To those against an increase in the minimum wage : Did you ever have to work for minimum wage or?

Question

were you from wealthy families who payed for your education, supported you while in school, and your only concept of "work" is the white collar kind? I am really interested in hearing your reasons for not increasing the minimum wage. Also, since there are more poor people than funds available for continuing education, what do you propose the rest of us poor people do to get ahead?

Answer 1

I used to work on minimum wage for many years. Yes it sucks and it too low to live on - BUT - it taught me that I needed a good education and inspired me to excel because I knew I would never want to be that poor again! I came from lowly background and paid my way thru college (jobs, loans, scholarships) - nothing inspired me more than wanting to get out of my factory job working a smelly printing press.

What you have to understand is the big picture of macro-economics. When eveyone gets paid more for minimum wages, companies can either hire fewer people to do the same work - or charge more for their products. This increases prices (from McD's hamburgers (crew), to apartment rent (paying janitors), to evrything else. Now you are back where you were before because you need more money - even though you got a wage hike. This is an artifically high wage rate if the market can not support it. This is why so many illegal immigrants are working - they take less money than minimum wage and get by. Employers pay them so they can keep their prices lower to compete and be successful. Businesses that fail cannot hire and pay people.

While I 100% agree that someone earning minimum wage can not make ends meet, raising it only makes the problem escalate. The real cure is eduacation and job development. If you are stuck in a minimum wage job for your life - you are screwed. Take action and pull yourself up. This is the land of opportunity and millions of immigrants with no money in their pockets made good by hard work, investments and education. Immigrants (my roots) know that education is the key to escaping poverty - this is why they scrape and save every penny - to help pay for their kids' college.

You sound pissed at the world - this will keep you miserable - no way to live life. Look up - you can make it if you put your mind to it and live to succeed.

Answer 2

I am against an increase in minimum wage. I worked in minimum wage jobs. I supported myself 100%. My parents did not put me through college, and they have never paid any of my bills. I did not come from wealth. If the minimum wage is raised, employers on tighter budgets would not be able to hire as many employees and the unemployment rate would rise. Also, just because you are going to college doesn't mean that you have to continue working for minimum wage. Minimum wage jobs should typically go to high school students. If you want to be paid more, find a higher paying job. Nobody is forcing you to stay at a job for a high school student. If you want to change your life, then do it. Stop asking for handouts. What do you mean that there are more poor people than funds available? Have you even filled out a form for financial aid? If you are poor, like you say you are, then you will qualify for financial aid. Stop being lazy. Get off your butt and do something to change you life!

Answer 3

I have worked for minimum wage...when I was a teenager. I EARNED my white-collar business job, by starting at the bottom and thoroughly learning a profession, with college (not a fancy one) a supplement. I did everything from installing floor tile to passing out fliers and sorting bottles for recycling.

As for increasing the minimum wage, for my company it means that we will have to raise non-minimum wage workers, who otherwise will be dicontented that their $10 per hour is now so much closer to minimum than before. So I will lay a few off and the others work harder. I really can't raise prices in my industry, so that isn't my option, but will be for others...so costs will be higher at the stores.

As for the poor vs. education issue, don't assume all education needs to be college. Our welfare office provides lots of funds for training in trades, job coaching and more. And, not every poor person wants or is qualified to go to continued education, so the funds issue is not as bad as you make it out to be. Wages should reflect productivity, not artifical settings.

Frankly, your remark sounds more of envy than desire to accomplish success.

Answer 4

I think it is an excellent idea to raise the minimum wage. That way, the working class of people would be better off at least for a little while. Also, it would help curb hiring of illegals that is if crack downs on illegal hiring is followed through. The downside of all of this is that with all of these changes in place, the cost of goods and services will go up dramatically, and eventually you end up back where you were in financial distress. I do think raising the minimum to a "liveable" level would help overall.

Answer 5

I worked for minimum wage as a teenager (I think at the time it was like $1.65 or something like that). It did two things for me - it allowed me to pay my gas money, and it allowed the small company to hire me as a punk with no experience. It also taught me what hard work was, and made me stay in school. No boss in their right mind would ever hire a 16 year old with no experience if he had to pay a "living wage". I know I wouldn't. If you work hard and don't expect your boss to pay you for horsing around, you won't be at minimum for long. Bosses like hard workers who give their all and don't expect to be paid for nothing.They don't want to pay 10 bucks an hour for two goof-offs playing warehouse hockey.

Answer 6

nicely, i am going to grant an opinion. besides the undeniable fact that it extremely relies upon upon your monetary attitude, so its a idea difficulty and consequences diverse people contained in the employer international in diverse procedures. between the large topics in elevating minimum salary is its consequences on agencies. problematical artwork is now and has been for some time, the biggest value linked with operating a employer. Pay mixed with incentives, contributions, and advantages applications hit organizations bottom lines problematical. maximum production industries (which incorporates mine:Caterpillar) bid contracts in holding with an assumed pay price. even as the minimum salary is going up, workers anticipate that salary develop to trickle as a lot as a similar develop of their paycheck to boot. This impacts the settlement and motives losses in envisioned sales. this loss in envisioned sales issues investors which lowers the inventory value of the corporate, etc. it would want to also unfairly effect small employer vendors. in my opinion, i might want to like to develop minimum salary, the Idealist in me needs to grant a touch extra to the a lot less fortunate. i won't be able to make sure how someone can live on or grant for a kinfolk on $5.15 in step with/hr (salary in South Carolina). So, i think your soreness, and if I or you or anybody can make sure out the thanks to make all of it artwork the position everybody is a winner, shall we be heroes.

Answer 7

There are people against increasing the minimum wage... how awful

Answer 8

EXCELLENT QUESTION!!!!!!! Well put and I totally agree with you