Let the good times roll! Senate votes down Federal Minimum Wage hike (again)

[Dinner]

It is a major problem that Congress keeps voting themselves pay raises yet refusing to give America's poorest people a pay raise. A very large percentage of minimium wage earners are adults, often immigrants, not the high schools some people claim. I would likke to see how many American workers are making minimium wage and what industries they work in. If it is mainly retail or fast food industries or even janitors who make minimium wage then there isn't any real threat of losing those jobs to foreign outsourcing.

If it is an industry like textiles then that is another matter but industries like that are doomed any way when even Latin Americans getting paid #8 per day are to expensive to compete against Chinese or Indian labor.

[Dinner]

I'm sorry to say California has been laxed in pushing up the minimum wage. Five years ago we had the best in the country but today we have some 5-10 states either ahead of us or who will be ahead of us as of the first of the year. San Francisco has enacted a $8.50 minimum wage which is the highest in the country but the rest of the state lags behind at $6.75. As of January 1st most of new En gland and Alaska will be ahead of us.

The minimum wage was originally designed to be a minimum level of dignity and most people making minimum wage are in service industries of which there is zero chance of foreign outsourcing and very little foreign competition.

[Dinner]

Originally posted by Kuciwalker
There's no such thing as a fundamentalist Catholic.

I wonder if Galileo would agree with you or the victims of the various inquisitions or even the people who were invaded by the crusaders. Heck would the Orthodoxed Christians invaded by the Catholics agree either much less the Protestants who fought long and hard against Catholic oppression?

[:) Smiley]

Currently, 15 states, making up 40% of the total poulation, have a minimum wage above that of the US national minimum wage.

http://www.dol.gov/esa/minwage/america.htm

San Francisco minimum wage is indeed high but cost of living is proportionally much higher.

[Sikander]

Look at all the people whining because they won't get a raise!

[Cyclotron]

Originally posted by Oerdin
I wonder if Galileo would agree with you or the victims of the various inquisitions or even the people who were invaded by the crusaders. Heck would the Orthodoxed Christians invaded by the Catholics agree either much less the Protestants who fought long and hard against Catholic oppression?

I don't think "fundamentalist" is a synonym for "intolerant" or "mean."

[Kuciwalker]

Originally posted by MrFun
What's insane are the raises that wealthy politicians give to themselves while preaching about how bad it would be for our economy to give WORKING class a raise that they actually need.

Not really. There are 435 senators and representatives - no pay raise they get is going to have any significant effect on the budget. Personally I think they ought to be paid a lot more than they are, just to cut down on corruption.

[Kuciwalker]

Originally posted by VJ
...because it almost keeps up with all the inflation from 1997?

...yes, given that we're not in the booming economy of the 90's.

[Sandman]

The minimum wage is one of the best redistributive methods out there. It's good for the economy too.

[Saras]

Originally posted by Sandman
The minimum wage <...> [is] good for the economy too.

Source?

[Sandman]

Don't have one. In that respect I'm no different from the 'minimum wage = bad' crew.

But who's more likely to spend their money - the poor or the super rich?

[Saras]

Originally posted by Sandman
Don't have one. In that respect I'm no different from the 'minimum wage = bad' crew.

Well, you are different. There's plenty of theoretical work and empirical evidence to back up the "minimum wage=bad" claim.

[Sandman]

Which is why Britain's economy has been tanking in recent years, since the minimum wage was introduced.

[Imran Siddiqui]

[q=DanS]Good thing this was voted down. An increased minimum wage would have increased unemployment over time. [/q]

[GePap]

IN NYS the minimum wage currently is $6, and goes up to $6.75 January first of 2006.

Imagine living on that in NYC.