Romney Nader '12

Yeah, that'll REALLY help the unemployment number come down.

Ask yourself- why not a $20/hour minimum wage? What would happen then?

Adammm:

There's a little more to it than that. People who don't make very much can't buy very much, decreasing their contributions to both the economy and the tax base.

The more people who make a poor minimum wage, the less growth in our economy, and the fewer jobs created.

It gets really complicated, and there's a lot that can be argued both ways, but the more money people make and the more they buy, the more jobs are created, basically. This is what we had for a number of decades, until Corporate America kicked the props out by doing stuff like offshoring jobs, forcing workers to move from decent-paying factory work to ill-paid "service" jobs.

The reason why Santorum swept him a few days ago. Another Rockefeller Republican RINO.

Ask yourself- why not a $20/hour minimum wage? What would happen then?

#2 | Posted by adammm at

A lot of bright and educated people would be serving hamburgers. The quality of your meal would probably improve.

FYI $20 ph = $41600 pa.

why not a $20/hour minimum wage?

That is not what he championing. You argument is pure speculation. Why not $100 per hour. Why not $5480.77 per hour? Then we would all make what the "average" CEO makes.

Mitt Romney has proposed for the minimum wage to be raised from $7.25 per hour by indexing it permanently to inflation

#3 | Posted by MaryTylerWhore at 2012-02-12 03:49 PM | Reply | Flag:

So I guess China's employees have a much higher minimum wage than we first thought? Their economy seems to be growing fairly well...

We need to do away with minimum wage. It was never meant to be a living wage anymore then entitlements a lifestyle.

-A lot of bright and educated people would be serving hamburgers.

not really. I don't know any bright and educated people who will start serving hamburgers.

are you stupid enough to believe something like that will only impact zero-skilled jobs like food service?

Yeah, that'll REALLY help the unemployment number come down.

you can't remedy our unemployment rates with adjustments in the min wage anyway.

A lot of bright and educated people would be serving hamburgers. The quality of your meal would probably improve.

#5 | POSTED BY ZED AT 2012-02-12 05:55 PM

But how much would those burgers be? It's all relative.

Let's just say minimum wage goes up to $20. Then everyone above that job will also need a raise relative to the rise in minimum wage.

But how much would those burgers be? It's all relative.

To some extent.

Some of the cost will be passed on, some of it will be eaten by the business just like high fuel costs are now. Wait till $5 per gallon becomes the norm, then you will see an explosion of inflationary pressures across the board. At $4.25 per gallon you will see another downturn.

I think it should be tied to inflation. It would have a very steady increase rather than these lump increases every decade or so. A steady increase would be much easier for companies to absorb, plus if inflation is very low or negative wages wouldn't rise. People would get all up in arms if we had deflation. Although, I assume they would never let minimum wage drop.

The other benefits are that minimum wage would no longer be a campaign issue and minimum wage bills wouldn't become riders for ridiculous pork that congressman couldn't get in any other way.

Actually, though, I had thought that minimum wage should be somehow based on per-diem rates. These are calculated per area and based on living expenses. It's not exactly what you want, but it's a good approximation for a rough scalar for minimum wage. There would be weird problems along borders and with people living in a low rate area but working in a high rate area and vice-versa, but this is minimum wage we're talking about, so I'm not sure it matters so much.

Then everyone above that job will also need a raise relative to the rise in minimum wage.

Exactly. That is one way to spur wage growth.

However, no one is arguing for $20 minimum wage, so why bring it up other than for hysterics?

A steady increase would be much easier for companies to absorb, plus if inflation is very low or negative wages wouldn't rise.

It would also be easy to plan for and give businesses an incentive not to increase prices to keep inflation low.

"are you stupid enough to believe something like that will only impact zero-skilled jobs like food service?"

There are workers in the food service industry who make you look like a shiftless lout.

#18 | Posted by Kreator at 2012-02-13 10:25 AM | Reply | Flag: food service worker.

I called the jobs zero-skilled, not the people.

tuck your bleeding vag back in.

The last time they raised the minimum wage (and every time they raise it) unemployment started to go up and kept rising to 9% [sic] and is still very high. That said, no one knows the impact of COLAs on minimum wages.

Romney has no more chance of passing this by the Teapublicans then Obama does.

Somebody has to dig the ditch. Someone that can find the area under the curve or someone that can quote Neitchze probably ain't gonna be the person you want to dig a ditch.

Digging ditches does not pay the same as a brain surgeon.

This is the pivot point in our society and it comes down to one question. Do we, and if so, how, do we encourage achievement?

When i can have a brainless job and make the same as one with a brain, what is the use of becoming educated and what is the benefit of trying to achieve anything?

This is the same problem with welfare. Nothing about our present system encourages education and achievement. In fact, it is right the opposite.

A lot of bright and educated people would be serving hamburgers. The quality of your meal would probably improve.

#5 | POSTED BY ZED AT 2012-02-12 05:55 PM | REPLY | FLAG

ya, but who wants to spend $15 for a Big Mac?

Wait a second, did Romney just pull a page from Pelosi's book? More aid and entitlements to the working poor = more for them to spend = a vibrant economy! SHAZAAAAMMMM! Now that's what I call bipartisanship dealings! Way to go guys. Except I won't be buying the $15 dollar Big Mac either. Americas 2008 brain fart lives on. NOBAMA 2012.

Romney is starting to sound like somebody I can get behind. Healthcare and living wages! The liberal ideology is strong in him.

Sounds like a dumb-o-crat. We need to get rid of the min wage.

Meh, already had a thread on this.

Be Well.

When I was tending bar I was being paid something like $5.50 an hour and making 200-300 dollars a night. The girls cocktailing the casino made a lot more than that, especially if they had a nice pair of tits.

We need to get rid of people who say we need to get rid of the min wage. Move to Somalia.

I remember years ago I had started out in a min wage job. I had worked there for several years gotten the associated raises. Then I made key holder and got associated raises. I was making about a 1.50 more than when I started. I was pretty happy about that then along comes congress and they boost min wage by 1.15. Suddenly with my experience and responsibilities I was making 45 cents more than a new hire.

For all those proposing a boost in min wage remember it hurts the worker just above the threshold a lot more than anyone else. I mean why did I work hard stay at the same job gain skills and responsibility when I could have just done the minimum and the government would have given me almost the same raise for nothing.

Now years later and I am making 3x the minimum wage and someone comes along and says that education and skill will now only be worth 2x minimum wage? Once again why should I work hard and educate myself to get ahead if the government will just mandate the increases?

Exactly T-Warrior. These liberal (including Romney) know nothings think that money literally and figuratively grows on trees. I wonder how many middle class...yes middle class...people across the nation don't take that overtime shift or work that extra holiday, if it means paying the Odummer administration 60% of the pay right off the top and move them up a tax bracket? Millions of people that's who. Amazing that some people actually get and (believe it or not) read their pay stub every two weeks. Americas 2008 brain fart lives on. NOBAMA 2012.

Most of Europe is without a minimum wage but much of the labor force is unionized and wages are determined by collective bargaining. If you want to go that route I'm fine by that.

However:

In 1992 New Jersey had increased the minimum wage by almost 20 percent to $5.05. In Pennsylvania, however, the minimum wage remained unchanged at $4.25. What happened to low paid employment in both areas? The two economists made a mind blowing observation: Although unskilled labour became much more expensive in New Jersey, fast food restaurants did not sack workers. Actually, exactly the opposite happened: Restaurants in New Jersey hired more additional workers than their competitors in Pennsylvania. Some sceptical economists later challenged these results and questioned the quality of the data used by Card and Krueger. Finally, however, they were able to defuse these arguments. In 2007, Michael Reich conducted a similar case study in the San Francisco bay area. He did not observe employment gains, but there were no job losses either.

What’s the reason for this odd behaviour of the labour market? Most people I’m telling about the study intuitively (and wrongly) think that the employment gains are driven by demand effects. The low paid workers are getting more money, hence they are able to consume more and boost economic activity, their argument goes.

A liberal, a moderate, and a conservative walk into a bar. The bartender looks up and say....

"Ask yourself- why not a $20/hour minimum wage?"

Why do you think that his relevant to this discussion?

Romney is basically saying leave minimum wage where it is by only adjusting for inflation.

re #30 - You're not making an arguement against raising minimum wage. You're making a an arguement against working dead end jobs for cheap employers. Either the job you were talking about where you got $1.50/hr raise over several years was a no-skill entry level job or you were being ripped off.

re #31 - That's assinine. Nobody pays 60%. Nobody who understands the tax code fears going into a higher bracket either. The higher bracket only applies to earnings above the threshold. You will never come out behind by making more money. The idea that middle class people are making less money on purpose is beyond stupid.

I have a much better idea, Mitt.
Everytime Congress votes themselves a pay raise, minimum wage goes up by the same proportion.

Congressional salaries vs. minimum wage chart:

LOL Danni that graphs looks like one of those triple-leveraged ETF stocks.

Has the minimum wage really helped low skill workers? Doesn't it deprive beginners of entry jobs?

Ask yourself- why not a $20/hour minimum wage? What would happen then?

#2 | Posted by adammm at 2012-02-12 03:40 PM | Reply | Flag:

Prices would go up to cover the cost. What---you think people would close up their businesses and get a job?---oh my how could busionesses ever survive??? Boo hoo hoo

People used the number $5 an hour when asking your same question and min wage was $1.65---my oh my, how will those poor businesses survive????? Maybe we should all work for $40 a week like great grampa did. He had it much better than we do.

#27

ack that Spud. I missed it. Something about
Repub shiat - I thought "as usual" and
wandered on -

here 'tis agin -

I say lets raise the minimum wage for ordinary workers and then pay that amount to members of congress and the president! A win win for all.

"Has the minimum wage really helped low skill workers?"

Sorry but the question is laughable, of course it has helped low skill workers. That's like asking "would employers exploit low wage workers if they were given the opportunity?"

Romney didn't take a salary as Governor of Massachusetts.

Lets tie the wealthy to the electric chair.

Romney didn't take a salary as Governor of Massachusetts.

#44 | Posted by shirtsbyeric at 2012-02-14 12:16 PM | Reply | Flag:

BFD---his millions come from the thousands he has put out of work.