Minimum Wage

[HereWeGoAgain]

There are a few active threads on the board that are talking about minimum wage and the companies that pay minimum wage. I see good points coming from all sides of the discussion.

I'm curious, how many people here have worked for minimum wage at some point in their life? Please indicate in the poll and explain if you can.

I'll start.
I got my first job at 13 years of age. I was an independent contractor for KMart. I was the guy that assembled the bicycles, it was a job that paid by the piece and equated to much more than minimum wage. Great money around Christmas and spring, but people don't buy bikes all year long. At 14 I took an hourly job with KMart in order to have a more steady income. It also paid more than minimum wage.
I worked throughout my teen years and never once had a minimum wage job.

LOL...I thought I was the only one who did that. My first job was a bicycle mechanic/sales and I did the assembly thing for extra money on the side in the spring and Christmas.
As far as working for min wage goes...one time for about two weeks to get me by until I found something better. I was detailing used cars for 100 bucks a week.

 

[HereWeGoAgain]

I work for minimum wage, but for Americans, I would be working for a high wage.

And what exactly do you consider a "high wage"? Because I cant imagine flipping burgers or waiting tables would ever be considered a high wage even if it's artificially inflated by gov regulations.

 

[iamwhatiseem]

I had a paper route at 12. At which time I also mowed 2 neighbor lawns.
At 15 I worked with a guy who flipped houses during the winter and painted cars during the summer.
At 16 thru college I worked various part-time jobs for $3.35 - $3.70 per hour.
When I graduated I worked for about 3 months part-time till I found full employment.
And the rest is history.

 

[mudwhistle]

In my state I couldn't get a real full-time job till I was 16. I mowed lawns and did a paper route ever since I was 9.

When I retired out of the military I had to work for $6/hr just to pay my bills. I didn't stay there long.

 

[zeke]

Based on the amount of minimum wages you all earned, I can pretty well figure out the time frame that some of you were earning the minimum wage.

Of course the opportunity to find other jobs paying more than the minimum was much greater when you all were working than it is now.

The problem we have today is that there are not anywhere near the same numbers or type of employment opportunities for those that are trying to move up the earnings ladder.

Easy too tell todays minimum wage worker to just find another better paying job. The problem is where to find that job. Especially when we need better jobs for lots of minimum wage workers.

 

[mudwhistle]

Based on the amount of minimum wages you all earned, I can pretty well figure out the time frame that some of you were earning the minimum wage.

Of course the opportunity to find other jobs paying more than the minimum was much greater when you all were working than it is now.

The problem we have today is that there are not anywhere near the same numbers or type of employment opportunities for those that are trying to move up the earnings ladder.

Easy too tell todays minimum wage worker to just find another better paying job. The problem is where to find that job. Especially when we need better jobs for lots of minimum wage workers.

That could be easily solved by getting rid of Obama.

One of the biggest drags on the economy is uncertainty. Nobody can plan for the future because they can't predict what he's gonna do next to fuck us over.

 

[zeke]

Obama is the reason that the economy was shedding thousands of jobs under Bush?
I call BULL.

But go ahead and say; nah nah nah nah nah nah Obama did it Obama did it.

btw, couldn't refute what I said can ya?

You can't move up in an economy that doesn't offer better paying jobs to low wage workers.
That is a fact and it wouldn't matter who is President.

Demand for a companies goods or service are what create jobs. Not Presidents. And demand is created when a consumer has money to spend. And consumers have more money to spend when they have a better paying job. There by increasing demand and creating more jobs.

But then you know that. Or do ya?

 

[boedicca]

Yes. I worked for minimum wage when I was in high school (at a gas station and then at a fast food restaurant). Minimum wage jobs help teenagers develop a work ethic - something being denied to many in today's horrible Obamaconomy.

 

[HereWeGoAgain]

Obama is the reason that the economy was shedding thousands of jobs under Bush?
I call BULL.

But go ahead and say; nah nah nah nah nah nah Obama did it Obama did it.

btw, couldn't refute what I said can ya?

You can't move up in an economy that doesn't offer better paying jobs to low wage workers.
That is a fact and it wouldn't matter who is President.

Demand for a companies goods or service are what create jobs. Not Presidents. And demand is created when a consumer has money to spend. And consumers have more money to spend when they have a better paying job. There by increasing demand and creating more jobs.

But then you know that. Or do ya?

I've never had a problem finding a job. But I live in Texas so it's really no big surprise.

 

[mudwhistle]

Obama is the reason that the economy was shedding thousands of jobs under Bush?
I call BULL.

But go ahead and say; nah nah nah nah nah nah Obama did it Obama did it.

btw, couldn't refute what I said can ya?

You can't move up in an economy that doesn't offer better paying jobs to low wage workers.
That is a fact and it wouldn't matter who is President.

Demand for a companies goods or service are what create jobs. Not Presidents. And demand is created when a consumer has money to spend. And consumers have more money to spend when they have a better paying job. There by increasing demand and creating more jobs.

But then you know that. Or do ya?

A strong economy solves most of that, but you knew that, didn't you.

The crash caused the shedding of thousands of jobs. Who was at fault is up to debate, even though it's clear it didn't happen before the Dems took back control of congress.

The reason we haven't had a real recovery and more people are out of work since Osama took office is because of his anti-business policies.

Oh, I'm sorry. He can't control his own WhiteHouse much less the rest of the government. He's just a bystander.

 

[BobPlumb]

It is usually easier to get a job if you currently have a job.

 

[Meister]

Yes, I have worked for minimum wage.

Then, I worked hard, built a track record and resume, then got a better job.

Point being?

That's the way it was supposed to be....a stepping stone for a movement up the ladder.

 

[Meister]

My first job was ratting at the SLC, Ut. Country Club. Six bucks for lugging clubs for 18 holes that included jumping into the lake to retrieve clubs thrown in it at times.
I still figured out that it wasn't going to be a living wage and was never considered one. What it did do was give me incentive to get a better job. But, that mentality is old school by today's standards.

 

[Asclepias]

Somebody once explained it to me this way. Minimum wage jobs are a stepping stone not a bed to lie in. If you chose to lie in that bed then you should be prepared to deal with all the downfalls of that choice.

 

[Baruch Menachem]

I worked miimi wage 3 times, got fired from then because in one intense the place folded because of the minimum wage hike, two other times they cut hours and I was the one let go. This was during the carter administration when there were several minimum wage hikes. and I was a lousy employee back then

 

[mudwhistle]

I worked miimi wage 3 times, got fired from then because in one intense the place folded because of the minimum wage hike, two other times they cut hours and I was the one let go. This was during the carter administration when there were several minimum wage hikes. and I was a lousy employee back then

Imagine paying someone $15/hr just to say "Do you want cheese on that?" And they don't even have to figure out how to make correct change cuz the register does it for them.

 

[Casjah]

I've served tables at a higher end restaurant that paid minimum wage plus tips, and currently i work as CNA shift lead in women's services at a hospital, and i make $9.10 an hour.

I think minimum wage has short term benefits but long term negative affects. Long term: companies will cut jobs and scale back services to save money, or prices will rise ultimately leading to inflation. Therefore, I am torn because i don't feel that workers deserve to be exploited, but I also understand that market economics have demonstrated that controlled wages do more harm in the long run. Most people only work low wage jobs through highschool and college. When I graduate next year in May, I will be making $40 to 60,000 a year starting salary as an RN. The same applies to the majority of low income wage earners.

 

[Asclepias]

I've served tables at a higher end restaurant that paid minimum wage plus tips, and currently i work as CNA shift lead in women's services at a hospital, and i make $9.10 an hour.

I think minimum wage has short term benefits but long term negative affects. Long term: companies will cut jobs and scale back services to save money, or prices will rise ultimately leading to inflation. Therefore, I am torn because i don't feel that workers deserve to be exploited, but I also understand that market economics have demonstrated that controlled wages do more harm in the long run. Most people only work low wage jobs through highschool and college. When I graduate next year in May, I will be making $40 to 60,000 a year starting salary as an RN. The same applies to the majority of low income wage earners.

I understand you on your conflict because I feel the same way. I feel for people that work minimum wage jobs especially if they have a family to support. i was once in that position. However, I did something about it much like you are doing something about it which I applaud. That is the difference to me. If you are trying to do something about it as opposed to expecting someone to give you a meal ticket I can sympathize. Others I just cant muster up the same amount of empathy when they just complain and dont do something, anything at all to improve their lot in life.

 

[Shrimpbox]

I just don't understand why republican are so stupid as to not get on top of the min wage issue. They are letting dems box them in a corner again and there is no need for this. Was watching cnn(forgive me please) and the optics of a clueless Grover nor quits and a flame throwing librard is depressing. I say again I could turn this pr debacle around in a heartbeat and I can't be the smartest person in the world. Look for nor the min wage is not the total a business pays for employees there are payroll taxes for one, work men's comp, and unemployment insurance. But the bigger deal is for republican to come up with their own plans to address the issue, or you will forever be in the quicksand of not caring for the poor. Just come up with a damn plan. I can come up with one in one minute. As I posted earlier, pick a number, say 10 dollars an hour but make but make anyone getting min wage immune from employer and employee taxes. Therefore workers would get to take home more in ral terms and the extra employers have to pay goes to the worker and not the govt. the workers win and the business wins. How hard is it to support such a simple plan that shows you care. I am so tired of being a conservative having to follow the Pygmy brains of Washington and the national party. Almost every issue has a myriad of simple solutions but we have fossilized thinkers at the top. It is time to clean house. Lead, follow, or get out of the way

 

[Katzndogz]

It's the asinine concept that the poor must be cared for. Why? Are they helpless? Are they household pets? Animals in a zoo are cared for. The entire nation cannot be turned into the caretakers of the poor.