Posted on 07/01/2017 10:25:57 AM PDT by Renkluaf
U.S. Supreme Court Justice Louis Brandeis wrote: “a single courageous state may, if its citizens choose, serve as a laboratory; and try novel social and economic experiments without risk to the rest of the country.” Seattle’s Minimum Wage Ordinance, passed in 2014, exemplifies courageous experimentation by a local government.
The ordinance aims to increase earnings of low-wage workers as one response to the troubling rise in income inequality and stagnant wages of low-wage workers. There is national and international interest in knowing how it is working. Unfortunately, not all social experiments work entirely as planned.
On April 1, 2015, the ordinance raised the minimum wage for Seattle employees from the state’s minimum of $9.47 to $11 for large employers. On Jan. 1, 2016, the second phase-in period started, when the minimum wage reached $13 for large employers — 37 percent higher than the state minimum wage at that time. Since January of this year, the minimum wage for large employers has been $15.
. . . Our research found that during the second phase-in period, hourly wages paid to low-wage employees increased, as intended by the ordinance. However, our estimates also suggest that the higher wages led to the elimination of more than 5,000 low-wage jobs. Standard economic theory predicts that employers will reduce their demand for labor given a higher wage. In percentage terms, the loss of jobs was significantly larger than the gain in hourly wages. As a result, while some low-wage workers may have earned more, we estimate that the net earnings per low-wage job in Seattle fell by an average of $125 per month. For low-wage workers, this is a substantial loss.
(Excerpt) Read more at seattletimes.com ...
“a single courageous state may, if its citizens choose, serve as a laboratory; and try novel social and economic experiments without risk to the rest of the country.”
Washington State has been turned into a bloody Petri Dish.
A theory is proven through experimentation. Experiments are validated by repeatability. A theory that is proven correct is a fact.
If one jumps from a tenth floor window, Newton’s theory is that mutual gravitation between the masses of the Earth and oneself will pull one to the ground at a rate of acceleration of 32 ft/sec squared. But that’s just a theory. In the absence of experimental data, one could argue that one would float in mid air, or even fly upward.
“But”, you reply, Galileo dropped hammers from the Leaning Tower of Pisa, demonstrating gravity.”
“I am not a hammer” one replies. Then one takes the leap and goes splat. QED.
Rock-headed liberals won’t be swayed even by the proof before their eyes in Seattle, even when the experiment turns out the same in every other location where it is tried. Much like their other Marxist delusions, they will convince themselves that it just wasn’t implemented right, or not enough, and soon, someday, if we can get EVERYBODY on board it will surely work!
And all of you running dog reactionary capitalists who don’t agree will find yourselves kneeling at the edge of a ditch waiting for a bullet to the back of your brain.
The problem with all Socialists, and these Seattle morons are no exception, has always been that, when their ideas don’t work out, they blame “reactionary forces and economic saboteurs” and set about imprisoning and murdering their scapegoats.
“Unfortunately, not all social experiments work entirely as planned.”
I LOVE IT - quote of the year!
” Leftists just can’t seem to comprehend this fact, no matter how many times it’s proven in the real world.
Yes, they do, for sure. DO NOT EVER underestimate the intelligence of the Left - they are far more intelligent than our side (or Obamacare would have been dead months ago). That really is our biggest mistake - thinking that they’re either dumb or misguided. Nope, they know EXACTLY what they are doing - they are PURE EVIL and need to be sent to the ash heap of politics.
Brought to you in large measure by this bitch immigrant. Isn’t “diversity” wonderful. You get a “migrant from the world’s largest $hit hole to immigrate here, get herself elected, and go right to work creating another $hit hole in the image of the one she left. I just hope I have enough life left to allow me to see all of it come crashing down, because I am convinced, short of a complete collapse, we will not ever cure what’s wrong with our country today.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kshama_Sawant
“It will killed fast food restaurants! Tell that to the stock market. McDonald’s in up from $120 to $150/share in 12 months. The markets welcome those $15 workers! “
I don’t think that these wage increases will ever affect the fast-food giants. because they have the knowledge and the resources to take the needed corrective action. The problem is with the small “white table cloth” eateries who don’t have any means to get themselves out of the predicament these laws create. And I am just left wondering by what part of our Constitution do these cities get the idea that they have any right whatsoever to control what people are paid. That is the fundamental problem.
That and they firmly believe the owner of any business large or small is just overwhelmed with profits and too greedy to pay employees.
“They would never understand.”
If that were the case, we would DEFEAT them at every turn.
No, they FULLY UNDERSTAND, and until we’re capable of believing that, they will continue to defeat us.
“Courageous? More like foolhardy”
Actually, BRILLIANT, on their part. What good is it to the left if kids can get an entry level job and work their way up. Much better to prevent them from EVER working...and thereby assuring their votes.
And never forget, Socialists imprison, torture and kill to get their way. Every Socialist harbors a desire and a plan to exterminate any who would frustrate his or her ambition. All of them.
“So that Burger King goes from 8 people working the lunch hour shift to 2”
...with the other 6 on WELFARE. So guess who those 6 vote for. I’d say the Dems in Olympia are making a lot more sense than our own party in DC.
AND increasing the unemployment figure to attack Trump with
What are you, some kind of nutcase. All the Democrats want is a FAIR DISCUSSION of the issues, and then let the chips fall where they may.
Oh, screw that, you’re right. I have yet to meet a Democrat that wants the above.
I was referring to the vast majority of Dem/leftist voters. I've spoken to enough of them to know that they fully buy into the minimum wage propaganda.
If you are on the lower end of the “troubling rise in income inequality, it would behoove you to look for another employer of learn a trade or skill that an employer will pay you higher wages for.
Did the Seattle people think about union contracts that trigger a raise in wages BASED UPON what the minimum wage is?
The loss of 5,000 jobs couldn’t be anticipated by these so called experts in social engineering?
I hope that the example is taken for what it is...a poor choice by a liberal city, not to be repeated.
Because it makes them feeeeeeel good.
I was under the impression their stock rise followed McDonalds announcement that they switching over to self-ordering kiosks.
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