I used to be opposed to minimum wage hikes. And, given a liberty-focused government for several years, I would want to get rid of them. But here’s the plain, ugly facts:
There is no free market at play. And precisely because of the unemployment situation, we’re not dealing with teenagers. This isn’t 1950s America anymore.
No-one really makes less than $15 an hour in most of the areas covered by these minimum wages. McDonald’s pays them $7, and then the taxpayer subsidizes the rest.
Again: This isn’t about raising minimum wages; this is about ending the taxpayer subsidization of wages.
And it’s worse than that:
It’s entirely true that most Americans WON’T work for only $7 an hour... because they get more from federal assistance if they don’t. So the people who we’re talking about not hiring aren’t the unemployed; they are illegal aliens.
Again, fewer low-wage workers doesn’t mean more unemployment; it means fewer illegal aliens.
When we get rid of illegal aliens, and taxpayer subsidization of adult wages, I’ll figure the free market can set the minimum wage. Until then, screw McDonald’s. I don’t want to see my country destroyed so McDonald’s can sell $1.09 double cheeseburgers instead of $1.29 double cheeseburgers.
I’ll gladly pay $.20 more for my double cheeseburger... and probably save twice as much in national debt.
You make excellent points, and I enjoyed reading through. Here's the problem: raising MW to $15 an hour would, indeed, do away with welfare assistance, as the enrollees are then making too much money. In fact, this has been the case in a # of areas where former welfare recipients are now COMPLAINING that the higher MW is now making them inelgible for assistance.
But let's boil it down, shall we? Someone making $15/hour grosses $1200 every 2 weeks ($15 x 80). After taxes, take home pay is likely to be somewhere around $800, so effectively, they are now making $1600 in "take home". In Denver (and comparable cities), rent for a simple 2 bedroom place is extremely high, approximately $1200+ per month. So, NOW they are screaming because they no longer get those welfare benefits, AND the rental market is continues to out price these "low income" types.
The result? How long before poverty rates are jacked up, and folks making $15+ per hour are once again eligible for housing and food stamp assistance, thus being funded once again, by us taxpayers?
How ‘bout we follow the Constitution for a change, THEN see what ‘problems’ remain and deal with those?
You point out the problem (govt), yet concede ‘only if...’.
Following the 4, 5, 9, 10th and 13th would knock out - unions (talk about conflict of interest), SS, welfare, crony capitalism, illegals/refugees (see welfare), etc.
Man, could you imagine the return of the markets to HCare, education, trash, fire/police, etc.?! Talk about a BOON.
Get govt out of where they don’t belong and, hey, restoration of the Free Market and the return of true CHARITY!!