Minimum wages to rise in 31 states

[daniel green]

Minimum-wage earners in 31 states and the District of Columbia can soon expect slightly bigger paychecks thanks to the third and final installment of a federal rate hike that raises the wage floor from $6.55 an hour to $7.25 an hour effective Friday (July 24).

http://www.stateline.org/live/details/story?contentId=414884

[Circe]

Of course, there are those that are already complaining that paying that 28$ extra in paychecks is a BAD thing.

[theal3]

Yes, the Dems got that though in the last session of Congress, and about time. It'll come in handy to workers during this recession. But wait, I thought the GOP said the sky would fall if min. wage was increased, businesses would have to close and lay off workers......Wait.... LOL that happened already and it wasn't due to increase in minimum wage. It started last Fall. Greedy bankers, insurance and mortgage industry.

The extra in paychecks can now help build the economy back up as they spend it. Seems like it comes at a good time.

[daniel green]

Maddow tonight said that if one works 8 hrs a day, 5 days a week, with not one hour off, one would make 19K/yr. Cost of insurance is around 13,000/yr. That sure doesn't leave much for poor familes to live on, does it?

[Patriot]

Maddow tonight said that if one works 8 hrs a day, 5 days a week, with not one hour off, one would make 19K/yr. Cost of insurance is around 13,000/yr. That sure doesn't leave much for poor familes to live on, does it?

I suppose you would have to factor in the housing allowance, food stamps, medical assistance and other government programs that poor families qualify for. I'm sure that helps stretch the budget.

My son is thrilled about the raise. Unfortunately, he comes from a working class family who doesn't qualify for any of the free stuff, so he has to help with his University costs, so the raise is very welcome and he's not complaining.

[theal3]

Maddow tonight said that if one works 8 hrs a day, 5 days a week, with not one hour off, one would make 19K/yr. Cost of insurance is around 13,000/yr. That sure doesn't leave much for poor familes to live on, does it?

She actually said $15,000......can you imagine raising a family on that? and that's before taxes. When I started working min. wage was $1.50 back in the early 60s. When my girls went to work in late 80s, is was $5.00. College cost about $1,200 a year in the early to mid 60s: by the late 80s, it was $7,000 a year. And at good reprutable state schools. They did the same type jobs I did as a teen and college student: wait tables, take cleaning jobs, temp office jobs etc.

By the time my son went to college in late 90s, college was up to $13,000 and min. wage still at $5.00.

Somes states like Oregon though are higher than the FED. mandated that just went up.

[Patriot]

Maddow tonight said that if one works 8 hrs a day, 5 days a week, with not one hour off, one would make 19K/yr. Cost of insurance is around 13,000/yr. That sure doesn't leave much for poor familes to live on, does it?


According to the guidelines, a family of 5 in that income would qualify for free medical care, so that would free up a lot of the income to live on.

http://www.health.state.ny.us/health_care/medicaid/#qualify

[Patriot]

She actually said $15,000......can you imagine raising a family on that? and that's before taxes. When I started working min. wage was $1.50 back in the early 60s. When my girls went to work in late 80s, is was $5.00. College cost about $1,200 a year in the early to mid 60s: by the late 80s, it was $7,000 a year. And at good reprutable state schools. They did the same type jobs I did as a teen and college student: wait tables, take cleaning jobs, temp office jobs etc.

By the time my son went to college in late 90s, college was up to $13,000 and min. wage still at $5.00.

Somes states like Oregon though are higher than the FED. mandated that just went up.

To think of raising a family on that is mind boggling, isn't it? Way back when we were poor, I remember tax returns of $12,000 a year with two kids. We were so broke, but the kids never knew it. We look back on those years now and wonder how on earth we did it.

[Susan43]

She actually said $15,000......can you imagine raising a family on that? and that's before taxes. When I started working min. wage was $1.50 back in the early 60s. When my girls went to work in late 80s, is was $5.00. College cost about $1,200 a year in the early to mid 60s: by the late 80s, it was $7,000 a year. And at good reprutable state schools. They did the same type jobs I did as a teen and college student: wait tables, take cleaning jobs, temp office jobs etc.

By the time my son went to college in late 90s, college was up to $13,000 and min. wage still at $5.00.

Somes states like Oregon though are higher than the FED. mandated that just went up.

Wow! Theal, you were making big money. My first job (other then babysitting) paid $.85 an hour. I was 15 and had to have a special work permit.

WA state has the highest minimum wage, you folks are second. Nice for the folks to have a few extra dollars in their paychecks. :biggrin:

[daniel green]

She actually said $15,000......can you imagine raising a family on that? and that's before taxes. snipped.

YES YES YES!!!!!!!

My bad, completely.

She did say it was 15/K before taxes.

And we expect them to pay for insurance on top of that.

A national shame is what it is.

[Patriot]

YES YES YES!!!!!!!

My bad, completely.

She did say it was 15/K before taxes.

And we expect them to pay for insurance on top of that.

A national shame is what it is.

No, as per the tables posted, a family making that amount annually would qualify for free medical care (medicaid) and wouldn't have to pay any insurance costs.

[juliekan]

Wow! Theal, you were making big money. My first job (other then babysitting) paid $.85 an hour. I was 15 and had to have a special work permit.

WA state has the highest minimum wage, you folks are second. Nice for the folks to have a few extra dollars in their paychecks. :biggrin:

My first job, in 1973(I was 14) was at a Dairy Queen for $0.60/hr. Quit 2 yrs later when I was making only $1.10/hr, and I found out that a new girl was being paid $1.60/hr, because, as the owner said, she had a child to raise. I was opening and closing, basically running the joint but he didn't care because I wasn't an unwed mother.

All turned out ok, I got a job at a hospital, and never looked back....

[juliekan]

It certainly is a national shame. Recently some business owner I know, and don't like very much, commented that he couldn't believe they're raising the minimum wage again. I asked him one simple question:

"When is the last time you tried living on minimum wage??" The dummy then looked at me shocked, and said, "what did you say"? I repeated it. He jumped up, slammed his chair into the table, and stormed out of the room, slamming the door on his way out.

Needless to say he's a member of the right wing, and will never bother to come into my office again! :lol:

MO

When is the last time you lived off of minimum wage? If he came into your office, I'm guessing you weren't calling your office the "fry station at McDonald's". Especially since you feel sure he will never grace your "office again"?

How did you know he was right wing? Just because he didn't like what you said?

Are you a business owner, with ss and withholding to match, and healthcare to provide for your workers? If you have your own small business, this is all a make or break. Or go back to minimum wage.

And yes, my next job is starting soon and I will be paid minimum wage. $$, I'm happy!

[LisaM22]

I suppose you would have to factor in the housing allowance, food stamps, medical assistance and other government programs that poor families qualify for. I'm sure that helps stretch the budget.

My son is thrilled about the raise. Unfortunately, he comes from a working class family who doesn't qualify for any of the free stuff, so he has to help with his University costs, so the raise is very welcome and he's not complaining.

people making 19k a year do not qualify for food stamps and housing

[flareon]

I suppose you would have to factor in the housing allowance, food stamps, medical assistance and other government programs that poor families qualify for. I'm sure that helps stretch the budget.

My son is thrilled about the raise. Unfortunately, he comes from a working class family who doesn't qualify for any of the free stuff, so he has to help with his University costs, so the raise is very welcome and he's not complaining.

Plus thousands more in earned income credits if they have young children.

[watcher2005]

More employees will suddenly become "self-employed" and pay both sides of FICA.

[flareon]

More employees will suddenly become "self-employed" and pay both sides of FICA.

I don't know. There are strict rules about that and most people who make minimum wage wouldn't fall under the independent contractor realm.

[FurthurBB]

When is the last time you lived off of minimum wage? If he came into your office, I'm guessing you weren't calling your office the "fry station at McDonald's". Especially since you feel sure he will never grace your "office again"?

How did you know he was right wing? Just because he didn't like what you said?

Are you a business owner, with ss and withholding to match, and healthcare to provide for your workers? If you have your own small business, this is all a make or break. Or go back to minimum wage.

And yes, my next job is starting soon and I will be paid minimum wage. $$, I'm happy!


I am a business owner that has all those issues and more, although, I have never hired anyone for minimum wage. IMO

[watcher2005]

I don't know. There are strict rules about that and most people who make minimum wage wouldn't fall under the independent contractor realm.

Who enforces it? What is the penalty?

[LisaM22]

min wage should be tied to congress, when they give themselves a raise, min wage should go up by the same percent

[LisaM22]

Link.:sneaky:

http://www.gettingfoodstamps.org/whouses.htm

[flareon]

Who enforces it? What is the penalty?

The IRS monitors it. It can come as a result of an audit, an uptick in the filing of 1099's Miscellaneous Income forms, a disgruntled employee calling the IRS, etc. If an employee is being paid as a contractor and they don't think their job should be classified as that, it would be to their benefit to turn the employer in to the IRS.

There are fines and it is possible that the company will be put in a position to be audited each year. No company wants that to happen. The company also would still be liable for the employment taxes they should have paid.

[watcher2005]

The IRS monitors it. It can come as a result of an audit, an uptick in the filing of 1099's Miscellaneous Income forms, a disgruntled employee calling the IRS, etc. If an employee is being paid as a contractor and they don't think their job should be classified as that, it would be to their benefit to turn the employer in to the IRS.

There are fines and it is possible that the company will be put in a position to be audited each year. No company wants that to happen. The company also would still be liable for the employment taxes they should have paid.


That has not been my experiences in the working world. I don't think they do much of that unless it is an enterprise that has ticked someone off politically in which case there will always be something the government can find to pester with.

I believe it is common to classify low wage earners as self-employed.

[Doc Holliday]

I detest minimum wage laws. In fact, I detest the government trying to set any prices for anything.

Can everybody see that if the minimum wage is raised to $20.00/hr then businesses across America would be snuffed out of existence?

But you think it's okay for wages to be raised just a little bit? That there are no ill effects?

There are ill effects. Depending on the exact nature of the market, possible effects include an increased substitution of capital for labor (thus less labor ultimately employed), and higher prices for consumers.

But the biggest effect is what you don't see: unskilled jobs that never get created because the owners of capital won't pay a minimum wage that is set above the product of labor.

For example, here is Mike who owns Big Mike's Salvage Yard (and it's a covered business, thus subject to federal wage laws). Every single day he forces himself to do some job that he hates. He would love to hire some college kid from down the street to come in every day and do that unskilled job. Mike figures it's worth about $4/hr - he would be willing to pay $4/hr to attract the labor he needs. But the government tells him he has to pay a minimum wage that is far higher. So Mike doesn't create the job. A job that could have been created never comes into existence.

It's hard to determine the total effect of minimum wage laws because economics is not science and you can't isolate things in an experiment (and economists are predictably split when it comes to interpreting the results of the "empirical" studies that do exist), but my example above shows why minimum wage laws could hurt the least skilled and experienced workers - precisely the segment of the population that a just society should be concerned with.

Any possible benefit of minimum wage laws derives solely from the income effect - the fact that you have more people with a greater disposable income.

But there is a better way to get that income effect: a radical expansion of the earned income tax credit, or something similar to it. Let the market determine the price of labor for that is most efficient and best for everybody. Protect the most unskilled and inexperienced people by abolishing minimum wage laws. But do the income transfer at different level so that we can all benefit from the income effect.

[R~O~S]

Link.:sneaky:

I've been told so many times how much we have available to the low income worker in this country. So I found you a link. You'll need to go through the questionnaire, which is quite long to determine what is or isn't available to people in your state making minimum wage.

There truly are a lot of programs that would assist me in going back to school (if I was truly in the financial situation I entered), although I wonder how they think I'm going back to school if I'm working all those hours just to make minimum wage or who's going to raise my children while I'm spending all my waking hours either at school or work.

Beyond that, not a lot of help.

Of course the results you'll get will depend a lot on the state you're in as well as income and health info you enter.

http://www.govbenefits.gov/govbenefits_en.portal?_nfpb=true&_pageLabel=gbcc_page_home&_nfls=false

[Patriot]

Plus thousands more in earned income credits if they have young children.

You're right. I work for a bank and see the refunds of 4, 5 and more thousand dollars. I never can figure out how you can get back more than you pay in. But anyway - yeah, that makes a big difference also. That's a decent car, some medical bills, home taxes....etc.

[Circe]

You're right. I work for a bank and see the refunds of 4, 5 and more thousand dollars. I never can figure out how you can get back more than you pay in. But anyway - yeah, that makes a big difference also. That's a decent car, some medical bills, home taxes....etc.

Just wondering if you actually know someone that gets the EIC? Beleive it or not, most of those big checks that they cash go to things like paying bills, buying necessary clothing for the kids, and such things as you mentioned. But, I suppose that it would be better for them to not get that money and, you know, go without those "luxuries." They don't really need to pay bills, or anything like that, after all.

[Patriot]

Just wondering if you actually know someone that gets the EIC? Beleive it or not, most of those big checks that they cash go to things like paying bills, buying necessary clothing for the kids, and such things as you mentioned. But, I suppose that it would be better for them to not get that money and, you know, go without those "luxuries." They don't really need to pay bills, or anything like that, after all.


Yes, I know people who receive it. I also work in a bank and see hundreds of them and where it goes. I'm sure there are people who use it wisely, but I'd like to see a link to your claim that "most" is spent wisely. In general my experience is much different than your scenario. Unfortunately, it's like every other hand out - it usually goes to people who are less motivated and have little sense of financial responsibility, that is my experience. I do live in a rural area with a high population of generational welfare recipients, maybe it's different elsewhere. My brother is a business owner and one of his employees, a 21 year old high school dropout who married his pregnant girlfriend and rents a trailer in a trailer park was bragging at work about the $5500 he got this year. It was gone quickly, nothing much to show for it. That could have been a nice start to a down payment on a house, or maybe put some away in case they have unexpected bills come up, though that's unlikely since most every one of their needs is met by the government. But like I said, that's just how it is here, I'm sure there are people who use it wisely.

[Mimi428]

http://www.gettingfoodstamps.org/whouses.htm

Thanks for that link.

I looked up the link for Texas & put in the following figures to determine if one able-bodied adult, making minimum wage, would be eligible for food stamps.

I indicated that the person has no money in checking or savings accounts, nor was there any retirement plan money.

A person making minimum wage would earn $290 per week
Deduct withholding -$28.40
Deduct SS/Medicare - $22.16

Take home pay = 239.44 I rounded up to $240.

Although I do not know of any place in the area where a person could live for $400.00 per month in rent, I used that figure. I indicated that there would be other utility payments (it does not ask how much). I also indicated that they had a vehicle worth $2000

So - for all of that - the person working 40 hours a week at a minimum wage job would be eligible for $75 a month in food stamps.

http://www.hhsc.state.tx.us/programs/foodstamps/estimator/fsresults2009.cfm

Keep in mind, the person can have no liquid assets worth over $5000.

[R~O~S]

Wow, $75, that should keep them fat in Romen noodles!!

http://www.budget101.com/ramen_noodle_recipes.htm

Whooo Hooooo!!

[FurthurBB]

I really do not understand the people on here saying things like, oh, yeah, they might be making minimum wage, but, are eligible for food stamps, get EIC if they have kids. Let me just ask you this, even if a person getting EIC was the one getting $5,000 back, which they are not because it is not possible. Who would want to live that way? Oh, the only people who get tax returns that large either have a lot of children and a good paying job or children and are going to school. You get more money from the child tax credit, which you cannot take if you qualify for EIC, than you get from EIC. IMO

[Doc Holliday]

Interesting FACT for most of us, check the last time your job paid $7.25 an hour, if it was 1950 or never, consider what it must be like now to live on minimum wage.

Bah! Minimum wage laws! Hate them!

I'd abolish minimum wage laws, food stamps, and welfare.

I'd replace them all with a new and radical system: Doc Holliday's Version of the Negative Income Tax.

A system where every American has a guaranteed minimum income and low wages are supplemented, among other things. Although no system is perfect (e.g. there will always be some decrease in the labor force participation rate under any welfare system), mine comes close.

My system is the best one on the market today. If only people would listen to me the world would be so much better....

[Doc Holliday]

That has some merit, as did your post about Mike. But Mike has some fallacies, he wants to pay less for the task he hates most. That's akin to saying garbage collectors do not deserve as much money as nurses. When the sorry fact is our sanitary engineers deserve and work hard for their pay. Problem is nurses who are equally needed and are in short supply are paid less per year than an NBA star averages per missed foul shot.

Supply and Demand, RP.

The job that Mike hates requires no skill. The value to the firm in monetary terms is small, even though Mike may find the job personally distasteful in psychological terms.

The supply of labor would be huge - no skills are required and no prior experience is needed.

Thus Mike would offer up to $4/hr, but he can't because of minimum wage laws. So he continues doing the job himself.

That's an example of the hidden cost of government setting the price of labor, when the government can't possibly know what the equilibrium price is in the "unskilled and no experience required" labor market.

As far as NBA salaries goes, if there was no demand for basketball the salaries would drop. If fans lost ALL interest in basketball, the players would find themselves in poverty.

The market for nurses faces similar dynamics - even if those dynamics are distorted by the highly regulated nature of health care. If there is a shortage, you'd expect wages to increase (all other things equal!), and if everybody signs up for nursing school today, then you would expect nurses' wages to drop in the future (all other things equal!).

I can't talk about garbage collectors because I've been putting something off all day (which is the only reason I'm here posting - I never ever post like this unless I'm avoiding something else) and now it's about ready to explode in my face, so I have to run. I'll never procrastinate again, I swear.

[flareon]

Yes, I know people who receive it. I also work in a bank and see hundreds of them and where it goes. I'm sure there are people who use it wisely, but I'd like to see a link to your claim that "most" is spent wisely. In general my experience is much different than your scenario. Unfortunately, it's like every other hand out - it usually goes to people who are less motivated and have little sense of financial responsibility, that is my experience. I do live in a rural area with a high population of generational welfare recipients, maybe it's different elsewhere. My brother is a business owner and one of his employees, a 21 year old high school dropout who married his pregnant girlfriend and rents a trailer in a trailer park was bragging at work about the $5500 he got this year. It was gone quickly, nothing much to show for it. That could have been a nice start to a down payment on a house, or maybe put some away in case they have unexpected bills come up, though that's unlikely since most every one of their needs is met by the government. But like I said, that's just how it is here, I'm sure there are people who use it wisely.

You're exactly right in many cases. Plus they can get additional child tax credit (which would be included in their federal check) and state EIC.

[LisaM22]

I suppose you would have to factor in the housing allowance, food stamps, medical ***istance and other government programs that poor families qualify for. I'm sure that helps stretch the budget.

My son is thrilled about the raise. Unfortunately, he comes from a working cl*** family who doesn't qualify for any of the free stuff, so he has to help with his University costs, so the raise is very welcome and he's not complaining.

I have never agreed with the parents of an adult being used to deny an adult financial aide for school, not all parents will support their children even if they make 100k a year, some adults wanting to go to college are on their own, and the dead beat parents should not be considered at all when deciding need - we need to extend the public school system to add 4 years of public college for those that want it

[A-hem_1]

Huh? :confused:

I 'think' they meant that when a HS student graduates from HS and wants to go to college, in order for the student to receive financial aide they go off the parents income and the gov't expect the parents to contribute to their child education. Not all parents do or can.

After I graduated from HS I applied for financial aide but was denied because my parents made too much money. Unfortunately, my father had died so his income that was to be considered was useless, but my application for grants was denied.

[LisaM22]

I 'think' they meant that when a HS student graduates from HS and wants to go to college, in order for the student to receive financial aide they go off the parents income and the gov't expect the parents to contribute to their child education. Not all parents do or can.

After I graduated from HS I applied for financial aide but was denied because my parents made too much money. Unfortunately, my father had died so his income that was to be considered was useless, but my application for grants was denied.

yep, that is exactly what I mean, say a adult whats to go to college but has rich dead beat parents or parents in so much debt they can't help even if they wanted too, he\she will not get financial aid and will not get anything from the parents either, that is not fair to that young adult trying to make something of him\herself

I would be in favor of extending the public school system to add 4 years of public college for those that want it

[A-hem_1]

yep, that is exactly what I mean, say a adult whats to go to college but has rich dead beat parents or parents in so much debt they can't help even if they wanted too, he\she will not get financial aid and will not get anything from the parents either, that is not fair to that young adult trying to make something of him\herself

I would be in favor of extending the public school system to add 4 years of public college for those that want it


I agree that community college should be free. The amount they charge for text books is outrageous! I think one year I spent 600+ on textbooks for one semester. I was only talking 13 units.

Starting an 18 year old off with debt to student loans isn't a smart thing to do. While I don't agree with 4 years free, I think 2 years at a community college free of charge and lowering the cost of text books, the student has a chance to at least obtain their AA and work for scholarships/grants. Then they can transfer to a 4 year university and concentrate on their studies with not a lot of debt under their belt.

Most of the ills in our society come from lack of education. But that is a discussion for another thread :wink:

[flareon]

I agree that community college should be free. The amount they charge for text books is outrageous! I think one year I spent 600+ on textbooks for one semester. I was only talking 13 units.

Starting an 18 year old off with debt to student loans isn't a smart thing to do. While I don't agree with 4 years free, I think 2 years at a community college free of charge and lowering the cost of text books, the student has a chance to at least obtain their AA and work for scholarships/grants. Then they can transfer to a 4 year university and concentrate on their studies with not a lot of debt under their belt.

Most of the ills in our society come from lack of education. But that is a discussion for another thread :wink:

Book costs are atrocious and depending on the discipline can be almost as much as the tuition. I'm not sure it should be free though. People get more out of an education when they are contributing to it.

The whole idea behind a 2 year college is that they are a lower cost alternative to the 4 year college and are heavily subsidized by taxpayers.

[Patriot]

Book costs are atrocious and depending on the discipline can be almost as much as the tuition. I'm not sure it should be free though. People get more out of an education when they are contributing to it.

The whole idea behind a 2 year college is that they are a lower cost alternative to the 4 year college and are heavily subsidized by taxpayers.


You are so right about book costs. When my older sons were in college, they would sell their books back to the bookstore and get pennies on the dollar. Yet, if they would buy a used book, the book would cost only about $20 less than the new price, which was outrageous.

I got smart this time around with my third. I had him call the school to get a list of the books he will need this fall. They told him "Oh, you don't really save that much if you go elsewhere, just come in and we'll give you the books you need". Yeah, right. I ended up having to call and insist on the list of books, so that I could go online and find them cheaper.

[flareon]

You are so right about book costs. When my older sons were in college, they would sell their books back to the bookstore and get pennies on the dollar. Yet, if they would buy a used book, the book would cost only about $20 less than the new price, which was outrageous.

I got smart this time around with my third. I had him call the school to get a list of the books he will need this fall. They told him "Oh, you don't really save that much if you go elsewhere, just come in and we'll give you the books you need". Yeah, right. I ended up having to call and insist on the list of books, so that I could go online and find them cheaper.

I know. The used prices weren't so much different.

Yea, I wouldn't believe them about the savings. They even charged high amounts for paperback books. I know there were many courses where I needed 6 books for that one class.

[Brat2002]

Yes, the Dems got that though in the last session of Congress, and about time. It'll come in handy to workers during this recession. But wait, I thought the GOP said the sky would fall if min. wage was increased, businesses would have to close and lay off workers......Wait.... LOL that happened already and it wasn't due to increase in minimum wage. It started last Fall. Greedy bankers, insurance and mortgage industry.

The extra in paychecks can now help build the economy back up as they spend it. Seems like it comes at a good time.

Too bad some will lose their jobs as a result. My brother was manager for a chain store, which employed mostly minimum wage workers. They have a set amount for payroll. When the minimum wage increases, they don't get more for payroll, so it means cutting jobs to make up for paying other employees more. It also results in higher prices at stores. How unfortunate for the majority who don't work for minimum wage because they are not getting an increase, yet will be paying more for things. I guess they'll just have to work it into the budget, along with ever-increasing gas prices and higher taxes around the corner.

This is coming at the worst possible time. I think this will push the unemployment rate past 10%.

IMO

[flareon]

Too bad some will lose their jobs as a result. My brother was manager for a chain store, which employed mostly minimum wage workers. They have a set amount for payroll. When the minimum wage increases, they don't get more for payroll, so it means cutting jobs to make up for paying other employees more. It also results in higher prices at stores. How unfortunate for the majority who don't work for minimum wage because they are not getting an increase, yet will be paying more for things. I guess they'll just have to work it into the budget, along with ever-increasing gas prices and higher taxes around the corner.

This is coming at the worst possible time. I think this will push the unemployment rate past 10%.

IMO

Absolutely. They will either terminate employees, cut hours, or pass it on to their customers.

This is just another feel good law that is not based in reality.

[R~O~S]

Absolutely. They will either terminate employees, cut hours, or pass it on to their customers.

This is just another feel good law that is not based in reality.

So the "customer" should get their consuming done at the price of paying employees something less than a living wage?

A bit more of that "I've got mine to heck with everyone else" don't you think?

Or would you rather think of it as a "sweat shop ideology"?

[LisaM22]

So the "customer" should get their consuming done at the price of paying employees something less than a living wage?

A bit more of that "I've got mine to heck with everyone else" don't you think?

Or would you rather think of it as a "sweat shop ideology"?

exactly.... well said

[Mimi428]

Absolutely. They will either terminate employees, cut hours, or pass it on to their customers.

This is just another feel good law that is not based in reality.

Not based on WHAT sort of reality?

Sorry, but your last sentence makes no sense whatsoever, can you explain further what is "feel good" about raising the minimum wage?

I can tell you that I do not know how a person living in my area of the country could afford to support themselves working 40 hours a week on a wage of $7.25 an hour.

[Volumina]

http://www.stateline.org/live/details/story?contentId=414884
Absolutely necessary. I think it ought be even more.

[FurthurBB]

You're exactly right in many cases. Plus they can get additional child tax credit (which would be included in their federal check) and state EIC.

No, you can only get one, the tax credit or the EIC. IMO

[FurthurBB]

I have never agreed with the parents of an adult being used to deny an adult financial aide for school, not all parents will support their children even if they make 100k a year, some adults wanting to go to college are on their own, and the dead beat parents should not be considered at all when deciding need - we need to extend the public school system to add 4 years of public college for those that want it

I think the problem is the people who take advantage. They say they parents are not helping when they are. IMO