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Obama: Customers will accept paying more for higher minimum wage
Washington Examiner ^ | 10/7/15 | Sean Higgins

Posted on 10/07/2015 4:40:35 PM PDT by markomalley

President Obama said Wednesday that consumers would be OK paying higher prices if they knew it was the result of an increase in the national minimum wage. He argued that there was therefore no practical reason for anyone to oppose a hike.

"I think that most of us are price-sensitive. We're not looking to over-pay. On the other hand, I'll bet that a lot of folks here, if they go to a restaurant, and they know that the people working there are making a living wage, the fact that they may be paying an extra dollar for a burger, would feel OK," Obama said, adding, "Some people might not be able to afford it, but a lot of people could."

The president went on to say that it "would have an impact" in the debate over the minimum wage if consumers could be made more aware of the connection between a higher minimum wage and higher prices.

Obama made the comments at a White House event dubbed the "Summit on Worker Voice," a day-long event to promote organized labor in the workplace. The comments were part of larger discussion about changing attitudes toward outdated notions about workplace issues. He conceded that many businesses, especially restaurants, operate on tight profit margins and would have to pass the higher costs from a higher minimum wage onto consumers.

Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton sent a signed copy of her memoir Hard Choices to several of the major Republican presidential candidates. Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul responded by signing the book with a message for Clinton and auctioning the memoir on eBay.

"Hillary, you refused to provide security for our mission in Benghazi," Paul wrote. "Should forever preclude you from higher office! Rand Paul."

The book signed by Paul and Clinton has already received several bids online, in excess of $300 as of press time.

Clinton first delivered the book to the presidential candidates with a letter stating that she thought the candidates may want to read the book since they had questioned her record during the most

Obama has supported several increases in the national minimum wage, which is currently $7.25 an hour. In 2013, he endorsed a Democratic legislative proposal to raise it to $10.20. Earlier this year, he endorsed a new Democratic proposal to raise it increase it to $12 an hour.

Organized labor has long supported higher minimum wages because they reduce the amount of cheap, non-union labor available to employers as well as create pressure to raise wages generally.


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Government; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: economy; livingwage; minimumwage; obama
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To: Pilgrim's Progress

:)


81 posted on 10/07/2015 6:14:20 PM PDT by sparklite2 (Eagles fan after loss to Dallas -- This is the first time I ever saw the "prevent offense".)
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Comment #82 Removed by Moderator

To: sparklite2

I’m not sure this would impact tipping as they don’t make minimum wage now, the tips more than compensate - which is why they get so little per hour. It’ll be the fast food chains hit hardest. They’ll either automate more things, like order entry, or raise prices. Those that raise prices will see a quick sales drop. People will go to more diners, get better food and pay the same, even with a tip.

...result is either bad or worse for fast food employees. All the jobs will disappear one way or the other.


83 posted on 10/07/2015 6:18:05 PM PDT by fuzzylogic (welfare state = sharing consequences of poor moral choices among everybody)
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To: markomalley
> President Obama said Wednesday that consumers would be OK paying higher prices if they knew it was the result of an increase in the national minimum wage. He argued that there was therefore no practical reason for anyone to oppose a hike.

well maybe if it weren't for all the increases in the cost of living, obamacare penalties, regulations that are causing us to pay fees we never paid before, jobs lost to illegal immigrants, etc...

What a clueless idiot...

84 posted on 10/07/2015 6:29:31 PM PDT by jsanders2001
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To: Blue Jays
> Precisely what I was thinking. Tips on everything from restaurants, to coffee spots, to haircuts, to car services, and everything else will plummet in response.

that's the European model. Little or mo tipping because the service sucks in restaurants. You will wait an hour and a half to two just to get our food. That's the way the NWO Illuminatists want it; everything regulated uniformly across the globe...

85 posted on 10/07/2015 6:48:14 PM PDT by jsanders2001
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To: 2ndDivisionVet
> Said the multi-millionaire who’ll never have to pay for anything for the rest of his life.

nah I think he'll be more like a multi-billionaire by the time he collects his destruction of America bonus from Soros and liquidates his campaign funds

86 posted on 10/07/2015 6:55:34 PM PDT by jsanders2001
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To: markomalley

The only acceptable minimum wage for someone who dropped out of high school at 16 and is trying to raise a family of seven is at least $100/hour. It is the employer’s obligation to teach the employee to read, tell time, brush teeth and vote for Democrats. I miss America.


87 posted on 10/07/2015 7:03:35 PM PDT by jlindseyx42 (Namaste)
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To: markomalley

“the fact that they may be paying an extra dollar for a burger, would feel OK,”

I don’t recall ever buying anything off the $2 menu.


88 posted on 10/07/2015 7:06:47 PM PDT by Rebelbase
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

https://www.aei.org/publication/minimum-wage-effect-january-to-june-job-losses-for-seattle-area-restaurants-1300-largest-since-great-recession/

Article from August, 2015:

In June of last year, the Seattle city council passed a $15 minimum wage law to be phased in over time...

The chart below shows that the Emerald City MSA started experiencing a decline in restaurant employment around the first of the year (when the state minimum wage increased to $9.47 per hour, the highest state minimum wage in the country), and the 1,300 job loss between January and June is the largest decline over that period since 2009 during the Great Recession (data here).

In contrast to the January-June loss of restaurant jobs in the Seattle area: a) restaurant employment nationally increased by 130,700 jobs (and by 1.2%) during that same period (data here)


89 posted on 10/07/2015 7:16:02 PM PDT by 21twelve (http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2185147/posts It is happening again.)
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To: Drrdot
I guess Obama is dumber than I thought.

Obama is dumber than you can imagine.

90 posted on 10/07/2015 7:32:59 PM PDT by JennysCool (My hypocrisy goes only so far)
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To: Drrdot
I guess Obama is dumber than I thought.

Obama is dumber than you can imagine.

91 posted on 10/07/2015 7:33:00 PM PDT by JennysCool (My hypocrisy goes only so far)
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To: kingu
You forgot one important thing TAXES

The tax for family of four earning $7.25 or about $15,000 a year are zip plus they can have unearned credit and other deductions to receive more than they paid in

With a wage of $15 per hour or $31,200 a year now no more unearned credit and they pay a fairly large tax

Minimum wage increase only helps the government for it lets them collect more

92 posted on 10/07/2015 9:06:36 PM PDT by mouser (Run the rats out its the only chance we have)
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To: markomalley

The days of amateurs running this country are over....


93 posted on 10/08/2015 1:17:17 AM PDT by nikos1121 ("There are a thousand hacking at the branches of evil to one who is striking at the root." Thoreau)
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To: markomalley
Customers will accept paying more for higher minimum wage

That, or they will just not go there.

94 posted on 10/08/2015 4:27:04 AM PDT by hattend (Firearms and ammunition...the only growing industries under the Obama regime.)
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To: Lurker

-— What an arrogant POS he is. -—

Will we accept it? We don’t have a choice.

It’s easy to say for someone who lives like a king.


95 posted on 10/08/2015 4:30:16 AM PDT by St_Thomas_Aquinas ( Isaiah 22:22, Matthew 16:19, Revelation 3:7)
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To: markomalley

Obama must be over....... the sooner the better


96 posted on 10/08/2015 4:34:04 AM PDT by bert ((K.E.; N.P.; GOPc.;+12, 73, ....carson is the kinder gentler trump)
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