Is that the government's fault or the people's?

__________________
"If ye love wealth greater than liberty, the tranquility of servitude greater than the animating contest for freedom, go home from us in peace. We seek not your counsel, nor your arms. Crouch down and lick the hand that feeds you; May your chains set lightly upon you, and may posterity forget that ye were our countrymen."
-Samuel Adams

I'll accept the chance of it happening, I don't think that on the there will be enough firms where it happens for it to increase unemployment on the whole. I think its far more likely to see the same amount of employment or a small increase.

Then would you agree that the Dept. Of Agricultures study, if ultimately accurate, would represent the upper bounds of inflation (companies swallow none of the costs and pass it all on to the consumer, only looking at agriculture). That a 17% increase would have a 2% increase on prices, is pretty much the absolute worst case scenario of inflation?

there are a little over 1 million people who earn the federal minimum wage and almost half of those are children (meaning high school students with part time jobs). There are many more who earn higher minimum wages in their states, but the issue here is the federal minimum wage. that really isn't that many people, and the majority of them don't stay at minimum wage for long. Many quickly get a raise or move on to other employment. Working a minimum wage job is often just to get some job experience so that a better job is more attainable.

Basically rasing the minimum wage won't matter. There aren't enough people earning the federal minimum wage that it really affects the economy and markets and there are so few people earning it that it won't do a thing to loosen the grips of poverty.

Still no opinions on what the increase in the minimum wage should be? I'm not baiting anyone here, I'm actually wondering what people think it should be. I'm also wondering what the method is for determining what the increase should be. When congress decides to raise it, what data will they be looking at to determine the 'appropriate' increase? Also, what is the argument for mandating a national minimum wage? Many states have passed minimum wage increases already, so I don't see why this is a national issue. A one size fits all approach to the economies of say, California and Wyoming, makes absolutely no sense to me.

__________________
"Some years ago I had a sobering realization about women, which was that there are just too many nice ones. One simply can't fall in love with, sleep with, or marry all the nice women...One of the saddening facts of life is that there is always going to be a delightful woman somewhere who, for whatever accident of timing or attraction, simply slips by and recedes to return only in a dream."
-Larry McMurtry in Roads

It really shouldn't be a federal issue at all. Markets and economies are different everywhere, so there is no way for the federal government to be fair.

I believe in my fellow americans to take care of themselves, its to bad that most seem to think that there are so many people who are incapable of taking care of their own lives.

If Congress does rase the wage it is only for points with the lower income voters that can not get a wage increase on their own.

Just why coulsn't they do it on their own? My ancesters got their own pay wages increased. Unionize. If the corporations don't like it, tough shit, they will be out of workers if everyone comes together.

Thematic- would you please put a link to the above-mentioned study or tell me how to get to it? I want to have a look before I reply to you last question.

Mpd8488- I think you are "right on" with your last two posts.

__________________
"If ye love wealth greater than liberty, the tranquility of servitude greater than the animating contest for freedom, go home from us in peace. We seek not your counsel, nor your arms. Crouch down and lick the hand that feeds you; May your chains set lightly upon you, and may posterity forget that ye were our countrymen."
-Samuel Adams

If a business can't make a profit paying it's people more than $5.15 then it probably isn't a good business idea to begin with.

__________________
"Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!"

Do you think a national minimum wage is necessary or a good idea? Nobody in this thread has made a case for a national minimum wage, and I'm wondering what that case would be.

__________________
"Some years ago I had a sobering realization about women, which was that there are just too many nice ones. One simply can't fall in love with, sleep with, or marry all the nice women...One of the saddening facts of life is that there is always going to be a delightful woman somewhere who, for whatever accident of timing or attraction, simply slips by and recedes to return only in a dream."
-Larry McMurtry in Roads

A national minimum wage clearly does not address the complexities and differences between the economies of the fifty states. As I said in an earlier post, to say that the minimum wage in California and Wyoming should be the same makes no sense. What is the point is having a supposedly federal government if an issue like this, where the interests of the states are so varied, is mandated at the national level? If this should not be a state issue, what should?

__________________
"Some years ago I had a sobering realization about women, which was that there are just too many nice ones. One simply can't fall in love with, sleep with, or marry all the nice women...One of the saddening facts of life is that there is always going to be a delightful woman somewhere who, for whatever accident of timing or attraction, simply slips by and recedes to return only in a dream."
-Larry McMurtry in Roads

It is not so much as the business paying the higher min wage, it is will the customer pay the higher prices?

Would you be ok with paying 2 -3 times the price at MacDonalds? or any of the other places?

Would you be ok with paying more at the store for the food that you are buying?

Americans are such a double standard group.... higher wages but will cry when it comes to paying higher prices for goods and services.

Actually I would have no problem with that. If it goes up from 5.15 to 8 then it has only increased by about 65%. But labor cost is only part of the price considering food cost, equipment, electricity, and other costs so it probably will not go up a fraction of that. At the most the cost could rise 10-20% and that is only because fast food joints pay around minimum wage while other things I pay for do not rely on it as much. I can easily live with that. While those costs will only go up that percentage the labor gets the 65% increase in pay.

__________________
"Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!"

The "data" that they look at is how much it can go up and still pass the House and the Senate and not be vetoed by the President.

One would be surprised to find out where all the min wage takes place...

What about self choice? if one is not getting enough pay it is time to move on, find a job that pays, or two jobs that pay...

One of the best things that could happen would be for the government to get out of the way along with removing the IRS and putting in a national sales tax on new items.