Posted on 08/20/2018 6:40:03 AM PDT by davikkm
“The minimum wage law very clearly is misnamed. The real minimum wage is zero. That is what many inexperienced and low skilled people receive as a result of legislation that makes it illegal to pay them what they are currently worth to an employer,” wrote Thomas Sowell, noted economist, social theorist, and Senior Fellow at Stanford’s Hoover Institution, in Basic Economics: A Citizen’s Guide to the Economy.
The minimum wage was never meant to be an income to live off of and support a family with. It was meant to be an entry point into the workforce for low skilled workers or people getting their first jobs. The left continues to clamor for $15 an hour as the minimum wage, ignoring the simple economics that make this push absurd on its face. But this economic trend is only accelerating in cities and states, especially on the West Coast.
The city of Seattle became the first big city to institute a $15 minimum wage which started in 2015 for the largest employers (500+ U.S. employees), who were mandated by the new law to pay any employee, regardless of their skill or experience, $15 an hour. Smaller companies (500 or less) must start paying $15 starting January 2019.
(Excerpt) Read more at investmentwatchblog.com ...
I’ve learned that the reason the minimum wage was created in the first place was to make jobs so expensive that the employers would not hire immigrants. It seems to work in all sorts of ways, at least in that way.
Mandated minimum hourly rate. The government does not have the right to set any pay rate. Not max, not minimum.
From the article: “...Seattle’s city leaders had noble intentions...”
WRONG!
Fascism does not have noble intentions; it has lies described with noble words.
Fascists are not noble; they are insidious and evil.
Unintended Consequences,” I doubt it. The Democrats are masters of propaganda. Their actions promote more unemployment and dependency on government programs while claiming a purpose of raising people out of poverty. They guarantee Democrat votes forever by those who literally depend on them to eat. Evil genius.
You can’t say “unintended” without knowing the intent. It results in more people dependent on the government - government made wages go up for those who still have a job and provides for the others.
They’ve been quiet about it recently, but liberals have often said “income inequality” is our biggest problem. This is one way to force wealth redistribution to both workers and unemployed.
Every time this happens it's reported as hough it were a big surprise. It MIGHT be unintended, but it is entirely predictable, and happens EVERY time this absurdity is enacted by socialistic (or maybe just cynical manipulative) politicians. You would think that no one in government ever heard the story of the goose that laid the golden egg.
If you make it illegal to employ someone for less than $15/hr, then people with less than $15/hr skills will not be employed.
Might I suggest that companies operating in those areas with a codified “minimum” wage go Full-Marxist and implement that same value as a ^maximum^ wage.
Anyone want to wager on the size of resultant tax revenue losses for the governing body? I’d say a 75% reduction would be conservative.
“The minimum wage was never meant to be an income to live off of and support a family with. It was meant to be an entry point into the workforce for low skilled workers or people getting their first jobs.”
Only half right. The minimum wage was never meant to be a livable wage even for one person, let alone dependents. It was created to protect employees that did unskilled jobs that ween’t directly pertinent to the business. They were created, in my observation, not as entry level position worth, but were being treated like a petty cash fund to offset the positions that were pertinent. Wrapping a Christmas package is not a profession, it is a service to entice customers to purchase and do the labor for them. Dumping trash in a single office, painting a small bathroom used by maybe two people, is a job a high school kid can earn money to go on a date, store to buy a car. This is not a position that requires a degree or 10 years of experience. If you need that, then it is a position pertinent to the direct needs of the business. You may want to check the employment companies.
rwood
The MW has passed many Constitutional tests.
Who does the work they were going to do?
Except that it doesn't redistribute the wealth as I'm sure you know. It forces the company to utilize higher skilled people to fill in those menial jobs the $7 an hour people used to do while they gained some experience and learned a work ethic. Cashiers are being replaced by Computer Kiosks wherever possible. It will soon be difficult to speak with an actual person when making an order at a fast food restaurant.
It also pushes the price for the product higher forcing those who could barely afford the product before to forgo those products. I think this is why the artificial higher minimum wage hurts entry level job seekers giving the LESS opportunity to enter the workforce unless they are sponsored.
Watch; next thing you know there will be unpaid internships to work these menial jobs for a period of time. Those who work out will be offered a job at the higher minimum wage but expected to do the work of two people at the lower minimum wage. Imagine having to work for free for 3-6 months while your skill level increases to match the minimum pay rate. Craziness.
Unintended consequences indeed!
You nailed it. Unfortunately nobody can convince lefties - even when studies show exactly what you said.
“Who does the work they were going to do? “
People who are not subject to the Min Wage law*aka*illegals paid with cash
Substitutions will be made. Technology. Workers with supra-$15/hr skills will split their labor. Illegals will be used, paid under the table.
It didn’t work? Inconceivable!
Oh, Please... these corrupt business owners are pleading with every level of government to flood the market with unskilled immigrants to take these jobs.
No-one is surviving in Seattle at $7/hr. They’re getting taxpayers to pay tens of thousands of benefits. If they can’t figure out a way to pay more than $7 an hour to their employees IT WILL BE A SOCIETAL GOOD FOR THEM TO GO OUT OF BUSINESS.
Let a competent business owner have their customers! Let the taxpayer off the hook paying illegal aliens $30,000/yr!
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