Minimum Wage

[Ripplemagne]

The arguments for both sides. (http://www.balancedpolitics.org/minimum_wage.htm)

What do you think?

[Mind_Forte]

The link didn't load for me but my stance is this:
Get rid of it. I know that may seem a little harsh but think about it like this:
If you make minimum wage higher all you're really doing is asking the companies to raise the prices of their product/service to continue to make a profit. So it's a waste of time. Then again companies could go out and offer like $1.00/hr and make a crazy profit. But I doubt that will happen. If this was implemented in our society it could go one of tow ways:
Way 1: $1.00/hr and make a crazy profit
Way 2: People don't work for the companies that don't offer much money so they either go out of business or they raise their wages. But...how desperate is our society? Will we have millions of people working for a $1.00/hr? I seriously doubt it.So Way 2 would probably work for us, companies wages would vary and that's a good thing. It's more accurate when it comes to rewarding skills like flipping a hamburger or supervising people who flip hamburgers.

[Gem.]

^ What's up with flipping burgers? =/

[vermicide]

My job with the airline can be pretty dangerous, yet we get hired at close to minimum wage. That's why we get so many careless morons who guide taxiing aircraft into buildings and shit (this has actually happened at my airport, luckily nobody was hurt), because more qualified people don't want to get paid that little for all the work we have to do. I'm afraid that if there's no limit to how little companies can pay, that will get even worse. I'm pretty sure the gas station down the street starts their new employees at around the same amount haha.

The economy's hitting this industry pretty hard, I don't complain too much because I know the company just doesn't have any more money to pay us. :/

[Beans]

Anyone with a job will know that minimun wage is retarded especially as most companies that are easy to get in ie fast food, large retail companies etc will set you at minum wage with usually very little benifits.

[clockworkmice]

What dumb question. The minimum wage is entirely necessary otherwise near slavery would ensue with unskilled migrant workers willing to work for pittances gaining jobs over those with better qualifications because the guys with qualifications won't want to work for pennies after all that schooling.

Clockworkmice

[Ripplemagne]

Didn't read the link, did'ja?

[clockworkmice]

I'm pretty sure I did, what makes you think I didn't?

Clockworkmice

[Ripplemagne]

The fact that your argument against it pretty much ignores all of the arguments made in favor of abolishing it?

[clockworkmice]

I'm guessing your referring to the oursourcing of business one yes? Outsourcing your business to another country can cause huge costs on shipping various import taxes etc. It's something only the very biggest companies would do, there would still be a suitable amount of businesses available on the homeland were this to happen.

As we're on the subject could you possibly explain no 2 of "yes" argument:

"Teenagers, workers in training, college students, interns, and part-time workers all have their options and opportunities limited by the minimum wage. "

The explanation is flawed, it seems to imply that students are not deserving of the minimum wage because they don't need it. Have you heard about the cost of universities lately? The prices are soaring upwards, students need that money just as the family man needs the money, don't try and tell me they don't need it.

And also:
"A minimum wage gives businesses an additional incentive to mechanize duties previously held by humans."

So? The business becomes more efficient and makes more money, I'm not sure I see a problem with this. A lull in the job market would occur, but this just leads to more people starting their own businesses.

And this:

"Cost-of-living differences in various areas of the country make a universal minimum wage difficult to set. "

So change it for different areas of the country then, it would vary very little so it's unlikely that floods of people would move about the country forn t he slight min wage increase.

"Non-profit charitable organizations are hurt by the minimum wage. "

So make an exception for them, it's not impossible to have a mixed system you know?

"Elimination of the minimum wage would mean more citizens and fewer illegals would be hired for low-pay hourly jobs, leading to greater tax revenues and less incentive for illegal immigration. "

Nope, with no minimum wage illegal immigrants would be willing to work for much less than the citizens who are used to lots of money. I'm willing to bet that however much an average citizen will work for, an immigrant will do the same job for less money ergo more jobs for immigrants.

[Ripplemagne]

As we're on the subject could you possibly explain no 2 of "yes" argument:

"Teenagers, workers in training, college students, interns, and part-time workers all have their options and opportunities limited by the minimum wage. "

The explanation is flawed, it seems to imply that students are not deserving of the minimum wage because they don't need it. Have you heard about the cost of universities lately? The prices are soaring upwards, students need that money just as the family man needs the money, don't try and tell me they don't need it.

It explains it if you scroll down to the bottom. Minimum wage jobs are often dominated by these groups and by having a minimum wage, it allows for fewer jobs.


And also:
"A minimum wage gives businesses an additional incentive to mechanize duties previously held by humans."

So? The business becomes more efficient and makes more money, I'm not sure I see a problem with this. A lull in the job market would occur, but this just leads to more people starting their own businesses.


Not if they don't have the money to start it with or the know how to even get it together. This point shows that more jobs would available without a minimum wage, which would thereby allow for more aggressive competition and prevent what you mentioned earlier about salaries plunging.


And this:

"Cost-of-living differences in various areas of the country make a universal minimum wage difficult to set. "

So change it for different areas of the country then, it would vary very little so it's unlikely that floods of people would move about the country forn t he slight min wage increase.


Once again, scroll down all the way to read the point in detail.


"Non-profit charitable organizations are hurt by the minimum wage. "

So make an exception for them, it's not impossible to have a mixed system you know?


That, however, can lead to a whole mess of shady business where charitable institutions may get taken advantage of.


"Elimination of the minimum wage would mean more citizens and fewer illegals would be hired for low-pay hourly jobs, leading to greater tax revenues and less incentive for illegal immigration. "

Nope, with no minimum wage illegal immigrants would be willing to work for much less than the citizens who are used to lots of money. I'm willing to bet that however much an average citizen will work for, an immigrant will do the same job for less money ergo more jobs for immigrants.

You may have a point here.