California Assembly approves minimum wage increase

Los Angeles Times ^ | May 30, 2013 | By Chris Megerian

[Brad from Tennessee]

SACRAMENTO -- The Assembly voted on Thursday to increase the minimum wage in California over the next three years, hiking it from $8 an hour to $9.25.

Assemblyman Luis Alejo (D-Salinas), the author of the bill, said higher wages would “allow our families to provide for their children, pay their bills and give them dignity and respect.”

Starting in 2017, the bill would also require the state to increase the minimum wage at a rate equivalent to inflation.

The legislation now goes to the state Senate. Previous efforts by Alejo have stalled in the Capitol.

Republicans opposed the bill (AB 10), saying it would harm the economy by making it harder for companies to employ new workers

“You can’t legislate on your hopes," said Assemblyman Donald Wagner (R-Irvine). "You have to legislate in the real world. You’re not doing it if you support this bill.”

California's minimum wage is among the highest in the country although it hasn't been raised in more than five years.

[gunsequalfreedom]

Are you talking about public employee unions or trade unions?

[Kickass Conservative]

Yep, he caved. So much for artistic integrity.

No wonder his Brother is a Lawyer. No integrity required.

[Cementjungle]

Liberal fantasy:

Higher wages ---> higher payroll taxes to the state
Higher wages ---> higher product prices ---> more sales tax to the state

Reality:

Higher wages ---> more people laid off ----> more public assistance
Higher wages ---> higher prices ---> less sales ---> less sales tax collected

[MasterGunner01]

Pikers. They should triple the minimum wage to $30 per hour. It isn't fare that all the illegals (not on welfare) can't be paid a “living wage”/sarc

Of course, the CA Assembly rocket scientists might just trigger a mass exodus of businesses OUT of the state. Then the next thing would be the imposition of an “exit” tax on people or businesses fleeing the state.

[ronnie raygun]

They want to make sure they push the rest of the businesses out of the state. Not to worry! When all are gone the Hollywood crowd can support the takers!

[LibLieSlayer]

The sooner california fails the better. You good people have no chance to turn that state around. Get out while you still can.

LLS

[Opinionated Blowhard]

higher wages would “allow our families to provide for their children, pay their bills and give them dignity and respect

Then why not a minimum wage of $15 or $20 per hour? That would give them even more dignity and respect.

[re_nortex]

Are you talking about public employee unions or trade unions?

All unions -- every last one of them -- are evil to the core.

Their very existence is predicated upon class envy and stems from a history intertwined with international Communism. Liberty and unions are fundamentally at odds.

One of the more joyous events in my long lifetime was busting a long-entrenched union and then watching the featherbedding "workers", some of whom had worked at the facility for three decades, get fired. These lazy, unproductive lowlifes with their precious seniority no longer had the protection of the local union goons and were rightly dismissed. The company then became much more prosperous since the deadwood was eliminated along with the archaic workrules imposed by the union thugs. And we anti-union employees who remained after the long-overdue downsizing were amply rewarded in that prosperity.

[gunsequalfreedom]

All unions -- every last one of them -- are evil to the core. Their very existence is predicated upon class envy and stems from a history intertwined with international Communism.

So you don't think employees in the private sector should have a right to assemble for the purpose or addressing grievances with their employer or to hire someone to represent them in pursuit of improved pay and benefits?

Liberty and unions are fundamentally at odds.

You are so correct. I mean, that is exactly the same position as the Chinese government takes and look how well they are doing. Their economy is booming. The standard of living is rising. Why would anybody want any kind of rights in the workplace when everything is working so wonderfully without them?

[re_nortex]

So you don't think employees in the private sector should have a right to assemble for the purpose or addressing grievances with their employer or to hire someone to represent them in pursuit of improved pay and benefits?

If an employee is unhappy, he can simply quit and seek work elsewhere. There's no need at all to get involved with the union racketeers.

You are so correct. I mean, that is exactly the same position as the Chinese government takes and look how well they are doing. Their economy is booming. The standard of living is rising. Why would anybody want any kind of rights in the workplace when everything is working so wonderfully without them?

Unions, Fascism, Communism are all rooted in the same economic philosophy. Adolph Hitler was a big proponent of unionism. Even the name of his Nazi party reveals that truth: National Socialist German Workers' Party.

To put it succinctly, wherever unions are found, there's a loss of freedom, liberty and enterprise. And, it naturally follows that business is stymied by the regulations, archaic workrules and lazy arrogance of commie union thugs.

[4Liberty]

[4Liberty]