San Francisco Approves Nation's Most Ambitious Minimum Wage Law

ABC28 ^ | 11/5/03

[Tumbleweed_Connection]

San Francisco-AP -- San Francisco is one of the most expensive places to live -- and voters there are trying to make it a little more affordable.

They've approved a ballot measure boosting the minimum wage to eight-dollars and 50 cents an hour. That's more than three dollars above the federal minimum wage and will apply to virtually every employer in San Francisco.

The federally required minimum wage of five-15 an hour is far below the federal poverty level.

Yesterday's vote makes San Francisco the third city in the country to set its own higher wage threshold. Backers are hoping the idea spreads to other cities.

[nwrep]

I say raise the minimum wage to $20/hr in SF> That will bankrupt that hell hole.

[Semper Paratus]

If they think SF if expensive to live now---

[sticker]

Why can't these fools realize that when you force wages up, with no rise in production, prices go up just as much?

[ArGee]

San Francisco is one of the most expensive places to live -- and voters there are trying to make it a little more affordable.

They have succeeded, but they may not realize how.

With this minimum wage, and without a minimum purchasing law to insist people support the prices necessary to sustain this wage, jobs will be lost. As the jobs go, the population will decline. Declining population will reduce demand for housing, lowering the prices.

All in all, an effective plan. The danger, of course, is they will raise taxes on the remaining people to replace the lost tax base with the reduced work force. If that happens, the plan will fail.

Dimwit liberals - ya could love 'em if they didn't always have their hands stuck in your pockets.

Shalom.

[E. Pluribus Unum]

What uncompassionate pigs these guys are if they think $8.50/hour is a "living wage" in the Bay Area.

They should raise it to $100/hour.

[AngryJawa]

Nice headline. They should try it with pom-poms next time.

[Maceman]

Lefties just don't seem to be able to understand that everyone's income is somebody else's cost.

[CholeraJoe]

"A Liberal is someone who watches a 14 year old girl performing a live sex act on stage and wonders if she's being paid a living wage."

Ann Coulter

[Semper Paratus]

Next they're going to need an ordiance against layoffs because all businesses will be shedding workers like fleas to contain their labor costs, prior to leaving Baghdad-by-the-bay.

[Rhetorical pi2]

Hmmm....what economics class did the writer of this article sleep through? :o)

If all business must pay 62% higher prices for a product, they have to raise prices accordingly. That does not make the community where the businesses are located "more afforable".

If businesses must pay 62% higher prices for labor, they have to raise prices accordingly. Neither does this make the community where the bussinesses are located "more afforable".

Sometimes I think Alice In Wonderland's world was more rational than the one politicians and journalists live in.

:o)

[Publius6961]

I'm still waiting for an answer. Any kind of an answer.

If this is legal, and a good idea, why didn't they propose a minimum wage of $85 an hour?

[stylin_geek]

Beautiful San Francisco, home of the $10.00 Latte..

[Doctor Stochastic]

It's $8.50 because that's what Sante Fé's living wage is.

[DB]

Let them enjoy their $20 cup of coffee...

Suddenly there will be no low skill jobs in San Francisco available... They could get that nice big fat minimum wage if only they could get a job... Amazing...

I'll enjoy watching them self-destruct from a distance...

[Brilliant]

Sounds like San Francisco doesn't want low wage earners in their city. I guess they'll have to go somewhere else.

[Lizavetta]

Next they're going to need an ordiance against layoffs

I believe this is already the case in Germany, with the predictable results, of course.

[PogySailor]

Next comes price controls after businesses are forced to raise prices to PAY the wage. How long before we hear some Idiotarian complaining that "evil big business" is making people pay more so that the "living wage" isn't helping.

[massadvj]

This should do wonders to alleviate the homeless problem. Guess they decided there weren't enough desperate souls sleeping in the doorways and parks of downtown SF. The idiocy of the left is a gift that just keeps on giving.

[kidd]

All those US citizens who washed dishes, worked in dry cleaning, and worked as janitors will now be fired. Their jobs will be replaced by Almost-Legal-Slave Immigrants, who will be paid $1.50/hour.

Teenagers can just forget getting summer employment.

But of course, all the lost jobs will be blamed on Bush.