Editorial: It's time to raise federal minimum wage of $7.25 an hour - Los Angeles Times

Los Angeles Times ^ | Sept. 2, 2024 3 AM PT | The Times Editorial Board

[E. Pluribus Unum]

It’s been 15 years since workers earning the federal minimum wage got a raise. The cost of living has gone up more than 45% since then, with rents and home prices rising faster than incomes in most regions of the country. Yet the nation’s wage floor has stayed stuck at $7.25 an hour.

That is poverty pay, and an increase to the federal minimum wage is long overdue. It’s mind-boggling that Congress has gone so long without making even modest adjustments to help the lowest-paid workers. This is the longest stretch of time without an increase to the federal minimum wage since President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the Fair Labor Standards Act in 1938, which established the right to a minimum wage.

Certainly there have been some attempts to lift the wage floor. Most recently Democrats floated the Raise the Wage Act of 2023 that would have gradually increased minimum pay to $17 by 2028. Republicans countered with $11 phased in over four years. Neither proposal has moved forward.

As part of her economic plan, Vice President Kamala Harris has called on Congress to send her a bill raising the minimum wage. She supported $15 an hour during the 2020 election, but hasn’t named a number this time.

Donald Trump, not surprisingly, has sent conflicting messages on raising the minimum wage over the years. In 2016, he said he wanted to raise the federal rate to at least $10, but later said minimum wage hikes should be left to the states, which is effectively what’s happening now.

Some 30 states and the District of Columbia have enacted higher wage floors, and many cities, including Los Angeles, San Francisco and New York City, have adopted higher base pay than their states in recognition that it...

[E. Pluribus Unum]

[fwdude]

It’s time to quit price fixing like communists.

[FlingWingFlyer]

Well, why don’t you turd rollers at the Loser Times start a GoFundMe page to pay for it? Stop demanding America families pay for your dumbass ideas. Jerks.

[FlingWingFlyer]

Well, why don’t you turd rollers at the Loser Times start a GoFundMe page to pay for it? Stop demanding America families pay for your dumbass ideas. Jerks.

[xoxox]

time to factor in all other subsidies that “minimum wage earners” (if there even are any) get.

[MinorityRepublican]

Some 30 states and the District of Columbia have enacted higher wage floors, and many cities, including Los Angeles, San Francisco and New York City, have adopted higher base pay than their states.

So what's the problem? The minimum wage might be $7.25 in Mississippi but $15.00 in California due to the cost of living. Let the states sort that out.

[cowboyusa]

A Federal Minimum Wage is Unconstitutional.

[econjack]

The minimum wage has never fulfilled its promise, which was to help young, inexperienced, often minority workers, get a job with an income. It was designed for the young worker to gain experience in the labor force. It was never intended to be a wage that would allow a person to buy a home, especially in CA.

Every time the minimum wage is increased, employers are forced to fire some workers, and those are usually the young, inexperienced, often minority workers. Unemployment for those workers increases...every time! If you want to make a decent wage, invest in yourself. Take some training courses, learn new skills. The most underutilized institution for getting new skills is in the military.

The most young, inexperienced, often minority, workers can say after a minimum wage hike is: "I'd be making more per hour...if I could just find a job."

[quantim]

Just the opposite, it’s time to pay federal workers $7.25 an hour. And no benefits for the first five years.

[sphinx]

Blue states ruled by the public employee unions and welfare lobbies do not want red states to have a competitive advantage. This is why leftists demand that every leftist stupidity be nationalized. They call this social justice and basic human rights. The goal is to abolish choice and intra-state competition.

[E. Pluribus Unum]

The last year the black unemployment rate was lower than the white unemployment rate was the year before the first federal minimum wage law, the Davis-Bacon Act, was passed.

The purpose of the act was to prevent black contractors from underbidding unionized contractors.

[Vermont Lt]

A total of 144000 people across the country are paid the Federal minimum wage.

1.4% of the workforce is paid at, or below that rate. These people are mostly waitstaff and tipped workers who make more than minimum wage.

There are other exceptions to the rule, but in the grand scheme they represent a minimal impact on the economy.

It, if you raise the minimum wage it will cause a shift in all wages. If you think inflation was bad before…start messing with that stuff.

[mrmeyer]

The true minimum wage will always be zero.

[Salman]

And of course the same people who want to raise the minimum wage also want to bring in unlimited illegals to work off the books.

It's the cargo cult theory of economic value.

[hinckley buzzard]

Liberals wanting to spend other people’s money again.

[deks]

$7.25 an hour is $290 a week for 40 hours.

[Steve_Seattle]

$7.25 an hour is about $1,160 a month. How many of you tough talkers could live on that, or even 150% of that?

[mykroar]

That’ll fix everything. LOL

[cableguymn]

Who is absolutely right.

The minimum wage is 0.00

[OldArmy52]

People want a “living wage” for entry level jobs.
All good, let’s make min wage $100/hour.
What possible downside could there be?

(my advice to Harris...I can be her finance czar since I so good with money and pay stuff!)