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Should the government raise the minimum wage to $15?
We should just give the "hard working" people what they want and hand them their money. And years later down the line when they get even more pickier, the minimum wage should be raised to $20 an hour. Am I right? Whose with me?
5 Answers
- 7 years ago
Some states and some companies have raised their minimum wages without waiting for the Republicans in Congress, who are against the minimum wage and any increase. Consumer Advocate and now-Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) has kept tabs on what the American workers' minimum wage would be today if the wage had kept pace with inflation, and $15/hour is low based on that rate. Cosco's average beginning wage is $13.85 per hour with three-month reviews for a possible raise, so in this sense the $15 might seem high to some skeptical employers (most of whom make multi-$millions$ in salary based on their workers' labors. President Obama chose the $10.10 minimum as a transitional figure for fast-food workers and Wal-Mart workers, but left things open in case employers saw the wisdom of paying even more.
Stop and think about the long-range positive effects of having a decent wage for American workers, which was the NORM before the Reagan/Bush firing of PATCO (Professional Air Traffic Controllers Union) that set off an ALL-OUT-WAR on full-time workers and unleashed a Pandora's box of BOTTOMLESS-PIT CORPORATE GREED from which this GOP-damaged nation still suffers. When American workers have more money in their pockets each payday, they SPEND in local businesses or they BUY from their own company, and this CONSUMER SPENDING creates an upward and outward GROWTH SPIRAL that benefits every level. There is a correlative increase in payroll taxes, which adds to the nation's REVENUES, and that can pay for infrastructure repairs or can be used to PAY DOWN THE DEFICIT.
Increasing workers' salaries grows the economy, and $15/hour seems reasonable for firms whose CEOs net hundreds of millions of dollars.
- Anonymous7 years ago
I'm an employer, a licensed painting contractor. If I paid $15 an hour, I would never be able to hire entry level workers who don't paint professionally and need to be taught. It takes 5 years to be a great painter--brush, roll, and spray. However, since there is no apprenticeship program in my state, I pay what a worker earns.
Unfortunately, we hired a twenty-something with no painting skills. If we had started him on $15 an hour, we would have to let him go. We repainted everything he did because he left too many unpainted areas.
If minimum wage goes up to $15, I will never be able to train a single tradesman. Most painting contractors don't bother teaching anymore because it's not profitable.
So my answer is no because it would leave out those trying to learn new skills.
- 7 years ago
Since the 1970s or 1960s the minimum wage has increased many hundreds of percent more slowly than the rate of inflation, the average executive pay, and the profits of corporations that depend on minimum wage workers. Well-paid workers are loyal to their employers. Poorly paid workers add extra ingredients to your hamburger. You be the judge.
- Anonymous7 years ago
No you should delete this comment and try asking a different question they should lower the prices on expensive bs and remove useless things people don't need like 1k worth of clothes.
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- RinkydinkLv 77 years ago
No. You should get paid based on your talent or skill. For what reason should an unskilled worker receive $15. This worker can be replaced with any number of unskilled applicants. However if this worker obtained a skill after some years and would be difficult to replace with someone of equal talent he would be worth $15.+. Kind of like entry level baseball players don't earn what Jeter earns. You can always find a ball player but not all ball players have equal
talent and get paid accordingly.
You want to earn $15 and more learn a skill that deserves more than minimum pay.