Social Justice... Does it really mean the lazy never have to work again?

[Major Robert Dump]

Not to suggest you are wrong, xaihou, but I'd like to see a legitimate breakdown of what type of people work for minimum wage. I see more adults bagging groceries and flipping burgers than I do kids.

Most places give one raise per year. Merit raises in companies that pay 50% of their workers minimum wage will be next to non-existent because a company that pays that many people mimnimum wage most likely has a "cap" on how many merit raises you can give per quarter, so it becomes less of a merit raise and more of a "these 2 people are my best, i dont want to lose them" raise, even though 8 or 9 others may deserve one. So working for a year at 5.35 means you will soon be making 5.75 or the like -- WOOOOOHOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!! In 7 years you will be up to over 8 dollars WOOOOHOOOOO

Every argument from the pundits about how raising minimum wager would ruin the country seems to revolve around a few issues:
1-it would raise prices (duh.)
2-it would raise other wages because people making 30% above minimum wage would also want a raise
3-small business (sacred cow alert!) will have to lay off people or go out of business

Number 1 is a gimme. And you know what? I would gladly pay 10 cents more for a happy meal or a gallon of milk if the trde off was minimum wage was higher. I guess I'm just that type of guy

As for number 2 and 3, there is no proof. Pundits, schmundits, economists blah blah. Give me proof. Show me where, at the last raise of minimum wage, businesses went under and the unemployment rate went up, show me show me show me.........Instead of repeating the same old unproven crap that has been repeated for the past 10 years, lets see some actual evidence, rather than speculation.

The prices of EVERYTHING has gone up over the past 10 years with minimum wage the same. In 1997 I payed 92-cents for gas and 2.25 for a gallon of milk. Now I pay 2.97 for gas and 3.25 for milk. Yet the bottom tier of the workforce makes virtually the same despite a higher cost of living.

I know, I know, people need to get "an education" or "spend more wisely(know their place)" or relocate to a better job market. I got another one, I think Americans should unpucker their stingy little buttholes, because the people working for minimum wage aren't the cause of all our financial problems.

[Kagemusha]

Another question?In US have you guys frozen the minimum wage´s? Dont you have index raises in those to follow inflation?

[Major Robert Dump]

No, because people who work for minimum wage are not important, will never be important, and are, in fact, disposable. It is because they are drunks, drug addicts, ex convicts, former strippers with 7 kids, infidels and teenagers. They do not deserve any of my sacred "tax dollars" nor do they deserve wage protection because we all know that "minimum wage" is a nice way for an employer to say "I'd pay you less, if it were legal."

I think tonight I'm gonna get Taco Bell and spit on the kid in the drive through if he doens't call me sir. Screw that, I'll spit on him anyway

[Kagemusha]

Ok.So are the minimum wages decided by law or are they following the markets?Becouse if those are decided by Government and after that frozen that is just terrible. It means infact that your minimum wages are getting lower and lower becouse of the inflation.

[Strike For The South]

5.65 locked period end of sotry

[yesdachi]

Another question?In US have you guys frozen the minimum wage´s? Dont you have index raises in those to follow inflation?

Did anyone see the episode of 30 days where he and his girlfriend were to get jobs that paid minimum wage and live on it for 30 day? Neither could even find jobs that paid that low. There are not that many minimum wage jobs out there especially if you work there for some time, raises are often given after 6 months and benefits and vacation are also offered around that time. If you work at a restaurant and do a decent job you can even expect to get a small promotion in 6 months. I know that some restaurants even offer management trainee programs. I have a friend that works at a temp place and they hardly ever have jobs available that only pay minimum wage, they usually pay several dollars more for even the lame entry level stuff. If they raise the minimum wage I am not sure it would even affect many companies as it doesn’t seem they pay many people it anyway. A company that only pays minimum wage is either real cheep or offer a really crappy job, either way I would seek other employment.

------

Hey Soulforged, the difference between unemployment and welfare is that warfare is paid by the state to people that are in “need” and unemployment is paid by the former after say a layoff or downsizing (if your fired you are not eligible for unemployment) employer and is only offered for a limited time based on the amount of time you worked for that employer. I was downsized once (many years ago) and was allowed up to 52 weeks of unemployment (I only used about a month of it). I have never been on welfare and cannot comment much further on that matter other that the fact that it has become more of a system that offers assistance rather than the way the system was back in the 70’s and 80’s where it really created dependency.

[Gawain of Orkeny]

If they raise the minimum wage I am not sure it would even affect many companies as it doesn’t seem they pay many people it anyway

It would only affect small buissnesses. Those that could least afford it. It would but people out of work as many of these would have to close. Its hard enough for them to compete already.

Neither could even find jobs that paid that low. There are not that many minimum wage jobs out there especially if you work there for some time

You are not meant to be able to survive on a minium salary job. Its entry level. As you said I dont think anyone here works for the minimum wage. You start at 8 dollars an hour at Micky Ds here. Another thing 5.65 is a lot more in say Arkansas than it is here in New York.

[Soulforged]

Hey Soulforged, the difference between unemployment and welfare is that warfare is paid by the state to people that are in “need” and unemployment is paid by the former after say a layoff or downsizing (if your fired you are not eligible for unemployment) employer and is only offered for a limited time based on the amount of time you worked for that employer. I was downsized once (many years ago) and was allowed up to 52 weeks of unemployment (I only used about a month of it). I have never been on welfare and cannot comment much further on that matter other that the fact that it has become more of a system that offers assistance rather than the way the system was back in the 70’s and 80’s where it really created dependency.

Thanks yesdachi , but as I didn't know the exact expression to tell it in english I made a mistake, I've corrected that mistake in my last post. I know of what you're talking about, but I'm talking about another thing, read my post above.