Let me explain this minimum wage thing so that even you liberals can understand.?

Question

Let me explain this minimum wage thing so that even you liberals can understand.?

Answer 1

You left out something. Thirty one states already have a minimum wage higher than the federal minimum of $5.15. The average of those state is $6.81. That figure will go higher because some states are in the middle of a phased increase. In other words a $2 increase doesn't necessarily happen all at once. It can be a dollar the first year and a dollar the second. I'm not even taking into account cities that have minimum wages higher that their own state, such as LA and New York.

I'm not arguing for or against a minimum wage in general. What I am saying is arguing against the newly passed $7.25 is pointless because the national average is right around that figure already.

Answer 2

You forgot to mention the 6% sales tax on the widget just went from 30 cents a widget to 42 cents a widget. I wonder why the Libs really want to raise the minimum wage?

Answer 3

Hey I have an idea, lets make it a law, that you have to fire the American workers, open shop overseas, pay the foreign workers a dollar a day, a few Americans get rich, while many Americans get poor. What ever the minimum wage is, cannot compete to the dollar a day over in China or India, mmmmmm,

(oops I forgot, they allready did that)

what do you think the final result is.



I do believe in the merit system, let the harder workers and smarter workers rise in pay, but in this Corporate ran system of today, its very very few who get rich while most others suffer, if you do not have some form of minimum wage, I can see Corporate interest even more so taking away the middle class.



I can give a million examples, but here is one, did you know that to sell in walmart, you MUST agree to open at least one factory in China or India (our new political best friends) to sell anything in walmart, While we enjoy the lower prices of Walmart, Are we chopping off our own legs. Do you have any idea on how much Corporate welfare Walmart receives from the Federal Government. I just really think we have to look at the bigger picture. You know we have to start looking after the American workers, we can not compete against China and India, they do not live like us, they are much poorer countries, sending all this work overseas, makes a very few very rich, but puts so many other americans out of work.

Answer 4

Wow, what a simplistic explanation.



What about the company cutting the cost of marketing slightly to offset the costs? Wouldn't that work as well?



And what about companies who outsource work to other countries, yet still charge astronomical prices? I believe that Nike outsources to a country where the workers are paid much much less than they are here. Yet, when my younger brother bought Nikes last year, they were still a small fortune, even though they were made more cheaply than they would be here in America. How do you explain that? Could it be that Nike pays millions to market their crappy shoes that probably take a couple bucks to produce?



Or, let's look at McDonalds. They sell you a soda for - what - $1.19 for a medium? They pay 4 cents for the syrup and approx 10 cents for the cup. You're telling me that so much of the insane profit they make off things like soft drinks goes to the three retirees at the counter (in the daytime, yes, they often are retirees) that they will have to hike the prices substantially? Um, no.



Another example! A friend of ours owns a heating and air company. He made over a million dollars last year, AFTER marketing, materials, labor, taxes, and insurance. He pays new employees a whopping $8.00/hour to start. I'm so sure that an increase of two or three bucks would bankrupt him, huh?



Do YOU understand now? Or do you feel the need to continue to talk down to people who see an issue as being grey, not specifically black or white?

Answer 5

You are completely ignoring how great the mark up are on manufacturing, I over see a plant that manufactures a product that we wholesale and distribute ourselves and sell in out own stores. It costs us about $.30 to mark a $30 product, we can pump out about 8,000/day. That is close to $240,000 gross.



My point is that your average company can pay more, they just usually tend to pay us lucky bastards near the top of the ladder.



Most of your minimum wage jobs are going to be in the manufacturing, service and retail sectors, all three have fairly sizable product mark up.



Just to playing devils advocate here, I am actually fishing for a full explanation as to how having more money in the hands of consumers is a bad thing? It may mean that your overhead is increasing slightly, however you will see a return in those figures via new business caused by more money in the marketplace.

Answer 6

you are correct. Simple economics. Something in which liberals would do good to consider. Forced inflation is what it is. What they need to consider is lowering the minimum wage, so the cost of goods go down, and things are more affordable. If it doesn't start to happen more, companies will be forced to source their product outside the country. Politically speaking, they are only looking at a way to increase the tax base, and could care less about the cost of goods or the economy for that matter. The more expensive things are, the more we are dependant on them. And that is sadly what they are really after..



edit: better pay for workers? That doesn't mean a thing if the cost of goods go up. Their margin for buying goods is equally diminished, and the only thing it accomplishes is an increase in the tax base from inflation.

Answer 7

You miss their point...those of us who are more productive than $7.50 an hour should pay higher prices to subsidize the less productive.



At least until Widget, Inc. moves the jobs to Bangladesh and pays workers there $1 a day to make widgets and the US workers get laid off.

Answer 8

And......? A professional company will look at how it can reduce costs in other areas of its cost base without paying its staff peanuts. It will also be look at how it can market and advertise its products well so that it can make them more desirable and thus charge a little more for them. Why is it always the workers who have to suffer when companies want to make more money? It doesn't have to be that way.

I bet you wouldn't work for the minimum wage, by the way?

Answer 9

Well, you are wrong. The stock market didn't feel the effects of the increase announcement. The last 4 times it went up, it didn't once hurt the economy, only helped. Where is your proof? Last I knew factory workers in the US had very strong labor unions to protect them from being taken advantage of, and are paid quite well. The theory you have is also a moot one for most of the country, the minimum wage in NY has been higher than the federal one for years.

Answer 10

The Democrats have fulfilled a pledge and have passed a bill raising the minimum wage over the next 24 months. Every single member of the House who voted for this legislation has now, through their vote, told us that they:



- Believe it is the role of the Imperial Federal Government of the United States to set wages in the private sector.



- Believe that it is appropriate for the Imperial Federal Government to use its police power to force an employer to pay an employee more that that employee's labor is worth to the employer.



A question for ALL of you: Do you think that it would be appropriate for the federal government to force you to pay more for a product at the store than that product is worth to you? What if the government came to you and told you that the company making the product you wish to buy just isn't making enough money. Their profit margin has been stagnant for four years, and so the government wants you to pay more for the product so that the company making the product could get more profit. Like the idea? Do you think the government should tell you that you must pay more for an item from the department store or grocery shelf than it is worth? If not .. then how can you support the idea that the government should tell an employer that he has to pay a person more for his labor than it is worth?

Answer 11

Good one.. Simple economics is not a Liberal strong suit.



You give a man fish; He will feed the family for a day

You teach him how to fish; He will feed his family for life!

Answer 12

You made that very easy to understand.



What makes you think liberals will be able to grasp that simple concept?



Liberals have never shown an ability to use logic or reason to understand simple problems.

Answer 13

That is correct if minium wages go up so does every thing else. It makes for good politics.No wonder every one wants democrats in office. Give, give, give, .You do not have to work they will give it to you.

Answer 14

You are trying to explain things to liberals... ain't gonna work.

You had me at Widget anyway, I felt like I was back in Steve Allen's Economics Class at good old East High Wichita, Ks!

Answer 15

"That is correct if minium wages go up so does every thing else. It makes for good politics.No wonder every one wants democrats in office. Give, give, give, .You do not have to work they will give it to you."



^^Wow. Nothing escapes you, brainy. This is about people working for wages here, not handouts.



Go away, the big kids are talking.

Answer 16

That is one of the most terrible examples of oversimplification of economics that I have ever heard...



Sorry - but you've missed all of the positives of better pay for workers.



And you've obviously just begun entry level college or community college economics.



Not worth any more of any of our time... the uniformed shouldn't do more than ask questions... they certainly shouldn't claim certitude.



-dh

Answer 17

I don't get your point.Do you realize that for a family of 4,the minimum wage would have to be $9.00 an hour,just to put that family UP to the POVERTY level???There a LOT of people living below that,and most,if not all,of the minimum wage jobs have NO benefits...

Answer 18

You do understand that the tone of your message is such that no liberal will both to read it, don't you?



Patronizing doesn't win arguments, it loses them.

Answer 19

Ok seriously when costs rise faster than wages, it is up to the government to protect is citizens, ESPECIALLY its lowest earning citizens... the widget you speak of used to cost 5.15... back in, oh lets say 1997... now 10 years later it costs 8.00... but while the higher up in the company got nice raises and bonuses... the people making the widgets still make 5.15 from the last increase... corporations won't pay them more for fun...

Answer 20

Golly. A bunch of elitist, pseudo-intellectual Cons looking down their noses at others. No surprise there.



It's that attitude that made Americans turn their backs on your kind. The Conservative hate in you will keep you from getting anywhere in life.

Answer 21

And do YOU understand that when you have happy workers who dont have to worry if they can make enough to feed their families, they will make MORE widgets, bringing the per unit cost down to the point where everyone can BUY the widgets, thus raising profits? Or is this too much for you to understand Mr Business Major? Or would tyou rather justr send all those manufacturing jobs overseas where (nah you know what? Youll never understand, because youve never worked a hard days work in your life IM tire dof wasting my time on you)

Or is your idea of "commerce" such that people in this country should build things only for those who make enough to buy it?

Answer 22

Can you do some math on the billions of taxpayers dollars that the bush admin has failed to account for

Answer 23

o, I guess what ur saying is, that these people should not be able to make enough money to live on? I wonder what u would propose.If they don't make enough money to live on, then they would be better off collecting welfare. Oh, sorry, I forgot that ur taxes would go up.

Answer 24

You assume that liberals are capable of being rational, reasonable, and open to logic. However, if they were any of these things, they would not be liberals, would they?



You can have every fact and reason of logic on your side, but you will never get past their blind, irrational hatred of the mythical "big business".

Answer 25

wow you are so bright !!!!

but the McDonald's in Portland OR is paying $ 8.00 per hour and the one in Dallas TX is paying $ 6.50 and they are both selling the burgers for the same price and both still in business WOW HOW CONFUSING - wait rents are different in some places too ( my head is spinning )



CONSERVATIVE WITH SENSE

Answer 26

Yes.



1-You're condescending.

Wmcritter crap is a RIOT on this point. RIOT>



2-You want workers to live in squalid poverty.



3-You dont see the moral hypocrisy of too much greed.



Are you with me so far?



Its about those at the top not at the bottom,Mr. condescending.

Answer 27

The minimum wage hasn't been raised in ten years. The Republicans said they would not stand in the way of it.



I'm guessing you don't have a minimum wage job. I suggest you try to live on a minimum wage salary.



I am a moderate.

Answer 28

You really need a spelling lesson or two regardless of your wonderful explanation.

Answer 29

i dont understand

Answer 30

No, you're right, you absolutely should be allowed to pay those your business depends on the most a wage of $1.00 per hour.



Hey - perhaps you could propose something where they have to pay YOU for the pleasure of working for you.



Meanwhile, how do you expect them to pay for the gas to put in their car to get to that lovely, pleasurable job you propose to give them?

Answer 31

wha,ts your point? why is raising the min. wage a bad thing?

Answer 32

Tell me then, why does Bush say he supports it?

Answer 33

Liberals are too stupid to understand.

Answer 34

And your point is?