Minimum wage being raised.

Live forum: http://forum.freeipodguide.com/viewtopic.php?t=53002

mnx12

01-02-2007 17:27:31

[quote822d3e8100]WASHINGTON - The Senate voted overwhelmingly Thursday to boost the federal minimum wage by $2.10 to $7.25 an hour over two years, but packaged the increase with controversial tax cuts for small businesses and higher taxes for many $1 million-plus executives.
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The increase in the minimum, the first in a decade, was approved by a 94-3 vote, capping a nine-day debate over how to balance the wage hike with the needs of businesses that employ low-wage workers.

A top priority of Democrats, the wage hike has both real and symbolic consequences. It would be one of the first major legislative successes of the new Democratic-controlled Congress.

"Passing this wage hike represents a small but necessary step to help lift America's working poor out of the ditches of poverty and onto the road toward economic prosperity," said Sen. Edward Kennedy (news, bio, voting record), D-Mass.

President Bush urged the House to support the measure, including the tax help for small business. He said, "The Senate has taken a step toward helping maintain a strong and dynamic labor market and promoting continued economic growth."

The bill must now be reconciled with the House version passed Jan. 10 that contained no tax provisions. House Democrats have insisted they want a minimum wage bill with no strings attached, though some have conceded the difficulty of passing the legislation in the Senate without tax breaks.

Republicans stressed the importance of the business tax breaks in the bill, though it was a significantly smaller tax package than Republicans had sought during previous attempts to raise the minimum wage.

"The Senate's reasonable approach recognizes that small businesses have been the steady engine of our growing economy and that they have been a source of new job creation, a source of job training," said Sen. Michael Enzi (news, bio, voting record), R-Wyo., who helped manage the debate for the GOP.

The bill presents a challenge to Democrats who must navigate between the demands of labor and other interest groups and the realities of the Senate, where Republicans hold 49 of 100 votes. House and Senate Democrats will try to negotiate a way out of the potential standoff.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (news, bio, voting record), D-Calif., has said she supports some of the tax provisions in the House package, but she also has said she would prefer they be put in a separate, House-initiated tax bill.

A spokesman for Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (news, bio, voting record), D-Nev., said the tax breaks are necessary to overcome a potential GOP filibuster.

"Of course, Democrats would prefer to pass a clean increase in the minimum wage," said the spokesman, Jim Manley. "The fact is that Republicans have made it very clear that the only way we will pass a modest increase in the minimum wage is with tax breaks for small business."

Besides increasing the minimum wage from the current $5.15 an hour, the bill would extend for five years a tax credit for businesses that hire the disadvantaged and provide expensing and depreciation advantages to small firms. The tax breaks would be paid for by closing loopholes on offshore tax shelters, by capping deferred compensation payments to corporate executives and by removing the deductibility of punitive damage payments and fines.

Senators also adopted an amendment that would bar companies that hire illegal immigrants form obtaining federal contracts. That measure was designed to encourage companies to participate in an employee identification program that can weed out undocumented workers.

While the tax breaks have won the support of small business groups as well as retailers and restaurant owners, they have drawn opposition from larger businesses that would bear the brunt of the revenue provisions. Several business groups also opposed the immigration measure.

After the House passed its bill on Jan. 10, the White House issued a statement insisting that final legislation include small business tax breaks. It subsequently issued a statement supporting the Senate version, but said the revenue measures were not necessary.

According to the Labor Department, 479,000 workers earned exactly $5.15 an hour in 2005, the most recent estimate available. Most are young and unmarried and more likely to be women, minorities and part-time workers. According to the liberal Economic Policy Institute, the increase would affect 5.6 million who make less than the proposed minimum of $7.25.

More than two dozen states and the District of Columbia have minimum wages higher than the federal level. The political potency of the issue was evident last November, when proposals to raise statewide minimums passed in all six states where they came to a vote.

Rep. George Miller (news, bio, voting record), D-Calif., a close ally of Speaker Pelosi, said he has talked to key Democrats in the House and Senate to make sure the differences in the bills don't derail the effort to raise the minimum wage.

"We just have to sort it out," Miller said. "I think it can be done. Just don't ask me how."[/quote822d3e8100] http//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070201/ap_on_go_co/minimum_wage

johnjimjones

01-02-2007 17:30:18

7.25 that's it? It's already $7.10 in CT....

Indiana could use it, I don't even bother looking for a job on campus because the pay is so low.

mnx12

01-02-2007 17:34:52

I think Oregon currently has the highest at 7.80 - Utah's is right at the minimum I think, or at least only a little bit higher.

tylerc

01-02-2007 17:51:59

[quote733c96d822="johnjimjones"]7.25 that's it? It's already $7.10 in CT....

Indiana could use it, I don't even bother looking for a job on campus because the pay is so low.[/quote733c96d822]

It's called cost of living. It's obviously much higher in CT than IN, so that's why IN has a much lower minimum wage.

Purdue students can't even figure out simple economics roll

mushybubbler

01-02-2007 19:05:19

[quote544a7abe5b="mnx12"]I think Oregon currently has the highest at 7.80 - Utah's is right at the minimum I think, or at least only a little bit higher.[/quote544a7abe5b]


I think Washington beats us by 13 more cents, they're the highest )

EatChex89

01-02-2007 19:20:33

aha. we'll be $8/hr in 2008

BD2006BD

01-02-2007 21:39:24

Our minimum wage was raised in MO, but it doesn't affect me because I am a waiter. $2.13/hr plus tips.

J4320

01-02-2007 22:20:46

stupid stupid stupid

Raising our minimum wage does not help the economy.

EatChex89

01-02-2007 22:28:06

[quote49d013443b="BD2006BD"]Our minimum wage was raised in MO, but it doesn't affect me because I am a waiter. [b49d013443b]$2.13/hr plus tips.[/b49d013443b][/quote49d013443b]

ouch..

mnx12

01-02-2007 23:43:04

[quotebce9db7844="EatChex89"][quotebce9db7844="BD2006BD"]Our minimum wage was raised in MO, but it doesn't affect me because I am a waiter. [bbce9db7844]$2.13/hr plus tips.[/bbce9db7844][/quotebce9db7844]

ouch..[/quotebce9db7844]When your a waiter, you make pretty much all your money on tips. They probably make $7+ an hour

tylerc

02-02-2007 04:17:31

[quote218d8a4645="EatChex89"][quote218d8a4645="BD2006BD"]Our minimum wage was raised in MO, but it doesn't affect me because I am a waiter. [b218d8a4645]$2.13/hr plus tips.[/b218d8a4645][/quote218d8a4645]

ouch..[/quote218d8a4645]

roll

Like the other guy said, your pay comes from tips. If you don't make enough in an hour to meet minimum wage, the restaurant is required to cover the difference.

freaky1718

02-02-2007 04:19:08

[quote8bb2f4a331="BD2006BD"]Our minimum wage was raised in MO, but it doesn't affect me because I am a waiter. $2.13/hr plus tips.[/quote8bb2f4a331]

sorry to say you make more on chacha.com being a guide

tylerc

02-02-2007 04:20:40

[quoteffa5a6de8d="tylerc"][quoteffa5a6de8d="EatChex89"][quoteffa5a6de8d="BD2006BD"]Our minimum wage was raised in MO, but it doesn't affect me because I am a waiter. [bffa5a6de8d]$2.13/hr plus tips.[/bffa5a6de8d][/quoteffa5a6de8d]

ouch..[/quoteffa5a6de8d]

roll

Like the other guy said, your pay comes from tips. If you don't make enough in an hour to meet minimum wage, the restaurant is required to cover the difference.[/quoteffa5a6de8d]

CollidgeGraduit

02-02-2007 04:56:24

[quote16a8b3b715="freaky1718"][quote16a8b3b715="BD2006BD"]Our minimum wage was raised in MO, but it doesn't affect me because I am a waiter. $2.13/hr plus tips.[/quote16a8b3b715]

sorry to say you make more on chacha.com being a guide[/quote16a8b3b715]

If he works at any kind of decent sit-down restaurant (Applebee's, Friday's, Chili's) or better, I'm sure he does much better than what ChaCha pays guides... especially on the weekends.

theysayjump

02-02-2007 07:01:21

[quote145630d38a="J4320"]stupid stupid stupid

Raising our minimum wage does not help the economy.[/quote145630d38a]

Fuck yeah it does. Now I'll have an extra $0.25 an hour to spend on Cheese Nips. Please tell me how me buying more Cheese Nips isn't a good thing for the economy.

TryinToGetPaid

02-02-2007 07:22:32

Quick Question If we are paid by the hour - right now I make 12 dollars an hour, which is not bad when you work 40 hour weeks, fresh outta highschool. But right now minimum wage in Louisiana is 5.15 an hour, meaning I make 7 dollars MORE than someone who works a minimum wage job.

Now if it gets raised to 7.25 an hour, I will only be making 4 dollars higher than someone who turns burgers for a living, will my pay go up as well, or will I be forced to make 4 dollars more than a burger flipper?

johnjimjones

02-02-2007 07:32:35

[quote5ffa7c84c7="TryinToGetPaid"]Quick Question If we are paid by the hour - right now I make 12 dollars an hour, which is not bad when you work 40 hour weeks, fresh outta highschool. But right now minimum wage in Louisiana is 5.15 an hour, meaning I make 7 dollars MORE than someone who works a minimum wage job.

Now if it gets raised to 7.25 an hour, I will only be making 4 dollars higher than someone who turns burgers for a living, will my pay go up as well, or will I be forced to make 4 dollars more than a burger flipper?[/quote5ffa7c84c7]

Very interesting question, and the same applies to me. I'll probably have an internship or coop over the summer and I'll be doing engineering work for ~$15 an hour. This is supposed to be implemented over 26 or so months so...I doubt inflation of other job prices will go up with that, especially that much...

KeithA

02-02-2007 08:24:32

It won't happen overnight, but your compensation will probably increase as the market for talent gets more competitive.

As an example, consider a retailer that views its in-store experience as a key competitive advantage. For the last several years, it has been paying its employees $9 and hour--about 20% above the market rate for similar work to ensure that it attracts and retains top talent. (Costco and, even moreso, Trader Joe's, both follow this strategy.)

Then imagine that the minimum wage increased, narrowing the wage gap between the retailer whose wages are strategically higher and all the others, who simply pay the minimum required.

The retailer who views its labor force as a strategic advantage will adjust its employees' compensation upwards. Then, as competition for those top employees increases, others will raise their wages.

I did some analysis a few months ago of the relationship between a given state's minimum wage and Wal-Mart's average wage in that state. In states where the minimum wage is significantly higher than the federal minimum wage, Wal-Mart's average wages definitely tend to be higher.

good2speed

02-02-2007 08:27:21

Now I can go to Starbucks and waste 4.50 on a latte and not feel bad that people earning minimum wage would have to spend an entire hours worth of work to buy a cup.

BD2006BD

02-02-2007 08:40:16

[quotee7097e636b="freaky1718"][quotee7097e636b="BD2006BD"]Our minimum wage was raised in MO, but it doesn't affect me because I am a waiter. $2.13/hr plus tips.[/quotee7097e636b]

sorry to say you make more on chacha.com being a guide[/quotee7097e636b]

hahaha.. I make from $7 (on a slow night) to sometimes $20+(not very often) an hour. I would say the average is 9-10/hr.

J4320

02-02-2007 09:23:22

[quotea288d4b731="theysayjump"][quotea288d4b731="J4320"]stupid stupid stupid

Raising our minimum wage does not help the economy.[/quotea288d4b731]

Fuck yeah it does. Now I'll have an extra $0.25 an hour to spend on Cheese Nips. Please tell me how me buying more Cheese Nips isn't a good thing for the economy.[/quotea288d4b731]

lol

Okay so maybe it's a little more nice for minimum wage workers but it hurts the economy and the people who work above minimum wage.

The people behind this know that - they only raise minimum wage to make themselves look better.

Zanpaktou

02-02-2007 10:19:00

I didnt read the majority of the posts above this, but basically raising the minimum wage doesnt really help the economy at all. First, its not a requirement, n oone HAS to meat it, its simply a guideline. Second, raising the minimum wage will, in effect, hurt the economy. Cost of labor goes up (raising the price to have workers), corporations start making cuts, their first cuts usually end up being their labor force. unemployment goes up, interest rates go down, GDP, on the short term, goes down....

cost of living is bull really, the ones affected by minimum wages are usually teens and the like that work in places like target, best buy, fast-food chains, etc. If you want to see cost of living adjustments, think about the 2-3% increase in your paycheck every year or so, its not a raise, youll recieve the same amount you did in the previous year, but for a little more money.. tahts assuming that you even get as much, a true raise is 6ish% given that inflation was 4-5% in the previous year, which it usually is..

KeithA

02-02-2007 11:55:41

[quote0ed23470bf="Zanpaktou"]I didnt read the majority of the posts above this, but basically raising the minimum wage doesnt really help the economy at all. First, its not a requirement, n oone HAS to meat it, its simply a guideline. [/quote0ed23470bf]

Minimum wage actually is a requirement according to law, not a guideline. Your post also was not strengthened by your admission of having not paid attention to what anyone else said.

Powerbook

02-02-2007 13:05:06

[quote4baa4d8b9e="KeithA"][quote4baa4d8b9e="Zanpaktou"]I didnt read the majority of the posts above this, but basically raising the minimum wage doesnt really help the economy at all. First, its not a requirement, n oone HAS to meat it, its simply a guideline. [/quote4baa4d8b9e]

Minimum wage actually is a requirement according to law, not a guideline. Your post also was not strengthened by your admission of having not paid attention to what anyone else said.[/quote4baa4d8b9e]

and because he said meat wink Heh, it's all good.

dmorris68

02-02-2007 13:35:58

[quotee1110ea82e="KeithA"][quotee1110ea82e="Zanpaktou"]I didnt read the majority of the posts above this, but basically raising the minimum wage doesnt really help the economy at all. First, its not a requirement, n oone HAS to meat it, its simply a guideline. [/quotee1110ea82e]

Minimum wage actually is a requirement according to law, not a guideline. Your post also was not strengthened by your admission of having not paid attention to what anyone else said.[/quotee1110ea82e]
Beat me to it.

Congress doesn't waste time passing "guidelines." It's Federal Law. And as Keith mentioned, it's considered bad form to try to educate people (a) with unsound observations, and (b) when you haven't actually followed the whole conversation.

justinag06

02-02-2007 13:50:51

[quotee20b34b147="dmorris68"][quotee20b34b147="KeithA"][quotee20b34b147="Zanpaktou"]I didnt read the majority of the posts above this, but basically raising the minimum wage doesnt really help the economy at all. First, its not a requirement, n oone HAS to meat it, its simply a guideline. [/quotee20b34b147]

Minimum wage actually is a requirement according to law, not a guideline. Your post also was not strengthened by your admission of having not paid attention to what anyone else said.[/quotee20b34b147]
Beat me to it.

Congress doesn't waste time passing "guidelines." It's Federal Law. And as Keith mentioned, it's considered bad form to try to educate people (a) with unsound observations, and (b) when you haven't actually followed the whole conversation.[/quotee20b34b147]

and c) you say meat instead of meet.

KeithA

02-02-2007 13:57:34

[quoteb3b6ff5217="justinag06"][quoteb3b6ff5217="dmorris68"][quoteb3b6ff5217="KeithA"][quoteb3b6ff5217="Zanpaktou"]I didnt read the majority of the posts above this, but basically raising the minimum wage doesnt really help the economy at all. First, its not a requirement, n oone HAS to meat it, its simply a guideline. [/quoteb3b6ff5217]

Minimum wage actually is a requirement according to law, not a guideline. Your post also was not strengthened by your admission of having not paid attention to what anyone else said.[/quoteb3b6ff5217]
Beat me to it.

Congress doesn't waste time passing "guidelines." It's Federal Law. And as Keith mentioned, it's considered bad form to try to educate people (a) with unsound observations, and (b) when you haven't actually followed the whole conversation.[/quoteb3b6ff5217]

and c) you say meat instead of meet.[/quoteb3b6ff5217]

you beat me to his 'meat'

TryinToGetPaid

02-02-2007 14:02:19

HEY! He said meat instead of meet! What a ma-roon!

Jams44

02-02-2007 15:05:14

[quotec576bb1e73="TryinToGetPaid"]HEY! He said meat instead of meet! What a [bc576bb1e73]ma[/bc576bb1e73]-roon![/quotec576bb1e73]

i hope you are kidding.

Powerbook

02-02-2007 17:01:40

god damn guys, i caught it first. sure give the wrong man credit!

csurge

02-02-2007 17:48:53

[quote6db6e7ce22="johnjimjones"][quote6db6e7ce22="TryinToGetPaid"]Quick Question If we are paid by the hour - right now I make 12 dollars an hour, which is not bad when you work 40 hour weeks, fresh outta highschool. But right now minimum wage in Louisiana is 5.15 an hour, meaning I make 7 dollars MORE than someone who works a minimum wage job.

Now if it gets raised to 7.25 an hour, I will only be making 4 dollars higher than someone who turns burgers for a living, will my pay go up as well, or will I be forced to make 4 dollars more than a burger flipper?[/quote6db6e7ce22]

Very interesting question, and the same applies to me. I'll probably have an internship or coop over the summer and I'll be doing engineering work for ~$15 an hour. This is supposed to be implemented over 26 or so months so...I doubt inflation of other job prices will go up with that, especially that much...[/quote6db6e7ce22]

Hooray for co-op students =D but I'm going to be only a sophomore when I begin working(if I land a job) and I'll probably only end up doing busy work =P

johnjimjones

02-02-2007 20:33:15

[quote93da73a4cd="csurge"][quote93da73a4cd="johnjimjones"][quote93da73a4cd="TryinToGetPaid"]Quick Question If we are paid by the hour - right now I make 12 dollars an hour, which is not bad when you work 40 hour weeks, fresh outta highschool. But right now minimum wage in Louisiana is 5.15 an hour, meaning I make 7 dollars MORE than someone who works a minimum wage job.

Now if it gets raised to 7.25 an hour, I will only be making 4 dollars higher than someone who turns burgers for a living, will my pay go up as well, or will I be forced to make 4 dollars more than a burger flipper?[/quote93da73a4cd]

Very interesting question, and the same applies to me. I'll probably have an internship or coop over the summer and I'll be doing engineering work for ~$15 an hour. This is supposed to be implemented over 26 or so months so...I doubt inflation of other job prices will go up with that, especially that much...[/quote93da73a4cd]

Hooray for co-op students =D but I'm going to be only a sophomore when I begin working(if I land a job) and I'll probably only end up doing busy work =P[/quote93da73a4cd]

What's your major?

KnightTrader

03-02-2007 06:42:25

Very stupid move. By definition Minimum wage creates unemployment. There shoulden't be a minimum wage.

Zanpaktou

03-02-2007 07:24:06

people make typos every once in a while... especially when theyre typing fast and not really looking at what theyre typing. Also, if the minimum wage isnt a guideline than how would you explain a state like kansas where the minimum wage is set at $2.65. That certainly doesnt meet the wage set forth by the US. Besides, if all you're going to talk about in my post is the fact that I didn't follow the entire discussion and that I misspelled meet, then you must not have any arguments toward my other statements. The fact is, raising minimum wage doesnt necessarily help the economy..

KeithA

03-02-2007 07:34:18

I haven't made an argument for or against the minimum wage being "good" or "bad" for the economy, and I don't have any particular response to your other arguments (other than to note that your "cost of living is bull" claim is unsupported).

The only comments I made were in response to a question about whether the increase in the minimum wage would impact people who already make well above the minimum wage.

Kansas is the only state with a minimum wage lower than the federal minimum wage, and its minimum wage is superceded by the federal minimum wage aside from a few exemptions.

I didn't mean to pick on your typing unfairly. You're right to consider inflation when you're assessing increases in compensation of any kind.

Zanpaktou

03-02-2007 09:15:06

[quotead6c4bf286="KeithA"]I haven't made an argument for or against the minimum wage being "good" or "bad" for the economy, and I don't have any particular response to your other arguments (other than to note that your "cost of living is bull" claim is unsupported).

The only comments I made were in response to a question about whether the increase in the minimum wage would impact people who already make well above the minimum wage.

Kansas is the only state with a minimum wage lower than the federal minimum wage, and its minimum wage is superceded by the federal minimum wage aside from a few exemptions.

I didn't mean to pick on your typing unfairly. You're right to consider inflation when you're assessing increases in compensation of any kind.[/quotead6c4bf286]

Thankyou KeithA... I suppose I can't argue about the minimum wage guidline v. law issue. I've clearly lost it, I misunderstood that in particular when I went through it. But this IS an open discussion and we learn from others, right?

MyJobIsThis

03-02-2007 09:38:06

[quoteec44b82d29="J4320"]stupid stupid stupid

Raising our minimum wage does not help the economy.[/quoteec44b82d29]

Exactly, Eventually everything will go up in price.