CA: The Minimum Wage Calamity

CaliforniaRepublic.org ^ | 1/5/06 | Ray Haynes

[Extremely Extreme Extremist]

I see employers living the extremely high-life while they pay their employees a meager salary.

Oh, the horror.

Go out and invent something useful, and you too can live the high life.

[dalereed]

Neither the employer or the tax payer owe you anything, either work and pay your own way in this world or lay down and die!

Eliminate welfare and the minimum wage.

[MEGoody]

Looting is what happens when you pay a worker too little to live on and expect the taxpayer to pick up the difference.

Who says the worker has to work for THAT employer? Employers will pay what the workforce market requires.

And who says the taxpayers have to pick up the difference? Ever hear of people working more than one job? I've done it, my husband's done it, my son is doing it now.

[MEGoody]

I think, in my opinion, that it hurts Republicans when we don't think people that work in hotels, nursing homes, fast-food,etc....deserve to be paid better.

Market forces should determine wages paid.

Actually, the best thing we can do for wages is not to make more laws, but to enforce the IMMIGRATION laws we have.

[yellowdoghunter]

Market forces should determine wages paid.

I wish I could agree with that but I just cannot anymore. Market forces are manipulated by the wealthy (usually) and they live like Kings and Queens while paying their workers a meager salary. I wish we could leave it up to market forces, but I just can't believe that McDonald's or Wal-Mart, etc... cannot afford to pay their workers more. I just can't believe that.

[NormsRevenge]

Watch the Live Webcast of the Governor's 2006 State of the State Address here Thursday, January 5 at 5:00pm.

Live Stream will be made available shortly before the webcast begins.

[AppyPappy]

I see employers living the extremely high-life while they pay their employees a meager salary.

So maybe their employees should find better jobs. That's what I did.

[AppyPappy]

but I just can't believe that McDonald's or Wal-Mart, etc... cannot afford to pay their workers more.

I can't believe people settle for that kind of job. We should just outlaw fast food jobs and save the workers from having to work for only $7 an hour.

[Extremely Extreme Extremist]

Market forces are manipulated by the wealthy (usually) and they live like Kings and Queens while paying their workers a meager salary.

Market forces are entirely voluntary. In a real free market, those who aren't making enough would obtain the skill level necessary to better themselves on their own, and earn more money without the need for artifical controls or regulations that do more harm than good.

Nobody owes you anything, and nobody is forcing you to perform a job you find unsatisfactory.

I wish we could leave it up to market forces, but I just can't believe that McDonald's or Wal-Mart, etc... cannot afford to pay their workers more. I just can't believe that.

Most of the Wal-Mart and McDonald's workers are part-timers, kids in high school or college, or those using it as a 2nd job. If you consider Wal-Mart or McDonald's a lifetime career choice, then something is seriously wrong with you.

[Physicist]

just can't believe that McDonald's or Wal-Mart, etc... cannot afford to pay their workers more. I just can't believe that.

Fair enough. But can you believe that many Wal-Mart customers cannot afford to pay Wal-Mart's workers more? They are the ones who would bear that cost.

[MEGoody]

I wish we could leave it up to market forces, but I just can't believe that McDonald's or Wal-Mart, etc... cannot afford to pay their workers more.

Last time I checked, McDonald's here locally was paying $10/hour. They had to because of competition for workers.

Market forces do work, and would work even better if we stopped making new laws and enforced the IMMIGRATION laws that we have.

[Fudd]

I wish we could leave it up to market forces, but I just can't believe that McDonald's or Wal-Mart, etc... cannot afford to pay their workers more. I just can't believe that.

Perhaps you should join the ranks of the "live-like-kings" wealthy and run your own McDonald's franchise. You will get the joys of only having to work 16 hours a day, seven days a week; dealing with problem employees; dealing with government regulations and paperwork; wondering how you're going to cover payroll this week; suing customers who don't pay and suppliers who don't deliver; and so on. Everyone I know who runs a small business deals with these risks, and none of them "live like kings". Some may live well, but none are super-rich.

[OldArmy52]

Hey, I want $100/hr for minimum wage here in Calif!

Thus we can instantly create a society of affluence and wealth, eliminating not only poverty but the middle class.

We will all be wealthy elites.

Wonder if it would affect prices at Burger King though.

[Fudd]

I just can't believe that McDonald's or Wal-Mart, etc... cannot afford to pay their workers more. I just can't believe that.

There are people who just can't believe that...

...George Bush won fairly in 2004
...George Bush won fairly in 2000
...George Bush is not a racist
...9-11 was not a Jewish conspiracy plot
...The NOLA levees weren't blown up on purpose
...Texas beat USC
...Bill Clinton would abuse women
...The Air Force does not have a UFO hidden in Area 51
...the moon landings were not faked

and so on.

[Red Badger]

Have it your way, for a $60 Whopper. I'm lovin' it.........

[Mad_as_heck]

If you raise the minimum wage, you are going to create LESS jobs, not more

You betcha! But when has the left ever allowed reality to intrude into politics?

The real effect of this "raise" will be to drive more jobs out of the state and increase the number of "under the table" jobs worked both by both citizens and illegal immigrants.

[FreeKeys]

Market forces are manipulated by the wealthy

Irrational, unsubstantiated SUPER-SCARY!!! conspiracy theory (from someone who has WAAAAAAY too little experience in struggling to beat competitor after competitor after competitor?).

"Can't?" You mean you've been REFUSING to understand. Suggestions: Keep taking Econ 101 until you pass, and build a business up to where YOU're becoming wealthy.

[hybrid]

(1) The employer is paying less-than-market rates, and will soon find that his best employees are leaving for greener pastures

Unfortunately, the 'greener pastures' do not exist; it is very difficult to move to another city, and wages tend to be similar no matter where you move. It is simply not possible to just uproot if your employer tells you he can't pay you more than X. I have been out of college for more than three years now, and find wages have been tending to drop, not get higher.

(2) The work done by the employees is not highly valued by the market, and the employer cannot afford to pay higher-than-market wages.

I have many skills that are in high demand, most importantly a brain. I've found that not only am I underpaid-(I do not make a living wage for the coast, even though I am making twice the minimum now... rent is more than 50% of my cost-of-living and I live in a crappy neighborhood with a roomate.) -though-highly-valued (they gave me MVP of sales support... a plaque. No bonus for Xmas.. oh, and I've been sick and have only 4hrs a month, ran out ages ago).

Why should the government force taxpayers or businesses to subsidize poor people?If there were no minimum wage and no welfare, people would work hard enough to eat and live. Some people would choose to work harder for the rewards of a larger paycheck; some people would work just hard enough to feed themselves. Why does government need to stick its nose in the equation?

If there were no minimum wage and no welfare, you would have a whole lot of starving people, unfortunately. I'm not sure that is the trade-off people want.

Nobody wants to support the poor until they themselves are poor, unfortunately. :( And I've met very very few 'lazy' poor people. Most of them work their butts off and can't ever get ahead. Our courier works three jobs, sleeps a couple hours a night, just to support his ex-wife and their two kids. I know, that's just one guy, right...

Quite frankly, the government sticks its nose in because nobody else will. How many people on here would actually hire a poor person to do... anything? Or would you go out and hire the GQ-looking guy with the schnazzy care and the professionally-edited resume?

Just pointing out the other side sucks, too.

[hybrid]

Go out and invent something useful, and you too can live the high life.

In other words, if you are poor it is your own damn fault? Hmmm... know many poor people?

[FreeKeys]

"Politics is all about getting and keeping power, and in politics, the professionals in the business soon learn that the only way to get and keep power is to force people to talk to them. A full-time legislature thinks of more and more things to regulate and discuss." -- California Assemblyman Ray Haynes, here: http://freedomkeys.com/politicians2.htm

And "MINIMUM WAGE, MAXIMUM FOLLY" by Dr. Walter E. Williams, here: http://www.capmag.com/article.asp?ID=4173