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"Final Nail to the Coffin": Chinatown Businesses Struggle Over Oakland's New Minimum Wage
NBC Bay Area ^ | Cheryl Hurd

Posted on 03/17/2015 2:58:05 PM PDT by nickcarraway

Some businesses in Oakland's Chinatown neighborhood are feeling the effects from the city's new voter-approved minimum wage. The new $12.25, up from $9, went into effect on March 2 and was approved by 82 percent of voters.

"With this minimum wage kicking in, it's the final nail to the coffin," said Carl Chan, a board member for the Chinatown Chamber of Commerce. The new minimum wage forced owner of the Legendary Palace restaurant to close its doors on Feb. 26. Officials said four restaurants and six grocery stores have closed since January.

Many business owners are blaming the 36 percent wage hike, while some said the businesses were already in financial distress. "Business owners are angry," said KC Lam, a business owner. "They can't cope too much."

Lam said he will keep the New Gold Medal restaurant open by being creative -- possibly opening an hour later and closing an hour earlier. Oakland City Councilmember Abel Guillen said it is too early to panic over the new minimum wage.

"It was just implemented two weeks ago," Guillen said. "In the long run it will benefit the entire community."

Worker Danielle Schlamp has not received a check with her new raise on it, but is looking forward to more money in her pocket.


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Extended News; Government; US: California
KEYWORDS: california; chinatown; minimumwage; oakland
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To: nickcarraway

What they don’t tell the minimum wage employees, is this will, put them in a new tax bracket. They will now pay more withholding taxes, and now they won’t qualify for the supplemental support for Obamacare. Yes those minimum wage employees will now have to pay full price for their healthcare tax. So, who really benefits, it is the ones that tax these minimum wage employees. That sweet girl looking forward to seeing the increase in take home pay, may be up for a bit of a disappointment in the coming months. The design was never to help the workers, it is to generate more taxable income for government. Oh, and all you excellent table waitstaff, you can kiss tips goodbye. Remember to thank a Democrat, when your not making the take home pay you used to. You are now supporting all their Democrat take from the “rich” give to the poor programs. Don’t you feel a special warmth for that?
And, all you graduating high school seniors. Just think how much harder you will have to compete with older and more skilled people for the ever shrinking pool of remaining jobs, that used to be considered entry level, but now are too expensive to offer to you. Thank a Democrat for that too. Remember they had good intentions, but not a CLUE about what happens when they mess with simple economic standards.


61 posted on 03/17/2015 6:06:54 PM PDT by wdnhrse
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To: nickcarraway

Liberals love to sit in Starbucks and think of ways to kill businesses. Idiots.


62 posted on 03/17/2015 6:29:28 PM PDT by CodeToad (Islam should be outlawed and treated as a criminal enterprise!)
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To: MadMax, the Grinning Reaper

Why did the chicken cross the road?.
Cuz the governments lawyer’s d—k was in the chicken.


63 posted on 03/17/2015 6:50:35 PM PDT by Dr. Bogus Pachysandra (Don't touch that thing Don't let anybody touch that thing!I'm a Doctor and I won't touch that thing!)
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To: nickcarraway
The plan is working fine. Gainfully employed but marginally-funded workers are able to trade their labor in for a government support check that comes as long as they aren't gainfully employed. Now the former workers owe their sustinence to government. Who are they likely to support in the future, candidates who will cut off funds or those who promise to continue or to increase funds? Why argue with successful electoral prescription.
64 posted on 03/17/2015 8:31:59 PM PDT by Sgt_Schultze (If a border fence isn't effective, why is there a border fence around the White House?)
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To: wdnhrse

You incorporated my financial response to these min wage hikes in your answer: I will no longer tip, and if asked, will let people know that the min wage mandate is what their service is apparently worth. Those who actually are more worthy will correct their problem by finding jobs of higher value. Those who don’t ... Well ... I don’t really care what they do.


65 posted on 03/17/2015 9:33:42 PM PDT by AFPhys ((Praying for our troops, our citizens, that the Bible and Freedom become basis of the US law again))
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To: Fred Hayek

It was probably Babst Boxer.

Brown is an idiot, but in some instances he actually does show some aptitude for finance. Other times not so much. It just depends.

I may be wrong, but I believe I recall her saying something bombastic like that.

Looked around a little and didn’t see anything.


66 posted on 03/18/2015 9:00:26 AM PDT by DoughtyOne (The question is Jeb Bush. The answer is NO!)
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To: Fred Hayek

It was probably Babst Boxer.

Brown is an idiot, but in some instances he actually does show some aptitude for finance. Other times not so much. It just depends.

I may be wrong, but I believe I recall her saying something bombastic like that.

Looked around a little and didn’t see anything.


67 posted on 03/18/2015 9:00:26 AM PDT by DoughtyOne (The question is Jeb Bush. The answer is NO!)
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To: nickcarraway

$12.25 / hour * 0.00 hours = $0.00


68 posted on 03/18/2015 10:34:01 AM PDT by reg45 (Barack 0bama: Implementing class warfare by having no class.)
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To: 17th Miss Regt

You see exactly where this is going.

The marxists approve of business closing in a capitalist society.


69 posted on 03/18/2015 10:43:46 AM PDT by eyedigress
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To: nickcarraway

Yep, you are perfectly correct. I was thinking more about paying the store for eggs, which we don’t do anymore. But yes, you definitely are right that we pay for them indirectly.


70 posted on 03/19/2015 11:06:14 AM PDT by gcraig (Freedom is not free)
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To: nickcarraway

The Tyranny of the Majority.

Minimum Wage Laws are Unconstitutional.


71 posted on 03/19/2015 11:13:04 AM PDT by Kickass Conservative (Advertising Space Available here.)
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To: napscoordinator

The Minimum Wage being discussed here only affects Oakland.

It isn’t the State Mandated Minimum Wage.


72 posted on 03/19/2015 11:16:30 AM PDT by Kickass Conservative (Advertising Space Available here.)
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