IE, not supporting their family on it.


Yeah I call bullshit on that as well.

At least in the Tampa Bay area for sure. Job market is fucking rough.

[BriarFox]

http://www.amazon.com/Nickel-Dimed-Not-Getting-America/dp/0805063897

[crb]

Yeah I call bullshit on that as well.

At least in the Tampa Bay area for sure. Job market is fucking rough.
http://www.heritage.org/research/economy/wm1186.cfm

I'll admit that The Heritage Foundation is conservative, but ignore their conclusions if you like and focus on the data they have from the US Dept of Labor.

Plus there is all the anecdotal evidence, when McDonalds advertises $8 an hour starting pay, etc.

[Mighty Nikkisaurus]

Yeah, it sucks for the business owners even more than the employees right now. Just as an example: I work for a sign company owned by a husband and wife. I make alright money, ehhhh. Every thing we make and install is made of plastic (oil). I drive around in a big ass van (oil). And they have to pay all of us more because our expenses are going up (oil, food, everything else).

My point being, every business I've done work for has there expenses going up, and they can't charge customers more because the customers have less money to spend.

I still don't understand why anyone with half a brain can't find a job making at LEAST $15/hr. That is enough to afford an apartment, modest entertainment, a decent car, and food. In Connecticut at least, which is not a cheap place to live. The Xbox, booze, and dope GSIII gear, etc. might require a little harder work though.

They're taking our JORRRRBS.

Fresh out of Culinary School my first job only gave me a STIPEND and a place to live-- but they basically owned my ass for two months and worked me near 70 hours a week for money that ended up being about 5 bucks an hour (again though, they gave me housing which was nice since it was in FL).

After that I was lucky when I got a job for 11 bucks an hour. A lot of my friends from school ended up working minimum wage shit jobs doing menial cleaning tasks and the like-- for a 20k education, that's a hard pill to swallow but many industries are like that.

It's not a matter of "anyone with half a brain" it's more a matter of there being a rather shitty job market right now.

[thefarmer]

http://www.heritage.org/research/economy/wm1186.cfm

I'll admit that The Heritage Foundation is conservative, but ignore their conclusions if you like and focus on the data they have from the US Dept of Labor.

Plus there is all the anecdotal evidence, when McDonalds advertises $8 an hour starting pay, etc.


Looking at the data, it relates the various categories to the poverty line.


...but mostly you have people earning it in a secondary job, part time job, etc. IE, not supporting their family on it.

This is ultimately what I disagree with. Despite the fact that the family income is above the 'poverty line', I don't see how you can say that that second/parttime/etc job is NOT supporting the family. That the quality of living without that extra income wouldn't put them far below what most of us think as decent.

I'm not talking about that extra house, or a fancy car. I'm talking about the larger things like affording to send your kid to college, or something as small as paying for daycare, things that most of expect to be able to do.

[Kyra231]

I renewed my CNA cert when I first moved to NC & was going to try & work as a na until I could take my boards. Turns out even with over a decade of experience I couldn't get a job making 8 bucks an hour in this area and that was doing home care.

It was pointless to take those jobs when gas is so high priced and you're driving over 100 miles/day. I applied to everywhere else I could find and was given the 'overqualified' schpiel because of my RN(I guess they don't want you making the retards working there look even more retarded?). Kind of leaves you fucked no matter what. 'Half a brain' argument loses.

When I worked for cash under the table as a second job it definitely was a vital part of my families income, it paid for extra dental work the stingy 750/year insurance didn't cover(+ the deductible), all the extra medical expenses not covered by insurance, etc.

~K.

[Sean of the Thread]

http://www.heritage.org/research/economy/wm1186.cfm

I'll admit that The Heritage Foundation is conservative, but ignore their conclusions if you like and focus on the data they have from the US Dept of Labor.

Plus there is all the anecdotal evidence, when McDonalds advertises $8 an hour starting pay, etc.

Oh I'm sure it happens somewhere... just not around here min wage or not. I'm speaking from first hand experience as I couldn't find a legit job at ALL. Even my contract database and computer work was faltering.

I got a lot of the overqualified and a lot of gap in employment bullshit as if they've never heard of someone making a living off of contract work (or gambling tee hee).

It got to the point where I had to just flat out make a bullshit resume and references for shit jobs just to get a call back for them.

The local job market is shit and I can't imagine it being much different on all fronts across the nation. I'm sure there are exceptions but ...

[Kembal]

I'm not even sure the standard poverty level is an accurate measurement anymore. It's based on data from 1950, and uses assumptions that are outdated now. Looking at that, I'd still conclude that the minimum wage is lower than where it needs to be. (I know there's one more step coming, so it'll be above $7 soon enough)

Interestingly enough, there was an editorial today in the Houston Chronicle that discussed the poverty level calculation, and how NYC's mayor, Michael Bloomberg, was going to use a different calculation for NYC. Here's the editorial:

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/editorial/5908277.html


July 25, 2008, 10:06PM
A poor measure
Let's modernize the definition of poverty. Better information will yield better anti-poverty results


Copyright 2008 Houston Chronicle

On Thursday, workers who are paid the federal minimum wage got a little salary boost. As the second of a three-step increase that will take the nation's minimum wage to $7.25 an hour, this week's 70-cent rise brought baseline hourly pay to $6.55, only slightly closer to being a living wage.

For the struggling Americans known as the working poor, the bump in pay has got to be welcome. But no one should fool himself about how much relief an extra few cents an hour will mean to lean budgets pinched tight by the rising costs of fuel, food, housing and health care.

New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg proposes to tackle the poverty problem from a different angle. In mid-July, Bloomberg's office announced the city would employ a much broader method of measuring poverty than the one used since the mid-1960s by the federal government. Congress should carefully consider the merits of the New York plan.

The federal standard is based on data from a 1950s-era study that showed the poor spent roughly a third of after-tax wages on food. Since then, the government has simply tripled the annualized cost of groceries to determine the baseline income a family would need to live above the poverty line. That calculation has become increasingly divorced from the reality of American household finances. Bureau of Labor Statistics show only an eighth of a modern family's take-home pay is spent on food.

Under the federal formula, the official poverty line stands at only $20,444, an obviously outdated number. It's hard to imagine how four people could live on that for a year in Houston, where the cost of living is relatively low. It seems nearly impossible to get by on that in New York, where a two-bedroom apartment rents for an average of $1,318 a month.

By contrast, the Bloomberg method would include the cost of child care, housing, clothing and other expenses the federal formula ignores. But the mayor's plan also would consider income not included in the federal calculation: benefits, such as the earned income tax credit, food stamps and housing subsidies, that improve impoverished families' bottom line.

This more comprehensive view of family finances offers different conclusions about who is poor. Bloomberg's formulation shows fewer New York City residents living in extreme poverty, but it raises the overall poverty rate to 23 percent, compared to only 19 percent under the federal poverty guideline. A greater number of elderly are categorized as poor under the mayor's scheme, mainly because the new formula acknowledges seniors' medical expenditures.

One need not be an economist to understand that this is a more accurate way to measure poverty, one that can better target aid to the poor and lift families into the middle class. It can reduce wasteful spending on ineffective programs based on faulty information.

On July 17, U.S. House members held hearings to mull a revamping of the federal poverty gauge under a bill filed by Rep. Jim McDermott, D-Wash. With no similar Senate bill, little progress is expected this legislative session. But at least the ball's rolling.

"I'm a big believer in the saying, 'If you can't measure it, you can't manage it,' " Bloomberg said of his plan. "So just as we need a more creative, more vigorous approach to fighting poverty, we need a more accurate method of assessing whether we're making any progress."

On this one, Bloomberg's right on the money.

[Stanley Burrell]

lol. Bloomberg must teleport from 230th down to the upper 90s.

[Stanley Burrell]

Pretending Bloomberg didn't lack spacial relations for conceiving to build a West Side stadium, on the West Side Highway -- And I and other people with half a brain took him seriously regarding anything about impoverished areas of The City, then the first thing he would do is create a grid within a given radius to regulate how much extra landlords could charge when The City renovates, say, 100-110th. Give impoverished renters protection that's a lot closer to co-op status. That's a whole lotta hot air on Bloomberg's part when he makes statements like this.

...And maybe go beyond power-washing brownstones so that the Liberty Lines riders think Manhattan begins, economically, before Mt. Sinai (going southbound.)

[Tsa`ah]

Most MW workers aren't fulltime anyways.

I find that very hard to believe ... even with the source you provided.

[Tolwynn]

Not that hard to believe, as in many cases keeping workers under fulltime means the company doesn't have to shell out expensive benefits for them.

[Gan]

Its just going to make things that are already getting more expensive - even more expensive. :(

[Tsa`ah]

Not that hard to believe, as in many cases keeping workers under fulltime means the company doesn't have to shell out expensive benefits for them.

Companies that offer MW rarely offer benefits. In this economy it's not exactly like they have to dangle that carrot.

But yes ... many (not most) MW jobs brush up against the FT mark in order to deny benefits provided to FT employees ... they also have very few FT employees.


Its just going to make things that are already getting more expensive - even more expensive. :(

Normally yes ... but with current fuel prices and ag flooding, they're not going to have a greater impact of prices than either of them (flooding/fuel).

[Ignot]

My point being, every business I've done work for has there expenses going up, and they can't charge customers more because the customers have less money to spend.

I still don't understand why anyone with half a brain can't find a job making at LEAST $15/hr. That is enough to afford an apartment, modest entertainment, a decent car, and food. In Connecticut at least, which is not a cheap place to live. The Xbox, booze, and dope GSIII gear, etc. might require a little harder work though.

They're taking our JORRRRBS.

Man, you sound stupid. How can you say it is easy for people to make at least $15 an hour? And a business CAN'T pass their higher costs down to the customers? You were joking when you wrote this right? Just tell me you were joking.

[Gan]

Normally yes ... but with current fuel prices and ag flooding, they're not going to have a greater impact of prices than either of them (flooding/fuel).
Its still going to add to the prices already being passed through to the consumer. Impact will have little to do with prices that many people cant already afford.

[Sean of the Thread]

But yes ... many (not most) MW jobs brush up against the FT mark in order to deny benefits provided to FT employees ... they also have very few FT employees.


That's the truth. I'm working for Khol's currently and out of 120 employees I think about 10 are actual full time.

Not on the employees request mind you. Everyone wants more fucking hours. (except the kiddies)

[Mighty Nikkisaurus]

Its still going to add to the prices already being passed through to the consumer. Impact will have little to do with prices that many people cant already afford.

In your eyes then, what's a better solution?

I say that non-confrontationally, just to be clear.

[Parkbandit]

In your eyes then, what's a better solution?

I say that non-confrontationally, just to be clear.

Let the market determine the 'minimum' wage. If you don't like the wage you are being paid.. go elsewhere.

Who here actually works for the Federal Government issued minimum wage? I would guess not one that has actually graduated from High School.

[Tsa`ah]

In your eyes then, what's a better solution?

I say that non-confrontationally, just to be clear.

I rarely disagree with Gan on this matter. We'll probably disagree on a better method.

Rather than increasing a wage that will be passed down to the consumer ... and leave the MWers in no better position than they were (often worse), the focus should be on driving down costs (and in my opinion, closing socio-economic disparities)

[Sean of the Thread]

That being said I see want ads for minimum wage almost daily. I guess the dishwasher job down the street is going to have to jack the wage up a nickel now. It was being offered at $6.50.

[Mighty Nikkisaurus]

Let the market determine the 'minimum' wage. If you don't like the wage you are being paid.. go elsewhere.

Who here actually works for the Federal Government issued minimum wage? I would guess not one that has actually graduated from High School.

I did getting myself through culinary school, and as I mentioned before, quite a few of my classmates ended up having to work shit minimum wage industry jobs and hope to move up from there.

[Sean of the Thread]

I just had a vision of you in only lingerie feverishly chopping garlic that resulted in just the right wiggles.


Sorry.

[Mighty Nikkisaurus]

I rarely disagree with Gan on this matter. We'll probably disagree on a better method.

Rather than increasing a wage that will be passed down to the consumer ... and leave the MWers in no better position than they were (often worse), the focus should be on driving down costs (and in my opinion, closing socio-economic disparities)

I do agree with Gan that it is just gonna jack up the costs of crap even more, and I agree with you that the focus should shift to lowering costs instead of raising wages.

It's just that I am interested in the method people think would be best for that.

[Tsa`ah]

Let the market determine the 'minimum' wage. If you don't like the wage you are being paid.. go elsewhere.

Because the economy just allows for people to just pick up and move right? And the notion of letting the market determine the wage really worked in the time between this hike and the last hike.


Who here actually works for the Federal Government issued minimum wage? I would guess not one that has actually graduated from High School.

Such a departure from reality.


I do agree with Gan that it is just gonna jack up the costs of crap even more, and I agree with you that the focus should shift to lowering costs instead of raising wages.

It's just that I am interested in the method people think would be best for that.

Well a few things come to mind. Stop using food crops for fuel. Amend the farm bill to ignore NAI for non-food fuel crops.

Replace the fuel tax with a more direct means of a consumption tax. (Why should the guy driving a four banger compact suffer because of the douche that insists on driving an 8mpg hummer?) ... offer those that drive fuel efficient vehicles a tax break, impose a penalty on those driving an SUV for status and "just because".

Just two that could have a quicker impact on related prices.

[BigWorm]

I do agree with Gan that it is just gonna jack up the costs of crap even more, and I agree with you that the focus should shift to lowering costs instead of raising wages.

It's just that I am interested in the method people think would be best for that.

The prices of necessities have already risen. Cost of living has already increased enough to justify raising the minimum wage.

Employers have almost zero incentive on their own to pay these people more that the minimum in the current job market.

[Sean of the Thread]

(Why should the guy driving a four banger compact suffer because of the douche that insists on driving an 8mpg hummer?) ... offer those that drive fuel efficient vehicles a tax break, impose a penalty on those driving an SUV for status and "just because".



Because the US isn't a communist state.

Just saying.

[Tsa`ah]

It has nothing to do with communism or socialism.

I'm not suggesting rationing or quotas, I'm suggesting that those that wish to piss away fuel at the expense of the rest of the population should bear the brunt of the expense.

It's one thing if your job requires you use a larger vehicle, it's another if you're a soccer mom who'd rather drive a kid or two to practice or get groceries in a tank. Like wise a family of three in a 1500 square foot, two bedroom home shouldn't suffer the utility hikes caused by a family of three living in a home five times the size.

We're free to choose, but those who choose on the side of intelligence shouldn't have to shoulder the burden of stupidity other people choose to explore.

[Sean of the Thread]

It's called freedom.

[Tsa`ah]

You'll never find a definition of freedom that includes the right to fuck over the masses because of a penis complex.

[Sean of the Thread]

Very well may be. But if you start fucking with capitalism like that then what?

There are already huge consumer taxes on gas and impact fees etc on vehicles why add more? Might as well ban RV's and boats and require mandatory tune ups every few months. It's a slippery slope that I don't want added to our country's already fucked up mantra.

[Clove]

Replace the fuel tax with a more direct means of a consumption tax. (Why should the guy driving a four banger compact suffer because of the douche that insists on driving an 8mpg hummer?) ... offer those that drive fuel efficient vehicles a tax break, impose a penalty on those driving an SUV for status and "just because".Oh I don't know. Maybe because both vehicles utilize the infrastructure those taxes pay for. The four-banger suffers less than the 8mpg hummer by virtue of using less gas and therefore pays less taxes.

[crb]

That's the truth. I'm working for Khol's currently and out of 120 employees I think about 10 are actual full time.

Not on the employees request mind you. Everyone wants more fucking hours. (except the kiddies)
There was this chick comedian on Last Comic Standing, she didn't make it to Vegas... anyways... she had this joke about walmart and how people were complaining about working there. I can't remember it, but the punchline is "How about go to college."

Our lives are largely the results of choices that we as individuals make. It isn't random chance that one person ends up in a shitty job and another person doesn't. Working at Kohls may suck, so maybe, if you don't already, aspire to something more.

[crb]

Originally Posted by Tsa`ah
Replace the fuel tax with a more direct means of a consumption tax. (Why should the guy driving a four banger compact suffer because of the douche that insists on driving an 8mpg hummer?) ... offer those that drive fuel efficient vehicles a tax break, impose a penalty on those driving an SUV for status and "just because".

All such things already exist. You get a tax credit for buying a hybrid, and really vehicles without sufficient MPG have a higher tax, not when you fill up, but when you purchase it (http://suvs.about.com/od/fueleconomy/a/jf_gasguzzler.htm). Of course it applies moreso to things like a v12 Dodge viper, but changing it to include trucks & SUVs wouldn't be a big issue, but then, what do you do about the poor farmers and other blue collar, possibly union (thats your constituency) workers who need things like pickups that get poor gas mileage for work. Do we waive the tax if you flash your union card?

[crb]

Well a few things come to mind. Stop using food crops for fuel. Amend the farm bill to ignore NAI for non-food fuel crops.


Quick quick... name that presidential candidate who supports ethanol subsidies and voted for the farm bill that is just corporate welfare for big agribusiness.

Now... name the candidate that took a hit in losing Iowa rather than pander to them.

[Sean of the Thread]

There was this chick comedian on Last Comic Standing, she didn't make it to Vegas... anyways... she had this joke about walmart and how people were complaining about working there. I can't remember it, but the punchline is "How about go to college."

Our lives are largely the results of choices that we as individuals make. It isn't random chance that one person ends up in a shitty job and another person doesn't. Working at Kohls may suck, so maybe, if you don't already, aspire to something more.

I never said it sucked as I like my job. I made the decision to get my foot into the door of retail management.

It's a breath of fresh air and I don't have to wear a suit everyday and deal with the extreme stress and pressure that I did prior and the money will be about the same.

Plus the chicks are hotter.

[thefarmer]

There was this chick comedian on Last Comic Standing, she didn't make it to Vegas... anyways... she had this joke about walmart and how people were complaining about working there. I can't remember it, but the punchline is "How about go to college."

Our lives are largely the results of choices that we as individuals make. It isn't random chance that one person ends up in a shitty job and another person doesn't. Working at Kohls may suck, so maybe, if you don't already, aspire to something more.

I agree that it's not all random chance. But there are plenty of outside influences out of our control that play a part as well. It's not just a matter of what we do ourselves.

[Some Rogue]

Plus the chicks are hotter.

And younger, you pedo.

[Gan]

In your eyes then, what's a better solution?

I say that non-confrontationally, just to be clear.

By increasing minimum wage - you're just creating more inflationary pressure to the economy, IMO.

Short term, release some of the strategic reserves into the marketplace (yes, I know that goes against Bush et. al.). This will help ease speculation in the short run which will coorelate into lower gas prices in the short run. Next I would open up drilling and exploration along the coasts where its banned and open up ANWR for drilling and exploration - again to ease more short run speculation and lower fuel prices (short run), and add long term investment into our oil/gas inventory while alternative sources are being researched/created. Then I would abandon the bio-fuel/methanol programs thats driving up the costs of domestic grain and grain fed food product (which has both short run and long run benefits to prices of fuel and corn derived/related foods). Reverse a % of big oil tax credits to subsidize further investment into alternative fuel/energy sources. Modify and universally regulate banking/lending practices for the mortgage industry in an attempt to stabilize the housing industry so investors can safely invest away from oil commodities and back into sound mortgage backed securities while the dollar recovers enough to help continue to drive the cost of crude downwards and take inflationary pressures off of our economy. And lastly look at any available attempts to stabilize relations/environments in the middle east as soon as possible in order to further ease speculation and stabilize oil imports while long term alternatives are being researched/created.

[The Ponzzz]

I gotta say, while the economy is rough, it really just depends on what you can do. I only have an associates degree right now and I'm slowly working towards my masters. I also have a year of professional training at a school in Syracuse (AKA a waste of a year) in the marketing and advertising fields.

I work sales. For a long time I was telemarketing but I finally got a break when I started working for the paper doing both inside and outside sales. From there I did pharmaceutical sales and that's where I started making over 40k a year. That job shit the bed when they started regulating people to have Bach degrees and up, so I actually started working for Presstek/Kodak in Rochester. One of the best jobs I ever had.

I haven't made under 30k in a long while. Last time would be when I either delivered pizzas when I was younger, waited tables, bartended at the New York State faire or McDonald's at 16-17.

What I am getting at here, is training and life experience is the key. Education can open doors, but that's about it for people in my field. It doesn't land you a kick as sales job. But sales ain't for everyone. I don't think I could live for under $10 an hour. I'd have to work two jobs. With oil the cost it is and the price of everything on the rise, I don't know how people can get by for anything under $15/h. I know people do, but I'm just saying.

/lifestory

[Gan]

I rarely disagree with Gan on this matter. We'll probably disagree on a better method.

Rather than increasing a wage that will be passed down to the consumer ... and leave the MWers in no better position than they were (often worse), the focus should be on driving down costs (and in my opinion, closing socio-economic disparities)

As a hotelier (I think I have that right?), how will the minimum wage affect you directly with the wages you pay your entry level/labor staff (housekeepers, greenskeepers, etc.)? And how will it indirectly affect the wages you already pay by raising the rates of substitute labor positions in industry relative to your location?

If you have to pay more for goods or services will you pass that increase in costs along to your consumers (customers)? Or will you reduce your labor staff (or other costs/benefits) in lieu of outpricing your level of competetiveness with other hotels in your area?

[Sean of the Thread]

<---- Born in Rochester


What a shit hole.

[The Ponzzz]

Yea Roch makes Syracuse look like the Shining City of NY.

[Latrinsorm]

Very well may be. But if you start fucking with capitalism like that then what?

There are already huge consumer taxes on gas and impact fees etc on vehicles why add more? Might as well ban RV's and boats and require mandatory tune ups every few months. It's a slippery slope that I don't want added to our country's already fucked up mantra.I guess the question you have to ask yourself is how many and what size holes you'd let someone else drill in your lifeboat before you broke his or her neck.
Our lives are largely the results of choices that we as individuals make.Source?
universally regulateWhat would Adam Smith say???

[Tsa`ah]

As a hotelier (I think I have that right?), how will the minimum wage affect you directly with the wages you pay your entry level/labor staff (housekeepers, greenskeepers, etc.)? And how will it indirectly affect the wages you already pay by raising the rates of substitute labor positions in industry relative to your location?

I don't have a single employee that earns MW. I will have to reconsider scheduled raise percentages come the next hike however. Most of my clients are already locked in (sports camps, visiting collegiate teams, alumni groups, and visiting/transferring managers ... etc to local industries). My rates will only be marginally impacted directly by the MW hikes ... more of an indirect impact (supplies, linens ... etc). Rates currently, for me, are influenced more by rising utility costs.

My business is has it's own niche in the market and I have very low turnover due to pay scales and the flexibility I offer. Other hotels and any business that pays MW will feel a much heavier impact from the hikes than I do ... and will adjust their rates to my benefit.


If you have to pay more for goods or services will you pass that increase in costs along to your consumers (customers)? Or will you reduce your labor staff (or other costs/benefits) in lieu of outpricing your level of competetiveness with other hotels in your area?

I'll have no need to reduce staff, but as I said ... my costs are more utility based since I departed from acceptable hotel practices. This hike puts what competition I have at a disadvantage.

[Tsa`ah]

Quick quick... name that presidential candidate who supports ethanol subsidies and voted for the farm bill that is just corporate welfare for big agribusiness.

I would highly suggest you look over the latest farm bill and learn what NAI is. I would also recommend you review my stance on food based bio fuels.



Then I would abandon the bio-fuel/methanol programs thats driving up the costs of domestic grain and grain fed food product (which has both short run and long run benefits to prices of fuel and corn derived/related foods).

Eh ... Corn based ethanol had a very negligible impact on food costs last year, if any. Last years harvest was a record. We were able to meet domestic and foreign demands and still have a 10% surplus. The rise in food costs have largely been due to the devalued dollar and the petroleum demands in ag.

This year's flooding will have an impact on food costs on the horizon, food based bio-fuels are likely to still have a negligible impact.

[Mighty Nikkisaurus]

I would highly suggest you look over the latest farm bill and learn what NAI is. I would also recommend you review my stance on food based bio fuels.



Eh ... Corn based ethanol had a very negligible impact on food costs last year, if any. Last years harvest was a record. We were able to meet domestic and foreign demands and still have a 10% surplus. The rise in food costs have largely been due to the devalued dollar and the petroleum demands in ag.

This year's flooding will have an impact on food costs on the horizon, food based bio-fuels are likely to still have a negligible impact.

It also should be noted that certain foods that have wheat/flour in it (read: most processed American food) have gone up in price in large part because of the failed crops from Russia. Granted that's not the entire issue but stuff like that does add up.

[Gan]

What would Adam Smith say???
That there's a bunch of greedy crooks in the mortgage and banking industry that needs their ass spanked with some seriousness.

[TheEschaton]

Really, crb, you want to say our lives are the product of our decisions?

How do we have a President who drank and snorted coke til his 30s, then?

-TheE-

[Parkbandit]

Really, crb, you want to say our lives are the product of our decisions?

How do we have a President who drank and snorted coke til his 30s, then?

-TheE-


To be honest, Obama isn't the President yet.. let's wait until after the election for this, shall we?

[Latrinsorm]

Obama isn't even in his 30s, he ages in Islamic years.

As for Eschaton's point, you have to remember that George W. Bush obviously made the smart decision to be born to a President and CIA Director. I don't know what everyone else was thinking, it's obviously a pretty sweet deal, but the early bird gets the worm.