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In reply to the discussion: This comment just rubbed me the wrong way... [View all]jeff47
(26,549 posts)66. That's why I said it isn't linear.
raising the minimum will not result in an across the board pay raise for all American workers.
Which is why I said it isn't linear. Raising minimum wage increases the wages for people getting paid near minimum wage. Being paid $2/hr more to be a supervisor is still worth $2/hr.
That relationship breaks down the further from minimum wage. Someone making $100k/yr isn't going to see any direct effect. The relationship breaks down somewhere in "middle class".
And if it did, thanks to price inflation, the new higher wage would be worth no more than the current minimum wage is worth today.
Except history did not start today. We've raised minimum wage before. It hasn't caused an equal inflation boost.
The only nice thing about minimum wage being stuck for so damn long is we got to run a bunch of natural experiments. Raising minimum wage didn't cause inflation in states that raised it. In fact, there's a lovely article comparing the prices of McDonalds food in Eastern Washington and Western Idaho. WA raised their minimum wage, ID didn't. Same prices. That pattern repeated decade after decade, state after state.
Don't get me wrong, a massive raise ($100/hr) would be inflationary. But we have not seen any inflation caused by the kinds of increases we're talking about.
The newly minted high school age McDonald's floor mopper can earn the same as his instructors at school. Why not?
Because the teacher requires more training than the McDonald's floor mopper. That results in a higher wage. Usually beyond the point where minimum wage hikes affect salary.
Or maybe this woman, who is obviously pretty fucking good at her job if she earns that much, has a point. Maybe the problem isn't the wage floor, and maybe dragging everyone back isn't the solution. Maybe the answer is more jobs competing for labor, rather than too much labor fighting over too few jobs.
I must commend you for placing so much wrong in a single paragraph. It's an impressive achievement.
Increasing the minimum wage does not drag everyone back. It never has. Her skills rate an $8/hr premium above minimum wage. Her skills will still rate an $8/hr premium after the minimum wage hike. She is not stuck making the same wage she currently makes.
Additionally, the way you get more jobs competing for labor is to get more money into consumer's hands. By, for example, raising the minimum wage. That way the McDonald's floor mopper has more money to spend. He'll spend all of it, because saving is non-existent at that end of the income spectrum. That increased demand will require more jobs to satisfy the demand.
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I hear the best ones are the ones they make at the teabagger concentration camps.
Warren DeMontague
Feb 2014
#87
The response is, "Why not build yourself up, instead of bringing others down? Maybe you're not
Brickbat
Feb 2014
#2
I remember back before george w bu$h readjusted the economy, government workers made less, often way
RC
Feb 2014
#59
And bullshit back to you. People are killed and injured working in the food service industry also.
TexasTowelie
Feb 2014
#81
You know what, I've seen people sit on their butts all day doing nothing in both blue collar
TexasTowelie
Feb 2014
#103
PW, I'm often on your side; but I drove a fork lift in Chapel Hill, NC, to supplement ...
11 Bravo
Feb 2014
#43
sadly, i know some family members who just that stupid. they see anything that helps people less off
dionysus
Feb 2014
#29
If her job truly is worth more than minimum wage, then her income would be going up too.
jeff47
Feb 2014
#34
Me neither.... I'm a generous tipper partly because I know they get paid crap...
Adrahil
Feb 2014
#36
How would the critics here feel if we raised wait staff to 15 while lowering teachers to match...
Demo_Chris
Feb 2014
#31
Concur.... though I have had waiters that were definitely what I'd call "skilled."
Adrahil
Feb 2014
#37
Correct. But those criticizing this woman seem to feel HER training and skill are irrelevant...
Demo_Chris
Feb 2014
#38
No, we're criticizing her because she doesn't realize that training premium would still exist.
jeff47
Feb 2014
#40
If that waiter doesn't handle her food properly, she could be crapping and puking and
MADem
Feb 2014
#45
If the person is not happy, then why doesn't the person become a waiter. Salaries are determined by
lostincalifornia
Feb 2014
#73