President Obama has asked Congress to raise the federal minimum wage to $9 an hour from $7.25, with automatic increases tied to inflation.
The White House says the proposal would increase the earnings of about 15 million low-income workers. In Massachusetts, where the state minimum is $8 an hour, the proposal would directly affect more than 190,000 workers, increasing their average earnings by more than $900 a year, according the Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center, a think tank.
Comments
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, there are approximately 3.8 million workers earning the minumum or less. Going from $7.25 to $9 per hour would cost about $13 Billion a year. Compare that to the 2% of CEOs (about 8,000) earning at least $3 million a year in salary. That's $24 Billion a year, and this is nowhere near their total compensation.
Why should the lowest paid workers have to sacrifice to supposedly keep people employed?
What we need is a Maximum Wage law.
Dumb idea.
Minimum wage in 1971, when I first had a job in high school, was $1.60/hour. According to the inflation calculator at the Bureau of Labor Statistics that's equivalent to $9.00 today. So why is there any debate about this?
So the minimum wage worker working part time is having trouble making her bills...shocking. Because full time her two week gross would be $640...they do not take almost $400 in taxes. Now they have to make enough on part time minimum wage to support a family? Come on...bad example. Find a free GED program and then sign up for school...don't wait for an extra dollar to change your life.
FYI, I made about $200 a week after taxes from my minimum wage Burger King job in the early 90s while in high school with no dependents, so this lady is hardly working...and getting heavy rent, food stamp and healthcare subsidies...
Not only is this woman not working full time, but she'd also be getting the EITC, which would be a big bump in her income. Plus food stamps (an extra bag of noodles - please!) and various other subsidies from health care to housing and more.
I find this conversation interesting.
How about redoing it using a business owner that has 20 or so employees.
And instead of a minimum wage worker, grab somebody like myself that worked around technology all of their lives.
For instance, in 2002 I made $113,000.00
In 2012 I made $8,001.00
My crime?
I went into the service rather than college back in the 70's
I bring this up because many are finding themselves in this same situation.
They have decades of experience, knowledge, and wisdom.
But their jobs have been sent offshore, or visa holders have been brought into replace them.
Leaving them trying to provide for their families making minimum wage.
I'm not sure what the solution is.
It is apparent to me that everybody has answers where I only have questions.
But I do know that we need to do a better job and Keep America At Work.
This comment has been removed.
I'm sick of the BS from business. It never changes. I remember when the minimum was $1.25. Then it was proposed to raise it to $1.35. Oh the outcries! Business was doomed! And so it was for every following increase. Maybe the minimum should be tied to net profit for each business. That would be fair but only in your dreams.